TREKCORE > DEEP SPACE NINE > SHIPS & STATIONS > Federation Danube-Class Runabout

The Danube-class Runabout is a new concept in Starfleet vessels. Larger than a shuttlecraft, the Runabout is equipped with seated control positions for a crew compliment of four, bunk beds, and a communal area. The new craft make their debut at Deep Space Nine in 2369.

SPECIFICATIONS

PRODUCTION BASE: Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards
TYPE: Advanced Shuttle
POWER PLANT: Warp & Impulse engines
DIMENSIONS: Length: 23.1m, Beam: 13.7m, Height: 5.4m
MASS: 158.7 metric tonnes

Source: DS9 Technical Manual
Published by Pocket Books Ltd
Produced by Simon & Schuster Inc.

HISTORY & DETAILS

The Runabout is an essential part of Starfleet. Smaller than a starship, but larger than a shuttle, it is the ideal ship for short-range missions. In the late 24th century, the most common design of Runabout is the Danube class, which made their debut in 2369. Danube-class ships resemble a large shuttlecraft, and their hulls are made from duranium composites. They are exactly 20 metres in length and can be carried on starships such as the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, or assigned to space stations such as Deep Space Nine.

Runabouts have impulse and warp engines, both of which use the same deuterium tanks and have long- and short-range sensors. The Danube-Class Runabouts are normally only lightly armed with type-2 phasers and a small compliment of photon torpedoes - though this can be enhanced (as can the sensors) with the addition of a pod mounted on the roll bar on top of the ship. The sleeping quarters have been designed to accommodate up to six people, though it is best suited for four, and in an emergency the craft can carry up to 40 passengers.


The standard Runabout comprises three sections: the cockpit, a mid-section with detachable module, and the living quarters in the aft section. The cockpit is a fairly cramped affair, designed for a crew of four. It is located in the forward compartment of the ship, and is more of less square in shape, with squared corners and arched buttresses at regular intervals from floor to ceiling. The two pilot positions face directly forward, with readout displays both facing the pilots vertically, and protruding out horizontally at seated waist level. A further small, triangular console is set between the two positions, and these controls continue on the shared bulkhead down to floor level. The two corner stations are standing positions only, while the remaining stations, one set in the port bulkhead, and one in the starboard, provide seats for the two non-pilot crew members.

All vessels incorporate a short-range Starfleet transporter. In earlier versions, this is housed in an open archway in the middle of the cockpit area, occupying the space behind the control positions, at the very rear of the cockpit. In later models, from 2373, the transporter is moved to a room adjacent to the main cockpit area.

The Runabout mid-section forms a detachable module that can be fitted according to the demands of the mission, but, in practice, this is rarely required. A small corridor leads to the living quarters in the aft section. This area contains a small common area with a meeting/dinner table, surrounded by a number of comfortable chairs. A food replicator provides for the crew, but the ships also carry emergency rations should the systems fail or suffer damage.

Small bunks line the forward port and starboard bulkheads, flanking the exit leading to the cockpit. A small computer console with chair is tucked into a starboard corner, and over a couch along the aft bulkhead, give the occupants an outside view.

Source: The Official STAR TREK Fact Files
Published by GE FABBRI Ltd
Produced by Aerospace Publishing Ltd

 

RUNABOUTS - SEEN IN DS9 USS Gander A runabout assigned to DS9; taken by Ezri to search for Worf. It was attacked by Jem'Hadar, and destroyed after Ezri and Worf abandoned it. - "Penumbra" USS Ganges (NCC-72454) One of DS9's original three Danube-class runabouts. It had an extra "roll bar" with sensor equipment. In "Armageddon Game", the Ganges was sacrificed as a decoy so that the DS9 officers could escape after rescuing O'Brien and Bashir from the T'Lani and Kelleruns. USS Mekong The runabout that replaced the Ganges as part of DS9's regular complement. In "The Die is Cast", in the middle of the Tal Shiar/Obsidian Order battle with the Jem'Hadar, Odo and Garak were beamed off by the Defiant just as the Mekong was destroyed. USS Orinoco (NCC-72905) The runabout that replaced the Yangtzee Kiang as part of DS9's complement. In "Our Man Bashir", Sisko, Kira, Dax, Worf, and O'Brien were beamed off as the Orinoco exploded due to sabotage by the True Way. USS Rio Grande (NCC-72452) One of DS9's original three runabouts, the only one to survive to the seventh season. USS Rubicon The runabout assigned to DS9 to replace the Mekong. USS Shenandoah A runabout assigned to DS9. In "Valiant", Nog and Jake were in the Shenandoah when it encountered a group of Jem'Hadar ships and was attacked by one of them. The Shenandoah was most likely destroyed after Nog and Jake were beamed off by the Valiant. USS Volga A DS9 runabout. Used in: "Body Parts", "By Inferno's Light". USS Yangtzee Kiang (NCC-72453) One of DS9's original three runabouts. In "Battle Lines", the Yangtzee Kiang was destroyed when it crashed on a moon in the Gamma Quadrant. USS Yukon The runabout assigned to DS9 to replace the Orinoco. In "By Inferno's Light", it was modified by the Bashir Changeling, who overpowered its crew and piloted it toward Bajor's sun, intending to trigger a supernova with a bomb containing protomatter. The Defiant pulled it away at the last minute, whereupon the Yukon exploded.