FASA Nacelle Sizes

The "cut and paste" method of kitbashing used in the FASA Starfleet Ship Recognition Manual partially obscures the fact that the nacelles (and, in some cases, the primary saucers) used in the ships are of different sizes. A measurement of each picture based on the stated size of the ship represented will show this to be the case. Many nacelles come out to a unique size, but I've collected them into eight broad categories as shown in the table below.

The Warp Engine Type listed is FASA's lookup table for the characteristics of the engine. (FW stands for Federation Warp and the letter and number are the index of the particular engine.) The refit Constitution, for instance, uses the FWG-1, while the Reliant-class is fitted with either an FWF-1 or an FWG-2. Despite Shane Johnson's usage of the terminology in Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise, these are not engine model numbers. While different engines could likely have nearly identical outward appearance - as in the example above - the same FWF-1 in the Reliant could not be the 68m engine on the MoKal below, or the 118m engine of the Babcock. The same engine should not even provide the same performance characteristics on different hullforms. This performance index should be looked upon as just that - a grouping of hull/engine combinations that have the same characteristics, or at least similar enough when simplified for gaming purposes.

Here is the chart. I'm sorry it has no graphics, it will make no sense unless you have the Ship Recognition Manual.
Ship Nacelle Length Warp Engine Type Speed
Max Cruise/Emergency
Notes
5 m Shuttlecraft
from ST V:The Final Frontier
5 to 5 1/2 m From
"to approximate scale" list
in Star Trek Encyclopedia
20 m
+/-
10%
Greyhound Warpshuttle/Courier 18 FWA-1 warp 8/10
Pulsar Warpshuttle 21 FWA-1 warp 7/9
Karekh Exploration ship 21.6 FWA-1 warp 7/9
40 m
+/-
5%
Solar Cutter 38 FWA-1:FWA-2 warp 7/9
Epsilon Cutter 42 FWA-1:FWH-2 warp 6/8 : 5/6
The hexagonal nacelles on the Long-range shuttle in ST:TMP are 49.7 m long
68 m MoKal Transport 67.5 FWF-1:FWG-2 warp 6/8 : 8/9
Cle Dan Repair Tender 68 FWC-2 warp 7/9
82 m
+/-
5%
Makin Assault Ship 78.75 FWE-1 warp 7/9 Saucer: 93.75 dia
(specs list width of 95 m)
Genser Escort 78.75 FWH-1:FWA-2 warp 5/6 : 6/8 Saucer: 70 m dia
Only a part of the
overall beam of 120 m
Kethkin Transport 85 FWG-1 warp 8/10
98 m Lotus Flower Commercial carrier 97.6 m FWE-2:FWG-1 warp 7/9 Ship length of 237 m given
in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
103 m Lenthal Destroyer 103 FWD-1 warp 7/9 Saucer: 90 m dia
Only a part of the
170 m beam
Keith Scout 103 FWB-2 warp 7/8 Saucer 71 m dia
Only a part of the
overall beam of 80 m
118 m
+/-
10%
Liberty Freighter 110 FWE-1:2 warp 7/9 Saucer: 100
Only a part of the
beam of 160
Griffon Escort 112 m FWE-2 warp 7/9
Babcock Frigate 116 m FWF-1 warp 6/8 Saucer: 105
Only a part of the
150 m beam
Remora Escort 119 FWD-2:FWC-2 warp 6/8 : 7/9 Saucer: 121
Much less than the
170 m beam
Northampton Frigate 123 FWG-1 warp 8/10 Saucer: 113
A part of the
150 m beam
Continent Assault Ship 124.6 FWD-2 warp 5/7
Wilkerson Destroyer 129 FWF-2 warp 7/9 Saucer: 147 m
specs list as 150 m
156.3 m
+/-
5%

All other ship's nacelles fall within a margin of error of the Enterprise-refit's 156.3 m, with the Bader-class Scout holding the low end of the range at 148 m and the Thufir-class Destroyer pointing to the high mark of 163 m.


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