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>From: Onno Meyer <Onno.Meyer@arbi.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de>
>Subject: cherryhlist
>Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1993 14:46:31 +0200 (MET DST)


> I thought the high velocities were gained by pulsing the jump drives.  I
> noticed that in HB, and somewhere else too.
> 
There are quotes that show that speed can be gained with jumpdrive pulses,
but while the braking pulses are almost allways mentioned, acceleration 
pulses are seldom described. This could be because

- Arrivals are more interesting than departures, and get longer descriptions

- The minimum speed to enter jump (if there is such a minimum) is much lower
  than the speed when exiting hyperspace

- There is another drive to accelerate in realspace

I think the first two explanations are the most likely, but I can't be
sure.

> A civilization that can produce a jumpship probably has developed small-scale
> processing and fabrication to a much higher level than we have today.  We're
> just starting with desktop engineering (create a metal or plastic part with
> something like a desktop printer); I expect a carrier in DS's time to be able
> to fabricate common small parts with ease, and process raw materials into
> various alloys, chemicals, etc.  They might not have the ability to fabricate
> the latest technology items and some special items (requiring huge forges or
> whatever), but they can modify gear taken from stations and merchant ships.

That sounds nice for a warship that is designed to last a long time, but
when engaging in space action, a ship that leaves it's factory at home
would have a great advantage. A couple of factory ships, guarded by a
carrier or two, would result in a much more maneuverable fleet. Thinking
about it, why are the roles of space combat craft and troop transport
combined? 
Without troop quarters, their lifesupport equipment, their medical           
facilities and their supplies a warship could be build much smaller/
lighter and thus faster with the same engines or sturdier with the
same armor mass.
> 
> A fusion reactor doesn't need much fuel to generate energy, but a fusion
> drive also needs reaction mass (hydrogen is good) to generate thrust from
> that energy.  With such a plant no starship should have to rely on station
> > power, but the compact ships routinely hook up to station power lines.
> 
But that would be a drive that used reactionmass to accelerate. Somebody
said he assumed there had to be a fusion reactor plus an inertialess
drive to get the realpace agility described in the books. If the ships
ejects some heated exhaust to accelerate, a good chemical engine would
do  the job, since some other kind of vector change would be necessary
anyway.
Is there any data how long a carrier can accelerate at 10+ g?