Just something I thought I would mention.

------------------
Quark-"Stop. Or I'll disintigrate this hostage."

20th Century General-"With Your Finger?"

Quark-"With my death ray."

20th Century General-"Looks alot like a finger to me."

------------------
Life on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free annual trip around the sun!

And while the writers in the beginning clearly were supposed to use 1000ly/y, this figure never really made it to the screen. Warp 6.3 (or 6.2 in "Pathfinder") would be a more reasonable cruise speed estimate, in view of the (equally noncanon) references to the w 6.0 cruise speed of the E-D.

Either we should consider the 1000ly/y idea to apply only to maximum speed, or then to cruise speed within civilized space where pit stops are fast and efficient. If Janeway believed her ship cruised at w 6.2 instead of 1000ly/y, she would still use the 75 year estimate to denote a sort of lower limit. After all, she was contrasting the speed the ship could give them to the speeds available if she managed to find wormholes, shortcuts or the second Caretaker. In such a comparison, it would be better to use a lower limit than a realistic estimate.

"Even if we do better than ever and break all speed records, we'll spend 75 year out there - so this is why I think it's a good idea to hunt for wormholes". Just the kind of speech Janeway would have to give to make her mixed crew agree to exploration and maintaining the Starfleet way.

The deeper meaning of "cruise speed" and "maximum speed" warrants some discussion.

Cruise speed ought to be the speed the ship can maintain without taxing herself, i.e. the ship that gives the nominal engine lifetime. However, in deep space this can be impractically low, and the E-D for one was said to use high warp exceptionally much ("Phantasms" et al). So perhaps there are several grades of cruise speed:

Nominal sustainable/cruise speed: this spares the engines, and can be maintained for years without slowing down. Warp six for most Starfleet ships (TOS warp for TOS ships, TNG warp for TNG ships)

Deep-space sustainable/cruise speed: this is needed for long transits, and can be maintained for a couple of weeks. Warp eight to nine (the infamous 1000ly/y in optimal conditions and short pit stops) for most large Starfleet ships. TOS warp for TOS ships again; remember Kirk's cruise to Vulcan at w 8 in "Amok Time"?

Maximum sustainable/cruise speed (yes, Stadi was just swallowing the dash): this can be maintained for mere hours, but is often enough to propel the ship to a nearby ship or system in distress. Warp 9.6 for the E-D, warp 9.975 for the Voyager (fresh from spacedock), TOS warp 9 for Kirk's old ship.

Maximum speed: a theoretical figure that, when transated to practice, tends to blow up the ship and can be maintained for mere minutes anyway. Warp 9.8 for the E-D, heaven knows for the Voyager, TOS warp 14+ for Kirk's old ship. Not sustainable in any sense of the word.

In any case, "sustainable" and "cruise" should be the same thing (ergo, by "dash hypothesis" above), with added definers for greater accuracy and clarity.

Other ideas? (read: You dare cross me on this?)

------------------
Quark-"Stop. Or I'll disintigrate this hostage."

20th Century General-"With Your Finger?"

Quark-"With my death ray."

20th Century General-"Looks alot like a finger to me."