Wambundu Class

Specs & Schematics

Light cruiser Length: 195m Beam: 85m Height: 29m Decks: 6 Max. cruising: Warp 8 Max. speed: Warp 9 for 7min.

Orthographic views

Dedication plaque

Design History

The Wambundu Class is Starfleet's middle-aged light cruiser. It was designed with speed in mind, and packs a punch, though no longer considered a frontline vessel. While torpedo performance is excellent, linear phasers were still being tested by the time of this class' introduction in 2332, and they were not deemed a necessary addition, as the ship was obviously intended to avoid heavy combat, unless a wartime situation arose. At one time quite commonplace within the Federation, most of the 412 ships built of this class had been decommissioned by the late 2360's.

The recent troubles Starfleet has faced on many fronts has seen the need for newer builds and older ships being re-commissioned, so the remaining 138 Wambundu Class starships were given a stay of execution, and in fact bolstered by the re-activation of several older units. Aside from the Cardassian Wars a few decades ago, these ships had never seen heavy combat. Contrary to popular belief, they held up very well, given the situation of the Dominion War, with a loss of only 14 vessels of this class - among the lowest wartime loss rates in the fleet for mid-sized starships. Most Wambundu Class ships served on border patrol, though a number were converted into medical transports and hospital ships. There is one shuttlebay in the rear, akin to those found on Miranda Class starships; it is supplemented by a smaller shuttle / cargo bay on deck 7, in the aftmost section of the hull's undercut.

The class also features an innovation not employed on any other starship class - the experimental (at the time) "impulse sideslip jet" system. In order to provide the long & lean starship with maneuverability to match its then-incredible speed, four of these units were incorporated into the design to give incredible dodging capability - two on top, the other on the ventral surface of the ship. While not as powerful as the standard impulse drive which propels from the rear of the ship, they can be tuned to provide additional or emergency thrust in variable vectors. During the limited skirmishes in which these ships engaged, enemies rarely had a chance to lock a target; but if one was acquired, chances were the Wambundu could "sidestep" the incoming hostile fire. More recent improvements in thruster technology have approached this maneuverability, but not the sheer force and brute speed of it - which, incidentally, if overdone can irreparably damage the starship's superstructure... The Dominion has had more luck in damaging Wambundus, but many starship captains swear by their class' motto, "Catch me if you can..."

Gallery

Oblique views

Another sketch

Colored drawing

Credits

Design by Jason

Last modified: 28.03.13