Defiant -- Docking port on the front?

[Nathan]

I always liked how the Defiant left DS9 -- how it slowly was in reverse, turned on its running lights, and left. But I always wondered where the docking port was on the front of the ship.

I'd think it would make for sense for the docking port to be in the side of the ship (like on Archer's Enterprise we see it dock with another ship on its side. You would think it would also dock on the side. I suppose then if Defiant docked on the port or starboard side of the ship, the "taking off" scene from DS9 would be as "cool looking"

Your thoughts?

 

[cultcross]

I assumed the Defiant was in part designed to fit into one of the side docking ports and that's partly why it has the nose that it does. I'm guessing they didn't want it always docked at one of the pilons in wide shots.

In universe though, no it doesn't make much sense. There have never been reliable plans for the ship, even the ds9 technical manual gives plans that don't match up with size numbers given in the same book. The master situation diagram from the show doesn't show an airlock in the nose but that doesn't prevent there being one.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I think walking through the nacelles to board the ship would suck.

 

[C.E. Evans]

.

In universe though, no it doesn't make much sense. There have never been reliable plans for the ship, even the ds9 technical manual gives plans that don't match up with size numbers given in the same book. The master situation diagram from the show doesn't show an airlock i

The Defiant foldout sheet towards the end of the DS9 Technical Manual does show a sizeable airlock in the nose of the ship in its MSD, right above the navigational deflector.
http://home.tiscali.cz/~cz721749/hudba/DS9/DefiantPlanA.jpg

The DS9 Tech Manual might not be canon, but where it placed the Defiant's airlock works for me.

 

[David cgc]

Additionally, Christopher Cushman, who created several cutaway posters of Star Trek ships, posted an unfinished cutaway drawing of the Defiant, which gives you a better look at how the nose airlock seen in the MSD would pop out.

 

[Timo]

...What the cutaway may not quite make clear (by virtue of having bits cut away!) is that there appear to be two such pop-out airlock tubes side by side, port (shown) and starboard (cut away). Which is consistent with a maximum number of things:

1) The side view from the MSD is not contradicted by the doubling.
2) The beige outer hull panels preclude a centerline hatch at the bow, but nicely support side-by-side tubes; imagine those panels as flip-up car headlights...
3) Starfleet knows the Borg are best defeated by boarding. A ramming nose with two boarding planks for greater effect makes sense!
4) The Defiant was an unsatisfactory and unfinished prototype, though. One boarding tube may well have been left ashore...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Philip Guyott]

According to this video it's magic:

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However as said above, the theory of a pop-up airlock makes sense:

There is an airlock on the deck above the main deflector.

The theory is that the gold bits on the front (where the airlock is located), hinge upwards. Hence the doors are not normally visible as they retract back inside the hull before the ship departs.

 

[Nathan]

I still odd how it pops out like that. Looking at the above diagram, everyone must pass the Forward Targeting array. I guess there must be other docking ports for when supplies or "non-replicate-able" items have to be brought onto the ship.

Also looks like you walk into the ship at an angle or on a grade and it isn't a level with the ship/facility the Defiant is docked with.

I think side (port and starboard) docking ports makes more sense, but sense, but as I said in the original post, I do like sequence of Defiant leaving DS9

 

[Philip Guyott]

I still odd how it pops out like that. Looking at the above diagram, everyone must pass the Forward Targeting array. I guess there must be other docking ports for when supplies or "non-replicate-able" items have to be brought onto the ship.

Also looks like you walk into the ship at an angle or on a grade and it isn't a level with the ship/facility the Defiant is docked with.

I think side (port and starboard) docking ports makes more sense, but sense, but as I said in the original post, I do like sequence of Defiant leaving DS9

True, but when you have to dock your ship with an alien space station, you have to make do with what you have available. Is it possible that after 'The Search' they modified one of the DS9 ports to be more compatible somehow, in a way that is not immediately viable onscreen? They could not do that for every ship, but the Defiant was on permanent assignment to DS9. I am also instrested to see how the Klingon Bird of Prey and the Miranda class docks. They have both used the ports on the outer ring like the Defiant

 

[Sisko_is_my_captain]

It kind of makes sense that you cannot see the airlock from the exterior because it would be hidden behind armor panels.

 

[Timo]

Also, it's perfectly possible that some ships dock with DS9 without ever achieving gangway access to the station. Floating next to your destination is fine, but sometimes you want to get a bit more intimate. Say, USS Trial in "Way of the Warrior" could be docking in order to nudge the station back to position after all that fighting, not in order to have an extremely well-hidden bow docking port mate with the station counterpart...

It's just that the Defiant definitely enjoys gangway access. But not without some special arrangements (the inclined ramp, the security gate). But bow docking is virtually unheard of in Starfleet* in general, while it seems de rigeur for Cardassians and their clients. Something has to give...

Timo Saloniemi

* Except, of course, nuStarfleet in the Kelvinverse.

 

[WraithDukat]

On the DVD animated menus the ship dicks at an upper pylon. Which makes more sense for the reasons you've given.

 

[Philip Guyott]

On the DVD animated menus the ship dicks at an upper pylon.

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[Philip Guyott]

Say, USS Trial in "Way of the Warrior" could be docking in order to nudge the station back to position after all that fighting, not in order to have an extremely well-hidden bow docking port mate with the station counterpart...

Here is the image just in case people don't know or remember what you are referring to.

^ Thanks to @Tosk for uploading this image back in 2012.

 

[Tosk]

I did? That was nice of me!

I have no problem believing that ships have an extendable umbilical anyway. Or DS9 does. Or both.

 

[WraithDukat]

I love how the Federation sent 2 Excelsiors, 1 Miranda and a Galaxy to help defend against a massive Klingon fleet.

 

[USS Firefly]

I love how the Federation sent 2 Excelsiors, 1 Miranda and a Galaxy to help defend against a massive Klingon fleet.

Even though you can't see them on the pictire, didn't Starfleet send 6 starships?

 

[WraithDukat]

Even that's a tiny number compared to what the Klingons had, especially when 3 of them are potentially 100 years old. I know they had DS9 and the Defiant on their side but still.

 

[DonIago]

Does anyone else think having the Defiant remain docked with the station as opposed to fighting the Klingons as well was a tactical error?

Granted the ship had to dock to offload the Cardassians, and perhaps it's so vulnerable while undocking that the Klingons would have just blown it up if it had tried to join the fight?

 

[kkt]

Does anyone else think having the Defiant remain docked with the station as opposed to fighting the Klingons as well was a tactical error?

Granted the ship had to dock to offload the Cardassians, and perhaps it's so vulnerable while undocking that the Klingons would have just blown it up if it had tried to join the fight?

Yes, it would be like fighting an 18th century land war and lining up your cavalry right next to the infantry and having them stay there.