Look at the nacelles on the Oberth. Radically different than the era it was designed for, which was pre Connie. Now look at the Excelsior, or better the Excelsior study models. ] See the similarities?
Now, since we know that The Excelsior is a whole heck of a lot newer than the Oberth, so why is the nacelles around the same? Theories?
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Because in the Trek reality, a bunch of lazy Starfleet designers looked at a number of movies made in the 1980's, got the designs from there....and they look the same because the designs from the movies for "the Oberth and Excelsior were designed at the same time by the same team at ILM."
Registered: Mar 1999
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I would like to take this moment to talk about my theory of the Evil Space Bunnies that attempted to corrupt Starfleet design lineage through...
*dragged out of the room kicking and screaming by nurses*
-------------------- "God's in his heaven. All's right with the world."
Registered: Apr 2001
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Siwiak
Ex-Member
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*chuckles as he's dragged from the room, and makes effort to hide his ears and tail a little better as he whispers evil thoughts into the ears of ASDB designers*
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-------------------- "God's in his heaven. All's right with the world."
Registered: Apr 2001
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BWC
Ex-Member
posted
We all know the Galaxy class was first biult in 2151!!!!
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
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Once again, time to expound the theory that perhaps not all Starfleet support classes were designed by them. We've had at least one instance of an Oberth in private service. Perhaps this is yet another point in favor of "military" adoption & usage of civilian designs.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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If I have to decide whether to go with the look of a ship or with a mere number on its hull when determining its age, it is clear what I will do.
-------------------- Bernd Schneider
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
It might be worth noteing that a few of the Excelsior study models that were used in BoBW & Unification, had nacelles that were very similar to the Oberths. A fair indication that the design we are used to is from the same period of the Excelsior.
I personnally subscribe to the refit theory, although I've yet to see an suitible design for the earlier, unseen version. I even had a go myself but it looked rather ungainly and quite hideous. Perhaps a hybrid look of NX-01 & the old conni would work better than a pure TOS look.
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There's no proof that the Excelsior study models are contemporaries of the Excelsior, though (apart from all of them being registered NX-2000, that is!).
Perhaps this particular style of nacelle design (upper side rounded, lower side rectangular, field grilles to the sides, "1/8 sphere" ramscoop or no ramscoop, pointed/multipointed aft end) is simply an alternative to the other popular styles, and has been used throughout the history of Starfleet? In Oberths, it's possibly from the early 23rd century. In Excelsiors, it makes a late 23rd century comeback. And in the "BoBW" case, it's actually used in mid-24th century vessels. Had the Zandura class made it to "First Contact", we would have even gotten a late 24th century example...
It's not as if Starfleet would have chosen one superior way of arranging the field grilles at any point of history. Apparently, at least three or four configurations work well. The "Oberthy" configuration could be a fifth, perhaps with some specific pros and cons but certainly nothing that would outdate it.
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Maybe the unorthodox configuration of the Oberth Class vessels required an altered "Connie Refit/Excelsior" type nacelle? Where the grills had to allow plasma to be vented entirely aft of the ship seeing as there are major structural connections between the nacelle and primary hull. The Nacelle has now become an area that most people on the ship will come quite near (as opposed to being stationed out the back on a pylon).
Maybe this was also taken into consideration with the Defiant (although there is no need for a thoroughfare right NEAR the nacelles - the position of the nacelles makes anywhere in the ship close to the nacelles. Thus they have used some sort of forced plasma venting system that directs any hazardous levels of radiation away from the 'livable' areas. The original 'no-ball/grill' nacelles of the Enterprise (TOS) might also have needed to use this feature as a safety precaution for the crew untill some tech reduced any levels of hazardous 'stuff' that such a directed plasma venting wasn't needed. This lead to in the next refit and even greater area of nacelle grills. Remember the Daedelus class, too doesn't have the 'balls' but has a Defiant/Pilot Enterprise set of grills at the aft end of each nacelle.
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
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