Information I'd love to know

Bill Woods wrote:

kzt wrote:He does it quite a bit. Firebrand anyone?

That's the marketing aspect of code names.

There's a point to it in that case: Firebrand is the identity by which would-be revolutionaries know him. Marketing is important there. "Clambake" was a joke - you're not going to see yourself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with "Clambake" to throw off oppression. Reusing "Firebrand" again and again though, that was stupid, when "Firebrand" could not have a reputation among the mutually isolated insurgents that would do any good at all.

Hutch wrote:

cthia wrote:Okay, now I can't find info in the Pearls regarding lifeboats. Was I not issued a proper access code or something.

I'm trying to figure out the difference between lifepods and lifeboats. Do lifeboats have wedges? I'm remembering when Harkness showed what happens when you bring up a wedge in the boat bay. I'm assuming that was the wedge of a lifeboat? What is the range of a lifeboat? Occupant capacity?

Also, if lifeboats have wedges then can't they be used to suicide/kamikaze a ship that picks you up by activating the wedge once you're inside their boat bay?

Good questions. I've always taken life-pods and life-boats to be the same, emergency evacuation vessels and not something you'd find on the flight deck.

I've figured an Honorverse "lifeboat" is simply a cutter, pinnace or other small craft put to that use, rather than a distinct sort of vehicle.

Hutch wrote:

cthia wrote:
Okay, now I can't find info in the Pearls regarding lifeboats. Was I not issued a proper access code or something.

I'm trying to figure out the difference between lifepods and lifeboats. Do lifeboats have wedges? I'm remembering when Harkness showed what happens when you bring up a wedge in the boat bay. I'm assuming that was the wedge of a lifeboat? What is the range of a lifeboat? Occupant capacity?

Also, if lifeboats have wedges then can't they be used to suicide/kamikaze a ship that picks you up by activating the wedge once you're inside their boat bay?

Good questions. I've always taken life-pods and life-boats to be the same, emergency evacuation vessels and not something you'd find on the flight deck.

The wedge Horace and Scotty brought up during "In Enemy Hands" was a pinnace, IIRC.

Only real item I remember (others may have more) about a life pod/boats capabilities came from Mission of Honor, as Mike Henke was talking to SLN Admiral O'Kleely:

"Before you say a word, Admiral. I advise you to consider your position carefully. As you've just acknowledged, interstellar law requires you to obey my lawful commands. I, on the other hand, am obligated to provide for the reasonable safety of your personnel as long as you and they do obey my lawful commands. The planet Flax is less than one million kilometers from your present position. That's well within the powered range of your life pods, even allowing a two hundred percent reserve for an unassisted landing. In short, removing your personnel from your vessels in the manner I've indicated poses no threat to life or limb, assuming you've properly maintained the equipment in question. As a consequence, I'm formally informing you that failure to comply with this instruction will be interpreted as a decision on your part to resume hostilities."

So, I would guess that while the life pods are powered, I don't think they would have an impeller; more likely some sort of hihgly efficient fuel-driven engine.

Interested to see if others have any thoughts on this.

Thanks again Hutch. If they are one and the same then I don't think they do have wedges because of an incident that I somewhat remember. Overall names and the partcular incident escapes me, but a Manty Commander ordered a SLN Commander to evacuate ship in a specific manner and stated that the pods should have enuff endurance to make a rough landing on planet which suggests limited endurance, power. Hence, no wedge?

At any rate, the terms seem to be interchangeable which throws me off if they're the same. Unless Pinnaces are considered lifeboats by their emergency utility.

I'm going to reread the passage in "Mission of Honor" where emergency evacuation procedures were being carried out on Weyland that saved so many lives. I thought they were boats.

But it seems that whatever was used in the simulated emergency evacs aboard Weyland didn't have wedges or some of those boats would have been back en route when the attack came in and possibly would have been destroyed.

Hutch wrote:

cthia wrote:Okay, now I can't find info in the Pearls regarding lifeboats. Was I not issued a proper access code or something.

I'm trying to figure out the difference between lifepods and lifeboats. Do lifeboats have wedges? I'm remembering when Harkness showed what happens when you bring up a wedge in the boat bay. I'm assuming that was the wedge of a lifeboat? What is the range of a lifeboat? Occupant capacity?

Also, if lifeboats have wedges then can't they be used to suicide/kamikaze a ship that picks you up by activating the wedge once you're inside their boat bay?

Good questions. I've always taken life-pods and life-boats to be the same, emergency evacuation vessels and not something you'd find on the flight deck.

JeffEngel wrote:I've figured an Honorverse "lifeboat" is simply a cutter, pinnace or other small craft put to that use, rather than a distinct sort of vehicle.

Indeed Jeff. Yours is the only other possibility I could think of to explain there being two designations. But that refers back to my previous question. You hear of lifeboats being picked up. Once they are, their wedges could be brought up in kamikaze fashion inside the rescuer's boat bay. It wouldn't bode well for future survivors but it seems it's a possibility by a scruple-less commander really wanting to destroy Honor Harrington.

my understanding is that a lifeboats and lifepods are the same thing.

similar to cutter, i.e. reaction thrusters only. can hold 5- 10 people (at a guess).

some people evacuate via pinnace if there is time/boat bays are working as their duty stations are too "deep" to make getting to a pod in a reasonable amount of time (under 5 mins i'd expect) feasible.

probably need RFC or one of the Bu 9 group to settle this.

"cthia
I've been trying to find some information about Old Tilman, like the type of crop it's brewed from. Anyone know?"

"saber964
FAQ House of Steel IIRC or I think in the Pearls"

"Hutch
From House of Steel (FAQ's answered by RFC):

[quote]Old Tilman doesn’t actually have a precise terrestrial analog. The best way to think of it would be as a hoppy oatmeal stout with a touch of honey added for sweetness. What gives it its distinctive flavor, and the reason there isn’t a precise terrestrial analog, is that it is brewed exclusively on Sphinx using both oats and hops which have mutated/been genetically altered to suit their new environment. As a consequence, the oat-based malt has a fuller, sweeter flavor with a hint of almond and the hops are milder, not quite so bitter flavored. It’s really quite good, but I’m afraid I’m not prepared to share my personal stock of it with anyone else at this time. Sorry[Quote]"

"cthia
Oatmeal 'eh? Thanks Hutch. I just knew it had to depart from the traditional wheat, barley or maize.

So, Weber has his own private stock? Brilliant!"


Anybody got any micro brewing friends who can have a go at making a terrestrial Old Tilman brew using the description RFC gave?

Further to my missive about Terrestial Old Tilman, maybe some of the forumites who attend Honorcon and the like, could bring along their (or friends), attempts at micro-brewing for a tasting.

George J. Smith wrote:"cthia
I've been trying to find some information about Old Tilman, like the type of crop it's brewed from. Anyone know?"

"saber964
FAQ House of Steel IIRC or I think in the Pearls"

"Hutch
From House of Steel (FAQ's answered by RFC):

Old Tilman doesn’t actually have a precise terrestrial analog. The best way to think of it would be as a hoppy oatmeal stout with a touch of honey added for sweetness. What gives it its distinctive flavor, and the reason there isn’t a precise terrestrial analog, is that it is brewed exclusively on Sphinx using both oats and hops which have mutated/been genetically altered to suit their new environment. As a consequence, the oat-based malt has a fuller, sweeter flavor with a hint of almond and the hops are milder, not quite so bitter flavored. It’s really quite good, but I’m afraid I’m not prepared to share my personal stock of it with anyone else at this time. Sorry

"

cthia wrote:Oatmeal 'eh? Thanks Hutch. I just knew it had to depart from the traditional wheat, barley or maize.

So, Weber has his own private stock? Brilliant!"

George J. Smith wrote:Anybody got any micro brewing friends who can have a go at making a terrestrial Old Tilman brew using the description RFC gave?

David could certainly make a fortune on it.

I can imagine that it's quite delicious, by beer drinker's standards because when my siblings and I were growing up, my five sisters used to make a fortune selling freshly squeezed lemonade. They sweetened it with my grandfather's honey. He tended bees. The stuff was so popular they had to keep raising the price on the beach so it wouldn't sell out so quickly. I don't know of anyone in the family that doesn't continue the practice. Very little honey goes a long way and infuses an amazing taste to your beverage. It'd make you drink yourself into a self-induced drowning. And honey has so many health benefits.

George J. Smith wrote:Further to my missive about Terrestial Old Tilman, maybe some of the forumites who attend Honorcon and the like, could bring along their (or friends), attempts at micro-brewing for a tasting.

Sounds like a plan to me. However, not knowing more of the requirements of the brewing process, it seems it's a shot in the dark. Like whether or not it's an aged beer.

My guess on lifeboats and lifepods is much like they are today so to speak. Lifeboats are minimally powered to get you (hopefully) to land and tow life-rafts to shore if practical. Civilian ship normally carry lifeboats for a ships crew + 25% extra. But navy ships carry only a minimal number of 'lifeboat's' and a whole lot of life-rafts which when launched sit and drift near the wreck site with radio locator beacons going beep, beep. In the Honorverse I see much the same idea.