"Space: 1889 Martian ship dimensions?" Topic

Any fans of Space: 1889 here that have any information about the dimensions of the Martian kites and screw galleys relative to each other? I'm not necessarily looking for anything concrete. Just something that will give me an idea.

In reading through the original GDW books, the hull sizes are based on weight, and the ship data grids don't indicate any type of scale.

Thank you.

I'd go with whatever will work on your game table.

IIRC it is a 5 foot grid

Cloudships and Gunboats:
"Each deck plan has one-inch grid superimposed on it, which corresponds to the two-yard tactical grid of the role-playing game."

As the game also stated that you could use "either the stand-up playing pieces provided or 25mm miniatures." What I might refer to as 'true 25mm' but I've given up on holy wars a LONG time ago…

Assuming fudge factors, I think Saber6's five foot 'close enough' to two-yard/six foot.

However, he may have been thinking of other GDW grids. Wasn't many of the Traveller products created with 5' grids?

Doug

Some "official" sources say:
link

Specifications: Bloodrunner class cloudship
Type: 2-masted kite
Length: 50 feet (on deck)
Beam: 15 feet
Weight: 100 tons
Maximum speed at sea level: 25 knots
Ceiling: 10,000 feet
Range: 1500 miles
Armament: 2 muzzle-loading cannon
Crew: 10 (1 officer, 9 enlisted).

But I think it is safe to say that not all were built to a particular standard:

I have the Clockwork/Modiphius Core Rules from 2017, which gives some basic details:
Small Screw Galley (Small Bird class) is approx 55 ft, with a crew of 20, weighs 140t.
Large Screw Galley, Hullcutter class, 118ft, with 60 crew and weighs 700t.
Small War Kite, Bloodrunner class, is 57ft, weighs 10t and carries 10 crew.
Large War Kite, Whisperdeath class, is 116ft, weighs 700t and carries 40 crew.
Martian Merchant Kite, Warm Winds, 137ft, weighs 2000t, crew of 50 and 1-2000t cargo.
For comparison it suggests that a British Steam Launch averages 45ft, weighs 50t, carries 4 crew, 4 passengers and 5t cargo.
A British Aphid Gunboat is 85ft, weighs 160t and carries 15 crew

I would like to add a note about Sky Ships and tonnage!

It sounds like they are telling you the weight (or mass) of the various ships, but in fact it is a measure of volume.

This is a tradition from water ships, and it is called "displacement", which is how much water would be displaced by a ship of that size. A Ton of water is about one cubic meter or 35 cubic feet. This you will find in WW I and WW II, shipping info, especially for submarines where the tonnage sank was a measure of the effectiveness of a submarine.