CHEYENNE-CLASS EXPLORATORY CRUISER
Almost two decades before the Ambassador class entered service, the four-nacelle cruisers of the Constellation class were sent on missions to the extreme fringes of explored space and beyond. When the Ambassador class entered service, their first missions were to interesting systems and phenomena mapped by the Constellations.
Class:
As the first Galaxy class starships started construction in the early 2350s, the Constellation class continued in service, performing deep-space mapping. The survey and exploration suites had been updated over the years, but the vessels were much slower than the explorers who followed them.
Therefore, in 2351 the ASDB formed the Cheyenne class Starship Development Project to develop a new high-speed / long-duration class of scout. The vessel was to mass under 2.5 million tons, so the LF-30 series of warp drive was chosen. Though favored by the ASDB, using only two nacelles could not be guaranteed to meet the speed and duration required and, as they had done with the Constellation, it was decided to mount four nacelles to the Cheyenne.
Classification:
The Cheyenne Class was designated as a Superscout from the inception of the program.
Design:
The Cheyenne Class bears a striking resemblance to her Constellation Class forebear. This is deliberate, as the Constellation design worked and the ASDB did not want to “mess with a good thing”. The nacelles were specially designed for the Cheyenne, in an attempt to better harmonize the warp fields generated. The primary hull bears a striking resemblance to that of the Galaxy Class, though it is much smaller. Someone serving on a Constellation would marvel at the new staterooms aboard the Cheyenne. The wide elliptical primary hull allows room size almost 75% larger than those found aboard the Constellation. The sensor, survey, and scientific suites were the most advanced of their time.
Engineering:
Four LF-30 warp drive nacelles were added. As it had with the Constellation Class, this required the fitting of a larger warp core, which then tied together to provide balanced operation through a unified “H”-shaped intermix chamber system. The LF-30 has proven to be a highly reliable design – a desirable trait in a deep-range explorer.
Tactical:
The Cheyenne is surprisingly lightly armed considering she is designed to operate so far from support. However, the Federation of the Cheyenne’s time was a far quieter and peaceful place than when the Constellation’s plied the spacelanes. Three Type IX phaser arrays and two Mk 75 photon torpedo launchers are carried, along with the FSP shield system.
Computer Systems:
The isolinear-chip based M-13 series of computers were custom built for the Cheyenne Class, as the existing duotronic-based M-12 was too large and smaller, earlier models did not have the computing power or storage capacity to meet the stated requirements.
Builders:
Being built in batches, Cheyenne construction was handed out to whatever yard had the available capacity to build them, so vessels were constructed from Mars to Bajor.
Development and Construction History:
Four-nacelle starships are not easy to build, which is why there have been only two designs. The Constellation Class offered somewhat of a benchmark for the Cheyenne to use, but calibration still took almost a full year after the lead ship was launched in 2354. The vessel reached a speed of Warp 9.4 before hull stresses reached serious levels.
Conclusion:
The problems with the Cheyenne Class are similar to those with the Constellation and seem to prove that two nacelles are, in general, the best way to go. Those problems aside, the Cheyenne Class has performed well, much like the Constellation.
Current Specifications for the Cheyenne class:
Displacement 1,900,000 mt
Overall Length 394 m
Overall Draft 134 m
Overall Beam 250 m
Propulsion:
Four LF-30 Mod 1 energized-energized antimatter warp drive units
Two FIG-2 subatomic unified energy impulse units
QASR-2 particle beam maneuvering thrusters
“Trentis III” pulsed laser reaction control system
Velocity:
Warp 7 Standard Cruising Speed
Warp 9.0 Maximum Cruising Speed
Warp 9.4 Maximum Attainable Velocity
Duration:
5 years, standard
Complement:
50 Officers
250 Enlisted Crew
0 Passengers (Normal – Up to 100 maximum)
300 Total Crew (Standard)
Embarked Craft:
0 Danube Class Runabout
4 Type 6 Personnel Shuttle
2 Type 7 Personnel Shuttle
2 Type 9A Cargo Shuttle
8 Type 16 Shuttlepod
0 Peregrine Class Fighter
0 S-3 Sentry SWAC Shuttle
Navigation:
RAV / ISHAK Mod 3 Warp Celestial Guidance
Computers:
M-13 Isolinear I
Phasers:
3 Type IX Collimated Phaser Array
Missiles:
2 Mk 75 Photon Torpedo Launchers
Defense:
FSP Primary Force Field
Life Support:
NAG1 Modular Gravity Unit
AL2 Life Support System
