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ACT A4 Long Range Multi-Purpose Vessel

The most ambitious ACT project yet, the A4 Albacore LRMPV is a medium sized, missile armed, nuclear powered heavy gunboat. Designed around maximum functionality, the Albacore is well equipped for most situations, specializing in search/rescue and damage control. In combat, the Albacore has a considerable arsenal of 40 short-range RIM-7F Seahawk ship launched surface to air missiles, as well as 6 RGM-8E/1 Marlin medium range vertical-launch surface to surface anti-ship missiles. The Albacore is also not lacking in sensors, possessing 3 radar detection systems including a surface/air search radar with 10km range, 2 rear-facing target detection cameras, and a missile warning system with an automatic countermeasure handoff feature. The Albacore boasts almost 100 chaff launchers, and 32 IR flare launchers, with a countermeasure management system to dispense them steadily in the heat of combat. Although it has no sonar itself (yet), the Albacore has 8 towed disposable sonar decoys.

The A4 Albacore also features a powerful nuclear steam-piston powerplant, providing over 26kW of power, enough for itself and a few average size houses. Most of the roughly 8kW needed for normal operation goes to the propulsion system, pushing the A4 up to speeds in excess of 100 km/h. This is the current limit, as any more speed causes the vessel to become airborne and completely uncontrollable. Fortunately, the Albacore is designed with a low center of mass, ensuring it will always right itself even if completely rolled over. The Albacore performs well in all but the heaviest seas, which often necessitate a reduction in speed.

The A4 Albacore is designed for a 1-person crew, with many seats for transport and SAR operations. A 2-seat variant may be coming in the future. The A4 is probably not multiplayer friendly, since it has a lot of physics parts, but I haven't tested it myself.

The Albacore has a mass of around 42 tonnes, with a displacement of ~42000 litres when fully loaded. It has a draft of around 3.25m when still, and as little as 1.2m at speed. The oddly-shaped bulbous bow keeps it mostly level at speed, and can be used as a ram (probably, not recommended). It's short enough to go under every bridge I've found without any trouble. It's also important to note the A4 is tremendously expensive, right around $500,000.

• An incredibly powerful nuclear reactor generator system
  
• High detection and interception capability
  
• 40 surface to air missiles and 6 anti-ship missiles
  
• A horizon-stabilized radar for all-weather target detection
  
• Unlimited range and endurance
  
• High amount of equipment included for extensive damage control
  
• An automatic countermeasure system effective against radar guided weapons
  
• An unobtrusive, automatic laser-based IFF system
  
• A man overboard detection system that automatically shuts off throttle if all players leave the vessel
  
• Other stuff which I'll remember later

The unusual Mk.3B paint scheme is designed to make the ship look less threatening from a distance, appearing smaller from the air and sea.

The A4 Albacore is designed to not use any workshop microcontrollers or xml edited parts, to see what I can make using just the base game. It has a lot of features missing, but in its current state I believe it's usable.
It's far from finished, though, and it will be updated whenever I make a useful new subsystem.

Planned features, in no particular order:

• Radio and secure radio
  
• Allied vessel display
  
• Actual autopilot
  
• Gun-armed variant
  
• Non-weapons variant
  
• MARPA

In order to prepare for combat, the following subsystems should be enabled:

MWS and MWS handoff
Panic chaff
Mk.1 TALS
Mk.1 VLCMS
Countermeasures arm button, chaff armed switch
RWR

Order is unimportant, but starting from left to right is fastest. Everything else should be on by default.

The countermeasure management screen can be pressed to change countermeasure program. The programs are:
BP - bypass, launches as long as button is held
1 - launches 6 countermeasures at 8-second intervals
2 - launches 4 countermeasures in 4-second intervals
3 - launches 4 countermeasures in 2-second intervals
(I can't actually remember but I think those numbers are right, the lua code is a mess and I don't want to decrypt it right now)

The collision alarm can be disabled by pressing the depth screen.

Turning off the collision alarm also disables the depth under keel and collision sensing lasers.

"2" must be held for at least .2 seconds to fire a Marlin AShM.

Wait until the reactor is producing about 8 kW of power before going at high speed. Otherwise, speed drops off dramatically until the powerplant is spooled up.



I look forward to feedback on how I can make the A4 more user-friendly and intuitive. I think it makes perfect sense, but I've been working on it off and on for around 6 months now so it's possible I'm a bit biased.

Check out the rest of the ACT collection here.