Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Oberth-class ships

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Posted by Individual 5748 on :

How long would you say the life of an Oberth-class ship is? That is from launch to decommissioning, with standard refitting? Do you think one could last in service about 80 years (keep in mind that's a ball park figure - perhaps anywhere from 77 to 83 years)?

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Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

That would be hard to say. In the absence of "experts", I will say a few words on the topic.

Firstly, I think how long a ship lasts depends on two primary factors:

How "sturdy" was the original design?
What kind of stresses did it experience during it's lifetime of use?

Other factors might include how well (and how frequently) it was maintained, were any primary structural bits reinforced or replaced during any refits, and whether there were any accidents that might compromise strucural integrity.

A wooden boat can remain in like-new condition for hundreds of years if it is meticulously maintained. On the other hand, a brand-new tank might have to be scrapped if it runs over a big enough mine (or is driven off a cliff).

One last factor to keep in mind is that someone (A Starfleet museum or a collector, for example) might restore or rebuild an old model just to keep a working example on hand.

Now let's hear from the experts...

--Baloo

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Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :

True, also you gotta remember that Oberths wouldn't be put into many 'high' risk situations - they're basically science ships...

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Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :

Side note- when was the last time we saw an Oberth-class ship? Maybe they've finally decommissioned these things

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Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

"Interface" (TNG), probably.

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Posted by Justin_Timberland (Member # 236) on :

Was it "Interface" or DS9's premier "Emissary?" I didn's see any Oberths during "Interface" but I did see an Oberth blow up and another dock during "Emissary."

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Posted by The359 (Member # 37) on :

The USS Raman, which we saw the bridge and interior of, was Oberth class.

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Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

It's possible we see few Oberths in DS9 simply because, as an older, slower, poorly-armed and defended design, Starfleet keeps them close to home. As long as the design is useful and it consumes fewer resources to refit the old ones and build more compared to the outlay for a completely new design, Starfleet would very likely keep them in service.

A non-military example of this sort of logic is seen in various locations around the U.S., where paddlewheel steamships are kept as floating resorts. Few of these are constructed from scratch, but many of them have been refurbished so many times there is hardly a screw left from the original vessel. As long as a design fulfills a useful function, it will be kept in service until there is either no need for it, or if a new design will perform the same function at a significant savings in resources.

I avoid the use of the term: "money" since some folks believe the Federation is a socialist paradise, without the need for it. It in all probability does not possess infinite resources, and will find it necessary to construct new vessels based on need and the availability of resources (labor, expertise, materials) to build it, even if the cost/benefit analysis never mentions "filthy lucre".

--Baloo

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[This message has been edited by Baloo (edited October 31, 1999).]

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

I'm not sure why people seem to equate a lack of money to some sort of Leninist nightmare. Money is simply one means of keeping track of value. The Federation has different values, and therefore a different means of keeping track of them.

In regards to the Oberth, I side with Baloo.

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Posted by Wes (Member # 212) on :

I don't think the Oberths are around anymore... there was the USS Vico, but otherwise what you see in the backrounds in DS9 battles is just stock imagry used to fill the starscape. Then again theres always the variants seen in the DS9TM.

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Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :

The Oberth Class should be almost decommissioned, with and estimated 20 ships left in service in the fleet. I would think that they are finally being phased out by the more capable Nova Class and maybe a few modified Olympic Class starships. Can anyone say target practice?

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Posted by Vacuum robot lady from Spaceballs (Member # 239) on :

I like the idea that if any Oberth's are still around, the only resemblance to the original ship is the shape. The Oberth class's earliest Registry numbers are in the 6xx range, and if we use use the the chronological number theory, that makes them...well, pretty damn old. If any would be active, they'd almost certainly be refit to the extent that they could be another class. Just my two one-hundredths of a dollar.

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Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :

Because of its rego, the USS Grissom in ST:III was probably already a ship that had experienced a major refit. The original Oberth-class would have looked quite different from how we've always seen it. Like the difference between the E-nil and the E-A. Of course, this is assuming chronological regos.

Has anyone ever TOSerised the Oberth design?

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Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

Even if you discount the idea that registries are perfectly chronological, you cannot discount the fact that they are roughly chronological. TOS registries were in the thousands, TNG registries were in the tens of thousands. Etc.

At any rate, I'd imagine there are probably a few other designs for dedicated science ships that we haven't seen. But between the ones that we have seen, I'd agree that the Oberth's time has passed, at least it's time as a Starfleet vessel. But considering the long life of the class, I'd imagine quite a few private institutions wouldn't mind getting their hands on some.

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Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

As far as I lknow, no-one has extrapolated backwards to create a TOS Oberth, but there is a TOS predecessor, created by Joseph Baker.

Have a look at the Grissom Class science ship from LCDR Jerran's History of Starflight.

Interesting, although to me it looks like they could have mounted the warp nacelles further aft, and allowed the saucer to be a bit wider.

--Baloo

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Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :

That Grissom-class also reminds me of the USS Curry "kitbash".

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"Forgive me if I don't share your euphoria!" (Weyoun to Dukat, Tears of the Prophets)
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Posted by The359 (Member # 37) on :

Hey, wait one friggin second! My original design for the Mustang Class is on that site! I totally forgot about it being there!

Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

I have two ship designs at that site: The Borchardt class patrol/escort and the Ptolemy class exploration/guided missile frigate. Both receive honorable mention in his write-up of the Daedalus class explorer.

I... I feel so PROUD!

--Baloo

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[This message has been edited by Baloo (edited November 01, 1999).]

Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :

While I hate the idea that any TOS era ship is a Constitution kitbash, I wouldn't deny the possibility that the Oberth was already around at the time. Nevertheless, I would prefer an Oberth that was introduced about the same time as the Excelsior, and for some reason we don't understand the registries of the ships were <1000.

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