Experimental Specifications CERULEAN-class spaceframe, variant 1 Class Name: CERULEAN Classification: FGX (Experimental Frigate) Numbering: 96200 series Physical Specifications: Length: 144 m Beam: 73 m Draft: 68 m Displacement: 1,170,000 mt (larger than would be expected for a ship of its size, due to hull mounted ceramic tiles) Crew Complement: Total: 65 Officers: 18 Crew: 45 Passengers: 2 Propulsion Systems: Warp Drive Type: SFW-1400-2N Reactor Model: MAMR-361 Impulse Drive Type: Cer-1A-2, operating within RIMS Field Reactor Model: HFR-88 Emergency Power: Impulse Reactor, model HFR-19, mounted within Weapons Pod Second-Generation D-Warp Drive Type: DW2-Cer-1A DWarp Speed Ratings: DWarp One - standard DWarp speed DWarp Two - 10% over standard DWarp speed; 3% accelerated side effects Velocity: Maximum Sublight Velocity: .68 c Standard Cruise Speed: 7.00 Maximum Cruise Speed: 9.30 12-hour Emergency Speed: 9.45 1-hour Emergency Speed: 9.60 Core Failure: 9.70 Sensor System SFSRS-12 Omnidirectional Short Range System SFLRS-15 Omnidirectional Long Range System SFULR-2 Omnidirectional Ultra Long Range Protocol Computer Resources BioDRIPS Network Model Cerulean 950 Armaments Hull Mounted Phaser Type VII 3 Banks Range 300,000 km Locations: dorsal forward; weapons pod ventral forward; weapons pod ventral aft Quantum Torpedo Launcher Type IV 3 Launchers Range 3,000,000 km Locations: weapons pod forward port; weapons pod forward starboard; weapons pod aft Pulsed Beam Phaser Cannon Type VI 1 Fixed Mount Range 135,000 km Locations: weapons pod forward Beta Tachyon Ray Emitter Type I 1 Emitter Range 15,000 km Location: weapons pod forward Shield and Deflector Systems SFEMS-10 "Knit Sweater" multiphasic shield system SFDDS-15 Snowplow-type deflector grid system SFPD-2-Cer-1A Model 1 Pegasus Device, customized for use aboard the CERULEAN class EDCTAA-2 Energy-Dissipating Ceramic Tile Ablative Armor (equivalent of class 2 shields) Tractor System Tractor Beam Type XXV 1 Emitter, aft ventral Shuttlebays 1 Shuttlebay, aft dorsal Small Craft (standard) 3 Shuttlepods 1 Small Shuttle 1 Cargo Shuttle 1 D-Warp Shuttle Captain's Yacht Top Speed: Warp 3.5 Armaments: Phaser Type III, 2 Banks, forward dorsal, forward ventral Crew Capacity: 6 Notes: The CERULEAN class spaceframe is a modern revival of the classic OBERTH-class design, where a small saucer, with two side mounted warp nacelles, carries a massive cargo pod below, on two fixed pylons, though in the CERULEAN class this cargo pod has become a fixed equipment pod, similar to the interchangable pod of the NEBULA-class cruiser variants. Designed in the late 23rd century, the OBERTH class spaceframe survived a half dozen major shifts in StarFleet design strategy, revealing the strength and useability of the design. This class keeps the same designs that remained consistent throughout the OBERTH line: A small saucer section stretched to accommodate a shuttle bay in the rear, two warp drive nacelles off to the sides, and a large lower pod, itself longer than the main hull of the ship. The CERULEAN spaceframe is essentially a fully redesigned and modernized OBERTH class spaceframe, designed for use long into the new century as the workhorse of the smallest StarFleet vessels. The experimental aspects of the recent frigate and fast frigate classes, as well as new systems, have been incorporated into the experimental CERULEAN class. Among these are the BioDRIPS Network computer system, the RIMS field, the Pegasus Device, and the Pulsed Beam Phaser Cannon. The CERULEAN class is also equipped with an experimental Beta Tachyon Ray emitter; this combressed beam of beta tachyons (a specific type of subatomic particles which both travel at low warp speeds and dissolve normal matter by pulling it apart at the sub-sub-atomic level). In addition, the CERULEAN class is equipped with a special forward spacebay which allows the deployment of EVA teams - possibly including StarFleet SEALs or repair teams - directly from the weapons pod. The unique tapered weapons pod includes internal crew spaces - totally unprecedented in StarFleet design - beyond those required for maintenance, as well as a separate life support system. Theoretically, in case of severe damage to the main hull, the ship can be operated from the weapons pod. An innovation in the CERULEAN-class is the presence of energy-dissipating ceramic tile hull plates, in addition to and superimposed upon the standard layered duranium alloy hull plates, which function as armor against energy-beam type weapons such as phasers or disruptors. These plates are the first major use of ceramic-tile technology since the spaceplanes of the early 2100's; the specially designed tiles are intended to convert energy to heat and radiate it into space. When subjected to extreme heat or to mechanical forces (such as tidal or gravitational forces) for long periods, they tend to degrade and/or break, and under extreme energy assault - such as sustained or repeated hits to a certain area - the tiles are intended to burn away before the energy is transferred to the hull. Replacing the tiles is a difficult proposition at best away from drydock; it can be done but requires great skill, effort, and patience. It is expected that once more than a handful of ships with ceramic-tile technology become operational, key starbases will be supplied with experinced and specially trained maintenance crews. In addition, the ceramic tiles used are coated with a black energy- dissipating paint, and the exterior windows of the ship tinted a dark grey, which have the effect of making the ship nearly invisible to the naked eye (except, of course, the warp nacelles, which could not be enclosed). With this departure from the StarFleet tradition of grey hulls, comes another departure. The ship's name and registry are painted across the tiles in grey lettering, so that they will stand out on the background of the CERULEAN-class's black hull. TECHNICAL DATA ON EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEMS Technical data on the BioDRIPS Network Computer System: Bioneural Decentralized Redundant Isolinear Processor System (BioDRIPS): a controversial design for a starship's main computer system, this system combines the DRIPS Network, which replaces the massive FTL supercomputer cores used on older StarFleet ships, with the bioneural technology first pioneered in the INTREPID class in the late 2360s. The BioDRIPS Network does the same job with a network of dozens of smaller units, constructed with bioneural technology, throughout the ship which do not require powerhungry FTL fields. This decentralized design has the benefits of multiple redundancy and resiliency, as well as lower power consumption, as well as greater computational speed on less demanding functions, but with these come with the cost of computational speed on more demanding functions; the balance comes at use of about nineteen percent of the total system. Technical Data on the RIMS Field: Reduced Inertial Mass Subspace Field (RIMS Field): A subspace bubble around the ship, active except during docking maneuvers and FTL travel, reduces the inertial mass of the vessel at sublight velocities by a factor of twenty. This allows the ship to achieve relativistic velocities, even with its seriously underpowered impulse drive, and also allows extreme maneuverability for a ship its size. In fact, it has a turning radius as small as that of a shuttlecraft or runabout at comparable speed. Technical Data on the Pegasus Device: Pegasus Device: First tested aboard the experimental USS PEGASUS (NX-53847) in 2357, this device is a Federation-developed phasing cloak. It functions similarly to a cloaking device, but uses a different theory; by shifting the matter of the ship and its contents out of phase with normal matter, it renders the vessel both transparent and apparently immaterial. Phased ships are able to travel through any gaseous, liquid, or solid objects, except those made up of anion particles (which counteract the phasing effect) and those which contain beta tachyon particles, which disintegrate complex molecules (thus destroying the ship and all aboard). Technical Data on the Pulsed Beam Phaser Cannon: In the late 2360s, design engineers at Utopia Planetia suggested a modification of the Pulse Phaser Cannon technology, which would create a beam version of a Pulse Phaser Cannon, capable of more precise aiming and more sustained firing on specific targets. However, due to the massive collimator lenses and the inexact nature of servo-operated turrets, a decision was made early on that the weapon would be developed as a solid-mount cannon. Initially, the cannon was to be incorportaed into an updated version of the GALAXY-class spaceframe, but once the technology became available StarFleet was no longer interested in further modifications of the GALAXY-class design. Instead, a new class of ship, the TRAFALGAR class, was built around the triple concepts of the Pulsed Beam Phaser Cannon - which quickly acquired the nickname "blaster cannon" - coupled with a triple-nacelle design and the basic outlines of the GALAXY class - though much larger. The success of the "blaster cannon" technology led to its incorporation in a modified version of the INTREPID-class frigate, the McPHERSON class, but the spaceframe was not designed to handle the structural stresses caused by the pulsating beam; in addition, incorporating the cannon and an additional pair of fusion power cores to supply it yielded a cannon with less than half the power of the TRAFALGAR-class's cannon, and cut the crew complement of the ship by one quarter. In addition, after a limited number of firings - approximately thirty - the cannon becomes unusable and its support struts and housings must be replaced in a drydock; thus only a handful of McPHERSON class vessels were ever constructed. However, their usefulness was never in debate, and work has recently been proceeding on a new frigate spaceframe capable of housing it. The first example of this is the experimental CERULEAN. Note on the Weapons Pod: The CERULEAN class is equipped with a massive, fixed weapons pod. Slightly tapered - its crew spaces encompass three decks in the front and center, two in the rear - this weapons pod is firmly attached to two pylons extending from the underside of the ship's main hull. Equipped with independent life support, and several emergency stystems, it is theorized that the ship could be completely operated from the weapons pod if necessary, in cases of extreme damage. It also encloses such innovations as a spacebay capable of deploying EVA teams forward of the ship and several innovative weapons systems. In fact, the main hull of the CERULEAN class's only armaments are a single phaser array; the remainder of the weaponry is housed in the weapons pod. DECK CHART Onboard Locations: 1 Bridge, Captain's Office, Wardroom 2 Officers' Offices and Quarters, Dorsal Phaser 3 Transporters, Science Department, Holodecks, Life Support 4 Sensor Controls, Deuterium Tanks, BioDRIPS Control Room, Four-Forward 5 Weapons Storage, Security Department, Brig, Shield Generators 6 Crew Quarters, Battle Bridge, Docking Ports, Warp Nacelle Pylons 7 Crew Quarters, Impulse Drive, RIMS Field Generator, Medical Labs 8 Crew Quarters, Deflector Grid Control, Medical Offices, Sickbay 9 Main Engineering, Stellar Cartography, Cargo Bays, Pegasus Device 10 Power Distribution, Antimatter Pods, Weapons Pod Pylons 11 Maintenance, Captain's Yacht Docking Port Outboard Weapons Pod Locations: A Forward Pulsed Beam Phaser Cannon B Forward Quantum Torpedo Launchers, Beta Tachyon Ray Emitter C Forward Emergency Deflector Grid Control, Spacebay, Life Support A Center Auxiliary Control Center, Emergency Crew Quarters B Center Emergency Fusion Power Core, Emergency BioDRIPS Control Room C Center Emergency Supplies Storage, Ventral Phaser A Aft Quantum Torpedo Laucher, Emergency Docking Port B Aft Ventral Phaser, Torpedo Storage, Cargo Bay