Fiorella de Marco, MNS Amalfi

[Fiorella de Marco]

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RECONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN 2/3

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We were able to successfully remove most of the Amalfi's systems and structure to reorganize its internal bulkheads and spaces. It was a good idea to try our luck on the Hispania Imperial and not attempt such work in much smaller yards, because without the most of the support ribs and armor bulkheads, the remaining structure of the Amalfi began to twist and warp, so it had to be secured with support beams. Fortunately, this was not a problem for Valletta's crew and they had anticipated similar complications.

Installing the new, more compact bulkheads proved to be more difficult than expected. Since they are designed to save more volume than before, the more and more bulkheads that are added to the ship, the more difficult it becomes to add compartments, hatches and doors.
Valletta's engineers solved this problem by cutting the partition walls into smaller sections and then welding them in place as they settled. We found no problems with this process except that it was more labor intensive.

Given the estimated crew requirements divided by ten, we will install a smaller medical facility and prep room in the citadel while the space saved will be taken up by the new mainframe rooms. The ceiling was lowered from the previous spacious 2.5 meters to 2.2 meters to accommodate all the additional subsystems and their access panels.

The actual electrical wiring, data lines, life support and coolant piping will take up more volume space than we anticipated because although our plans were correct, we forgot about the additional redundancy, so we are duplicating all of these systems for greater damage resistance. These systems will also serve as additional passive protection for the crew.

Unimportant systems and compartments will be on the port and starboard sides of the ship. Crew compartments will be moved to the bow and a few selected areas on the side and stern. The forward section is reserved for enlisted crew and marines, while the more protected compartments are for officers. The captain's quarters are located under the bridge below the armored deck.

However, the large storage area and future hangar are the main weak points, as this is where the internal structure of the vessel is the least solid. Large open spaces have weaker bulkheads and these spaces will be more susceptible to damage propagation and less capable of damage control. The Valletta's chief engineer also predicts vibration problems and the entire space needs to be strengthened with additional support beams to stiffen the entire space.

Valletta is now running a simulation to decide how much reinforcement the hangar and storage area will need. As the compartments and machinery fill up, it is clear that the modified vessel will be less balanced than the regular Stortas. Since there is no room to install ballast tanks for dynamic balancing, the engineers will have to settle for some middle ground and balance our vessel by modifying the armor layout.

Our problems are slowly piling up while the new computer and robotic systems have not yet been installed, and I believe the software setup will be another can of worms. While the hacking software has proven flawless in the lab, setting it up for an environment as complicated as our "warship" will be another matter entirely.

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IN CONCLUSION

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• Tighter space in vessel's citadel than expected due to a necessity of redundancy in vital power lines, data lines, life support and coolant piping.
  
• Structural weakpoints and vibration sources induced by large open compartments situated next to the very rigid and tough citadel. Further structural reinforcements are required.
  
• Balance issues caused by the relocating mass withing the vessel out of its front central part to other parts of the vessel. Further adjustments of the armor plating are required in order to mitigate these issues.
  

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Fiorella Arianna de Marco | As Dawn Mayflower
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