Ships of The Convention - OFC Trade Winds

OFC Trade Winds

Although the Optimised Freight Configuration Haulers are generic, and their proportions ‘scalable’, this is best demonstrated through a specific example, in this instance the 30,000 ton OFC Trade Winds, constructed at Crorireson, under licence from TEMPO.

See also Optimised Freighting, for full operating principals of the OFC concept. 

The Trade Winds is typical of the ‘tens of thousands’ of tons class of vessel, built around a dispersed structure. It is capable of Jump 2, but carriers only enough fuel for 1 jump 1. This is on the basis that Jump 2 extends the range of the vessel where necessary, but jump drives are amongst the few components impossible to add to the vessel through attaching specialist pods. To extend the jump range of the vessel to a full jump 2, pods adapted as fuel tanks are needed. The vessel has power plant 2 and is capable of 1g. A core supply of fuel is kept within the mainstay - allowing for 1 month operations. the bulk of the fuel tankage, however is contained within the detachable fuel tender (see below).

The vessel has 450 tons allocated to command and control, and a level 5 computer - necessary to manage standard ship operations and cargo load co-ordination. She has a ‘defined cargo hold’ of 100 tons - usually allocated to valuable items, a ships vault of 15 tons, and a ship’s locker of 8 tons.  She has a crew of 65, which includes 25 jockey pilots who double as gunners, and 20 cold berths. These vessels are lightly armed, mounting only 25 turrets, offering rudimentary deterrence and some anti-collision capability. The vessel has 200 tons allocated to small craft - in this case used for a shuttle and two modular cutters.

The service spar masses 2300 tons, and contains 230 tones of dedicated bay space for jockeys and crew space for stevedore/gunners. This leaves a total of 20700 tons for flexible pod space.

The basic proportions of the vessel, then, are 31% allocated to the mainstay, with 69% allocated to cargo. This proportion would shift to 41% to 59% if the vessel was fuelled for Jump 2.

Trade Winds Fuel Tender:

OFC Fuel Tender

The fuel tender masses 3362 tons - this is taken account of in the ‘Main Stay’ mass. The tender has the ability to collect enough fuel for 1 jump 1 and enough additional fuel to replenish the power plant. The vessel is semi-streamlined and can scoop and purify fuel. The vessel has a crew of 6, mounts two turrets, and is capable of 1g. It also carries a ship’s launch.