Sturn's Shipyard

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FREE TRADER (Type A)

Update: A few small text changes due to updating the MGT playtest version to the release version.  05/06/08.

Update: I forgot a couple things.  I added the side windows on the external view of the passenger attic.  I placed the doors to the staterooms in the attic. I also corrected a layering issue with the captain's office.  04/30/08.

Updates planned: Front and rear views, possibly sides.  PDF version.

I re-designed the Free Trader deck plans keeping the overall layout from past designs.  I corrected the displacement of the plans, most of which were too large.  Only a few layout changes were made: the 'wings' no longer hold fuel, but are part of the cargo bay, low berths were moved into the nose of the lower deck, and the engineering section was reduced to the appropriate size.  

One major change was made from the MGT version - the air/raft was put back in the design.  Not sure why it wasn't in the MGT version.  I simply reduced MGT's original 88 dton cargo bay to 84 to make room for the air/raft.  The original CT Free Trader had an 82 dton cargo bay, so I thought this was still acceptable.

Unlike my previous Scout/Seeker designs, I tried to implement the 10 dtons of armor into the plans themselves by thickening the bulkheads.

External Views

From bow to stern:

Topside: The white nose houses the sensor equipment.  Behind this is the large bridge view port.  Further stern is the passenger "attic", the large box mounted on top of the ship.  A large view port for the passenger lounge is first, the sliding safety bulkhead has been retracted in this view.  Just behind this view port is a hatch to the roof of the ship.  In the center of the attic is the topside hard point.  Three windows can be seen on each side of the attic, one per passenger stateroom.  At the back of the attic is the air/raft garage with retracting door.  At port and starboard are the large retracting doors of the cargo bay.  At the stern are the two hatches above the engineering section and the maneuver drive ports.

Bottom View: Forward is the sensor dome.  Further back is the first of five landing gear hatches.  Between the first three landing gear hatches is the only underside hatch.  A step retracts for the almost 2 meter drop to the surface when the landing gear are extended.  At port and starboard are the large retracting doors of the cargo bay.  In the center is the underside hard point.  At the stern can be seen the tips of the maneuver drove ports.

Passenger Attic

From bow to stern:

Passenger Commons: A scenic lounge with a large retracting view port above.  Couches include small dining tables for use with the autogalley.  A small lift is to starboard, while an iris valve and ladder leads topside or down to the crew deck.

Passenger Staterooms: Six passenger staterooms each with their own fresher, desk w/terminal, and view ports.

Garage: At the stern is the 4-ton air/raft garage.  A door retracts to launch the vehicle.  Due to its location, only grav vehicles would be able to utilize the garage. 

Crew Deck

From bow to stern:

Bridge: Two workstations are upon the bridge.  Starboard is the ship's locker.  To port is a window which allows the captain/owner to overlook the bridge from his stateroom (see below).

Crew Stateroom: A single crew stateroom is to starboard.  Normally the second highest ranked crewman (under the captain/owner) gets this stateroom since the others are below.

Captain's Stateroom: The captain/owner of the vessel enjoys a stateroom complete with its own office and fresher.  The office has a window overlooking the bridge.  A secured walk-in closet can store valuables.

Crew Commons: The crew's lounge includes an autogalley, two tables, and sufficient seating.  An iris valve leads below to the hold.  To starboard is a common fresher used by all crew but the captain/owner.

Primary Passageway: This passageway includes several access points.  To port is the main airlock.  The main airlock has a side lock that allows access to the cargo bay without depressurizing.  An iris valve and ladder leads to the passenger attic or below to the hold.  Note that the iris valve is normally not used to access the attic unless the lift is inoperable.  The lift at the starboard end of the hall leads up to the attic, so passengers are not forced to climb a ladder with their luggage.

Fuel: Separate tanks are not shown.

Cargo Bay: The cargo bay has a cross shape.  The cargo bay is two decks in depth, extending from the crew deck down into the hold.  The cargo bay includes five separate elevated floors which may rise from the hold to the level of the crew deck. These "floors" are metal grating; you can see through them to the hold below.  The floor sections are lowered to allow storage of cargo up to 6 meters high.  Individual sections may be raised to provide two decks of storage of cargo 3 meters or shorter.  Rails on the walls of the cargo bay allow the grated floors to lower and raise with controls below in Cargo Control.  When a section is lifted up, each contains a ladder that may be folded down to the hold below.  See the cargo bay graphic (below) to make this more clear.  Two maintenance hatches (starboard and port) lead to life support equipment.  Two more hatches lead to the fuel processors.  There are two large 6m x 6m retracting cargo doors, one on each side of the hold.  They allow objects of nearly 6m x 6m size to enter the cargo hold, but the starboard and port floor gratings must be raised to the ceiling or lowered to the floor to allow maximum dimensions. Finally, two iris valves to stern allow entrance to Engineering.

Upper Engineering: The upper engineering bay includes access to the upper portions of the maunder and jump drives.  The floor is grated, allowing a crew member to see through to the lower engineering bay.  Two iris valves lead topside.  Two holes in the grating lead to the lower engineering bay.  A single engineering workstation is to starboard.

Lower Hold

From bow to stern:

Sensors: The nose of the lower hold houses 1 dton of civilian grade sensor equipment.

Fuel: Separate tanks are not shown.

Morgue: The "morgue" consists of 20 low berths cramped around the forward landing gear.  The area is eerily cramped and normally kept dark except for the status lights (green, yellow, or red) above each berth.  Maintenance hatches lead to the forward landing gear and sensor equipment.

Fire Control: Just behind the morgue are two gunnery stations. 

Crew Shaft: Between the gunnery stations are manual hatches up to the crew deck or down and out of the ship.  A short set of steps may be lowered to the ground when the lower hatch is used.

Crew Staterooms: Two staterooms are in the lower hold.  These normally house lower-grade positions such as medic, steward, and gunners when double-bunked.  These crewmen must go above to use the commons or crew fresher.

Cargo Bay: See the crew deck for an in depth description.  To port is the Cargo Control office.  A single workstation is utilized to manage the cargo bay.  A large window overlooks the bay from the office.  The office doubles as 2-dtons of space for special cargos that need extra security.  Storage lockers line the office for this purpose.  Of course, only small, valuable cargos are normally placed in the office, such as gems.  Four maintenance hatches allow access to the four stern landing gear.  A single maintenance hatch in the middle of the bay allows some repairs to be made to the underside turret (the center grated floor must be raised to access the hatch in the floor).  Two more maintenance hatches allow access to fuel processing equipment.

Lower Engineering: The lower engineering bay includes access to the lower portions of the maneuver and jump drives, in addition to two power plant sections (one starboard and one port).  Two ladders lead up through the grated ceiling to upper engineering.  There is not much workspace in the lower bay.