There are several ways to tackle this little SWADO. The first appearance of the 'Sydney Class' was in 'Relics' TNG - here we see the ship crashed into the Dyson Sphere. The Sydney has the typical Constitution Class (Refit) design features, with its nacelles in the vertical postition like a Constitution class with a constitution like bridge. This typical configuration was disrupted when the Encyclopaedia claimed the Sydney was a predecessor to the mid 23rd Century Danube class Runabout. That is where the similarities end. The Sydney Class has a bridge and Nacelles roughly the same dimension as the Constitution Refit. There are also windows which suggest several decks within the main body of the ship. Whereas the Danube clas has one deck and is a little over 25m long. The Sydney Class could measure at least 200m in length. Another problem arises when we see the 'Sydney Class' arriving at Deep Space Nine 'upside down' to how we have seen it - see "Trials and Tribblations" DS9.
This upturning seems to be the source of the 'runabout predecessor' idea. although incomparison with the station's docking ring the Sydney still seems to be similar in size as it was in 'Relics' just upside down. This could mean in the last 70 years it has had an internal reconfiguration or that docking at DS9 required this ship to turn itself upside down. Or this 23rd 'Sydney' maybe a new ship altogether.
The Sydney also seems to be a Transport. We have also seen a Danube in the role of a Transport, transporting several people see "Prodigal Daughter" DS9 - but this class has only limited space and at least 4 sleeping berths. Not a comfortable ship to be travelling in for lengthy periods of time, with many passengers.
------------------ "I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die, while you discuss this invasion in a committee" Queen Amidala - Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
It's a ship. The encyclopedia only makes that runabout comment because the ship was a transport and its general shape vaguely resembles a runabout. But whoever wrote that wasn't thinking. It's a full-size ship, plain-and-simple.
------------------ "Silence, you contemptible shrew!" -Stewie, The Family Guy
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
The Sydney class is a transport, 16 decks tall and 235.3 meters long, if you believe Jackill.
The first use of the model was as a shuttle in Star Trek IV. Much smaller then the Sydney, and it didn't look much like it either.
The most recent use has been as a transport on DS9. Now, docking shots are hardly the most reliable scaling tools, but it would seem that this ship is smaller than the Sydney. (Again, assuming Jackill is correct. I couldn't say.)
So, we have the same model used for three ships, but in each case the ship looks quite different. (Though I'm not sure about the "Nash." Anyone have a screencap handy?)
------------------ "According to myth, the earth was created in six days. Now watch out! Here comes Genesis. We'll do it for you in six minutes." -- Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
Jenoliean: Not the slightest doubt this one is over 200m long. Whoever made that entry in the Encyclopedia didn't have a look at the actual studio model, but was just told "It's the spacedock shuttle with additional warp nacelles." Therefore the misunderstanding.
Nash: This ship was supposed to be something else, otherwise it wouldn't have been shown upside down. But why make things more complicated than they are? It could be another Sydney class. Except for the infamous NCC-2010-B, the model has not been changed.
Posted by Trinculo on :
There is a MSD in the episode "Relics" for the USS Jenolan.
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
If the Sydney class was classified as a runabout, then there would be no way that it could save the Ent-D. The Jenolen was just long enough to wedge the doors so that the Ent=D could escape from the Dysan's Sphere. Now, can a runabout do that?
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Posted by steamrunner2000 on :
I'm going to agree with most of the group here and say the Sydney's are transports about 200m long, 16 decks +/- 1
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