Kaplan F17 Class
The Kaplan-class freighter, officially the Kaplan F17, is a Federation civilian-designed freighter built for speed and adaptability. Originally designed by Young-Cherniawsky Ship Building for Starfleet, the design was reforged into a civilian model after the Romulan supernova and has become one of the more successful civilian starships in Federation history.
Engineering
The Kaplan was originally designed to serve as a multi-purpose small craft for Starfleet, retaining much of the adaptability and engineering prowess that Starfleet covets. As a freighter, the Kaplan incorporates some of the most modern technology into her spaceframe. However, the ship's most versatile asset is her internal holoprojection array which allows the deployment of the Emergency Hologram basic installation. This package allows a Kaplan to be piloted and controlled by only one person.
For a freighter of her size, the Kaplan has impressive speed and, more importantly, distance available for her with state-of-the-art civilian-designed warp engines. Additionally, the Kaplan is highly maneuverable at impulse speeds if the situation ever requires it. As a freighter, the Kaplan also has deployable landing gear built into her space frame, allowing for planetary landing.
One of the Kaplan's biggest engineering feats, however, is her adaptability which stems from the original pitch of the starship class to Starfleet. Depending on the owner, the ship is highly customizable, which means very few Kaplan-class freighters are the same. Some of the customizations have included enhanced warp or impulse engines, additional cargo capacity space, added weaponry, additional holo technologies, and greatly enhanced shielding technologies. Customizations are primarily limited to the amount of power that the ship's engine plant can safely supply.
Tactical
The Kaplan is first and foremost a freighter and is not heavily armed. However, for a freighter not operated under the auspices of Starfleet Command, the Kaplan is more heavily armed than most civilian ships. The Kaplan deploys by default one Type-V phaser bank in the fore and one aft. This allows for nearly full coverage in all arcs. And while the ship's phasers are primarily meant as a tool, they are more than capable of defending the vessel against pirates or would-be raiders.
Additionally, the Kaplan can be outfitted with additional phaser banks should the ship's owner require it. However, of all the customizations, the weapons systems can be the most draining on the ship's power system and should be customized carefully and only by professionals. This also includes any addition of torpedo launchers, which the Kaplan can accommodate easily along with a payload of 10 photon torpedoes, if necessary. However, this is not a standard configuration and is only found on a handful of Kaplans due to the power requirements.
Defensively, the Kaplan employs the same Regenerative Shielding System that can be found on all Starfleet vessels post-2370.
Shipboard Life
The Kaplan is unique compared to traditional Starfleet designs in that it is a largely open-concept interior. The ship boasts a large main area on the upper deck that includes the bridge area at the front, a transporter pad at the rear, along with the ship's engine room at the very center rear of the upper deck. Both sides of the main room are flanked by crew quarters and amenities such as a holomatrix room. Additionally, there is a cargo area on the upper deck, and the main open area can also be used to store excess cargo.
On the lower level, there is a dining area and a small customizable area that, by default, serves as a sickbay. Flanking the sides of the lower level are large cargo rooms. Each is capable of storing separate items and with easy man-access.
Life on a Kaplan is cramped but with a standard crew quarters capacity of only six, not uncomfortably so. In emergencies, the ship can handle a crew capacity of up to twenty but is limited from any more crew due to the taxation on the life support systems. For the standard compliment, life on a Kaplan is highly dependent on the customizations that the ship's owner has employed. However, the holographic programs loaded into the ship's computer by default make life on board much more tolerable on long-distance journies.
Class History
The Kaplan-class was originally designed and pitched to Starfleet by Young-Cherniawsky Ship Building to replace the aging Antares class fleet deployed by the Starfleet Auxiliary. By the time Starfleet was able to entertain the proposal, news of the Romulan star's impending doom had spread and Starfleet's attention immediately shifted. After the star went supernova, Starfleet's priorities shifted even further. This shift forced Young-Cherniawsky to build the ship themselves and sell it off to private individuals throughout the Federation.
The ship proved to be a success selling hundreds of models in a matter of years. The most infamous of which was the La Sirena owned by former Starfleet officer, Captain Cristóbal Rios. The La Sirena participated in uncovering the Zhat Vash plot to undermine the Federation and their responsibility for the Attack on Mars.
Currently, the Kaplan-class is no longer in production. However, thousands were produced over its production span and are constantly bought, sold, and traded on the open market to civilians both in the Federation and outside. They can often be found throughout the known galaxy.