submerchant cone

CRH Engineering Model R-7 Subsidized Merchant

The Model R-7 is a 400Ton merchant vessel built to the Imperial subsidized merchant specifications. These specifications call for 8 middle/high passengers, 9 low passengers, Jump 1, 1G maneuver, 5dTons dedicated to mail, defensive weapons, and unimproved starport capability. This model utilizes a tail landing, perpendicular deck concept popular with military vessels. The cone configuration maximizes the available cargo space close to ground level with the bulk of the cargo consisting of the 1st and 2nd decks.

See the Spefication Sheet

Cargo Features: The large cargo bay (190dTons) has a ceiling height of 6 meters with a 5 piece liftable floor to divide the bay into two bays with 3 meter heights. Four large cargo doors allow easy access for loading and unloading with overhead mounted 140ton cargo handling equipment for each door. Two doors are designed for station loading and the other two doors fold down to form roll-on/roll-off ramps. In addition to the large cargo bay there are the 5 ton mail locker, the 4 ton secure cargo locker, and the 8 ton passenger cargo locker. Total cargo capacity (including the launch) 215 dTons.

Engineering Features: Power is supplied by two standard fusion power plants (140MW and 20MW) and a battery bank (19MWhr). The battery bank can supply 10% maneuver overpower for 1 hour 20 minutes, 1 hour power for lasers, or 8 hours life support power. The 20MW power plant supplies all normally needed power except for Jump and Maneuver drives which require the 140MW power plant. Maneuver drives are four standard thruster plate units located in the pylons on the 1st deck. Fuel purification plant can refine a full load of fuel in 17 hours. The perpendicular deck configuration reduces the needed Artificial Gravity/Inertial Compensation to 1G.

Accommodations: Full staterooms are provided for passengers and the captain. Small staterooms are provided for each crewman. Galley and gym are part of the common room with the gym equipment folding into wall cabinets to give the appearance of more space. The low berths are separated from the passenger section by a sickbay. Extra sanitary facilities are located on the engineering deck.

Weapons: Four turret sockets are provided with power for two lasers. Normal load-out is 2 sandcasters and 2 dual ROF lasers. The dual ROF laser is a standard laser with capability to switch to a 800 ROF Point Defense setting. Turrets are plumbed for easy conversion to fuel tankage and two fuel tanks are easily converted (class C starport or better) to cargo bays.
See the Combat Spefication Sheet

Electronics: Three workstations, three standard computers, dynamic controls, high automation. One 500kkm radio, one 1000AU laser comm, one PEMS 12.5, one AEMS 8, flight avionics.

Miscellaneous: Direct passenger loading to passenger deck. Central continous-belt ladder with AG/IC units in support to reduce chance of falling. Ladder well acts as an airlock with controls on engineering deck and control deck to limit access to critical locations. 20 ton launch with 11 roomy seats and 8 tons cargo.

Options:
1) No fuel purification plant
add 5.7 tons cargo
cost -32kCr

2) Central elevator (replacing continous-belt ladder)
cost 10kCr

3) Convert laser turret to cargo
add 2.8 tons cargo
cost -2.42MCr

4) Convert sand turret to cargo
add 2.8 tons cargo
cost -805kCr

Deck Plans:
Deck 1: Cargo Deck
1. Cargo bay
2. Thruster room 1
3. Thruster room 2
4. Thruster room 3
5. Thruster room 4
6. Airlock
7. Airlock
8. Lift
9. Lift

Deck 2: Cargo Deck
1. Cargo bay (open to 1st deck) liftable floor noted by dashed lines
2. Laser turret
3. Laser turret
4. Sancaster turret
5. Sancaster turret
6. Lift
7. Lift

Deck 3: Engineering Deck
1. Engine room
2. Mail locker
3. Secure cargo locker
4. Fresher
5. Lift
6. Lift
7. 6 ton converable fuel tanks
8. Continuous belt ladder

Deck 4: Passenger Deck
1. Low berths
2. Sick bay
3. Continuous belt ladder
4. Passenger cargo bay
5. Common room / galley / gym
6. Airlock

Deck 5: Fuel

Deck 6: Command Deck
1. Bridge
2. Captains cabin
3. Continuous belt ladder
4. Common room / galley / gym

Deck 7: Airlock
1. Airlock
2. Continuous belt ladder

Deck 8: Launch

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Merchant Guild Fraud Notice:

Reference Number: F247-02-43

Date: 247-02

Company: CRH Engineering

Product: Model R-7 Subsidized Merchant

Reason: False or Misleading Advertising

Copy To: IMOJ, File # 305963-02. No action expected.
TAS, Reference # 619908803
Free Traders Association, Reference # MGF247-02-43

Particulars:
1) The "sick bay" listed in the sales brochure is nothing more than a medical examining room and does not qualify as a sick bay. It is not equipped for surgery (major or minor) or extended treatment.
2) The sales brochure implies that the ship is capable of wilderness refueling. The structure is not designed for hypersonic atmospheric flight and does not have fuel scoops installed and therefore is not capable of gas giant "skimming". As gas giants have gravity of greater than 1.5Gs at the cloud tops and the ship cannot sustain more than 1G, therefore, it is not capable of gas giant "dipping" either.

Consumer Warnings:
1) The bridge is overly cramped, the ceiling grab bars are required to get into the workstation seats. Bridge workstations should have been used to provide better access.
2) Crew staterooms: CRH Engineering's military experience shows as they proudly proclaim small staterooms for each crewman. Civilian ship crews prefer larger accommodations (this may increase the difficulty of getting and keeping trained crew).
3) Continuous belt ladder; Their military experience shows again, while this equipment may be useful for military application, it may not be appropriate for civilian application. The change in gravity from the floor to the wall can be disconcerting to civilians (passengers). The Merchants Guild advises taking the optional elevator on this model.
4) Weapons; Access to the sandcaster turrets is excessively limited, one is accessed through the engine room, the other is accessed by going through the mail locker and the secure cargo locker both of which should be locked with the ship's captain having the only access. Using "cramped crewstations" for the laser turrets is unconscionable. The turret sockets being plumbed for easy conversion to fuel tankage is asking for disaster, if used as weapons, the plumbing should be permanently sealed (welded).
5) Cargo; Cargo stored in the mail locker, secure cargo locker, passenger cargo locker, and spaces converted to cargo is limited to crate sizes of less than 1 meter by 1 meter by 2 meters, due to the cargo having to be brought up through the passenger lift.
6) Passenger airlock: The air lock on the passenger deck could be hazardous to use with the launch. As neither has a docking umbilical and the sides of both are sloped, crossing to the the launch from the passenger deck is like having to step on the wall. This can be disconcerting to passengers.
7) Liftable cargo decks; The center liftable cargo deck should not be used unless at least two of the other decks are also used for structural support. Additionally the decks cannot be lifted if loaded and have only the flush and 3 meter hieghts.
8) Engineering access; Access to two of the thruster rooms are through the cargo bay and may be inaccessible during flight if fully loaded.
9) 1G thrusters may not be adiquit to lift off some planets without overpowering the drives. The Merchants Guild does not recomend overpowering drives on any ship as this adds to premature failure and added maintenance costs.