A lot of people believe that the first ship of a class retains its NX rating for the rest of its service. But that's not true. The USS Excelsior was changed to NCC, as was the USS Galaxy. Okay, so the USS Defiant kept the NX, but according to the DS9 Tech Manual there were other reasons why it kept it. In my opinion a ship of class will have the NX while Starfleet is testing it as a potential class, and if it's approved for mass production the ship won't really be experimental anymore and the NX will change to NCC. The USS Constitution is NCC-1700. Of course there's been debate as to if it's really the class ship or not.
I just don't think it'll remain NX, you're opinion might differ, so go ahead and explain it.
Does a class ship keep the NX or does it change to NCC?
Hobbes
9906.19
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Got Trek?
Plus I think it is a pretty loose policy that Starfleet puts its prototypes into service outside a testing agency (the Defiant being assigned to DS9.) "Oh, the Borg aren't that big a threat anymore, so you guys can have the ship. Take care."
In a real world situation, the testing facility would keep the prototype and produce and assign how many ever ships are needed. Those ships would carry the NCC prefix. All up-grades and modifications would be performed on the NX models, then tested. All successful up-grades adn modification would be sent into the fleet to be performed my the maintainers of the ships affected. In the USAF, such an modification is called a TCTO, or Time Compliance Technical Order. I've done my share of TCTOs, which include, removing and replacing components for backshop modifications, rewiring, and adding or removing wiring and components.
I think it is extraordinary for a NX model to carry out a mission beyond its test phase. In other words a NX ship should not be out exploring the quadrant. It should be exploring its parameters. But I do think the Defiant is a special case, whereupon the very nature of the ship demands that it is used and tested where potential conflict will arrise. That is the only way to test it.
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"There are always bigger tits."
Qui-Gon Jinn in Mos Espa's sleaziest adult nightclub.
Consider: The USS Galaxy is now NCC. . . and it's 10 to 15 years old. Think of all the modifications that were made to the Enterprise-D during her life, and how useful they were. Wouldn't all those modifications in shields etc. be duplicated on the other ships of the class? And that is why the Galaxy has become an NCC.
My belief is that the USS Sau Paulo will keep the Defiant's NX reg. no matter what happens to the class. It's sorta a memorial-type thing.
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"Everything I needed to learn in life I learned from Optimus Prime."
Rule #3 : Whenever someone under you screws up make sure you teach them a lesson more so than you punish them.
If that's the case, it should be NX-74205-A. The highly visible image of the registry read NX-74205. Also, Starfleet only allowed Sisko to change the name, not the registry. I tack the incorrect registry up to laxness on the part of the VFX guys. *smites the VFX people*
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"Everything I needed to learn in life I learned from Optimus Prime."
Rule #3 : Whenever someone under you screws up make sure you teach them a lesson more so than you punish them.
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"Everything I needed to learn in life I learned from Optimus Prime."
Rule #4 : Never mention your girlfriend to anyone until your romantic reunion. You'll both get a laugh at their amazed faces.
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Hobbes
9906.25
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Got Trek?
Federation Starship Datalink
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