Once Voyager got back to the Federation, I think that the Star Ship designers at Utopia Planitia should have used the Delta Flyer as the template for a new generation of Shuttles and Runabouts. They should have even kept the Groovy Retro, Knobs, Dials, Switches and toggles in place of as Tom put it "pressing a panel" One should be able to "feel" the ship they are flying. Any thoughts or comments... Resistance is Futile
Right, because it's perfectly reasonable that a small group of on-the-run Starfleet and Maquis who were not starship designers would be able to come up with a ship that would outperform anything a real Federation shipyard would come up with and should be used as a model, and of course they'd be able to do that in less than a week. As for knobs, switches and toggles...I don't know how that's really going to help anyone fly. I think Tom was indulging his little hobby and being silly.
now now, the Voyager crew had plenty of experience building shuttlecraft. Do you not recall how many Chakotay crashed?
Oh, cut the bleeding heart crap, will ya? We've all got our switches, lights and knobs to deal with. I mean down here, there are literally hundreds and thousands of blinking and flashing and beeping...they're blinking and flashing and beeping I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE! They're blinking and beeping and flashing! Why doesn't somebody pull the PLUG?
It would be even better if they have Voyager's ability to replicate whole shuttlecrafts at the press of a button*, complete with anti-matter filled Warp Cores and such... (*The kind of button that has "reset" engraved on it.)
I'm not sure the Delta Flyer would be a good basis for future shuttles and runabouts. It's more complex than a standard personell shuttle and nowhere near as versatile and adaptable as the Danube-class. Indeed, the Danube is a far superior design from a overall technical standpoint... everything can be swapped out. With such a high degree of modularity and upgradability, I would be hesitant to replace it. Certainly that doesn't stop the design from being used. I imagine the construction plans would be available on the Starfleet database (as well as many other specialized small craft) for any Starfleet crew to build as required.
If you take notice, the Delta Flyer Mark II had fewer knobs and switches than the first. Perhaps the most interesting detail about the ship was that it could function underwater - which, to my memory, has never occured elsewhere in Trekdom.
^I doubt it was a new feature. The manner in which they were talking about adjusting Delta Flyer gave me the impression it wasn't something new as if Starfleet officers back home in the UFP adjusts a shuttlecraft for an aquatic away mission on occassion. Just because we never saw or heard it before doesn't mean it never happened.
It would drive me insane. I had a moment at work where things kept beeping in the office like in Message in a Bottle. After dealing with everything I heard yet another beep... shouted about the noise only to realise it was the fire alarm. As for the Flyer... I'd agree with other statements with the Runabouts being a superior design and SF engineers dedicating their lives to the work would have a better idea of how to build shuttles, but I could imagine them stealing the design. It's a fresh perspective - often people design things in a certain style out of habbit.
Well there was the Aqua-shuttle in TAS. As for Starfleet using the Delta Flyer as a new class of shuttle. Most likely I think they would take a look at it and refine the design into something new.
I for one like cool retro knobs, switches, dials and toggles. They give me a better feel for the road or the asteroid field or wherever you may find yourself. You have every right to touch a panel if you want, but for me, give me a good tactile interface, and I will be able to hold my own against any and all panel pushers... Resistance is Futile
I agree with you there, I've always preferred the control setups of TOS and ze Movies, because -The controls were in arcs, so you didn't have to extend your reach to get to them. -You could use them without really looking at them. Touchpad controls don't have a physical point of reference.
yeah, but Data locking out the main computer in FC would only have been 1/5 as cool without touchpads
Why Utopia Planitia? Can't San Francisco Yards join the fun? Antares Shipyards? Hasn't Planitia got enough to do, dammit?