Spoilers Starship Design in Star Trek: Picard

[Racefuel]

Yep, which is why in TNG: "The Battle" the yellow Constellation-class model from Picard's ready room is swapped with a Constitution-class model:

Fun fact, this is also why the Constellation-class is called Constellation-class, because it had to be a name that could be easily dubbed over "Constitution-class" – watch Wil Wheaton and LeVar Burton carefully as they announce the class name as the Stargazer approaches. The Stargazer's class wasn't switched until after filming had been completed.

And that is a commercial model kit too...AMT 1/537 Enterprise they jsut spray painted silver.

 

[Racefuel]

While the TMP Enterprise was bulky and cumbersome in general, that wouldn't have precluded it from being used as the Stargazer, as both models would have been filmed separately and then composited into the shot.

Yep. The Excelsior is a big model too but they used it a lot

 

[Macintosh]

Yep. The Excelsior is a big model too but they used it a lot

As with the Miranda-class model built for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, it wasn't as big or unwieldy as the Constitution-class refit model, and was deliberately designed to be easier for the model teams to work with.

 

[Enterprise1701]

The use of the modified Reliant model was mandated by the story.

What?

They wanted to build a TOS Constitution class but the budget wouldn’t allow for that. And if they built a new TMP-era model, they’d only be able to use it for that one episode, because the class was decommissioned 70 years ago. They also couldn’t use an unmodified model for the same reason. So they had to make a new ‘class’ from a pre-existing filming model.

Your points do not follow.

 

[Sketcher]

I assume it boiled down to - the Constitution is the movie hero ship, so it stays there. Kind of like how we never saw the Enterprise E or any sovereign during DS9 or VOY.

 

[Racefuel]

You now I wonder if the stargazers plaque in The Battle says Constellation or a constitution class

 

[Racefuel]

Update: It’s not clear enough in the episode to read

 

[Tosk]

You now I wonder if the stargazers plaque in The Battle says Constellation or a constitution class

It said Constitution. But the decision to change was made prior to filming the plaque, so Okuda had them put black shmutz on it to disguise the class.

 

[USS Artorius]

I assume it boiled down to - the Constitution is the movie hero ship, so it stays there. Kind of like how we never saw the Enterprise E or any sovereign during DS9 or VOY.

This. Us hardcore fans would have no issue with those ship classes being present because it makes logical sense in-universe. For example with the Dominion War in DS9, the standard definition already makes it difficult to read the ship registries, and in the space battle scenes if there was no dialogue indicating a ships name, the average fan would see a Sovereign Class and ask themselves "hey is that the Enterprise E?" The production staff must have wanted to avoid any of this confusion and also keep the hero ships exclusive to the movies.

Edit: would have been nice to see a couple of Sovereigns in the background though. In my head-canon most of the soveriegns were patrolling the edges of federation space, a show of power and possibly intimidation to mitigate against other alpha and beta quadrant races taking advantage of the federations situation during the war.

 

[Tuskin38]

the average fan would see a Sovereign Class and ask themselves "hey is that the Enterprise E?" The production staff must have wanted to avoid any of this confusion and also keep the hero ships exclusive to the movies.

This was the real reason IIRC.
It even happened with the PIC Season 2 fleet. A saw a lot comments elsewhere of people wondering if one of the sovereigns in the fleet was the Enterprise.

I remember one of the TrekYards hosts saying he used to think the reason DS9 didn’t use the sovereign was bullshit and no-one would think that, until Picard S2 aired and people actually did.

 

[Tuskin38]

It said Constitution. But the decision to change was made prior to filming the plaque, so Okuda had them put black shmutz on it to disguise the class.

We got our best look at it thanks to PIC Season 2 BTS images. Yes this is the original TNG prop according to Dave Blass. Doug Drexler “found” it, after it was allegedly lost.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

We got our best look at it thanks to PIC Season 2 BTS images. Yes this is the original TNG prop according to Dave Blass. Doug Drexler “found” it, after it was allegedly lost.

Is that not the wrong Starfleet insignia.

 

[Dukhat]

What?

Your points do not follow.

What exactly do you not understand about what I wrote?

 

[Tosk]

We got our best look at it thanks to PIC Season 2 BTS images. Yes this is the original TNG prop according to Dave Blass. Doug Drexler “found” it, after it was allegedly lost.

Looks like someone cleaned some of the shmutz off.

 

[Tuskin38]

Is that not the wrong Starfleet insignia.

That's how it was in TNG

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

That's how it was in TNG

Ya I know. I'm saying the prop department made a mistake.

 

[Markonian]

I think the Soyuz class were much older, closer to when the Enterprise first was launched in the 2240's and were in the old TOS style, round nacelles, etc and were already 30+ years old when Bozeman disappeared.

Do you mean something like this?

 

[USS Artorius]

Is that not the wrong Starfleet insignia.

Yeah it's wrong. The plaque should have the old TMP movie era insignia.

 

[USS Artorius]

Do you mean something like this?
View attachment 33662

I like that version but it still has the TMP saucer and details. And that curve on the rollbar looks a bit... Wrong. Still cool though

 

[Markonian]

I like that version but it still has the TMP saucer and details. And that curve on the rollbar looks a bit... Wrong. Still cool though

Thank you. It's a STO kitbash. Essentially the TOS Pilot-version of the Miranda with the TMP-era Soyuz class saucer. The only other version of the Soyuz is 25th century.