I don’t see any reason why fighters and shuttles cannot be changed to be more useful. Some ideas on how to do this.
1. New vehicle size for fighters and shuttles.
2. New AI design creation for fighters and shuttles.
3. New propulsion scheme for fighters and shuttles and new propulsion components for fighters and shuttles.
4. At the moment, fighters and shuttles technology is divided into :shuttles, fighters, adv ship construction and propulsion. Why not just make it one field ? Say Shuttle/Fighters Technology?
Examples of 1-3 in working form. Also 4 images of Federation shuttles.
1065504136.zip