Paper Kingdom, a paper modelers' convention, is coming soon (Brno, Czech republic, 23rd to 24th February) and our sci-fi gang needs representation even though there is no official Aliens Papercraft Cup anymore. I can't possibly build any of the Robinson ships in time, but the complete shuttle fleet seems possible. Here comes number 4, a flying forklift from the ion refinery:
Originally two parts, now something over 40 if we don't count laminations. Tabless assembly, edges touched up mostly by black markers (no problem thanks to the bold black outlines). Layered surfaces needed some careful planning with just two printed copies at hand. A tiny anchoring magnet from a CD-ROM focusing mechanism is glued inside the hull. I haven't added any landing gear - I suppose the craft would simply land on it manipulator arms, folded down as skids.
Estimated technical data:
* Power plant: small fusion reactor, cooled by heat radiators in tail fins.
* Planetside propulsion: powerful repulsor suite and a V-tail for high-speed stability. Service ceiling of a few metres above ground.
* Space propulsion: repulsion thrusters and attitude control gyros. Reaction mass tanks are big enough for several hours of cargo pushing and small orbit corrections, not for surface-to-orbit jumps. Landing from orbit is only possible with aerobraking. Small asteroids can be landed on with space thrusters and repulsors, larger airless bodies are only accessible with the mothership.
* Crew: 1. In case of emergency, one passenger can fit in the cabin if the usual load of tools and supplies is tossed out.
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P.S.: I roughly calculated the power requirements of Robinson's photon drive for assumed 0.1 g acceleration. The result: over 100 PW. If I didn't messed up the conversion between electronvolts and joules, it would mean consumption of some hundreds of kilograms of hydrogen per second (losses not included). Ugh. Back to the drawing board, the engines must spit normal material particles as well to reduce the ludicrous power input. It would be optimal to balance the exhaust velocity so that the mass flux exactly matches the amount of fused helium, which could be used as reaction mass. But I'm not going to calculate it any further, all I need to know for the modeling purposes is there will be three big nozzles with
very strong lights inside
. If you want more rocket science, feel free to dive into the
Atomic Rockets web.