Ripley class, huh? Is there an "alien" on board? 
I like this design, too. It looks like a late-23rd century precursor to the Runabout.
I like this kind of design because the nacelles look to be of the same linear warp drive technology as the refit Enterprise and the NX-2000 Excelsior. Using my W.D.E. concept of "warp drive evolution", if this ship could go only (linear) warp factor 4, that's still 4 times faster than "circumferential" warp 4, or "better than warp 6" as Spock said of the Klingons in "Elaan of Troyus". So, she doesn't have to "be a speed demon" in order to "go fast".

I like this design, too. It looks like a late-23rd century precursor to the Runabout.
I like this kind of design because the nacelles look to be of the same linear warp drive technology as the refit Enterprise and the NX-2000 Excelsior. Using my W.D.E. concept of "warp drive evolution", if this ship could go only (linear) warp factor 4, that's still 4 times faster than "circumferential" warp 4, or "better than warp 6" as Spock said of the Klingons in "Elaan of Troyus". So, she doesn't have to "be a speed demon" in order to "go fast".