The "H.L. Hunley Infiltrator"

[worldstrider]

A very good model, really. The only concern I have, would be the small space for the pilot and the life sustainment systems, like oxygen and water tanks, carbon filters. An engine is also missing.

Yep--my original model was bigger but I wanted to see if I could come up with a working concept that would make a smaller ship work. The CSS Hunley was not "livable". I chose that name to help illustrate what the function is of these vessels. You could spend a few dozen hours aboard but that was as much as one could stand. These ships would be a similar concept.

The ship itself is not the system really--its the modular pods. Junkers had to spread out and infiltrate Sirius. Fleets of these small ships could carry the supplies for small depots and station--which the Junkers have stuck with to this day as a concept. So a few dozen would make a supply dump in an asteroid field. Then they would bring in ice crackers to make water, hydrogen fuel and oxygen. The engine is on the aft end of the ship and the tank on top carries life support and fuel--which can also be supplemented by the cargo container. Its a modular ship--the cargo container is a hot-swappable upgrade. The ships had to be small to be unnoticed by Council allies as well as non-Gallic Sirius dwellers and especially to be able to navigate risky minefield paths. So ships would trickle out, swarm an asteroid area, build a depot--then daisy chain out to spy and operate. It explains why Junker Stations were built in the first place. they finally got enough resources to build a new expansion base.

So cargo pods could carry ecm gear, surveillance, mineral sampling, spare parts, fuel and even humans (up to six). All this while being small enough to scoot around. I put the mining laser hardpoint on as looking for resources would have been a priority and the remote arms are there because it is hard to get in and out--the cargo pod has to be extended so the pilot can exit. Some cargo pods would even serve as "sleepers"--mobile homes if you will or the cabins found in big rigs. Others could be cryo chambers to 'store" people until facilities were finished for them. So the ships are like ants in a colony--each with special functions.

The "tinkering" and mechanical skills of Junkers would have been by design. They most likely would receive extensive training before they departed to insure they could build and maintain facilities and ships. It just became part of their culture over time. Junkers would have been ballsy, opportunistic, lower class who wanted to move up and received extensive technical training and education. Not just "dumb scrap jocks". The earliest Junkers would be a combination of an astronaut, James Bond and engineer.

I'm making a "display" cargo module now showing how they can be versatile. Will post when I can.

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