Post by Destecado on Oct 6, 2004 12:10:48 GMT -5
Philip said:
Good point, as it would mean many warship would have to go into combat backwards if it had to slow down.Kage2020 said:
Would make sense...Based on the drive systems we are discussing, roll over (or some other braking proceedure will definitely be necessary). This is one of the things that makes me call into question the manner of propulsion utilized by Imperial ships.
Looking at the basic design of the ship, I do not see anything that resembles forward facing thruster ports that would be used to slow the forward momentum of the ship. They would therefore need to reorient the ship so that the rear thrusters are facing forward in order to slow their velocity.
If it is not breaking thrusters or roll over, what other possibilites are we left with? Do Imperial ships use some form of gravity drive to slow down...and if so, why would they not use that for propulsion as well?
We know that the Imperium has access to technology that allows them to manipulate gravity (or the force associated with gravity). This would include the technology used in Landspeeders as well as that used to maintain artificial gravity on the ship.
Speeking of Landspeeders, even the "newest" model (miniature) is designed with thrusters on the back. This leads me to beleive that the anti-grav or contra-grav units are only able to dimminish the effects of gravity upon the speeder and not provide motive thrust.
Perhaps similar systems are employed on Imperial Starships to diminish the effect of gravity upon the vessel. This decrease would not change the mass of the vessel, but would lower the thrust requirements necessary to move the ship forward.
To illustrate this point, let us use the example of pushing a bookcase across the floor. The flat base of the bookshelf will resist movement. If you were to put the book case on casters (wheels) and again push with the same force, the bookcase would move further (and more easily).
This system could perhaps be used in reverse, but increasing the gravity field in the direction the ship is moving, thus slowing it down. This breaking system would eliminate the need for roll over or breaking thrusters.
Philip said:
Perhaps we could use your ideas in your thread on zero point energy?Perhaps the conversion field can power another field to manipulate the density of the zero point field around an object. The engines are bright because of the total conversion field, not because of propulsion exhaust?
Were as the Eldar could do the same thing by channelling warp power/effects.
In 40K 'zero point energy' could be were the warp 'touches' our universe?
Interestingly enough, your last point of an interelationship between the zero point field and the warp was something I propsed in the Nature of the Warp thread.
I've also added more information to the thread that you cited about eldar enrgy production and other applications of the zero point theory with regards to Eldar technology. While I do see the Imperium employing some manner of gravity drive or some form of gravity assist for another type of conventional drive system, I do not see this system as being as advanced as that of the eldar.