Guide:Class C2A/C2B and Type 30
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| Class C2A / C2B / Type 30 / "C-Monster" / "Seahay" / "Seabee" | |
|---|---|
| Class Overview | |
| Category | aquashuttle |
| Operational | 2265 - 2318 |
| Constructed | 103 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length |
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| Beam | 10.4 m |
| Height | 4.1 m |
| Mass |
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| Performance | |
| Cruise Speed | w 1.0 |
| Max Speed |
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| Endurance |
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| Complement | |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 2 - 6
|
| Tactical Systems | |
| Beam Weapons |
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| Shields |
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| Canonicity | |
| Design | TAS: "Ambergris Element”; Deep Domain (Howard Weinstein) |
| Name | Timo |
| History | Timo
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For exploring the oceans of newly discovered planets with maximum efficiency, Star Fleet in 2261 ordered from Bruce-Partington SCW the development of a special environment craft utilizing some Class G3 components coupled with a streamlined hull and magnetohydrodynamic underwater propulsion. The challenges of combining the contradictory requirements of a short-range warp spacecraft, a transatmospheric vehicle, and a submarine into a single spaceframe were immense. Nevertheless, after four years of development, two designs emerged: one for starship and one for research outpost use. Both were classified under the letter C, as Types 2A and 2B. The initial unflattering nickname "C-monster" eventually got moderated as oceanic exploration personnel gained an appreciation of the very special proficiency of these craft.
Class C2A shuttles were deployed aboard exploration starships only in special cases, i.e. when exploration of a water-covered area was expected to be part of the starship’s mission. This was understandable, since a single craft would occupy the entire landing deck and more or less preclude the use of all other types of auxiliaries. The C2A craft were capable of carrying six research crew and generally required two pilots to operate—one for atmospheric entry and one specializing in underwater piloting—although pilots eagerly competed for double proficiency. The C2B usually operated a smaller researcher contingent, having a more restrictive internal arrangement typically optimized for local conditions and research needs.
Propulsion was fourfold. To expedite system-wide operations from a single base, both types were equipped with PB-900 series warp nacelles. Although major nuisances for their aero and hydrodynamic drag and more than 100-ton mass, they offered warp 1.9 performance, enough for short interstellar sorties if need be. For atmospheric entry maneuvering, small impulse units were housed astern, and a full range of thrusters provided in the catamaran-like, downward-canted sides of the hull. The shape of the main body provided aerodynamic lift in a nose-up attitude, and also enabled the shuttle to skim on surface effect across the oceans with minimum energy expenditure. In these modes, the impulse engines were turned off; the thrusters were augmented by magnetic drives in sea-skimming mode. As the craft settled into water and entered diving mode, the magnetic drives became the primary propulsion method.
Even though the atmospheric system could be tied to emergency water displacement and flotation systems, no physical ballast was needed for normal diving. The craft had very slight positive buoyancy in moderately saline water; in horizontal cruise diving, this was offset by the hull shape which created a downward force vector, as well as by trimming gravs, and at slow diving speeds, main gravs were used to hold the craft down. Landings on dry land or flight decks were controlled by the same main gravs, on reverse mode. The duranium-titanium hull required no special landing pads on approximately level ground, although quadruple pads could be deployed from under the main hull in difficult landing conditions.
The passenger compartment formed a sleek protrusion atop and below the catamaran-like hull. Two wide curved windows provided excellent underwater view both up and down, although sonar and mass-pointer information played through traditional retina-projection displays was essential in the murky conditions common in most bodies of water explored. Perfect situational awareness was important for aquashuttle pilots above the surface as well. Mere negotiating of shuttlebay doors with the sluggish giants was a challenge requiring more than a passing familiarity with autopilot overrides. In atmospheric handling, an inconvenient nose-up attitude had to be adopted to keep the craft under aerodynamic control. Final approach and water contact could be tricky as well, due to the dynamic nature of the landing surface.
Only a synthetic view down was available to the forward stations, however; the lower part of the cabin was partitioned off into a separate observation crawlspace. Numerous floor hatches on the upper deck could be opened for desired crawlspace access, although normal passage was through the stern-most openings that also served general ingress and egress. The 2A model featured small single-person airlocks with simple inner forcefield curtains and outer mechanical doors. Class C2B introduced a single large airlock with a proper all-mechanical system for reliability and ease of maintenance. The 2B variant always carried a variety of watersuits, while Class C2A usually relied on simple masks, airsacks, and life support fields. The C2B sacrificed some thrusters and impulse fuel tanks for a greater range of underwater sensors and tools. Both types had a pressure limit of 60 MPa, translating to a maximum diving depth of 6,000 meters on a typical Class M planet. Dedicated submarines were required in deeper waters, like the 44.2 km Divider Trench on the southern hemisphere of Pacifica.
Modular mounts for phaser III or IV units were initially provided on both types. In addition, underwater probes, stun darts, and autonomous harpoons could be carried. A deflector shield was introduced in 2273 both for the existing craft and for the upgraded Type 30, of which 28 were manufactured from existing C2B hulls and 21 more built from keel up. Typical of the 2270s refitting spree, Type 30 mounted LN-46 improved linear-excitation warp engines in neat lateral cowlings and a new twin-chamber reactor in an extended aft hull, and was capable of warp 3.0 top speed. With navigational sensors substituted for the phaser mounts, the type was suited for semi-independent interstellar missions. As the craft retained the 10.4 meter beam of the original design, though, it could be operated from aboard starships as well.
A typical deployment for Class C2B craft was on a research outpost circling a waterworld, although some planetside outposts also obtained these craft instead of dedicated submarines—after all, the sea-skimming and rudimentary flight and spaceflight capabilities of the type were a major bonus for planetwide exploration. The boosted Type 30 could perform the same mission profile from more distant bases if needed. The lower endurance and degree of sophistication of Class 2A made it the chosen starship auxiliary during the first decade of operations, until wear and tear prompted transition to the newer Type 30 units.
The 2B craft seldom visited more than one planet in their lifetime, while the 2As were circulated between various outposts and starships, and also visited planets outside Class M parameters. The craft were especially useful in the thick atmospheres of midsize Class I and J gas planets, exploring these depths for possible gas mining operations. After the turn of the century, operations of both the older types had been spun down and Type 30 craft ruled sovereign, having found more spacious homes aboard the new Excelsior and Apollo cruisers. The versatility of the shuttle-submarines proved their ultimate undoing, though: by dropping the warp and impulse propulsion aspects, Vulcans had been able to miniaturize the remaining capabilities into a shuttlepod hull dubbed the Ballard class in Star Fleet use. This category of craft would form the core of Star Fleet underwater exploration effort in the 24th century; the "C-monsters" would all be sold forward to civilian operators by 2319.
Gallery
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Class C2A/C2B -
Type 30
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