Freelance Traveller - The Shipyard - Classic Traveller Designs - Type AL Far Trader and Type AL2 Cargo Far Trader

Type AL Far Trader and Type AL2 Cargo Far Trader

These are "stretch" modifications of the stock Type A free trader into larger and faster ships, assuming that the crew/passenger/bridge section (where most of the complex systems would be) is relatively standard and adding hullmetal and standard engine pods is easy.

Baseline Type A Free Trader (Classic Traveller, c. 1977). 200 tons. Jump-1, 1-G. 30 tons fuel.
Model/1. 10 staterooms, 20 low berths. 2 hardpoints. 82 tons cargo.
Streamlined. 4 crew, 6 passengers, 20 low passengers.
MCr 37.08; 11 months; CER 3.14.

Assumptions on odd-sized (300-ton) hulls was that an engine pack with a Maneuver/Jump rating of 1 for a 600-ton hull would have a Maneuver/Jump rating of 2 when used in a 300-ton hull. They are intended for a TL11-12 "pocket empire" where the maximum typical speed is jump-2.

The Commercial Efficiency Ratio (CER) is a relative cost/benefit ratio indicating how well a ship will perform in commercial service. The higher the CER, the more profitable the ship will be to operate.

To calculate the CER for a ship:

Total the Net Tonnage ("revenue space") of the ship in tons, counting each passenger stateroom as 4 tons, each passenger low berth as 1/2 ton, and cargo tonnage as straight tonnage. (Do not count crew staterooms, sickbay/ emergency low berths, or vehicle bays unless the vehicles are part of the cargo; Net Tonnage is only the part of the ship that can be used to carry passengers and cargo.) Multiply this net tonnage by the Jump number, then divide by the ship's cost in MCr.

CER = NetTonnage * JumpNumber / MCr

A CER of 3 is considered minimum for practical commercial service; below this, the ship cannot pay its own way.
If the ship is primarily a passenger ship (passengers pay more per ton), the CER can get down to around 2.5.
A CER of 5 or more can turn a profit even at the common carrier rate of Cr 1000/ton.
The CER assumes that the ship will operate at or near its maximum jump number. Generally, it is not practical to operate a ship much below its designed jump speed.

AL Far Trader (TL11). 300 tons. Jump-2, 2-G. 80 tons fuel.
Model/2. 10 staterooms, 20 low berths. 2 hardpoints. 113 tons cargo.
Streamlined. 4 crew, 6 passengers, 20 low passengers.
MCr 37.1; 14 months. CER 3.14.

Far Trader (Type AL): Using a 300-ton hull, the Far Trader is an expanded Free Trader with greater size and performance. It mounts jump drive-C, maneuver drive-C, and power plant-C, giving a performance of jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage for 80 tons supports the power plant and allows one jump-2. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/2. There are ten staterooms and twenty low berths. The ship has two hardpoints and two tons allocated to fire control; no weapons are mounted. There are no ship's vehicles. Cargo capacity is 113 tons; the cargo bay is plumbed with fuel manifolds for collapsible or demountable fuel tanks. The hull is streamlined.

The Far Trader requires a basic crew of 4: pilot, navigator, engineer, and medic. The ship can carry six high/middle passengers and twenty low passengers; maximum life-support capacity is 12. The ship costs MCr 37.1 (including 10% standard-design discount) and takes 14 months to build at Tech Level 11.

AL2 Cargo Far Trader (TL11). 300 tons. Jump-2, 2-G. 80 tons fuel.
Model/2. 6 staterooms, 1 emergency low berth. 3 hardpoints. 135
tons cargo. Streamlined. 4 crew, no passengers.
MCr 83.79; 14 months. CER 3.21.

Cargo Far Trader (Type AL2): Using a 300-ton hull, the Far Trader is an expanded Free Trader with greater size and performance but without passenger space. It mounts jump drive-C, maneuver drive-C, and power plant-C, giving a performance of jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage for 80 tons supports the power plant and allows one jump-2. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/2. There are six staterooms and one emergency low berth. The ship has three hardpoints and three tons allocated to fire control; no weapons are mounted. There are no ship's vehicles. Cargo capacity is 135 tons; the cargo bay is plumbed with fuel manifolds for collapsible or demountable fuel tanks. The hull is streamlined.

The Cargo Far Trader requires a basic crew of 4: pilot, navigator, engineer, and medic. Up to three gunners may be added; maximum life-support capacity is 12. The ship costs MCr 83.79 (including 10% standard-design discount) and takes 14 months to build at Tech Level 11.

Typical weapon fit is one triple missile turret and two twin laser/sandcaster turrets (costing an additional MCr 6.8); the missile turret is often fired from a bridge station. Armed far traders are often refitted with larger computers than the baseline Mod/2.