I originally posted this on my usual stomping grounds over a the Star Wars Design Alliance, but I wanted some feedback from a more Star Trek focused community.
This project is the result of me listening to a Youtube video about Star Trek fan ship designs while playing Elite Dangerous and thinking "huh, I wonder if I can convert any of these ships into something suitable for Star Trek". This ship is a small exploration vessel based on the size and form factor of Krait Phantom, which until recently was my go-to exploration ship in Elite.
USS Foxhound
Class: Foxhound-Class Explorer
Registry: NX-75679
Owner: United Federation of Planets
Operator: Starfleet
Status: Active (2400)
Length: 80 m
Beam: 75 m
Height: 14 m
Decks: 4
Crew Compliment: 18 standard operational personnel, up to 20 mission specialists.
Speed: Warp 8.6 (theoretical maximum), Warp 8.5 (for 12 hours), Warp 8 (Sustained cruise velocity)
Armament: 4 Phaser Arrays
Defenses: Deflector Shields
Embarked Craft: Two Type-18 short range shuttles, Two ground vehicles
Description
Early design work on the vessel that would ultimately become the Foxhound began in the late 2360s, in parallel with the development of the of the Intrepid and Nova classes. The project was a partnership between Starfleet and a number of civilian organizations to develop a new type of small, flexible, and highly capable science vessel.
This new vessel was intended to be an alternative to sending a full-sized starship on science missions that only required a small team. It would have very good sensors, a pair of state-of-the-art science labs, and a warp cruise velocity that would make it competitive against designs like the Intrepid.
The Foxhound Project, as it came to be known, made progress in fits and starts. The Dominion War delayed the project for two years as team members were reassigned to tasks deemed critical to the war effort, though data collected during the war allowed finalization of the new vessel's warp dynamics.
A further breakthrough occurred in 2374 as Starfleet reestablished contact with USS Voyager, which had been presumed lost in the Badlands, and reappeared on the other side of the galaxy. The experiences of Voyager's crew operating their ship so far from resupply was invaluable for the Foxhound Project to refine their work into a ship that could operate reliably for long periods of time far away from support. Voyager's unexpected return in 2378, and interviews with her crew (most notably Chief Engineer Lieutenant Torres and Operations Officer Ensign Kim), provided the last pieces of data to finish a prototype, dubbed the USS Foxhound, NX-75679.
The Foxhound performed well. It was capable, flexible, and easy to maintain. Unfortunately, Starfleet priorities had changed after the Dominion War, with a higher priority placed on military capability. The Foxhound-class found itself will no place in current Starfleet doctrine. Only the USS Foxhound was ever commissioned into Starfleet Service.
The design did find success in the civilian market, however. Universities, planetary science ministries, and even private organizations, found the Foxhound to be an economical and effective science platform, and Foxhounds saw wide service in these sectors.
This project is the result of me listening to a Youtube video about Star Trek fan ship designs while playing Elite Dangerous and thinking "huh, I wonder if I can convert any of these ships into something suitable for Star Trek". This ship is a small exploration vessel based on the size and form factor of Krait Phantom, which until recently was my go-to exploration ship in Elite.
USS Foxhound
Class: Foxhound-Class Explorer
Registry: NX-75679
Owner: United Federation of Planets
Operator: Starfleet
Status: Active (2400)
Length: 80 m
Beam: 75 m
Height: 14 m
Decks: 4
Crew Compliment: 18 standard operational personnel, up to 20 mission specialists.
Speed: Warp 8.6 (theoretical maximum), Warp 8.5 (for 12 hours), Warp 8 (Sustained cruise velocity)
Armament: 4 Phaser Arrays
Defenses: Deflector Shields
Embarked Craft: Two Type-18 short range shuttles, Two ground vehicles
Description
Early design work on the vessel that would ultimately become the Foxhound began in the late 2360s, in parallel with the development of the of the Intrepid and Nova classes. The project was a partnership between Starfleet and a number of civilian organizations to develop a new type of small, flexible, and highly capable science vessel.
This new vessel was intended to be an alternative to sending a full-sized starship on science missions that only required a small team. It would have very good sensors, a pair of state-of-the-art science labs, and a warp cruise velocity that would make it competitive against designs like the Intrepid.
The Foxhound Project, as it came to be known, made progress in fits and starts. The Dominion War delayed the project for two years as team members were reassigned to tasks deemed critical to the war effort, though data collected during the war allowed finalization of the new vessel's warp dynamics.
A further breakthrough occurred in 2374 as Starfleet reestablished contact with USS Voyager, which had been presumed lost in the Badlands, and reappeared on the other side of the galaxy. The experiences of Voyager's crew operating their ship so far from resupply was invaluable for the Foxhound Project to refine their work into a ship that could operate reliably for long periods of time far away from support. Voyager's unexpected return in 2378, and interviews with her crew (most notably Chief Engineer Lieutenant Torres and Operations Officer Ensign Kim), provided the last pieces of data to finish a prototype, dubbed the USS Foxhound, NX-75679.
The Foxhound performed well. It was capable, flexible, and easy to maintain. Unfortunately, Starfleet priorities had changed after the Dominion War, with a higher priority placed on military capability. The Foxhound-class found itself will no place in current Starfleet doctrine. Only the USS Foxhound was ever commissioned into Starfleet Service.
The design did find success in the civilian market, however. Universities, planetary science ministries, and even private organizations, found the Foxhound to be an economical and effective science platform, and Foxhounds saw wide service in these sectors.
