Archangel Class XIII Shuttle Carrier

from Starfleet Prototype – The Journal of Innovative Design and Ideas, David Schmidt & Mastercom Data Center

 NOTES:
Among Class 1-b starships, the Shuttlecarrier types are the largest. Analogous to the Supercarriers of the Terran late twentieth century, these vessels are constructed for only one purpose: the transport, launching, and support of auxiliary craft.

There are only two shuttlecarrier classes presently in service, comprised of a fleet of six ships. The Ariel class is the oldest and largest of these classes, and is scheduled for decommissioning. Rather than replacing these four vessels with more of the Fredrikstad class, Starfleet Logistics Command requested that Strategic Design attempted to improve upon the basic concept – with a special eye to additional parking space – without enlarging the vessel, which would hamper maneuverability. In fact they also requested that Strategic Design improve said maneuverability – a difficult task in a craft as large as a Shuttlecarrier. The Archangel class Shuttlecarrier is only three percent larger by tonnage than her immediate predecessor class (well within Logistics Command’s mandate), but has approximately 125% as much PB2 (parking bay space). This was accomplished by completely separating hangar flight deck functions from parking bay functions.

The hangar hull incorporates six independent hangars (three each facing starboard and port), each with its own landing platform, tractor beam array, and re-arm/re-fuel facilities. At the center-line of the hangar hull, between the hangars are the shuttlecraft elevator bays – each holds two shuttlecraft elevators (lowering shuttles to the vast shuttlecralt parking bay below), and is shared by two hangars (e.g.: elevator bay Bis shared by hangars 3 & 4), after the shuttles pass through roll-down air-tight doors and force-field pressure curtains. Immediately forward of the hangar hull, within the extended hull are the two fightercraft parking bays -one port of center-line, the other starboard. These hold such attack craft as Tomahawks, Talons, and Killer Bees. There are taxiways between the port fightercraft parking bay and hangar 1, and between the starboard fightercraft parking bay and hangar 2, so that fightercraft need not utilize the elevators for speedy deployment. Hangar bay control rooms are located between the hangar doors. They are only utilized for tractor beam approach and departure sequences. Overall control of flight operations is exercised from the Combat & Information Center.

To improve maneuverability in the face of the Archangel class’ displacement, Strategic Design added a second impulse drive below the first. This second drive is normally shut-down, and is only powered-up during battle conditions. Unlike the primary impulse drive (which can be powered by the main reactor or by the auxiliary fusion reactor, it does not draw energy from the matter/antimatter reactor at any time, but feeds off its own dedicated fusion reactor. Its principle task is to assist the Shuttlecarrier in making impulse turns, and its exhaust vents have been specially modified to this end.

Shuttlecarriers are lightly armed to save room for mission essentials. There are only eight phaser banks (fourteen turrets), which are set for point defense. A Shuttlecarrier’s primary defensive and offensive weaponry are its fightercraft and escorts: Shuttlecarriers never leave port without a pair of Destroyers attending (or as part of a Task Force).

Overall performance was nominal – the three percent additional mass difference between this prototype and the Ariel class being manifested by a reduction in maneuverability during normal sublight maneuvers, but more than compensated for when the second impulse drive was placed on­line. Warpspeed capabilities were almost identical to the Fredrikstad class.

The flight deck/parking bay separation concept was proven out during flight operations – the Flight Deck Officer pronounced the layout not only faster, but safer.