Ten Features of the Danube Class Runabout in Star Trek

The Danube Class Runabout is the principle vehicle with which the crew of Deep Space Nine explore space, before the arrival of the USS Defiant. These small starships are packed with features such as phasers, micro torpedos ejectable command pods, swappable mission modules.
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[@casbot71]

#11 They were all named after rivers on Earth, a point Major Kira noted: "With all the Runabouts we're going through, it's fortunate that Earth has so many rivers".

[@andipositas4731]

@Leo Peridot because Starfleet is from earth

[@datathunderstorm]

Was there a Runabout called “Niger” after the River Niger? 😳

[@colinmack8655]

I loved that line

[@tamaspapp225]

Danube Class

[@mb2000]

@Leo Peridot In universe: Sisko is naming them himself (as we saw with the Rubicon). I do wonder why there wasn’t a USS Mississippi though… Out of universe: adding extra lines of dialog to explain an alien name was deemed a waste of time. Though if you want to go into novels set after the show when Kira was running DS9, they start getting ones named for Bajoran rivers, like USS Glyrhond, USS Tecyr, and USS Yolja.

[@RoballTV]

Shout out to the Rio Grande, the Runabout that survives the entirety of DS9 :)

[@Zhortac]

The Rio Grande was built with ablative plot armor, but their supply for that one runabout

[@mb2000]

There’s something special about that ship. Perhaps it’s “blessed by the Prophets” for being the ship that brought The Sisko to them?

[@Dontlicktheballoons]

Thank the prophets it wasn't assigned to Voyager😂

[@Willigula]

@@Dontlicktheballoonsthey would have rebuilt it half a dozen times out of space garbage. Lol.

[@ClassicMagicMan]

I was not ready for that opening but LMFAO it was what I needed.

[@dezertson2011]

😂🤣

[@hobomike6935]

"FIRE PHASERS! *heavy breathing* LAUNCH TORPEDOES!!!" *intense trekkie fan mouthbreathing noises*

[@arthurballs9632]

It was lacking in imagination and originality. But what would you expect from these talentless shills for the equality banal Lucasfilm storygroup.

[@josephbrandon549]

@@arthurballs9632 Just curious, do you wear ascots while making comments like these? I can see you wearing one, doing your best to mimic the Monopoly Man looking down on all other forms of Science Fiction other than whichever Star Trek series you deem to be "real" Star Trek.

[@paulsweeney2959]

At a con many many years ago, Rick had said the runabout was a bit of a behind the scenes homage to the Eagle with it's modular design. He called it Deep Space: 1999.

[@gregorynofsker7554]

You Sir just stole my thunder... :-)

[@garylim2]

Wow. I was just thinking the same. Especially the location.

[@cyril-rr2jk]

I was going to say something about the modular similarity to the Eagle, which I first noticed when I bought the model kit. I was always a little bothered by the potential "rip-off" factor in a show that already ripped off other people's ideas. This is the first I've heard of him acknowledging Space 1999 as an influence, and that acknowledgement makes the Danube more of an homage and less of a rip-off. Of course, that leaves the whole story arc of the show...

[@thegreatbamboozler4837]

Awesome... and I was also considering the mission specific interchangeability of Thunderbird 2.

[@digitalramyun]

I've often thought the concept and design of the DS9 "runabouts", were influenced by the Eagle Transporters (e.g. the modular system of extending its capabilities). This might answer the question posed in the video - why raise the runabout into launch position on a hydraulic lift? - insofar as this was the method used to prepare Eagles for launch in "Space: 1999". I never knew Rick had actually stated the Danube class was a "nod" to the Eagle, but kudos to him for mentioning it...

[@ElderNewt]

Yes... the true power of the Danube Class Runabout - hovering over traffic

[@greanstreak04]

Can it tractor beam that prius with the handicap plates and 400 bumper stickers out of the left lane???

[@ElderNewt]

@@greanstreak04 you'd think not... But then there is a module just for that purpose. 30 second change over and boom.. left lane is free once more

[@armorer94]

The whole concept from the elevated lifts, to the swappable center modules is reminiscent of the eagles from "Space: 1999".

[@KJsProjects]

Or Thunderbird 2

[@johnwang9914]

@@KJsProjects Well given that Space 1999 was made by the same people who made Thunderbirds as well as UFO, that isn't surprising.

[@EZ-D-FIANT]

Lots of aircraft carriers in the real Matrix I mean world do a similar thing too.

[@taitano12]

The first time I saw one of these, I thought of Lone Star's flying Winnebago. I wish my Winnie was as modular as the Runabout. Some are - Toy-haulers, and luxury horse trailers, specifically - but most aren't.

[@willmfrank]

Re: Point #10 "In Deep Space Nine, we see multiple Runabout crashes..." Yet another callback to Space:1999's Eagles. "Carter to Moonbase Alpha! I can't hold her! She's gonna crash!...Again!"

[@the1tigglet]

Remember DS9 was a cardassian starbase so it had weird cardassian features that the crew were stuck using because they didn't have the resources to update the systems to all federation systems.

[@jonquil121]

The ship and the launch bays were clear homages to the Eagle and its bays in Space 1999

[@eddieblanco230]

That's what I always thought

[@datathunderstorm]

Now I have to go watch that excellent full animation of an Eagle taking off from earth and flying to the moon - all to the 2nd season Space: 1999 Theme - spine tingling to watch - especially with the now included heat shields for re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere!

[@garylim2]

It may not really matter how heavy the platform can lift. In space, switch off the artificial gravity, and the runabout weighs nothing

[@LoneBrowncoat]

@@garylim2 ....True, you could push them out by hand.

[@LoneBrowncoat]

@@eddieblanco230 .....Me too.

[@jenniferstewarts4851]

Hey I'd take a runabout. Honestly, they are like the perfect "civilian" ship to...

[@HalferLandPerformance]

The runabout is one of my favorite ships/classes. Never understood why

[@GenerationFilms]

I like it too, because it is the kind of ship you can imagine owning as like a space version of an RV for family vacations

[@RoballTV]

@@GenerationFilms Aye, and I think runabouts, or civilian equivalents are probably fairly common, you see lots of civilians and aliens of other races going about in ships of a comparable size through all the series :)

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@GenerationFilms Which it literally was in one episode!

[@DavidKnowles0]

@@GenerationFilms I like to think the Danube shuttle was the first small space craft that Starfleet considered to be completely independent starship capable of doing all sort of low level missions throughout Federation space and capable of operating for weeks at a time independently. An Starfleet had thousands of the things flying about.

[@JennyEverywhere]

Just enough ship to be useful and provide a complete living space, but small enough that one person can run it with some judicious automation. If your were extremely fortunate (and rich) one could get a Danube-class configured for your personal use as a sort of home/RV/space office, and wouldn't have to hire a crew to man it...though a couple of hands might be useful to keep watch and fix things now and then.

[@naturelass]

the landing pads were actually already present the cardassians sealed them when they left the station and i think the reason for the lift is for cases of vessels on the large side of small who may have had less than a meter clearance on either side also thusters and impulse engines release ionised gas when they take off i am not sure how good that would be inside the station so the lifts possibly allowed for engins to be turned off before being brought inside and also to be kept off until the vessel was outside, plus the lift was a cardassian design it is possible cardassian shuttles were less designed for vertical take off hence the need for them, there is also the possibility the lifts were used for cargo pods that were manually left by a vessel then brought down and then later ejected by use of the lift for collecting by a vessel.

[@garylim2]

Good answer!

[@clancykohl]

Though the engines seem to be no concern, as ships launch from shuttle bays just like that. And if you can manage to land a craft on a platform with such a precision that it can be taken in by the lift, you probably can do the same a little further, bringing it down the hole. I think the cargo one makes the most sense.

[@eurogryphon]

The only one that _didn't_ end up in an interstellar junkyard was the _Rio Grande._ If you want to be _safe_ take that ship...or just get a cushy job at a Creole restaurant.

[@chrischeshire6528]

Very good, informative video about my favorite small starship, big shuttle. The Command module, mission module and warp engine reminds me of the Space 1999 Eagle which broke down the same way.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

Having vulnerabilities to weapons doesn't make it a deathtrap. Just means it was not designed for combat. The weapons it did have were defensive. Most vehicles (land AND air) you see in the real world today have a TON of vulnerabilities like that against military vehicles, because they aren't designed for combat. A Cessna isn't a deathtrap just because an F-16 can easily destroy it. A Tesla Model 3 isn't a deathtrap because an M-1 Abrams can easily destroy it.

[@grayscribe1342]

Can an F-16 even target a Cessna? Just wondering because with the speed difference, low heat signature and so on I don't know if an F-16 can hit a Cessna. I also remember the time when a Cessna flew right through the best air defence systems in the world undetected only being noticed when it landed on the Red Square in Moscow.

[@DMSProduktions]

ALL Teslas are death traps, with self locking doors that won't unlock after a crash, & batteries that explode & burn fiercely, & cook their occupants!

[@StormsparkPegasus]

@@DMSProduktions Bullshit and lies. They are 9 times less likely to get into an accident than other vehicles. And fires are MUCH MUCH more rare than in gas vehicles (the chance of a fire is less than 10% that of a combustion vehicle).

[@DMSProduktions]

@@StormsparkPegasus LOL! Yes, you keep telling your self that!

[@StormsparkPegasus]

@@DMSProduktions I don't have to tell myself anything. I deal in facts.

[@richardowens9061]

Remember, DS9 was a Cardassian station. So, the Danube Class Runabout was merely using a bay that was already there. We don't know how or why the Cardassians might have been using that bay - although, ostensibly, it housed some kind of ship, perhaps, some kind of supply freighter or fighter used to defend the station. And, whatever ships might have used it, the bay would provide protection for the smaller ships during an assault on the station.

[@MrDDiRusso]

I have always believed that the runabout is the equivalent of a large cargo helicopter like the CH 53 SEA STALLION or CH 54 TARHE SKYCRANE.

[@LoneBrowncoat]

Still smaller than a Chinook.

[@MrDDiRusso]

@@LoneBrowncoat the CH 53 is narrower than the Chinook but the Sea Stallion carries more weight and flies faster. The new King Stallion is even more capable.

[@_WillCAD_]

The design is actually a Star Trek take on the Skycrane. Or perhaps a Trek version of the Space 1999 Eagle Transporter, which was itself a sci-fi version of the Skycrane. I actually think the Eagle is a better design, because it doesn't include the permanent corridor down the center that the mission modules have to wrap around.

[@mb2000]

Always thought it was a massive shame that we never got to see more of the runabouts besides the cockpit on DS9. Especially when TNG built the set pretty much for DS9.

[@kaitlyn__L]

They reused a lot of the runabout cabin from TNG for the Defiant cabins - mainly the bunk beds, but more besides. And they didn’t have enough budget to replace or redesign it sadly.

[@mb2000]

@@kaitlyn__L Yeh, pretty sure the rear cabin set was actually only seen on DS9 as the guest quarters on the USS Prometheus in “Second Sight”.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@mb2000 ah! I knew Sayetek’s private suite looked familiar! I’d noticed various reused doors and walls, but hadn’t picked-up on which set was redressed.

[@thethirdchimpanzee]

The Voyager "Aerowing" was designed around the Runabout, the Aerowing so that if there was ever a call to show it onscreen they could just use the Runabout sets. Even the exterior of the Aerowing was basically a Runabout with wings.

[@dominichadley2712]

Runabouts will always be my favourite of the lighter Starfleet Vessels! I love how compact and modular it is!

[@dramaticwords]

I suggest the runabouts are actually an evolution of the Eagle spacecraft shown in Space: 1999.

[@asvarien]

Starfleet hand phasers were supposed to have built in ID scanners that could tell if someone was authorised to use it or not. So how come we see so many instances where a ne'er-do-well person grabs a phaser and shoots a good guy with it? Also all phasers were supposed to be "locked" on stun mode while inside a starship, yet we often see them being used to kill people.

[@joekalista3615]

accomplices. Either the shooter got to the phasers before and reprogrammed them for later use, or someone else did it so that the shooter could grab them. And as for everone else on these starships, These people know how to program at age 5, and im sure they know the inner workings of how a phaser works. They reprogram them.

[@asvarien]

@@joekalista3615 The correct answer is... the writers forgot that detail.

[@haldyordan2316]

@@asvarien true, it's 21st century now, companies and militaries made security countermeasures, unless the illegal users, op hackers....

[@jeffumbach]

I don't recall that detail in the Technical Manual.

[@davidgiles4681]

It was still the best "shuttle" ST ever had. If fit multiple missions and still could get people home.

[@blackhawks81H]

If by best, you mean ugliest.. Then yes... Lol but in all honesty it was a super capable little ship. Only gripe I have with it is the looks. Even then it's really just that front end.. Those big recessed window dealies...Not only are they ugly and make the front of the ship look like a broken off USB plug. But imagine trying to fly the thing from the pilots seat behind the recessed windows with those big buttresses on either side... You'd basically be able to see up, and fairly well forward.. Big blind spot under the nose, and absolutely zero visibility to either side. Flight in busy areas, flight in and around Starbases and spscedocks, atmospheric flight.. Be an absolute nightmare. Be like trying to drive a big semi tractor-trailer with the side windows painted black. If they fixed that damn cockpit, I'd actually love this ship.. But that one glaring issue just kills it for me.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

it’s technically not a shuttle, it’s a commissioned ship…they’re the smallest in the fleet, they have everything that you have on a larger ship except dedicated sickbays and engineering

[@blackhawks81H]

@@bostonrailfan2427 Yeah you're absolutely correct. One of the ways you can tell this is that the runabouts are all properly named and have registry numbers: USS Rio Grande (NCC-72452) USS Rubicon (NCC-72936) USS Shenandoah (NCC-73024) Whereas shuttles might have "names", like Goddard, Galileo, etc. But those were pretty much nicknames. They were not commissioned (didn't possess the USS designation) nor did they have registry numbers, aside from some bearing the registry number of their mothership, just to show which ship they belonged to.

[@Adam_Boots]

The Sydney class was actually a modification of the Spacedock shuttle from the movies so was originally scaled similarly to the size the runabout ended up.

[@Bartonovich52]

I was going to say. It looks really similar to the ones from III IV and VI. The side plate design definitely hails from the original shuttle.. probably influenced by Cadillac.. as well as the smaller amount of materials to build it.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Yeah those lights are not decks.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

It has a bridge pod, it has multiple rows of pale yellow lights - yeah, they are decks. Scales to 235 metres by nacelles and bridge.

[@Adam_Boots]

Yep, the original model was scaled up for its role as the Jenolan. The window rows and bridge dome were added to visually represent the new scale for the ship and TMP style nacelles were added as well. The model was later reused upside-down as the USS Nash in 'Trials and Tribble-ations'.

[@adamlytle2615]

Yep, pretty fundamental misunderstanding by the host. Sternbach would have started with the shape of the executive shuttle both for the in-universe reason that this could be the 24th century descendant of the executive shuttle, and also because he knew it might be possible for them to redress the executive shuttle model into the Runabout

[@DIEGhostfish]

7:04 the back center was made in a bit of embezzlement. TNG had budget left over and was wrapping up anyway. DS9 didn't have the budget for a new set... Soooo They made it for DS9 to use if needed. But the Defiant made the Runabouts sadly redundant.

[@davidcox1508]

The Danube class is a personal favorite of mine, and being from Texas, I was rather happy that the DS9 crew more often than not 'saddled up' with the USS Rio Grande. It wasn't until I assembled the AMT plastic model kit that I REALLY became a fan of its design - truly a wonderful Starfleet vessel!

[@emsleywyatt3400]

I've got that model too but I also scavenged a 1/72 scale figure from, I think the old Invaders UFO kit and painted him up like Sisko.

[@mr.e1026]

I'm more of a Delta Flyer sort, myself. I absolutely love the bridge layout inside of it. If I was to design a space craft that I was the captain of, I'd like it to be like that.

[@shagrat47]

You basically answered the question for the lift/bay with the modular design... You want to assemble the pods in a pressurized bay, not in top of the habitat ring with a power hungry forcefield for protection, I guess.

[@cycaboose]

His point is why it needed a lift, not why it was in a bay with a door. They could have just opened the door and had it fly out rather than be raised.

[@mysterymayhem7020]

this was definitely a good one. I always love the Danube class.

[@syndicalist-0]

I think I needed this today. Thank you

[@MrBadwolf72]

It reminds me a bit of the Eagle from Space: 1999.

[@sandrasandymanning4354]

@vonk1701: especially that part about the shuttle lift on DS9..the Eagle from Space: 1999 had that as well.

[@MrBadwolf72]

@@sandrasandymanning4354 Good catch!

[@Bartonovich52]

Interesting that the Sydney Class came about the same way the Corellian Corvette did. It was originally supposed to be the Millennium Falcon but looked too similar to a ship from a different series.. so it was rescaled and repurposed. Lots of design features remained, like what appeared to be oversized docking ports, dual turrets, a front facing cockpit, and lots of engines implying a fast ship.

[@garylim2]

Yup. I saw that early M Falcon prototype too. An Eagle Transporter lookalike!

[@biggles1852]

Considering how often the people on DS9 are evacuated by runabout, my guess is that the “cargo module” is one giant open space with toilets!

[@mstbeta]

TOILETS?!?! How naive!!! You can obviously tell that they don't poop in the future if you look at all the shuttlecraft and the blueprints of the old Enterprise, The only reason there's a head on deck one of the the D is so that Worf can powder his nose between receiving communications and getting beat up by the enemy of the week!

[@Johninadelaide2022]

And a pee corner

[@brianhillis3701]

@@Johninadelaide2022 that is why Worf was always angry. They told him to pee in the corner and the bridge is round. He was always holding it.

[@lillyanneserrelio2187]

I thought they inserted micro teleport catheters inside their um parts so their urine would get teleported directly out of the ship

[@Peaceforall20111]

Awesome job, love the detail and attention to completeness

[@jonathanrivlin6248]

Hilarious and informative. I wonder if Quark would trade in my 21 year old dodge minivan for one of these.

[@alancohen5688]

I like these little ships from Star Trek Deep Throat 9

[@pauljackson3491]

Luckily Earth has a lot of rivers.

[@thethan302]

The runabout is the perfect ship for space stations or colonies. They allow characters to hop on over to the other side of the planet, or travel to the next system over without any difficulty. Heck they're even armed so they can be used to scare off raiders especially if you have multiple of them. I can imagine it's typically standard procedure to leave a handful of these ships on stations or colonies for general use so Deep space nine getting a few wouldn't be seen as anything special by most of command. i imagine a colony that manages to survive to get fully up and running would be able to build their own. Seeing as the federation has a pretty poor track record when it comes to colonies.

[@dragonstryk7280]

The recessed docking bays for the Runabouts on DS9 is a tactical concern. As long as they're inside the station, they're protected by the hull of the station around it. The runabouts are not, strictly speaking, military ships, though they do have defensive weapons in emergencies. That would be the job of the SS Pimp Hand. We actually use a similar model for Amphibious carrier, the LHD class I served on, where we would keep aircraft on the hangar deck, then raise them up to the main deck via lifts, where they could then be deployed. SO they are, in fact, based around an RL design used by the military.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

ditto for every aircraft carrier, destroyer, frigate, LCS, cruiser, and medium endurance and high endurance cutter: they don’t store them on deck, they store them in the hanger and bring them out to deploy, via catapult or via takeoff

[@clancykohl]

The question seemed rather to be why they need a lift, because they can just go in any direction anyway. They even have elaborate autopilots that could do so with absolute precision. So why bother building such a lift? Just make a pit with doors and let them fly out of there by themselves, not unlike shuttle bays on any other starship that also don't feature any elaborate mechanism to deploy ships.

[@dragonstryk7280]

@@clancykohl Even with Harriers, which have VTOL, we still never let take off from the lifts, because of the lack of visibility arc if nothing else. When the shuttles let out of the Enterprise, for instance, the pilots can physically see where they're flying, so if something isn't popping up on their sensors, which take an extra second to read, they can immediately react to what's going on. coming up with the lift, they can see in all directions before committing to movement. Also, remember that the lifts came pre-installed by the Cardassians who built DS9. They weren't a federation build in all technical point.

[@gamingvibrations5320]

Best head movements I ever saw!

[@casbot71]

They could have just stated that the top of the ship (covering the warp core) had ablative armour. And then have one scene where _armoured_ blow out panels with explosive bolts are shown detaching, and the warp core is *successfully* ejected 👏👏🖖

[@zafranorbian757]

Ablative armour was first introduced in the mid seasons of DS9. So maybe as a refit for runabouts.

[@LoneBrowncoat]

ACK! I hate that Berman era term. In TMP its known as the Intermix Chamber, one dumb Starfleet move {if you own Geoffery Mandel's original cut-away, not Doug Drexler's, of the warp nacelle} was to relocate the anti-matter storage from right behind the bussard area to the belly[engineering, below the botanical section] of the Constitution refits, where sufficient pounding would deprive the m-am reactors of fuel, if not leading to be blown up at least. That were still inside the linear warp nacelles.

[@BrokenCurtain]

I'm pretty sure the runabouts had adjustable seats that were equipped with motors and/or pneumatics. After all, they had to be compatible with many different species with varying body shapes and sizes. At that point, adding a massage function is just a matter of programming.

[@danteunknown2108]

Awesome intro lol. I personally love the Runabouts more than any other class in the franchise with only the Defiant being a super duper close second. If I were in the Trek universe I'd love to skipper one of these and just be a federation space trucker. I think the warp core exposed thing was just saying it's basically it's own shield generator by directly dumping power out. Might explain the warp 5 as it was dumping energy into a localized super shield?

[@HereBeDragonsYT]

13.4 cm is not just over a foot long. A foot is about 30.5 cm. Sorry to "um, actually" you, but as an engineer, I just couldn't leave it alone lol. Still, fun and informative video.

[@SirDimtris]

I came here to say this.

[@noscwoh1]

He meant to say 13.4 inches. The scale in the scene is not metric.

[@garylim2]

Thanks British Ben. Great exposition. And as always, love your humour!

[@seapappy9183]

If I were living in the Star Trek universe, I think a Runabout is the ship I’d want as my own personal ship… small enough to land wherever I need to land, fast enough to get around where ever I’d need to go, living quarters, transporter, replicators, armed… yeah, I’d be okay!

[@Razorgeist]

Ahh yes my favorite small Star Trek ship and favorite small ship in sci Fi in general. Fun fact the Runabout later inspired the design of the La Sirena in Picard...seriously look at it it's an upscaled Runabout.

[@darrellmillner930]

Top notch review, Thank You. Great material

[@davidponseigo8811]

Great video. I love this ship for some reason.

[@Logarithm906]

13.4 cm is about 5.3 inches, not 12 inches (a foot). Either the number's are wrong or them micro-torpedos were about the same length as a Sharpie (or a regular sized pen).

[@GenerationFilms]

Yeah your right, we dont really understand the metric system very well

[@cactusoft]

@@GenerationFilms "British Ben" should understand metric. Taught in UK schools from 70s when I was a kid. Check if he knows the offside rule, if not he's definitely an American imposter just putting on an accent.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

@@GenerationFilms Divide centimetres by 2.54, and you have inches, basically. Just remember it's a foot for every twelve.

[@McRocket]

Great job and very interesting for me. Thank you. ☮

[@narraetsor]

The Sat Eins logo on some of the footage is honestly pretty nostalgic.

[@peterjones3113]

I always thought the runabout looked a bit stupid but your breakdown helps it make more sense (size/heritage/modularity/compromises). Still haven't sat down and watched DS9 properly so the video and lack of spoilers will make it more enjoyable. Thankyou :)

[@RurouniKalainGaming]

Awesome stuff indeed, learned some new things, thanks! Subscribed.

[@daniellafferety4025]

Warp drive shuttels with comand/ escape pod brige with amenity like bathrooms, kitchen, and sleeping 8 crew members which means a lounge, and multiplework stations. and limited backup wepons that can eject from damaged warp core. Multiple plot armore wepons,tools pods. This was the replacement of the enterprise for D.S.9. First season. I wish we had seen all the features used. Especially the liveing/ sleeping quarts. Or a replicater seen with steak and potatoes. This would be interesting.

[@simonwillis1529]

Runabouts were pretty cool you could live in one yourself short term if you fitted it out right

[@78.BANDIT]

I always saw the runabouts kinda like the old PT Boats of WW2. Tough little ships. If I were in the Star Trek Universe I get one for myself.

[@the_once-and-future_king.]

Re the lifts. Good luck landing in a sunken bay if the manoeuvring thrusters are not working. Easier to use a tractor beam to bring a runabout to a flat surface than have to change beam vector to insert the ship into a small bay.

[@Digikidthevoiceofreason]

Love those little ships

[@JennyEverywhere]

Someone in second Life built a Danube Runabout as a modular kit with a bunch of upgrade modules. I have the kit, and it's a remarkably complete system. It even has a transporter that works very well (with the inclusion of transporter parts from another resident's product). I have a Runabout over my rented private island in Second Life. YES, Second Life is still in operation! It's still got a lot of users. I've been in Second Life for over 14 years now.

[@fixman88]

Me too, 14+ years and counting! Could you *please* tell me where you got the Runabout from? Marketplace or in-world (or both)? Fixy Fluffpaw is my account name.

[@calhoun24]

As time passes, I have become much more fond of the runabout. It is most definitely flexible with its functions, as well as its higher warp capabilities compared to small craft, including shuttles. And as we see on TNG, it can function as a captain’s personal yacht (aside from the actual yacht). And it’s a shame that the rear compartment didn’t survive past that one TNG episode. I could see several scenes on that set that could’ve happened, had it not been marked to be struck. It is a fantastically utilitarian design. Everything you need in a compact version of a starship, especially with respect to warp speed, so it can proceed quicker to a destination compared to a snail’s pace of a shuttle.

[@craigw.scribner6490]

Great video! Thanks!

[@Rohirin]

I would feel safer in a runabout than in an oberth or miranda class.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

True that.

[@valor1omega]

I would feel safer in the Oberth and Miranda then the garbage hualers known as the defiant created by sisko.

[@Rohirin]

@@valor1omega Good news! I just got done talking with the Admiralty! You're assigned to the very last Oberth in the fleet. Go get them Borg! XD

[@Warutteri]

@@valor1omega That doesn't make much since given that the Defiant class was actually one of the more successful starship (or more accurately warship) classes, specifically made for battle, sure it had some issues (mainly the insanely overpowered engines for a ship of its size, something that would have normally been installed in a ship about twice its size but given the demanding battle roles it was designed for having more power for nimble movement was kind of an prerequisite) but basically all of them eventually fixed or at the very least mitigated 🤔

[@merafirewing6591]

​@@valor1omega and that Oberth in question is a heap of junk with parts being used to keep it running.

[@benjaminrobledo5466]

"Agahahhajajhhhhhhh" - Mirror Admiral Quinn, STO.

[@marshallhetchler4830]

I love the size comparison, pretty awesome

[@MetaSynForYourSoul]

0:31 Nog: FIRE PHASERS!!! Jake: *"NIGGA WUT?!" look

[@fmlazar]

The interior compartments shown in that TNG movie turns the Runabout into a TARDIS.

[@Voltaic_Fire]

I have to say that the runabout is perhaps my favourite ship because it fulfils a similar role to the raptor from BSG but does it better due to the universe it's in. The runabout is like a detached bungalow that's rigged for combat but it only narrowly beats the LAAT for the place in my nerdy little heart, the LAAT being like an heavy attack winnebago.

[@NostalgiaBrit]

*_STAR TREK_** IS LIFE!* Sorry, got a bit carried away there, but you get my point! 🥳

[@bootlegga69]

Great video. As cool as the Runabouts were, I was glad when they got the Defiant, which is my favourite Star Trek ship.

[@groom_of_the_stools]

The runabout is essentially a corvette (not the car). It serves as a little ship that does nothing but annoy bigger ships so that it gives bigger ships the ability to attack.

[@Adam_Boots]

Feature 11 The nacelles transform into the same model as the type 6 shuttles on crash landing.

[@GenerationFilms]

Haha yeah i noticed that

[@nathanieldaiken1064]

Feature 12: Each nacelle is actually a set of paired warp generators, hence the oblong cross section.

[@James-bw4np]

I actually had the Runabout toy. When I was in High School, I actually used it in my economics class as a product I was selling. Probably a great thing for the civilian side to have but was sub par for Starfleet use. Like the USA military using a Ford Ranger (the runabout) instead of an up armor Humvee (Defiant)

[@tba113]

Well, they are _runabouts,_ after all. IRL, that class of vessel covers small powered boats holding less than a dozen people, like center-console fishing boats and such. They're not really meant for much more than being a step up from a basic transport with some expanded capabilities. In Starfleet service, they're designed to supplement true starships, not replace them.

[@James-bw4np]

@@tba113 so even in the future, the military still buys from the lowest bidder...

[@sigmasquadleader]

Civilian Hummer

[@tba113]

@@James-bw4np Since Starfleet doesn't use money, I guess they don't have much other choice.

[@James-bw4np]

@@sigmasquadleader the current civilian hummers (H3) are supposedly just GMC/ Chevy Suburban frames with a "hummer" body on top. They definitely don't share the same shock absorber system anymore!

[@SPatrickRoss]

I think the reason for the Lifts on DS9 was a subtle nod to the Runabout's inspiration... The Eagle from Space 1999.

[@directeducation2890]

The modularity reminds of Space:1999's Eagle.

[@mixonken4236]

Always a professional job

[@kevingluys3063]

The core is on top so that it doesn't explode when you crash. It's a safety feature for a definitely very safe craft.

[@Bartonovich52]

The person who signed off on the Danube Class warp core placement was seconded from Starship Bridge Design. Seriously. Ancient naval vessels only used a ‘bridge’ for navigation in port and close to land. In battle they had an armoured conning tower set well under the superstructure or several stations well below the waterline.

[@Groza_Dallocort]

I suppose you are talking in the 24th century way of ancient now because ships during the roman empire did not have conning towers heck I would say armored conning towers wasent a thing until WWI WWII era

[@sseltrek1a2b]

still one of my favorite ship designs...

[@mikeward1701]

The warp core, or to give it its proper name, the matter/antimatter reduction assembly; is located on the dorsal side of the vessel to avoid damage in the event of a hard or crash landing.

[@lexyleighmalinowski4136]

I'm currently sitting in my vehicle chilling outside in nature watching the video with a massage pad and heat together on my back they can replicate the ability for a massage pad and heater

[@jasonsnider7605]

The part launched from the Millennium Falcon in "Solo" was an "after-market" escape pod added by Lando, not in integral part of the ship. So the parallels between in and the Defiant's "emergency warhead" (as I call it) only go so far.

[@LuisVazquez-hx3bk]

Remember, in a STG episode, the Federation regulated the warp seed from warp 9 to warp 5. Only in emeegensis they could go faster because some subspace contamination of space, like today we are trying to reduce carbon emition on the atmosfear.

[@SportyMabamba]

Yeah but that was later soft retconned by being allowed to lapse. In-universe, they fixed the issue that was causing the Sub-space damage above W5.

[@jacksonheathen2092]

These Danube class runabouts were sure better than the flying shoe box shuttles in TNG.

[@mikefalderoff8236]

You forgot that the Sydney class was a flipped upside down shuttle from ST 6 & 7

[@felixalbrecht7784]

So basically the Runabout was Thunderbird 2?

[@LoneBrowncoat]

Uh-huh!

[@Tobiasfowler]

It’s a good thing that Earth has a lot of rivers.

[@BeyondtheRailz]

Cool. Its British Ben. He's back.

[@nullsmack]

The lifts coming up would probably make it easier to land.. they don't have to avoid the walls.. just set down on the middle of the pad and let it gently lower you in.

[@rogercomix5648]

Being that DS9 is actually in space and gravity is very limited there, you don’t need a lift or engines to launch. Just a couple cans of hairspray. Course using propellant thrusters can be haphazard if your not trained so your bumping the paint off like Trip did to the worker bee. So maybe lift is so you don’t bang it around?

[@michaelmutranowski123]

you missed the chance to use the clip from First Contact where Worf says "Little?!?"

[@krisgonynor689]

So the biggest unanswered question for Alan is: did the Runabout have a bathroom? I assume if they have a bunk room they must have a restroom along with a shower. Also some type of mini medical bay, even if just one of the bunks that could be converted into a medpod and hold someone injured in stasis until they reach base. Personally, I would have designed it with the warp power system on the bottom of the ship, sort of like how electric cars and trucks have a base filled with batteries. Easier to cover with hull armour, which could double as re-entry shielding. If possible, two mini warp cores, one per drive unit, for more redundancy as well as extra power. I also assume they didn't use thrusters to lift off of DS9 as the heat may melt the older non Starfleet built station as well as add an unwanted downward movement to the stationary station. One launch wouldn't move it much, but multiple launches over years of service would have - and I doubt DS9 had inertial dampeners or similar equipment to deal with that issue.

[@mikecrownshaw1646]

The episode where they moved the station answers the questions

[@nathanieldaiken1064]

They first moved Terok Nar (DS9) in the first/second episode of season one. They had to move it again during the Dominion War. The structural integrity fields had to be enhanced as the staton was not built as a spaceship.

[@mb2000]

@@nathanieldaiken1064 I’m sure it was only moved in the pilot, not during the Dominion War.

[@EmmittBrownBTTF1]

Thruster exhaust is hot, likely enough to damage internal station structures, EPS conduits, data and control comms. so a low heat lifting device has - advantages.

[@lexyleighmalinowski4136]

Even with the negative feature of the warp core if given the chance I could have access to the runabout with a communicator right now I'd happily go first then

[@marcneef795]

I think you can apply the same reasoning for having the warp reactor on the top of the ship as having the bridge on top of the ship. Either both work for you or none.

[@PopCultureCat]

Apologies if this has been discussed already but in my experience as an engineer it is a perfectly reasonable safety requirement that no vessels may move under their own power in a hangar. This might help explain why they do not take off from inside the docking bay with thrusters. Or it’s just a cool animation and I am overthinking things again 😂

[@daverage4729]

One feature....it crashes - a lot!!! Ah the Danube Class Runabout...Star Treks answer to Space 1999's Eagle Transporter (although not as cool as the Eagle)

[@sminkycorp]

The big lad from the posse of shuttles

[@EtsuMatsuya]

Yeah, number 10 is why ones does not bring the space winnebago into combat unless they have to. Also why the Defiant came into being because fighting the dominion war from a Runabout would be nonsense. Still a fun list, well done.

[@tardiscommand1812]

They’d make a really cool back yard man cave

[@radioflyer68911]

Yeah, the rear section is only featured in that one TNG episode, but think of all the occasions when that set would have come in handy on DSN. Missed opportunities.