People,
Well, the blended function aspect of the Constitution-class vessels like Enterprise is what I believe makes it special in the eyes of Starfleet and its respective captains. I also think the Galaxy-class has a similar function in the 24th century, although as some of you have pointed out, it's a different Federation than it was in the previous century.
I also tend to agree with those of you who have postulated that the Constitutions are much like a blend of ships of the line and smaller ships that were dedicated to exploration and whose captains had great authority, being far from base.
As to whether the Galaxys and Constitutions are the largest ships in Starfleet, we don't know that for certain. Sure, there are technical manuals showing larger ships in Kirk's time of the Dreadnaught class, for example. And in those same manuals, we've seen specs for smaller, destroyer-type ships, and even tugs.
I've also read novels postulating starship equivalents to aircraft carriers -- surely, there must be vessels like that even in the 24th century. It would have been great if the Galaxy-class were more like a spaceborne aircraft carrier, with a large hangar deck with dozens of ships, not just shuttlecraft.
But there is one view I'd like to take issue with -- the poster who said all the Constitutions were 20 years old. We really don't know that for certain, one way or the other, how old all those ships were. I'd say some were newer than Enterprise or the class-name vessel Constitution. And as we saw in TOS, several were destroyed, and some of them were probably replaced with new Constitutions.
Red Ranger
Well, the blended function aspect of the Constitution-class vessels like Enterprise is what I believe makes it special in the eyes of Starfleet and its respective captains. I also think the Galaxy-class has a similar function in the 24th century, although as some of you have pointed out, it's a different Federation than it was in the previous century.
I also tend to agree with those of you who have postulated that the Constitutions are much like a blend of ships of the line and smaller ships that were dedicated to exploration and whose captains had great authority, being far from base.
As to whether the Galaxys and Constitutions are the largest ships in Starfleet, we don't know that for certain. Sure, there are technical manuals showing larger ships in Kirk's time of the Dreadnaught class, for example. And in those same manuals, we've seen specs for smaller, destroyer-type ships, and even tugs.
I've also read novels postulating starship equivalents to aircraft carriers -- surely, there must be vessels like that even in the 24th century. It would have been great if the Galaxy-class were more like a spaceborne aircraft carrier, with a large hangar deck with dozens of ships, not just shuttlecraft.
But there is one view I'd like to take issue with -- the poster who said all the Constitutions were 20 years old. We really don't know that for certain, one way or the other, how old all those ships were. I'd say some were newer than Enterprise or the class-name vessel Constitution. And as we saw in TOS, several were destroyed, and some of them were probably replaced with new Constitutions.
Red Ranger
