Ship Designs and Deck Plans  of the Confederacy

The evolution of the starship has been at the forefront of human endevour for over a thousand years. That development has been more than just about traveling faster and farther, but also the environment of those who voyage within these vessels. At today's levels of technology, gravity manipulation is common and increased fuel efficiency has made ships smaller and more cost effective. For civillian astronants, space travel has become more safe and more comfortable than ever before. For the branches of the military, more power and punch can be put into a smaller package.

It would be impossible to give detailed descriptions and deck plans of any ship, especially non-military ones who are less likely to adhere to a uniform standard. Deck plans given from a class are from builder's diagrams. Plans given of a specific ship only give the layout for a specific time - usually a short one. Modifications might be done the next day that would render any given set of plans obsolete the day after. In a perfect universe, all these changes would be registered, but seldom are. Registration requirements are difficult if not impossible to enforce.

Ship hulls are traditionally measured in metric tons enclosed (displaced) with one ton equal to 14 cubic meters (approximatly 500 cubic feet). Tons are expressed on a 2-D map as a grid work with squares representing a 1.5 meter (5 foot) square. Two squares equal one ton. Height measurement including the thickness of the deck below average 3.1 meters. Deck to ceiling height averages 7'8" - 8' depending upon the size of the vessel. The 2' or more difference is taken up by the deck itself, structural members, sensors, ventilation shafts and computer, electrical and water conduits. 

Accomodations for travelers vary dramatically. For example on small exploration vessels or large troop transports, quarters are nothing more than a sleeping bag attached to a wall. At the other extreme, suites that rival any terrestrial hotel complete with marbled walls and bathrooms (freshers) with gold plated fixtures. Most ships have staterooms with single or double occupancy (bunk beds) averaging two to three tons in size. Military vessels have much tighter bunking with six occupying a four ton area. The only privacy available is in the bunk with the curtains drawn. The central area between the bunks is a passageway that connects many such "staterooms" together in a long chain.

Power plants and drives (interstellar, planatary and anti-gravity) are propriatary designs or are guarded secrets by the military. Because of this, these areas are shown in colored blocks rather than being represented by drawings of specific macinery. The same is true with ship's systems. Military secondary hull (armor) materials are not specified, but are generally believed to be of nanocarbon tubes (graphine or carbyne) or CMF (composite metal foam) while underhulls are made of more traditional crystal lattice and bonded supper dense metal skins.