Kaldow

1 or 2, plus 12 passengers

Seeing a need for a larger personnel and cargo transport shuttle after the limitations of the internal space of the Type-6 shuttlecraft became apparent, Starfleet issued a directive calling for the design and construction of a larger ‘Medium Range Cargo and Personnel Shuttle’. The design that came out on top was from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and was designated the ‘Type-7’. The Type-7 was still the box-like shape and two nacelles common to all Starfleet shuttles, but in a deviation from what was expected, its edges were rounded and curved, giving it a fluid shape akin to a sea creature or a tear drop.

Built with the same isolinear computer systems as was standard on the later models of the Type-6, the Type-7 shuttle used a 100 millicochrane field around its computer core to help monitor and adjust its low-power warp field. This heavy computer control was needed to keep the shuttle at superluminal velocities topping out at Warp 2.5. Without the computer assistance, a rookie pilot could easily cause the shuttle to drop to sublight speeds. The interior of the shuttle was large, capable of seating a minimum of two pilots and over ten passengers in comfort, triple that for short duration flights in emergency situations. Nearly all the shuttle’s power was needed for propulsion, leaving little for deflector shields, and none for weapon systems. This lack of adequate defenses meant that starships operating away from Federation space rarely used the Type-7, they were usually assigned to starbases and star systems inside Federation territory.