They were usually armed with a pair of Type-4 phasers, if any armament at all. Shuttlecraft of old were rarely armed with any real firepower. The largest non-runabout models are capable of Warp 8 for a week, and the runabout models are even capable of Warp 9.4 for an equal duration. The beginning of the 25th century has seen some of the highest-performance small craft ever to see service in Starfleet. It was, however, vastly cheaper to deploy than a bona fide starship. It was only capable of Warp 5, making even a medium-range trip last a few weeks. This revolutionary vessel quickly became the workhorse for interstellar courier, patrol, and cargo/personnel delivery duties. However, the limited size and capacity of these ships prevented them from being used in any greater role.Īdvancements in magnetic constriction technology eventually led to true interstellar capability in small craft with the development of the Danube-class runabout in 2368. By the 24th century, shuttlecraft could sustain these speeds for up to two days, making short-range interplanetary journies possible. These shuttles were far from capable of interstellar travel, and their tiny warp drives could only sustain any appreciable warp factor for a few hours. During the mid 23rd century, M/A reactors were finally small enough to install on larger shuttlecraft. Shuttlecraft back in the 22nd century had no warp capability at all, due to the fact that the smallest M/AM reactors of the time were as large as the shuttles themselves. Many models are now capable of short interstellar journeys. Coupled with several more recent situations where a starship must effectively be in one place and also deliver someone or something to another led to a sudden resurgence in the use of shuttles. Many new ways to subvert and detect transporter use have developed during the late 2360’s and 2370’s. Nevertheless, starships have carried expansive facilities for these cheap, usually expendable craft. Shuttlecraft have always been a secondary means of getting people from ship to shore, in favor of the much quicker matter-energy transporter system. Images by Robert Crosswell and Chris Edmonds Section 5.0: Auxiliary Vehicles 5.1: Overview As shown in the diagrams below, should the need arise for Emergency Egress, the entire warp engine section may be jettisoned, freeing all the Modules for independent flight.Star Trek: Renaissance Technical Manual, Section 5 The Cockpit and each module may be used as Emergency Escape Pods, complete with independent Life Support systems, RCS Thrusters and Combat Rations. This affords a somewhat roomier cockpit area, more work stations, and a larger crew complement. The Lorimar class is slightly longer than the standard Danube Class Runabout. The compartment modules fit neatly inside and lock into place for optimum refit capability. They are compatible with standard Starfleet multi-use compartment modules and are much easier than even the conventional Runabouts being that the warp engines and wings feature a "gull" design which swing open for easy access to the interior. Lorimar Class Runabouts utilize the same "modular" construction in regard to interior makeup. The Lorimar class will be able to be reconfigured with equipment and instrumentation which can be used for a variety of tasks and missions. In addition to a new computer core, the vessel also utilizes bioneural gelpacks in place of the slower and less effective isolinear chips. The vessel is controlled by a single Trojan Drop ship computer core, which affords greater processing power and speed. There are several experimental configurations implemented into the new Lorimar Class Runabout. In addition, to Lorimar's innovative approaches to several key design changes, he also implemented some design ideas suggested by Advanced Theoretical Technologies Unit engineer Matthew McLaren. The sleeker, state of the art design borrows elements from the latest shuttle craft, Delta Flyer prototype, and traditional Runabouts. This experimental class is everything the current Danube Class ships are plus much, much more. This project quickly took on a life of it's own as the CEO Robert Lorimar struck upon the idea of implementing several new technological developments and design changes into an entirely unique Runabout design. with a significant shortage of available Runabouts throughout the fleet as a result of losses sustained during the Federation Civil War, it was decided that the Engineering crew of the USS Boudicca would replicate and assemble a replacement for the Danube Class Runabout. With the loss of a Danube class Runabout during a a mission to infiltrate an ancient alien planet killer called the Doomsday machine, the USS Boudicca found itself short on its auxiliary ship compliment.
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