This project began as a quest for a fast MC Module changer. The coolest was a revolver-mechanism, but this is the most feasible:
Park all the modules and the MC's in Vehicle Bays, and have this arm module within 40 (or 120) feet of as many bays as possible.
Then users (or the computer) can use the arms to pull out modules, and the other two to grab the Cutter, docking them.
These arms can lift 160 tons each under 1G.
The CanadArm can't move under gravity, but can move 265 tons in orbit!
Interesting part:
All have TL12, 16000ST arms, PESA and rangefinder on the end of each, and one more PESA on the base. 40' arms have 375hp each, and 120' arms, 1125hp.
One 40' Arm alone with 2xPESA/rangefinder:
VE:
32cf
1475lbs
39.75kCr
GT:
0.06dT
0.4 sT
0.04MCr
Something this small could easily be subsumed into "lost space", if one wants.
Three popup turret arm Modules for GT :
Four 40' arms:
VE
500cf
5960lbs
171.5kCr
GT
1dT
3.00sT
0.172MCr
Twelve 40' arms
GT
1dT
9.00sT
0.510MCr
Four 120' arms
GT
1dT
9.75sT
0.720MCr
Boring Math Part if you think I cheated somewhere
Well, this way, you can still access all the modules, un/load them, you just can't change which module is in the cutter while in hyperspace.
TL12 ST 2000 bad grip, cheap, extra flexible, retractable:
motor: 4cf, 200lbs, 750$, 10kW
Arm: cylinder, 1' diameter, ( circumference: pi feet,cross area:0.25pi')
40' long -> area = 40*pi sq.feet ( 125 sf )
volume = 10*pi cubic feet ( 32 cf )
so total:
VE: 825lbs, 38250Cr, 32cf.
GT: 0.4 sT, 0.04MCr, 0.06dT
This space could be subsumed into "lost space", if one wants.
TL12 ST 15,000 bad grip, extra flexible, retractable:
30cf, 750lbs, 11250$, 75kW
TL12 ST 16,000 bad grip, extra flexible, retractable:
32cf, 850lbs, 12kCr, 80kW
new stats: 32cf, 1475lbs, 39.5kCr
Install 4 ST 16,000 arm motors, fusion slice, 5x PESA (1 mile each, total 10kCr)(one at the end of each arm, one on the base, 4x laser rangefinder (5 miles each, total 2kCr), and access space (284cf). the 40' arms have 375hp each.
end total:
VE 500cf, 5960lbs, 171.5kCr
GT 1dTon, 3 sTons, 172kCr
Variants:
12 arms: 1dT, 9sT, 0.51MCr
four 120' arms: 1dT 9.75sT, 0.72kCr , the arms have 1125hp each