Lol.
I'm going to break yet another lance for the Steamrunner. Read this article and i dare you
to get exited about this class.
Steamrunner Class Starship
Class Overview
One of the last vessels designed and launched before the debacle at Wolf 359, the Steamrunner Class of starships was the quintessential utility vessel of starfleet. The class was originally designed as a replacement for the elder statesman of the fleet, the Miranda class, in the role of cruiser and deep space fleet escort.
The Steamrunner class is equipped with modest scientific and diplomatic quarters and sensors, and has proved to be a capable stand-alone deep space vessel.
Construction History
The Steamrunner Class was born out of necessity. The Miranda Class had long since past its expected service life by more than 75 years. In that time, Starfleet had yet to find an adequate replacement for the multi-role Miranda�s, so the call went out to the Fleetyards of the United Federation of Planets for a new, small, multi-role vessel to replace the Miranda class.
Over ten different designs were submitted to Starfleet. Several of these designs went into production under different contracts, the Norway and Saber Class vessels among those used by Starfleet. The accepted design for the Steamrunner Project was from the Nesrun Shipyards.
Pursuant to Starfleet Exploration Directives 902.3 & 914.5, Starfleet Defense Directives 138.6, 141.1 & 154.7, and Federation Security Council General Policy, the following objectives had been established for the Steamrunner Project:
1. Provide a multi-mission mobile platform for a wide range of scientific and explorative research projects.
2. Replace Miranda, Soyuz, and Merced class Starships as the primary instrument of Federation deep-space defense.
3. Provide autonomous capability for full execution of Federation defensive, cultural, scientific, and explorative policy in deep space or border territory.
4. Serve as a frontline support vehicle during times of war and emergencies.
Construction of the first prototype hull, now designated NX 51000, began in 2350 in Arm 3 of the Nesrun Shipyards. The nacelle / primary hull assembly was completed within the year, and the primary secondary hull and both Primary and Auxiliary Computer Cores were put in place by the end of 2351.
The question of what type of power plant to use for both Impulse and Warp engines. Due to the unique profile of the Steamrunner Class, a standard Impulse and M/ARA configuration had to be abandonded. The debate raged as to just how powerful of a plant the vessel needed until 2353, when the Akira Project began propulsion testing of its own unique warp core and impulse engine configuration.
When the Akira project design team rejected Consolidated Fusion Inc.�s M/ARA and Impulse engine design, Team Steamrunner jumped into the vacuum. Talks between CFI and Project Steamrunner went quickly, and within 2 standard months, the first test Impulse Engines and Warp Core arrived at Nesrun. Owing to the unique design of the Hull, and that the impulse engines were originally designed for a much larger vessel, some severe modifications to the NX 51000 hull took place. The most visible modification was the extraction of the primary Warp deflector array from the primary hull. Because of the necessity of the deflector to Starship survival at high warp speeds, the Deflector was mounted �outboard�, in a pod strung by structural beams between the Warp Nacelles. This unique configuration was not the most efficient manner of reconfiguring the deflector network, but it was the most expedient.
NX 51000 left Arm 3 of the Nesrun Shipyards in 2354 for Impulse engine stress testing near Theta Cygni V. Stress tolerances were well within expected levels, and the hull was towed back to Nesrun for interior compartment completion and final warp testing. The hull, now dubbed the USS Steamrunner, had final compartmentalization completed on December 1, 2354 and took its final shakedown cruise through the new year to January 31, 2355 when she arrived at Sol system for its official launch. By the time the USS Steamrunner entered into service in 2355, her sister ship, the USS Sulaco NCC 50001 was nearing completion at Nesrun, within no less than 10 more hulls being prepared for construction.
At the height of production, both the Nesrun Fleet Yards and the Balkinur Cosmodrome were producing Steamrunner Class vessels. Squat, ugly, but heavily armed for their size, they were slowly supplanting Miranda, Soyuz and Merced class vessels on deep space patrol and survey duties at the very fringes of the Federation. Production of the Steamrunners continued until 2359, when the first of the New Orleans Class vessels began entering service and the vessels outlined in the "Master Plan for the Renewal of the Fleet" began entering service. Despite its solid performance since its introduction, the Steamrunner fell into disfavor with Starfleet Command, who preferred the newer New Orleans class frigate.
The introduction of the New Orleans Class pushed the Steamrunner class out of its traditional role of Deep Space and Diplomatic vessel. The class was retired to refit status as the Steamrunner�s weapons and shielding were upgraded as Starfleet sought to find a mission role for this small, modestly equipped starship. It wasn�t until Wolf 359 and the realization that the Borg posed a clear and present danger to the Federation and her allies and the continued problems with the development of the Defiant Project made the decision easy as to what role the Steamrunner was to play. Soon, the class was refit with new Type X phaser banks and the forward torpedo launcher was made largely automated to allow for a higher volume of firepower. This gave the Steamrunner class unprecedented firepower for its size, second only to the size to firepower ratio presented in the Defiant project vessels. Owing to the number of Steamrunner Class vessels that were in active service, and complexity of the refits ordered by Starfleet, the turn-around time for these �new� Steamrunners was excessive. Over 20 were completed at Utopia Planetia and Station McKinley by the time the second Borg Incursion occurred. Of those 20 Steamrunner Class vessels that participated in the defense of Sector 001 in that battle, 9 Steamrunner class vessels were destroyed, 5 suffered significant enough damage that Starfleet decided to scrap the hulls. Of the six that survived the battle and were still space worthy, the most notable was the USS Appalachia.
By the outbreak of war with the Dominion, the Federation had uprated their entire fleet of Steamrunner class vessels. As losses mounted in the war, production orders began again for the Steamrunner Class vessel. It was a proven design, heavily armed for its size, and was well-suited for combat against Dominion Threat vessels. Production of the Steamrunner fell again on the Nesrun Fleetyards and the newly revamped Balkinur Cosmodrome, where production continues to this day. Several small modifications have since been made to the refit specifications on the Steamrunner Class, including the addition of EMH technology in Sickbay and Ablative Armor to the nacelle and Deflector dish assembly.
Ships of Note:
USS Appalachia NCC 52136
USS Shenandoah NCC 52200
USS Quirinus NCC 83942
USS Artemis NCC 83093
USS Athena NCC 83099
