Researched, Compiled and Edited by Mark_XON
 

Starfleet TMP Standard Shuttle / Vulcan Shuttle
This write-up is based on canon and non canon sources, with speculation.
Favor for Probert's original design intentions of these two types of shuttles.

This was written up a long time ago and needs to be revisited for an update...

Theres only Two versions of this shuttle. The Starfleet Standard Shuttle and the Starfleet Long-range Shuttle. The Starfleet standard shuttle is about half the size of the Long-range shuttle pod, and was intended to replace existing starfleet shuttles, "they where designed with gray tonalities that the Galileo  type shuttles had and they would be the new standard shuttle. They would be more squat and smaller because they had to fit within the decks of the starships." The design of the shuttles where a co-development with the Vulcan engineers and is used by both Starfleet and the Vulcan Government.  

Starfleets purposes for the shuttle seems to be for covert or marine type tactics and support, primarily. These shuttles where part of the new modular support equipment of the late 2260's. Which included new Work-Bees and Travel pods with attachable augments. The Miranda Class Starship was also involved in this modular era with interchangeable parts (that came later).

Long Range Version
Source: ?

(for Starfleet Standard and Starfleet Long-Range Pods)

The shuttle is operated by a pilot and co-pilot that use only Instrument Guidance during all situations, no external video. There are only small port windows along the side of the shuttle and one on the back. The smaller standard shuttle has six passenger seats and a narrow foyer for an additional two person standing room. For fast planetfall the front of the shuttle has a Reinforced Atmospheric thermoglazed nomenclature re-entry shield. Propulsion is provided by an almost silent Magnetic Field Drive(p/s). This allows free movement in space and hover capabilities over rough terrain and atmosphere. Its the first armed shuttle with a bank of phaser 'bubbles' under the front "nose" and two separate emitters on the top. The shuttle is also protected by energized shields and navigational deflectors which also may be used for a faster planetfall.

For proper docking the shuttle is equipped with the new standard docking ring for coupling with most federation designed ships and land-based docking ports. The docking ring is the same size on both shuttles. There are eight maneuvering thruster points to allow the craft to rotate in any direction gracefully, airlock docking floods,navigation strobes and visual beacons on the exterior of the ship. On the starboard side of the shuttle there is a standard hatch equipped with a small-airlock with an extendable ramp, the port side has a planetfall hatch if its required for the passengers to exit from this side also. A emergency hatch is located on the top of the shuttle.

SPEC.(Starfleet Standard Shuttle (smaller))

Use: Personnel Shuttle
Constructed: September 2266
Contractor: Chiokis Starship Construction Corporation

LOA: 42ft
OAB: 11ft
HOA: 29ft
Crew: 1 to 2
Capacity: 6 passengers / 2 additional standing

The Starfleet standard shuttle has its own share of modules and add-ons; It can dock to habitable volume extenders, habitable Medical Unit, impulse engine module, weapons pack,, Small Warp Unit, more. The Modular Components are Starfleet design and are used on the smaller Federation Shuttle. (These where only seen as Probert's sketches, the image I had to view them was small and low quality so I wasn't able to make out all the components.)

• Emergency Escape Warp Shuttle Configuration
  In this configuration the shuttle is attached to an extension module with a docking ring and smaller warp engines that sit just to the sides and below the level of the bottom of the shuttle, allowing it to be stowed in a extra large docking bay, or carried externally. The extension module and warp engines are smaller than the medical unit below and warp sled above. Speed: WF2
   
• Medical Unit
  In this configuration the shuttle is attached to an extension module along the bad side. Covering/Replacing the Docking Ring.
   
• Impulse Engine Unit
  In this configuration the shuttle is attached to an extension module along the sides and back. Provides much faster movement than the standalone magnetic field drive. Allows the shuttle to 'fly' rather than float in an atmosphere and for faster planet escape.
   
• Weapons Pack
  In this configuration the shuttle is attached to an extension module along the front sides. Provides two pulse phasers for assault use.
   
• Misc. Attachments
  There are various other smaller attachments available. Fandom has also expanded the types of attachments used.
   

Source: A TMP poster from a magazine.
Notice no warp engine glow while ship is in low power mode moving at impulse.

Vulcan

The only module the Long-range Shuttle uses is the Vulcan Long-Range Warp Sled.
This larger sled is incompatible with the smaller standard shuttle.

SPEC.(Long-range Pod)

Use: Personnel Shuttle
Constructed: September 2266
Contractor: Chiokis Starship Construction Corporation

LOA: 60ft
OAB: 14.4ft
HOA: 36.4ft
Crew: 1 to 2
Capacity: ? passengers / ? additional standing

Long-Range Shuttle Configuration

Length: 55m

In this configuration the shuttle is attached to a Vulcan designed Warp Sled("Light Speed Unit/Stardrive Unit") that is speed capable of Warp 3.5 with an emergency speed of WF4. Impulse engines are also provided on the aft of the warp nacelles with four maneuvering thruster points. The engines' cross-section is based on the shape of the ceremonial gong that was seen on Vulcan in the original series episode: "Amok Time". The Vulcan Warp Shuttle is "to relieve starships of such duties as personnel transfers, diplomatic courier missions and special equipment transports" Speed, max: WF3.5 , emerg: WF4

For docking purposes the "Personnel Pod" separates from the "Light Speed / Stardrive Unit" in order to better maneuver into a docking approach.

FASA's SW-7 Warpshuttle
Source: STIII Sourcebook

• Galileo #7 Standard Shuttle - Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise - TMP Era(2272)
  One Seen in the Enterprise's Cargo/Shuttle bay.
   
• Vulcan Warp Sled; 'Surak' (V8 5047 01102238345-8) - TMP(2272)
  On screen the shuttle was a rustic color, brownish in color. The actual paint of this shuttle is magenta/purple in color. To represent what a gray ship would look like in the red Vulcan atmosphere. This color scheme was reused for the Vulcan ships in the ST:TNG episode(s) 'Reunification'
   
• Unknown; Standard Shuttle onboard the U.S.S. Constellation, Star Trek Magazine - Constellation Class - (June 15, 2284)
  Its unknown, Two are onboard in the cargo hold, Standard Configuration.
  
   

Notice the regular shuttle doors seem to be on both sides, most likely its just a mirror image, rather than regular doors on both sides.

This shuttle was first seen in ST:TMP as a "Vulcan Long-Range Shuttle" and later the book Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise introduced the starfleet "Shuttle (Standard)" with drawings of the shuttle with federation markings and less than half a page of brief information on the details of the Shuttle. To back up the confusion, there was a photo shown what was thought to be an actual frame from the movie version, it showed a few of these "new" starfleet versions of these shuttles in the Enterprises Shuttle Bay. The low quality of that black and white photo hid what the image actual was, it was a matte(colored drawing from the same designer of the Vulcan Shuttle) for a proposal of what the Enterprise cargo bay possibly could look like, during the production of the movie. The actual movie shows the same image but the Shuttle bay and Landing areas where empty with no presence of work-bees or the mysterious starfleet standard shuttlecraft. So there's no Canon Starfleet Standard Shuttle....?!

At that time, no. Canon used other new shuttles as there mode of transport, primarily the Spacedock shuttles. However in recent paramount magazines the shuttle is shown drawn in shuttlebays of canon ships....

As years past and new speculation and publications surfaced...Fandom says there are two types of the "Pod Compartment" - The 'Standard' shuttle used by starfleet and the 'Vulcan Shuttle.' The starfleet version is smaller in design and this is noticeable if you look at the top view of the shuttle and see that the engines are smaller than what's on the Vulcan shuttle. Also the modules for the shuttle are supposedly only for the starfleet version, and are starfleet design. The only module the Vulcan Shuttle uses is the Long-Range Warp Sled. This larger sled is incompatible with the smaller Starfleet shuttle.

 
Source: Andrew Probert's Website from his Matte Drawing Images. (Reduced in Size)

Matte drawning Starfleet Shuttle overall scale; If you wanted to try to be more canon-like you probably can try to take some measurements off the matte drawing that wasn't used in the film. All the other drawings I seen of the Starfleet version of the shuttle don't agree, details and scale are off. Mr. Scott's Guide To The Enterprise probably has the most accurate shape of this shuttle, but some details are wrong or missing if you compared it to the actual model of the Vulcan Shuttle. Jackill's Drawings have more detail but the overall shape seems to be off. 

In an interview more recently Probert provided a caparison drawing of the two shuttle sizes.

The color of the Vulcan ship; In the TMP movie it was shown as a sand/brown and dark golden sometimes. That was due to the colored lightning that they used throughout the movie, which actually masked the Enterprise's actual colors aswell. The Vulcan shuttle is actually a magna/purplish color. The reasoning behind those choice of colors was partly based on "what a gray ship would look like in the red Vulcan atmosphere" coming from the designer who did the first paint job and the actual painters that added alittle of what they thought a Vulcan ship should look like, based on Probert's thoughts. Note: In the ENT series the Vulcan ships retained the brownish look.

• TMP Movie.
• Andrew Probert's Website - Vulcan Shuttle Designer and Matte Drawing
• Star Trek: The Magazine - Constellation drawing with "Starfleet Pods"
• Mr. Scott's Guide To The Enterprise - "Starfleet Pod" drawing and B/W matte photo.
• 14 Official Blueprints Star Trek: The Motion Picture by David Kimble Pocket Books (Wallaby) 1979
• Ships of the Star Fleet: AKYAZI-Class Perimeter Action Ships V2/N1 by Calon Riel (Todd Guenther) Mastercom Data Center 1993 ISBN 0-9656016-1-7

WEB Sources:

• Long-Range Shuttle Notes
• Andrew Probert's Official Canon LR_Shuttle Design
• Surak (shuttlecraft) - Memory Alpha
• AXMAN-3D
• SFC2 Vulcan Shuttle Computer Model
• Trekplace - Probert Interview