Let's talk Star Destroyers!

[Mikael Hasselstein]

On a semi-related note, I'm trying to lay out the flight control deck right now - that little near-semi-circle aft in the main/primary hangar. So, I've put in a few turbolifts, and I can do computer panels and such, but I think I need to have more of a plan.

So, what all goes on there (and why should it take up quite a bit of room? (~1000m^2 or ~10000ft^2)
I'm going to throw some ideas up. Let me know what has lift and what needs to be dropped.

Space Traffic Control
Here's what I'm thinking: Actually doing flight control (ie. making sure that things can land/dock) is not much of an ordeal. The flight control tower of an airport has a fraction of that kind of space. I figure that guiding in-bound and launching traffic can be done by some ten people (round number). Also, I imagine two spotters - guys who watch the hangar through the ports on either side of the flight deck to be the first to spot anything amiss.
12

However, I suppose that it's also where the hangar writ large is also managed. Also, I still maintain that the starfighter and shuttle commands are in the command tower. These still liaise with the flight control deck, but it's not where the combat strategy is directed from.

Hangar Management
So, there are probably supervisory stations for different functions within the hangars. I would say these are the following:

- Maintenance/Repair Spacecraft (tracking repairs on spacecraft) - 2
- Maintenance/Repair Facilities (tracking repairs on the hangar itself) - 2
- Routing (making sure everything inside the hangar is moved to and fro without crashing into things) - 8
- Fueling (making sure that all spacecraft are fully refueled) - 2
- Security (The ship's security detail probably has a central station on the flight control deck, as well as posted guards) - 8
- Ordnance (making sure that all spacecraft weaponry is fully loaded and charged) - 2
- Cargo (tracking the movement of cargo) - 8
- Embarking (tracking the movement of people, e.g. passengers) - 8
- Shield Control (maintaining the particle shields that keep the bays' atmosphere in the bays, while allowing the entrance and exit of spacecraft) - 7
- Pincer Crane crew - 3
- Ground Ops (liaising between Ground Operations Command and the hangar/flight control) - 3 (Added: thanks Ral!)

Search & Rescue - Space
A station fitted out to rapidly intercept distress signals and order the deployment of rescue vessels, such as the shuttles or the Skiprays:
3 during non-combat situations
13 during combat situations.
(Added: thanks Ral!)

Search & Rescue - Ground/MedEvac
A station fitted out to rapidly intercept distress signals and order the deployment of rescue vessels, such as the shuttles or the Skiprays:
3 during non-combat situations
13 during combat situations.
(Added: thanks Ral!)

Other officers on the flight control deck:
- Flight Deck Officer (the senior officer in command of the flight deck) - Lt. Commander (O-5)
- Flight Deck Adjudant (the FDO's aide)
- Tactical Adjudant (the officer that schedules and organizes tactical briefings with flight crews/pilots and their squadron/flight leaders.)

The tactical adjudant also manages the tactical briefing station which, as far as I'm concerned, can also be on the flight control deck.

So, that puts my count at 73 persons, and probably needs only 25-30% of the flight control deck's real estate.

Your thoughts?

[Ral_Brelt]

What about portioning some of it for Ground Ops Control. They would want to be near disembarkment to make sure things go by the numbers, and with that cavernous bay, they could have dedicated sensory equipment right at hand to overwatch battle deployments. You might also have an S&R control hub there as I feel their activities would be desperate from flight control.

[Mikael Hasselstein]

[Ral_Brelt]

Search & Rescue for the win, Alex!

As to allocation of craft, I don't see a Skipray being put on S&R runs for retrieval. Mainly due to craft size and its really heavily armed for Pilot retrieval. A Lambda or troop transport would work better. The Skipray might fly cover in a pinch, like if its a high value retrieval in an active combat zone. But their primary task is to assist against cap ships or interdiction against pirates/smugglers where a cap ship can't be spared.

For the ground crew staffing in the ops area over the hanger, I was envisioning more of a team controlling units of troops, with active battle tables kinda like an army commander center in the WW 2 movies. A general, his aides, a couple captains, a comms crew..in all I was thinking around a dozen to twenty people.

[Mikael Hasselstein]

[Ral_Brelt]

As I noted, they're used where a cap shop can't be spared to oppose pirates/smugglers. I imagine that the ISD drops into an area, launches some Skiprays and jumps out. The Skiprays then patrol or hunt their targets and jump back yo the ISDs rally point when their patrol has been satisfied, or targets eliminated or at bingo fuel. A couple may be kept in reserve to help if a hostile capital ship threatens the ISD locally. Without knowing full details I kinda envision their roll as one of escort destroyer, assault gunboat and light cruiser in our modern day fleet make up.

Proximity to the ground focus sensors (for lack of a better term) could be very important for system lag. While Star Wars tech is advanced beyond ours, its also a bit bulky. This was talked about on the forums before. Expanding on that, there may be actual lag for data transmission through our beast of a ship that could cause serious problems with managing a battle. Being right on top of those sensors would cut that lag out. They'ld also be right there by the troops for fast response to deploy additional troops as necessary.

[Mikael Hasselstein]

[Darth_Hilarious]

for search and rescue craft just use modified Gamma shuttles........same chassis as a medstar run a bout perhaps??
_________________
People keep telling me that I'm crazy. I keep telling them "No I'm not, I don't get a check".

Revenge is beneath me , but accidents DO happen .

[Mikael Hasselstein]

Okay, so I'm laying out the interior of the flight control deck, including the things mentioned above, including those things that I'm convinced should be included.

Space Traffic Control
- Starboard approach vector (2 persons)
- Port approach vector (2 persons)
- Aft approach vector (2 persons)
- Fore approach vector (2 persons)
- Starboard-fore landing bay (1 person)
- Port-fore landing bay (1 person)
- Main (aft) landing bay (2 person)
- All-Sensor monitoring (2 persons)
- Ocular Spotters (2 persons)
- Flight Control Supervisor (1 person)
- Flight Control Adjutant (1 person)
These people occupy the two semi-hexagons in the middle of the flight control deck (with the red buttons). The sensor monitors are in the forward facing station. The supervisor and his aide are standing. They are in contact with the two spotters in the observation niches on each far side of the flight control deck.
18 persons

Hangar Management
- Cargo (8 persons)
- Embarking (8 persons)
- Routing (8 persons)
- Pincer Crane (3 persons)
- Shield Control (7 persons) (semi-hexagon near the turbolift)
- Maintenance & Repair (4 persons)
- Fueling & Ordnance (4 persons)
- Hangar Supervisor (1 person)
- Hangar Adjutant (1 person)
This section operates the stations port of the Space Traffic Control section. All of the above have fixed stations, aside from the supervisor and his adjutant, who stand and walk around the station in order to snidely berate their underlings.
44 persons

Search & Rescue
- 4 x Rescue stations (4x3 persons)
- Search & Rescue Supervisor (1 person)
This section operates the stations starboard of the Space Traffic Control section. It is a small department, and it carries very little prestige to be in command of it.
13 Persons

Security
Managed from a central duty station, Security has guards posted by each of the six turbolifts, The deck's security chief's second at the duty station, and himself 'walking the beat'.
8 persons

Ground Operations Command
Not yet pictured.
Okay, so I agree that there should be a logistical support center (the operational level of army command) on the flight control deck. It's my inclination to stick them in the portside wing of the flight control deck (on the bottom, in the picture below). The reason for this is entirely bureaucratic politics. The ISD is a navy ship, and as fellow naval officers, the TIE pilots get a more spacious part of the deck (the search & rescue department taking up less space than the hangar management section), even if they're numerically inferior to the numbers the army is going to need on deck to manage the logistics for their operation. However, given how little space the TIE pilots are likely to need, this may be absurd, so I offer it as a suggestion only.

I'm open to suggestions as to what sort of stations and what sort of personnel would be necessary.

Starfighter Pilots' briefing area.
Not yet pictured.
I am thinking just a place where the TIE pilots can gather around a single space, but then break off into sub-groups in order to be briefed on particular missions at the squadron level.

Shuttle Pilots' briefing area.
Not yet pictured.

Dropship Pilots' briefing area.
Not yet pictured.

[Mikael Hasselstein]

Are we all still alive and with it?

[Ral_Brelt]

Still around. Was just wondering if you were going to claim some of that floor space by partitioning it off to the various departments or leave it as open floor.

[Mikael Hasselstein]

[Ral_Brelt]

Well, you could put war rooms in for ground and starfighter ops. I know you envisioned ops rooms in the tower but those could just as easily be CIC areas for the Captain of the ISD to check in with. Keep the big plotting tables and predictive computer arrays town below. Also could route comms through there.

[Fallon Kell]

I'm really interested in this project, but don't have the time to read up on 15 pages of comments. Can anyone catch me up quickly as to what's going on now and what I can do to help?
_________________
Or that excessively long "Noooooooooo" was the Whining Side of the Force leaving him. - Dustflier

Complete Starship Construction System

[Mikael Hasselstein]