Starships
The Association of Free Traders currently builds and operates four classes of starship, with more under development. For many years, the AFT has made the Free Trader and Carrier available for general sale, and this will continue long into the future.
Free Trader
Over interstellar distances, the Free Trader is the fastest freighter in the Peripheries, by some considerable way. Designed in the early 90�s, the Free Trader is built around the revolutionary Quantum Jump Drive, which conducts system jumps in half the time of a normal jump drive. This is complemented by Type 2 ISR Engines, and a mixture of thrust and combat engines giving most versions a combat speed between 0.5g and 0.8g, and manoeuvre speed between 1.3g and 1.8g. All variants of the Free Trader are built from 50 Normal hulls, make use of Cargo Holds, and come fitted with AI Navigators as standard, this reducing the crew requirement to a single crewmember.
Free Trader GX
The basic, unarmoured version of the Free Trader, the GX has a cargo capacity of 1500 MU�s, with speeds at the upper end of the Free Trader�s range. The most common variant, the Free Trader GX is an ideal long-distance freighter.
Free Trader GA
A variant of the basic GX, the GA sacrifices some short-distance speed (being at the bottom of the combat and manoeuvre speed ranges), to add significant armouring (full thickness ablative armour plate). The Free Trader GA is suited to travel through the more risky areas of space.
Free Trader OX
This variant is designed for use as an outpost service and supply vessel. The OX has a slightly reduced general cargo capacity (1400 MU�s), replacing this with cryo pods to carry up to 60 life-forms, allowing employees and/or troops to be supplied to outposts at the same time as modules and/or defences. The Free Trader OX is also the fastest Free Trader for combat and manoeuvring, making it the most versatile starship currently produced by the AFT.
Free Trader OA
Again, an armoured version of the OX. This time, general cargo space is sacrificed (reducing general cargo capacity to 1280 MU�s) to allow the speed to be retained.
Free Trader LX
Designed for life-form transport, this variant replaces the cargo holds of the standard Free Trader with cryo pods, to give capacity for over 1,100 life-forms. Normally used for transport of live trade goods, the Free Trader LX could also potentially be ideal for rapid troop deployment...
Free Trader IA
The sixth variant of the Free Trader has been designed using a different approach. Intended for the truly independent trader, the Free Trader IA has been developed for operation far from friendly space. The mix of thrust and landing engines has been adjusted to give a 1.2g combat speed (manoeuvre speed 1.6g), with armour, shields and shield generators fitted as standard, in addition to the standard gatling lasers. The result is a well protected long-distance, high-speed freighter carrying cargos of up to 1,200 MU�s.
Please contact your local AFT member for prices and availability.
Carrier
The Carrier forms the backbone of the AFT merchant fleet. As a result of its versatile design and ready availability over the past seven years since its development, the Carrier is the most widely used large human freighter in the Peripheries. Carriers are bulk freighters, carrying large cargos at relatively low speeds. All cargo Carriers make use of Cargo Holds and AI Navigators, reducing the overall crew (and thus life support) requirement to a single crewmember. Engine size is kept low (ISR 4 and manoeuvre speed 0.9-1.0g), allowing a cargo capacity of 5,000 MU�s. The Carrier is currently available in two variants (with or without ablative armour plating); further variants may be designed according to demand.
Carrier F30
Historically, part of the Carrier's versatility has come from the easy refit to carry space fighters into combat. The technological developments arising from Operation Phoenix made this versatility impractical to continue, but this has been combated by the development of the Carrier F30 class Heavy Carrier. The F30 uses Normal hulls instead of the cargo Carrier�s Light hulls for extra staying power. Thrust engines are exclusively used to improve combat speed, and extensive shielding, armour, and point defence is fitted. AI Navigators are not used as they are unsuited to combat. The end result is a heavy carrier sporting no less than 30 mkII fighter bays, with the capacity to launch up to 120 space fighters.
Please contact your local AFT member for prices and availability.
Super Carrier
Only now, with the further reduction in EEM regulation, is the Super Carrier finally coming into its own. This huge vessel is the largest human starship by some considerable way, using flimsy Xtra light hulls to transport cargoes of up to 12,000 MU's. Super Carriers trade almost exclusively via shuttle ports, space stations or smaller freighters, as these behemoths aim to avoid unnecessary manoeuvres (such as entering orbit) wherever possible. These giant freighters are almost exclusively used by the Association of Free Traders, as any other affiliation would need to mortgage several planets in order to buy one.
Venturer
The Venturer range is a range of new small vessels, developed by the AFT to provide support in situations where the size of a Free Trader or Carrier is not required. 20 hulls in size, most Venturers are constructed from Normal hulls (the exception being the heavy-hulled Escort). The first Venturers to be developed were the Escort (designed to act as escorts for Super Carriers) and the Venturer X, a versatile exploration vessel.
Escort
Designed to provide support to Super Carriers, the Escort is a fast pinning vessel. With a high speed, tractor beams, and no damage-causing capability, the Escort�s sole role is to pin an attacking pirate long enough for the escorted freighter to get safely away.
Venturer E
A low tech freighter escort, the Venturer E provides cheap defence, through its tractor beams and space fighters. Defence is provided through a mix of armour, point defence, shields and scintillators.
Venturer X and Venturer X2
The first Venturer design, the Venturer X is a small exploration vessel similar to the standard issue Courier. The Venturer X has a 1.8g manoeuvre speed and ISR 2 engines, with exploration equipment and a 200 MU cargo capacity. A later variant, the Venturer X2 sacrifices cargo capacity for greater ability to land on high-gravity worlds, with the cargo hold reduced to 80 MU�s in exchange for increasing manoeuvre speed to 5.3g.
Please contact your local AFT member for prices and availability.
Future Developments
Development of the Venturer range continues, with planned designs including fast freighters. Starships of a similar size to the Free Trader are also under development, to make use of the Quantum Jump Drive, including the Free Marketeer (50 light hulls) and rapid response warships.
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