Guide:Ariadne: Difference between revisions
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When Vulcan High Command in [[2161]] began pulling back its deep space patrol fleet, [[Starfleet]] was | |||
largely unconcerned. It was assumed that war surplus or continuation of wartime shipbuilding | |||
programs would quickly fill the ranks. After all, had not the [[Vulcan]] fleet at its Potemkine height | |||
consisted of just fifty primary combatants, easily replaced by Terran equivalents, plus no more than | |||
a couple of hundred smaller units? | |||
[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg|left|300px|thumb| | However, there had been more to the Vulcan control of their half a dozen sectors than simple | ||
numerical strength. Each of the capital ships had been capable of warp six peak speed, many of | |||
warp seven. While the smaller patrol types had been no faster than their human equivalents, they | |||
had possessed superior cruise economy and endurance. In practice, substituting [[Earth]] designs for | |||
the patrol fleet would reduce its on-station time and thus potency by at least 50%. Earth in the | |||
[[2160s]] struggled with the unexpected industrial slump effected by the war, and was in no position to | |||
compensate by introducing a greater number of hulls. Instead, Starfleet representatives entered | |||
direct negotiations with [[Corporations_of_the_UFP#Warp_Systems|ah’Hrak Soyn Voidsystems]] for acquisition of further Vulcan ring drive | |||
systems. | |||
Ah’Hrak Soyn agreed to provide the highly efficient drives of ''Solak'' sentry vessels for an initial | |||
batch of 25 new patrol corvettes. Their hulls would be built on Earth in the slab-sided shapes of the | |||
pathfinding ''[[Guide: Hippolyta|Hippolytas]]'', to dangle at the lower end of the central spoke of the drive ring. The | |||
company also sold the engine license to Whitten, which would continue production for fifteen | |||
further vessels. The affordable patrollers were designed to be modular in their armament and sensor | |||
outfit, not so much in anticipation of widely varying missions but rather to allow just a minimum | |||
number of systems to be installed initially. A crew of 34 was to tend to the vessel in the barebones configuration, which featured a spartan sensor array, a laser armament of two 750 MW cannon, and | |||
a dual warp drive system. The ring drive would mainly be employed for cruising, especially in | |||
regions of high matter density such as the nebulae that pirates frequently exploited for their | |||
ambushes. An internal coil system of traditional Earth type was provided for combat dashes and | |||
acute maneuvering, however. Common to both was the fusion powerplant with 1:40 antimatter | |||
spicing. Flexible power management allowed the drives to be operated in any combination, or | |||
excess power to be channeled to the laser cannon pods at the ends of the open propulsion ring. | |||
[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A typical ''Ariadne'' patrol corvette (albeit formally of the wholly [[Earth]]-built ''Abarta'' subclass) displays to good effect the | |||
refinements introduced in the [[2190s]]. In addition to the ring-end laser cannon, this ‘clipper’ mounts two phase cannon pods | |||
on upper hull flanks, just aft of the large flight control deck windows. Passive subspace sensors and a trailing gravimetric | |||
array are added to the lower hull, and a white surface finish is applied on the ring and parts of the hull. Return to more | |||
subdued colors and sensor-absorbing coatings in the [[2220s]] would graphically display a change in status from hunter to | |||
prey. Yet in the [[2190s]], the ''Ariadnes'' could still hold their own against adversaries their size, such as this Zaranite | |||
warseeker prowling near [[Canopus]].]] | |||
The 25-strong first batch was dubbed '''''Ariadne''''' at the [[2170]] launch of the inaugural vessel. An | |||
alliterative theme of Terran mythology was followed through the second batch, known as ''Abarta'', | |||
and extended to later batches as well. These would follow the ''Ariadne'' lead in the choice of | |||
propulsion systems, but would feature modified primary hulls and systems, for a variety of roles. By | |||
far the heaviest was the ''Agni'' batch of three, with 2,600 ton hulls of inverted T shape and with dual | |||
internal coil sets plus torpedo armament; the lightest was the lone ''Abuk'', a scout from the late [[2180s]] | |||
with a slim crescent hull of 750 tons. In all, no less than fourteen variants could be discerned in the | |||
production run of 104! The differences were often minimal in practice, though, resulting from | |||
slightly dissimilar manufacturing practices on the six worlds involved in the production. | |||
The dual-drive corvettes might not have been the most impressive warships ever designed. Yet their | |||
elegance and economy achieved what brute force could not: the assorted pirates, briefly | |||
emboldened at the end of the war, were driven from UFP core space for the time being. An efficient | |||
vigil at outer borders would warn of their return. Holes in the dragnet of still rather primitive | |||
sensors would be sewn shut by the significant cruise speed and sailing radius of the patrollers. Often | |||
reaching trouble spots well before heavier starship forces, the vessels of ''Ariadne'' descent became | |||
commonly known as ‘clippers’, a name apparently derived in part from the ''Ariadne'' mission class | |||
pennant code CP, or ‘corvette, patrol’. The parallel designations ‘corvette, reconnaissance’ and | |||
‘corvette, dispatch’ would soon be superseded by ‘light scout’ and ‘courier’, respectively, and their pennant codes CR and CD appropriated for other use – but ‘clippers’ would persist in Starfleet | |||
records well into the [[24th century]]. | |||
This is not to say that the ''Ariadnes'' would have enjoyed particular longevity. There were still half a | |||
dozen of the initial vessels in nominal Starfleet service by the time of Khitomer peace, but these tall | |||
ships were respected elders, preserved for reasons of prestige rather than practicability. The same | |||
already applied to most of the succeeding subvariants, introduced throughout the [[23rd century]] to | |||
provide patrol combatant presence for border space, and especially for the vast nebulae of the | |||
rimward patrol sectors. The last of these let go of active commission in [[2328]], making way for | |||
vessels of brute strength and superior overall performance. Yet dozens still persist as training | |||
vessels or pleasure yachts across the operational theater of Starfleet, meticulously maintained and | |||
lovingly operated. | |||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
Revision as of 08:35, 25 May 2015
| |
| Ariadne | |
|---|---|
| Class Overview | |
| Category | clipper |
| Operational | 2170-2328 |
| Constructed | 104 total
|
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 35.4 m (Ariadne) |
| Beam | 92.5 m (Ariadne) |
| Height | 106.8 m (Ariadne) |
| Mass | 24,200 tons (Ariadne) |
| Performance | |
| Cruise Speed | w 3 |
| Max Speed |
|
| Endurance |
|
| Complement | |
| Officers |
|
| Enlisted |
|
| Tactical Systems | |
| Beam Weapons | Ariadne, original
|
| Missile Weapons |
|
| Shields | 1-layer globular shield |
| Transporters | |
| Auxiliary Craft | 2x work pods |
| Historical | |
| Ships of Note | USS Anann (NCC-L238) |
| Canonicity | |
| Design | FSRC/aridas sofia & Willy Whitten |
| Name | FSRC/aridas sofia |
| History | FSRC/aridas sofia & own
|
When Vulcan High Command in 2161 began pulling back its deep space patrol fleet, Starfleet was
largely unconcerned. It was assumed that war surplus or continuation of wartime shipbuilding
programs would quickly fill the ranks. After all, had not the Vulcan fleet at its Potemkine height
consisted of just fifty primary combatants, easily replaced by Terran equivalents, plus no more than
a couple of hundred smaller units?
However, there had been more to the Vulcan control of their half a dozen sectors than simple numerical strength. Each of the capital ships had been capable of warp six peak speed, many of warp seven. While the smaller patrol types had been no faster than their human equivalents, they had possessed superior cruise economy and endurance. In practice, substituting Earth designs for the patrol fleet would reduce its on-station time and thus potency by at least 50%. Earth in the 2160s struggled with the unexpected industrial slump effected by the war, and was in no position to compensate by introducing a greater number of hulls. Instead, Starfleet representatives entered direct negotiations with ah’Hrak Soyn Voidsystems for acquisition of further Vulcan ring drive systems.
Ah’Hrak Soyn agreed to provide the highly efficient drives of Solak sentry vessels for an initial batch of 25 new patrol corvettes. Their hulls would be built on Earth in the slab-sided shapes of the pathfinding Hippolytas, to dangle at the lower end of the central spoke of the drive ring. The company also sold the engine license to Whitten, which would continue production for fifteen further vessels. The affordable patrollers were designed to be modular in their armament and sensor outfit, not so much in anticipation of widely varying missions but rather to allow just a minimum number of systems to be installed initially. A crew of 34 was to tend to the vessel in the barebones configuration, which featured a spartan sensor array, a laser armament of two 750 MW cannon, and a dual warp drive system. The ring drive would mainly be employed for cruising, especially in regions of high matter density such as the nebulae that pirates frequently exploited for their ambushes. An internal coil system of traditional Earth type was provided for combat dashes and acute maneuvering, however. Common to both was the fusion powerplant with 1:40 antimatter spicing. Flexible power management allowed the drives to be operated in any combination, or excess power to be channeled to the laser cannon pods at the ends of the open propulsion ring.
The 25-strong first batch was dubbed Ariadne at the 2170 launch of the inaugural vessel. An alliterative theme of Terran mythology was followed through the second batch, known as Abarta, and extended to later batches as well. These would follow the Ariadne lead in the choice of propulsion systems, but would feature modified primary hulls and systems, for a variety of roles. By far the heaviest was the Agni batch of three, with 2,600 ton hulls of inverted T shape and with dual internal coil sets plus torpedo armament; the lightest was the lone Abuk, a scout from the late 2180s with a slim crescent hull of 750 tons. In all, no less than fourteen variants could be discerned in the production run of 104! The differences were often minimal in practice, though, resulting from slightly dissimilar manufacturing practices on the six worlds involved in the production.
The dual-drive corvettes might not have been the most impressive warships ever designed. Yet their elegance and economy achieved what brute force could not: the assorted pirates, briefly emboldened at the end of the war, were driven from UFP core space for the time being. An efficient vigil at outer borders would warn of their return. Holes in the dragnet of still rather primitive sensors would be sewn shut by the significant cruise speed and sailing radius of the patrollers. Often reaching trouble spots well before heavier starship forces, the vessels of Ariadne descent became commonly known as ‘clippers’, a name apparently derived in part from the Ariadne mission class pennant code CP, or ‘corvette, patrol’. The parallel designations ‘corvette, reconnaissance’ and ‘corvette, dispatch’ would soon be superseded by ‘light scout’ and ‘courier’, respectively, and their pennant codes CR and CD appropriated for other use – but ‘clippers’ would persist in Starfleet records well into the 24th century.
This is not to say that the Ariadnes would have enjoyed particular longevity. There were still half a dozen of the initial vessels in nominal Starfleet service by the time of Khitomer peace, but these tall ships were respected elders, preserved for reasons of prestige rather than practicability. The same already applied to most of the succeeding subvariants, introduced throughout the 23rd century to provide patrol combatant presence for border space, and especially for the vast nebulae of the rimward patrol sectors. The last of these let go of active commission in 2328, making way for vessels of brute strength and superior overall performance. Yet dozens still persist as training vessels or pleasure yachts across the operational theater of Starfleet, meticulously maintained and lovingly operated.