------------------ Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")
posted
The E is longer due to the nacelles, but if you're talking usable space and mass, the D has a wider saucer, more decks and a wider body, so the D wins.
posted
The Ent-D is definately larger if you count internal volume. I believe even the Nebula Class beats the Ent-E. The Ambassador class is about the same.
------------------ Presenting the NX-59650. It can slice! It can dice! It can seperate into THREE parts!! Now available with THREE FULL warpcores! But wait! Buy now, and get a free number upgrade to NX-74913!
posted
There is not much difference between the Nebula and the Galaxy, I have sometimes the impression the Galaxy is even a bit smaller.
Even the Ambassador is larger than the Sovereign, I have the AMT models, and after checking if they are really to scale, I found that the Ambassador has 20-30% more volume.
posted
I think that Dax is right. Sovereign is probably a replacment for the Excelsiors. The Sovereign also has about half the amount of decks as the Galaxy, so that makes a difference.
The ED is definately bigger than the EE.
------------------ Photon torpedoes, once a finite supply, haven't been a problem since all those Wal-Marts opened up in the Delta Quadrant. -Jim Wright
posted
I agree with Dax. We know that the Galaxy class will be replaced by a design which was given the premature name "Nova" in the TNGTM. There is no reason why Starfleet should begin with a starship development much earlier. Furthermore, the Sovereign development must have begun when the Galaxy was not yet commissioned.
posted
Sounds good gents. Makes sense. *Drools at prospect of a new, massive Galaxy replacement*
Thought: we won't see it in the present timeline. If the EE replaced the Excelsior, which was commisioned yonks ago (c.80 years) then the 15-year-old Galaxy replacement shouldn't make it's appearance ever unless the new show was to be set in the future.
------------------ "So, no room for Bender, huh? Well I'll build my own lunar lander, with blackjack, and hookers. In fact, who needs a lander, or blackjack? Ah, screw the whole lot o' ya!" -- Bender, Futurama.
posted
I'm not sure about the excelsior - Sovereign progression. Excelsiors are used as general purpose cruisers. Easy to build, as the engineers have been building them for decades. Not too big to be daunting, but big enough to kick ass.
Sovereigns seem to me to be a shift in Explorer policies. At first the excelsiors were the furthest out ships, pushing back the rim. Then Ambassadors. As the 24th Century progressed, the idea of p[utting civilians aboard took hold, influencing the design of the Galaxy: a city-ship really.
In recent years I think Starfleet has seen sense and decided to build faster explorer ships with latest scientific gear and defences, but with less volume (no civilians). They'd still take an effort to build, but I think they'd be easier than Galaxy-building. I'd postulate they'd become more plentiful than Galaxies in the long run, but not as plentiful as things like Excelsiors, or the class I think is intended to be a modern all-ppurpose cruiser; Akira.
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posted
Excelsiors are only used as all purpose cruisers today because they are so ancient. In their prime they would have been just like Sovereigns - a large, fast, heavily armed, top of the line explorer. The two classes have quite a similar structure, as well. They are the most alike out of the Enterprises.
Keep in mind that they would have stopped building Excelsiors long ago. Other than the Melbourne, the highest registries are 4xxxx.
------------------ "Forgive me if I don't share your euphoria!" (Weyoun to Dukat, Tears of the Prophets) Dax's Ships of STAR TREK
posted
If at all, the Sovereign can only replace a ship class in its present role. So it is mostly a question of how the Excelsior is currently used. For the reasons already mentioned it is unlikely that high-performance ships like the Galaxy or Nebula are already to be replaced. If we postulate that the Excelsior as an obsolete design is only suited for secondary tasks, the Sovereign doesn't seem to be the right replacement, either. However, which class is to replace the Excelsior then? We have seen very few Ambassadors, and they seem to be equally outdated. And there is no other class of this size with hundreds of ships. So when all Excelsiors are finally retired, there is a considerable lack of ships.
So the Sovereign could be a supplemental design and more. The advanced technology and not too big size could make this a multi-role class. It's about the same with modern electric locomotives, there are hardly any differences between the single types, they are both fast and strong, none of their features especially emphasized.
posted
I agree with Bernd's interpretation of the replacement for the Excelsior. The Sovereign looks to be a no nonsense explorer similar to the excelsior in its prime. Comments have been made regarding the functionality of the Excelsior and the luxury of the Galaxy. For example, Captain DeSoto makes a needling remark to Riker to the affect of the Galaxies being like a space station and not a real ship like his Excelsior Hood. Another instance supporting the functionality of the Sovereign is Worf smashing his head into the ceiling above his bed in temporary quarters on Insurrection. One could conclude that the Sovereign is indeed a more basic and functional class, closer in lineage to the Excelsior than the Galaxy in almost all respects.
posted
I have just reckoned that everyone working on the E-D has 189times as much room as a student at our university. The Galaxy is oversized in every respect. I think it's also a kind of prestige project, built to impress diplomats. I like the ship, though. It's still my favorite and I would appreciate quarters of 100 square meters.
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