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?
posted
I think ships are recommisioned as NCC after whatever criteria is met that expires the NX evaluation phase.
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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The First One
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Member # 35
posted
I have a better suggestion - the NX changes to NCC once the class ship has undergone some sort of refit. But maybe not just any refit - one that follows lines developed on other ships of the class, making the class ship no longer truly 'experimental.'
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.
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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posted
NX: testing phase NCC: officially in service $ $ $ $ $ $ Sao Paulo ---> Defiant NX-74205: crap
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The First One
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Member # 35
posted
But then how do you explain NX-74205? No way could it still be said to be 'experimental' when it's been in front-line dervice for 4 years and they are at least a half-dozen others built. I reckon the theory I suggested above makes more sense. . . you could even make a ceremony of it as the NX is changed to NCC. . .
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Anybody ever considered that NX may just mean that the ship is carrying experimental technology that isn't present throughout the fleet? The only NX's I can recall that we've actually SEEN are the Excelsior, the Defiant, and the Dauntless, if that counts for anything. The Excelsior supposedly had transwarp, the Defiant a cloak, and the Dauntless a Quantum Slipstream drive. Of course, if any other NX's have actually been SEEN that I don't know of, that will throw this theory out the window, but it's worth a shot.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Shipmaster: They reshot a lot of the footage anyway. Most of the problems were in the new, close-up shots. And I doubt they would have to spend much money to get someone to take fifteen minutes to change the registry number...
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