Extended Range Shuttlecraft

[Grundig]

Yeah, the speed limitation was my main interest in sketching up a new model. I mean Warp 5? I know I'm an impatient Californian driver, but I can't imagine that's fast enough for all applications.

Does the size of the warp coil determine the maximum speed? I mean, I can imagine a correlation - bigger means faster to a point. But I don't know if it's ever been made clear which characteristic most effects a ship's top speed. Nacelle size? Intermix levels? Size or quality of dilithium crystals? How much does weight matter? Maybe a faster ship is just more finely tuned, or has more high quality parts.

Let's look at it a different way. The warp drive system depends on two factors: 1) how greatly its warp field reduces the ship's mass/gravitational constant; and 2) how much force the engines can apply to move the reduced-mass ship.

One side-question: warp drive doesn't work in reverse, does it?

[Captain Seafort]

Yeah, the speed limitation was my main interest in sketching up a new model. I mean Warp 5? I know I'm an impatient Californian driver, but I can't imagine that's fast enough for all applications.

If you want a faster ship, a full starship would be a better bet. It doesn't have to be too big either - the Defiant was capable of warp 9+, even under normal circumstances, and 9.8 if she diverted power from tactical systems to structural integrity.

Does the size of the warp coil determine the maximum speed? I mean, I can imagine a correlation - bigger means faster to a point. But I don't know if it's ever been made clear which characteristic most effects a ship's top speed. Nacelle size? Intermix levels? Size or quality of dilithium crystals? How much does weight matter? Maybe a faster ship is just more finely tuned, or has more high quality parts.

All unknown. All we do know is that bigger ships tend to be faster.

Let's look at it a different way. The warp drive system depends on two factors: 1) how greatly its warp field reduces the ship's mass/gravitational constant; and 2) how much force the engines can apply to move the reduced-mass ship.

Err, no. While mass-reduction is certainly a side-effect of the warp field, you're describing it as if its a newtonian form of propulsion. This can't be the case, for obvious reasons. How exactly warp drive works is unclear, but it certainly can't be a case of "reduce mass, exert force".

One side-question: warp drive doesn't work in reverse, does it?

Actually it does - the E-nil reversed at warp in "The Corbomite Manoeuvre".

[Grundig]

If you want a faster ship, a full starship would be a better bet. It doesn't have to be too big either - the Defiant was capable of warp 9+, even under normal circumstances, and 9.8 if she diverted power from tactical systems to structural integrity.

Good point. But the Defiant isn't exactly a shuttle. I"m just talking about getting a small group of people somewhere fast. And a shuttlecraft would require less maintenance than a Defiant-type ship. Basically, the Defiant is a ship with a set crew (more or less), and the ERS would be a vehicle-for-hire in a shuttlebay.

Err, no. While mass-reduction is certainly a side-effect of the warp field, you're describing it as if its a newtonian form of propulsion. This can't be the case, for obvious reasons. How exactly warp drive works is unclear, but it certainly can't be a case of "reduce mass, exert force".

Actually I just remembered something; I don't know where it's from, but it's a neat idea. The idea is that warp fields themselves are continually reshaped so that they "tunnel" or "swim" through spacetime.

Actually it does - the E-nil reversed at warp in "The Corbomite Manoeuvre".

Well whaddya know?

[Captain Seafort]

Good point. But the Defiant isn't exactly a shuttle. I"m just talking about getting a small group of people somewhere fast. And a shuttlecraft would require less maintenance than a Defiant-type ship. Basically, the Defiant is a ship with a set crew (more or less), and the ERS would be a vehicle-for-hire in a shuttlebay.

That's my point. You can have a ship that's small and readily available, but slow, or one that's fast, but is much bigger and requires a bigger crew. Tiny and fast doesn't work in Trek (unless it runs on care bears and rainbows).

[Lt. Staplic]

I can't remember if this is a canon definition, TM, or actual physics (I know it works with the later):

Warp Drive works by energizing the warp coils creating a warp field, the field distorts spacetime around the ship. It manipulates the fabric of space, pushing it away from it in one direction and pulling it towards it in another. An analagy would be a treadmill. The person on the machine doesn't move, they change the speed of the track beneth them to bring their destination to them.

Impulse Drive works by reducing the mass of the ship then using the vented plasma to achieve thrust.

So Warp Drive depends on Enstein's warping of space idea, Impulse is more Newtonian.

[Mikey]

The fact remains that in 'Trek, if you want starship speeds then you need... a starship.

[Coalition]

The fact remains that in 'Trek, if you want starship speeds then you need... a starship.

Not necessarily - The Emissary had K'Ehleyr being sent to the Enterprise in a probe (barely over 2 meters long). The unofficial first words out of her mouth after getting off the probe are probably, "Good to be aboard, where's the bathroom."

I'll bet your shuttle was designed in response to that - whenever a Federation officer needed transportation from the Klingon empire, they sent the officer in a probe as payback.

Still, as to larger ships being faster 'inherently', I wonder if it is more along the lines of warp cross-section compared to ship power. I.e. 2 ships, the larger one is 2* as long, wide, and tall, meaning 8* greater volume. However, it only has 4* the cross section (height times width). So the larger ship would be able to put 2* as much power into its warp field as the smaller one, allowing higher speeds.

[Mikey]

Not necessarily - The Emissary had K'Ehleyr being sent to the Enterprise in a probe (barely over 2 meters long). The unofficial first words out of her mouth after getting off the probe are probably, "Good to be aboard, where's the bathroom."

All true, but I don't recall it ever being stated that she travelled faster that way than a contemporary shuttle. The expressed reasons for that mode of travel were secrecy and subterfuge; as to gauging speed by her "holding it" for the length of the trip - IIRC, she was in stasis.

[Graham Kennedy]

DATA : Apparently there were no starships available at Starbase one five three. The emissary is aboard a class eight probe.
RIKER : A class eight probe is just over two meters long!
PICARD : True, Number One. But if the sensors and transmitters were removed and life-support installed, there would be just enough space for one person.
RIKER : And those probes are designed to go warp nine.

The probe wasn't the fastest thing around, it was used because there were no ships available and it saved the E-D a two leg trip. It's also limited to warp 9, which is fast by shuttle standards, but not that fast compared to a ship.

[Mikey]

Well, I'm wrong about not knowing the speed, then. I still maintain that for typical passenger craft, the speed is limited by size. Otherwise, we'd have seen production high-warp shuttles.

[Mark]

I'm sure they COULD design a shuttle that could go as fast as a ship..........but why?

[Sonic Glitch]

I'm sure they COULD design a shuttle that could go as fast as a ship..........but why?

The question is: Why Not?

[kostmayer]

I'd choose a shuttle flight precisely because I wanted to be alone - the last thing I'd want is to get there faster.

[Sonic Glitch]

I'd choose a shuttle flight precisely because I wanted to be alone - the last thing I'd want is to get there faster.

It all depends on where your going...

[Bryan Moore]

I would say that while a fast civilian charter would be great, or simply some fast warp sleds, but there is one major thing: If these are designed to go that fast, it means they're probably going to go far, as well. There are two points why they may not be that practical: If I need to get somewhere THAT fast, I am more than likely going to the scene of an emergency, meaning I'd want more available than a shuttle. Similarly, if I were on a long range mission, I'd probably want greater protection than that of a shuttle. Meaning, as it has already been stated, you're likely to need a starship.

This being said, I'm still for specialization of ships. Shuttles are logical for short-range system craft, civilian use, yada yada. Not knocking the design at all.