Redesign the Yellowstone Runabout

[Crewman47]

I've never really accepted that the Yellowstone class Runabout that we see in the Voyager episode Non Sequitor should look exactly like the Danube class (obviously done due to budget reason I'd imagine) and should've been a new design. So if you could redesign the Yellowstone class how would you do it?

Honestly I like some of the non-canon designs out there like on the RPG site Bravofleet especially the Huron class.

Any ideas?

 

[Timo]

Why reinvent the wheel? Harry wasn't quite designing a new type of runabout (a bit excessive an undertaking for a single novice, that). He was designing a tetryon plasma nacelle - a concept that his colleague rather tried to oversell.

Taking an existing craft type would make a lot of sense. But perhaps Harry could have designed, or ordered designed, a simplified version of the Danube for the test purposes? My favorite would be something that has the Danube forward end without the stub wings and most of the greeblies (and perhaps just a single centrally positioned forward window rather than two), the midsection with differently shaped, possibly a bit longer and more angular pylons and completely differently shaped nacelles, and a simplified stern that lacked the scenic windows...

...Hmm. Not so different from the Huron class after all.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[USS KG5]

It is possible also that "Yellowstone Class" was a little bit of a fun in-joke for the team, describing their new prototype as the first of a class when in fact it is simply a Danube taken off the lines and fitted with the experimental nacelles.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

I've never really accepted that the Yellowstone class Runabout that we see in the Voyager episode Non Sequitor should look exactly like the Danube class (obviously done due to budget reason I'd imagine) and should've been a new design. So if you could redesign the Yellowstone class how would you do it?

Honestly I like some of the non-canon designs out there like on the RPG site Bravofleet especially the Huron class.

Any ideas?

Well, let's think about this from the standpoint of "what does 'class' mean in this context?"

"Class" doesn't mean "looks like this, or like that." It means "interchangable with any other ship of the same class in terms of what it can and can't do."

From that standpoint, I have no problem with a new "runabout" of a new class looking very much like a prior one... even looking IDENTICAL to the prior one... if the capabilities are significantly different. In fact, two ships which look identical and yet have significantly different capabilities are, by definition, really different classes, aren't they?

That said... there's nothing to say that it HAS to look like a prior design. So doing a new design is certainly an option. It's just not a "requirement," ya know?

 

[Crewman47]

So what you mean it's like the difference between the TOS Constitution, Achenar and Bonhomme Richard Class, same on the outside but minor differences on the inside?

 

[Cary L. Brown]

So what you mean it's like the difference between the TOS Constitution, Achenar and Bonhomme Richard Class, same on the outside but minor differences on the inside?

Not necessarily. Rather, it would be like saying that "Any Constitution-class ship is always able to do the same job as any other Constitution-class ship. Any Danube-class is always able to do the same job as any other Danube-class. If a conventional "Danube-class" isn't able to do the same job that the "Yellowstone-class" ship would be able to do... they're not interchangeable, and thus it's a new class.

Make sense?

 

[Kaziarl]

Honestly I like some of the non-canon designs out there like on the RPG site Bravofleet especially the Huron class.

Off topic, but I used to be a member of bravo fleet... hehe, oh the memories...

 

[hellsgate]

I'd rather go with the Morpheus-Class (Captain's Yacht / Runabout).

http://infobase.fehq.net/images/a/ab/Morpheus.jpg

http://newhope.xerox-zone.de/screens/shot0004.png

http://newhope.xerox-zone.de/screens/shot0005.png

http://newhope.xerox-zone.de/screens/uss_ariana_out.png

http://newhope.xerox-zone.de/screens/uss_ariana_msd_sm.png

 

[regemet]

What about the Prevaricate Class ( the Cats Eye in Star Trek: Banshee Squadron)
http://banshees.merknet.com/database/catseye.html

 

[Kaziarl]

What about the Prevaricate Class ( the Cats Eye in Star Trek: Banshee Squadron)
http://banshees.merknet.com/database/catseye.html

looks like the defiant with a nebula class sensor pod on top

 

[Crazy Eddie]

If the tech department of Voyager was smart, they would have simply used the aeroshuttle's exterior with a slightly redressed runabout interior.

 

[hellsgate]

Or used this refit Defiant-meets-Danube-Class, variant of the Prevaricate.

IMAGE / MESH BY JOERG GERLACH, COURTESY OF "Star Trek: Australia" & Richard Merk ("S.S. Rocinante").

 

[Cary L. Brown]

If the tech department of Voyager was smart, they would have simply used the aeroshuttle's exterior with a slightly redressed runabout interior.

Of course, the aeroshuttle was designed to be exactly that (as I'm sure you know). The plan was to reuse the runabout setpiece with little (if ANY) redressing. Odd, then, that they never really did that... it would have been much less expensive (not to mention the fact that it would also have made much more sense!) to do this instead of doing the "Tom's home-made shuttlecraft" idea.

 

[Tigger]

Odd, then, that they never really did that... it would have been much less expensive (not to mention the fact that it would also have made much more sense!) to do this instead of doing the "Tom's home-made shuttlecraft" idea.

Likely easier from a story perspective to have them "steal" the Delta Flyer as necessary (since the Aeroshuttle likely has a somewhat involved undocking procedure) and it makes Tom Paris look "cool".

 

[Kaziarl]

Or used this refit Defiant-meets-Danube-Class, variant of the Prevaricate.

IMAGE / MESH BY JOERG GERLACH, COURTESY OF "Star Trek: Australia" & Richard Merk ("S.S. Rocinante").

Is it me, or does the combination of the camera angle making the deflector look downturned, and that black shape just above it (i'm assuming the windows) make it look angry?

The dedication plaque (if it has one) should say "You won't like me when I'm Angry"

 

[Bernard Guignard]

Or used this refit Defiant-meets-Danube-Class, variant of the Prevaricate.

IMAGE / MESH BY JOERG GERLACH, COURTESY OF "Star Trek: Australia" & Richard Merk ("S.S. Rocinante").

Is it me, or does the combination of the camera angle making the deflector look downturned, and that black shape just above it (i'm assuming the windows) make it look angry?

The dedication plaque (if it has one) should say "You won't like me when I'm Angry"

Now that you mention it Yes it does look rather tee-ed off

 

[JNG]

^

Maybe it's peeved at the silly name Prevaricate. How odd it would be for the Federation to name a ship in honor of deviation from the truth...

 

[hellsgate]

Its officially listed as the "Xenon-Class" by Jim Martin, in most RPG/Fic credits.

 

[RichMerk]

It's funny. This thread is over two years old but I still get a lot of hits from it on my web site. Or is it just because you people are HOTLINKING?!?!?

 

[bryce]

Well, since you bumped it!

I would have even liked to have seen the regular type of Runabout with a different - or even slightly modified nacelle. (For the new "tetrion nacelle".)

That would have worked perfectly in the context of the episode - it was such a disappointed to see plain old regular nacelles on that thing, when I was expecting something new and cool...)

As for the runabouts though - I have always found them a bit boxy, and have always wanted to see something newer and sleeker and cool. I loved the shuttle (that used a runabout interior - and was about runabout sized) in Insurrection - I would like to see a runabout with similar lines - and nacelles that look more Sovereign era instead of Galaxy class era...

I would also like to see a two-deck version of a runabout, like the one on the SOTL calender...