HYPERION HEAVY CRUISER

Craft: KarmaTech Hyperion Class Heavy Cruiser
Type: Heavy cruiser
Scale: Capital
Dimensions:
-Length: 1,025.39m
-Beam: 286.5m
-Draught: 326.1m
Skill: Capital ship piloting: Hyperion heavy cruiser
Crew: 350
-Gunners: 20
-Troops: 40
-Skeleton: 80/+10
-Emergency Evac: 800/2 months (or more)
Crew Skill: Astrogation 3D, Capital ship gunnery 4D+1, Capital ship piloting 4D, Sensors 4D, Starship gunnery 4D+2
Passengers: 40
Cargo Capacity: 3,400 metric tons
Consumables: 1 year
Cost: Not available for sale
Hyperspace Jump Engines: Yes
Nav Computer: Yes (+1D Astrogation)
Maneuverability: 2D
Speed:
-Space: 6
-Atmosphere: N/A
Hull: 4D+2
Shields: N/A
Sensors:
-Passive: 30/1D
-Scan: 60/1D+2
-Search: 120/2D
-Focus: 4/3D+1

AUXILIARY CRAFT CAPACITY:
-6 Starfuries or Thunderbolts

WEAPONS:
   2 52mm Plasma Pulse Cannons
      Location: Mounted top/bottom of hull
      Fire Arc: 2 turrets
      Crew: 1 (2)
      Skill: Starship gunnery
      Scale: Starfighter
      Fire Control: 3D
      Range:
      -Space: 1-3/12/25
      -Atmosphere: 100-300/1.2/2.5km
      Damage: 6D
      Rate Of Fire: 2

   2 40mm Plasma Pulse Cannons
      Location: Mounted sides of hull
      Fire Arc: 2 turrets
      Crew: 1 (2)
      Skill: Starship gunnery
      Scale: Starfighter
      Fire Control: 3D
      Range:
      -Space: 1-3/12/25
      -Atmosphere: 100-300/1.2/2.5km
      Damage: 5D
      Rate Of Fire: 3

   2 Phased Particle Cannons
      Location: Mounted in sides of hull
      Fire Arc: Front
      Crew: 2 (2) (bridge crew)
      Skill: Capital ship gunnery
      Scale: Capital
      Fire Control: 2D
      Range:
      -Space: 3-10/20/40
      -Atmosphere: 6-20/40/80km
      Damage: 6D
      Rate Of Fire: 1/2

   4 Pulse Discharge Cannons
      Location: Mounted along hull
      Fire Arc: Turrets
      Crew: 2 (4)
      Skill: Capital starship gunnery
      Scale: Capital
      Fire Control: 3D
      Range:
      -Space: 2-12/24/50
      -Atmosphere: 4-24/40/100km
      Damage: 4D
      Rate Of Fire: 2

   2 Thermo-nuclear Torpedo Tubes
      Location: Mounted in forward/sides of hull
      Fire Arc: Front
      Crew: 2 (2) (or bridge crew)
      Skill: Capital ship gunnery
      Scale: Capital
      Fire Control: 3D
      Range:
      -Space: 2-10/20/40
      -Atmosphere: 4-20/40/80km
      Damage: 9D/6D
      Ammo: 4 each (8 total)
      Rate Of Fire: 1/2

DESCRIPTION:

   The Hyperion-class heavy cruiser was an Earthforce warship manufactured by KarmaTech at the Neue Hanse Orbital Shipyard in Earth orbit.

GAME NOTES:

-GRAVITY: This class of ship has no artificial gravity or rotating sections.  The crew operate in zero-g.  If they use the available straps to stay seated, they can operate with no penalties.  Otherwise, they incur all the penalties for operating in zero-g.

-JUMP ENGINES: Instead of Hyperdrives, most ships in the Babylon 5 setting have Hypserspace Jump Engines.  Instead of the ship instantly accelerating at faster than light speeds and be partially or fully in hyperspace in an instant, this drive opens an aperture, or "jumpgate", into Hyperspace.  The ship enters Hyperspace and flies as though it were normal space, locking onto Hyperspace beacons that mark the destination to desired coordinates (though Hyperspace has conditions of its own that can cause hazards for ship travel).  When a jumpgate is opened, the ship must still maneuver and fly into the aperture.  This can leave an opening for the ship to be attacked before leaving the area (unlike Star Wars where a ship can leave immediately once the Hyperdrive is engaged).  Instead of the ship's speed through Hyperspace being determined by the quality of the Hyperdrive, it is the ship's own flight speed that determines how fast it travels through Hyperspace.  Also, Astrogation is used differently.  Instead of doing calculations to plot Hyperspace coordinates, Astrogation is used to locate and lock on to Hyperspace beacons.  If the signal from these beacons is ever lost, a ship could wind up lost in hyperspace forever.

Technical Capabilities

   Like most Earth Alliance ships of the period, the Hyperion lacked the capability to generate artificial gravity, either through the use of rotating sections or the later, more advanced gravitic drive systems. Though rotating sections were within Earthforce's technical capabilities of the time, they greatly reduced a ship's speed and effectiveness. As such the crew had to operate in a completely zero gravity environment, requiring the use of seat straps and handholds to work effectively. In later years, ships such as the Clarkstown were seen upgraded with newer weaponry such as the 52mm cannon used on the Omega class Destroyer. Presumably as the Warlock class destroyer was able to generate a gravity field, this feature was added to the Hyperions as they were still operating in 2281.

Service History

   Before the introduction of the Omega and Warlock-class destroyers, the Hyperion-class heavy cruisers served as Earth's front line warships, often supported by the heavily armed Nova-class dreadnought. Hyperion heavy cruisers made up a proportion of the fleet that was assembled for the Battle of the Line and though a great many were destroyed, the ones that survived continued to serve alongside their successors as the workhorses of the Earthforce fleet. Even though the design was far past its prime it continued to be in service as late as 2281.

OTHER INFO:
Status: Active (as of 2281)
Affiliation: Earthforce
Class: Heavy Cruiser
Length: 1,025.39m
Beam: 286.5m
Draught: 326.1m
Crew: 350
Engines: 3 Beigie-Bryant 900A Particle Thrust Engines
Jump Capable: Yes
Gravity: No
Weapons:
-2 52mm Plasma Pulse Cannons
-2 40mm Plasma Pulse Cannons
-2 Phased Particle Cannons
-4 Pulse Discharge Cannons
-2 Thermo-nuclear Torpedo Tubes
Auxiliary Craft: 6 Starfurys or Thunderbolts