Class F shuttlecraft
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
| Class F | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Affiliation: | Federation/Starfleet |
| Type: | shuttlecraft |
| Active: | 2267-2273 |
| Length: | 24 feet |
| Crew complement: | 7 |
| Armament: | None |
| Defenses: | Shields |
 | |
 | |
The Class-F shuttlecraft was the standard issue Starfleet shuttlecraft during the mid-23rd century.
[edit] Technical data
Constructed with a duranium-metal shell, the Class-F was driven by ion engine power, and was protected by deflector shields. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Immunity Syndrome")
The twenty-four foot long Class-F shuttle was divided into two sections: the forward section, which contained seating arrangements for at least seven passengers, and a smaller aft section, which contained assess to the engineering components of the shuttle. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven")
In normal flight through the void of deep space, Class-F shuttles operated on instruments only. The blast shutters on the three forward windows would be lowered when sensors detected something visually significant. (TOS: "Metamorphosis")
[edit] History
During the mid-2260s, Class-F shuttles were based at starbases and aboard Constitution-class starships, which were standard equipped with four shuttles of this class, along with other shuttle classes. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven", "The Doomsday Machine", "The Omega Glory"; TAS: "Mudd's Passion")
The Class-F shuttlecraft would remain in service until the early 2270s, where they were still being deployed to and from the San Francisco air tram station. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture Directors Edition)
Among the decorations in a lounge aboard the USS Enterprise-D in 2364, there was the model of an Enterprise shuttle (view image) . (TNG: "Lonely Among Us")
[edit] Shuttles of the Class
- Columbus (NCC-1701/2)
- Conrad
- Da Vinci (SB4-0314/2)
- Einstein (NCC-1701/6)
- Galileo (NCC-1701/7)
- Galileo (NCC-1701/7)
- Galileo II (NCC-1701/7)
- Picasso (SB11-1201/1)
- NCC-1701/9
- NCC-K7
[edit] Appendices
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Background
The Class-F shuttle was designed by industrial designer Thomas Kellogg with contributions from Matt Jefferies. Its first appearance on television was in "The Menagerie, Part I", despite being sequentially filmed after "The Galileo Seven" (the, otherwise, accepted first appearance of a shuttlecraft).
The original shuttlecraft was to have a more rounded look to it, much like the shuttles of Star Trek TNG, but the AMT model company, who agreed to build the full-sized set model for free in exchange for exclusive modeling rights, found that flat panels were easier and cheaper to build. Other shuttle designs, such as a small, two-man shuttle and a bubble-topped space scooter, were deemed either too expensive or simply not plausible with the current special effects of the time and were never used. Drawings of all these designs are in the Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook.
A CGI version of the Class-F shuttlecraft would later be inserted in the 2001 Director's Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, where it was seen taking off from the San Francisco tram station.
The full specification for the Class-F was not heard in "The Menagerie" as the computer was stopped. It is likely that the craft had a limited warp capacity as attempting to follow the Enterprise, a faster than light vessel, would be absurdly futile with a slower than light ship. It also had limited range, as Kirk exceeded his point of safe return in "The Menagerie, Part I."
The following specifications were given by the Spaceflight Chronology:
- Enterprise Shuttle Craft (2188 –)
- Length: 6.8 m
- Weight: 17,000 kg
- Ship's Compliment: 7
- Propulsion: Impulse Power
- Performance:
- Range: Interplanetary
- Landing/Takeoff Velocity: 300 knots
- Atmosphere Cruising Velocity: Mach 12 (14,200 km/hr)
- Interplanetary Cruising Velocity: 350 million km/hr
- Engines: Advanced Impulse Power
[edit] External link
- Class F shuttlecraft at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
