A very common sight on almost all imperial mains and jump 1 routes, built on the cargo van principle this mass produced ship crams in 250 tons of hold space into its 400 ton hull, these ships are available with a government subsidy designed to provide reliable and consistent service to a cluster of worlds, unlike other subsidized designs this vessel has fuel scoops and purification machinery, which allows costs to be kept low. All in all a very practical and economically sound design, profitable purely as a freighter even without the subsidy, this is due in part to the inclusion of new imperial technology in the design, the fabled Thruster plates, that require no reaction mass and hence allow a larger hold than versions of this craft built by other powers.

Because of its profitability many of these craft are being purchased by merchants under standard terms (i.e. not subsidized), as not every master likes to keep on visiting the same worlds, indeed some like exploratory trade that in accordance with the whim of Emperor Cleon is good for the Imperium as new markets are essential to continued economic and political growth).

Staterooms are large, roomy and comfy, crew accommodations are smaller and more modest, the crew lounge adequate (sited just behind the bridge) with a dividing bulkhead and iris valve between it and the passenger/embarkation lounge and staterooms, in order to maximise security of crew against hi-jacking attempts etc. The low berths are situated in two compartments on deck 1 either side of the engineering access corridor that runs towards the rear of the ship. In the event of an emergency both compartments can be exploded away from the hull, and have sufficient power for up to 40 hours of low berth life support. It is often pointed out that crew and passengers can get into rescue balls in the event of hostilities or an emergency etc, but the low passengers are frequently forgotten about and thus tend to be doomed… A solution such as this is merely an imperial attempt at giving every low passenger a fighting chance of escape and rescue in the direst of circumstances, whilst uncommon, shipping disasters do make it into the news and have a large impact on public confidence in space travel it is hoped that this type of development will reassure the public that transport ships are safer than they used to be and thus encourage even the poorer citizens of the new Imperium to venture into space.

Imperial Subsidised Merchant

Class: Subsidised Merchant Type R   Ep Output: 4
Tech Level: 12                      Agility: 0
Size: (Medium 400 Tons)             Initiative: 0
Streamlining: Streamlined           AC: 10
Jump Range: 1 x Jump 1              Repulsors: None
Acceleration 1G Thruster            Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel 44.0 Tons (Liquid Hydrogen)    Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks                   Black Globes: None
Crew: 4-5                           AR: 0
Staterooms: 10                      SI: 145
Small Cabins: 6                     Main Computer: Model 1
Bunks: none                         Sensor Range: close (model 1)
Couches: none                       Comm. Range: close (model 1)
Low Berths: 10         
Cargo Space: 250.0 Tons             Cost: Mcr: 115.332  (Mcr 92.265 in quantity)
Atmospheric speeds                  Noe= 875 kph
Cruising = 825 kph                  Maximum = 1100 kph

Other Equipment: Fuel Scoops & Purifier (refines 44 tons in 1 Hour 45 
minutes) 4 Hardpoints to allow upgrades.

Crew Detail:

(Minimum) 2 x Bridge, 1 x Steward 1 x Medic, 

(Recommended) 2 x Bridge, 1 x Engineer, 1 x Steward, 1 x medic

Costs & Revenues (Mcr: 0.487) Per Operational Month)

Life support: Cr 68,000     (Passengers & all crew/month)
Crew Costs: Cr 26,000     (Assuming 5 well paid crew)
Unrefined Fuel: Cr 8,800     (Cr 100x 44 tons x 2) 
Mortgage: Cr 384,440

Totals: Cr 487,240

Revenues (Mcr: 0.680) Per Operational Month

10 x Mid Passage        10 x Cr 8,000 = Cr 80,000 x 2 = Cr 160,000        
10 x Low Passage        10 x Cr 1,000 = Cr 10,000 x 2 = Cr 20,000
250 x freight            250 x Cr 1,000 = Cr 250,000 x 2 = 500,000

Expected Profits; Cr 680,000 – Cr 487,240 = Cr 192,760 

Design Worksheet.

Installed Component        Tonnage      MCR    Ep      Notes.
Hull                       +200        40.0    ----    Cylinder
Upgrade Streamlining       ----         2.0    ----      Streamlined
Bridge                     20           1.0    ----    
Computer                    0.1         2.0    ----    Model 1
Avionics                    0.4        (0.9)   ----    Model 1
Sensors                     0.3        (0.6)   ----    Model 1
Commo                       0.2        (0.5)   ----    Model 1
M-Drive                     8.0        12.0    -4.0    1G Thruster
Jump Drive                  8.0        32.0    -4.0    Jump=1
Jump Fuel                  40.0        ----    ----    1 x Jump 1
Power Plant                 6.0        18.0    +4.0    Fusion Tl-9
Fuel 4 weeks                4.0        ----    ----    Liquid Hydrogen
Hardpoints                 ----         0.4    ----    4 Hardpoints
Fuel Scoops                ----         0.4    ----    
Purification Plant          6.0         0.032  ----    44 Tons in 1hr 45 minutes
10 x Stateroom             40.0         5.0    ----    High Passage
6 x Small cabins           12.0         1.5    ----    Crew Quarters
Low Berths                  5.0         1.0    ----    10 Passengers
Cargo                     250.0        ----    ----
Totals                    400          ----     4.0    
                                      115.332
Excess Power = None

Original T4 Design: Joe Walsh.

Design re-designed for T20, by Mark Bridgeman.

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