Starship Classes and real-life counterparts

[Tyler]

posted on February 3rd, 2010, 11:56 pm

Last edited by Tyler on February 4th, 2010, 12:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

Do any of the Federation ship classes share their class name with existing, real-life ones? Not the individual ships, the actual class itself.

As far as I know, the Sovereign and Olympic classes are the only ones that do.

posted on February 4th, 2010, 1:31 am

I'm sure theres an enterprise class somewhere

posted on February 4th, 2010, 2:24 am

Enterprise isn't a class, in ST or real life. It has however been the names of navy ships.  Enterprise was the first space shuttle's name.

posted on February 4th, 2010, 2:29 am

The other day my father mentioned to me the name The Flying Enterprise. Don't exactly remember what real-life ship it was though...

posted on February 4th, 2010, 2:50 am

There was a one of a kind US aircraft carrier named the USS Enterprise CVN-65. She was the only one of her class, which is named for her.

posted on February 4th, 2010, 4:50 am

wasnt the USS Galaxy still around or was that one of the galaxy class ships that was destroyed?

posted on February 4th, 2010, 5:17 am

The USS Galaxy is listed at 4:29.

Still my favorite nemesis review.

[navyguy]

posted on February 4th, 2010, 6:18 am

Last edited by navyguy on February 4th, 2010, 6:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

The Enterprise is a Nimitz Class carrier, prior to here was the Forestal Class then the Essex Class.  The Enterprise is the first of 11 ships of the Nimitz Class, yes she is called Enterprise but the class itself is Nimitz.

posted on February 4th, 2010, 7:15 am

The USS Constitution comes to mind

[Tyler]

posted on February 4th, 2010, 11:12 am

Last edited by Tyler on February 4th, 2010, 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

The Enterprise is a Nimitz Class carrier, prior to here was the Forestal Class then the Essex Class.  The Enterprise is the first of 11 ships of the Nimitz Class, yes she is called Enterprise but the class itself is Nimitz.

Wikipedia doesn't say that. It calls it a single ship Class that was Succeeded by the Nimitz Class and Preceded by Kitty Hawk-class.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CVN-65)

posted on February 4th, 2010, 11:20 am

When a aircraft carrier class is made, usually the first ship of that class is named after the class, the USS Enterprise was the first Enterprise class aircraft carrier.

Quote from wikipedia.

Name: Enterprise-class aircraft carrier

posted on February 4th, 2010, 12:12 pm

The Enterprise is a Nimitz Class carrier

the USS Enterprise was the first Enterprise class aircraft carrier.

Both statements aren't exactly true but also not wrong 

The U.S.S. Enterprise CVN-65 is a prototype of some kind.
She was build to conduct tests with a new aircraft carrier hull and nuclear power reactors for carriers.
The test were quite successfull so the new hull and the reactors were incorporated into a new carrier class , the Nimitz class.

The confusion about the class came when the original tower and the radar system of the Enterprise were refitted. The Enterprise were build with an outdated system while the new Nimitz class had become a brand new better system and tower.
After the refit the visual apperance of Nimitz class vessels and  the Enterprise were nearly identical, smaller differences in the hull are barely visible.

Because of the internal differences (Enterprise has more nuclear reactors, carries less airplanes) and her construction date and history the Enterprise CVN-65 is not a Nimitz or any other class vessel. Basically it's the Nimitz direct predecessor, just to underline that the term 'Enterprise class' was created so both types of vessels can't be confused

posted on February 4th, 2010, 2:01 pm

Both the Enterprise CVN-65 and the Enterprise CV-6 are distinguished in some way. The Enterprise CV-6 was a Yorktown Class aircraft carrier and the most decorated naval vessel of World War II. The Enterprise CVN-65 was the worlds first nuclear powered Aircraft carrier, a sort of pathfinder vessel for the Nimitz class...the Nimitz class is actually the same length of the Enterprise but utilized i believe second generation nuclear reactors that allow the class to use only 2 nuclear reactors (model A4W) as opposed to the Enterprise's 8 reactors (model A2W)

posted on February 4th, 2010, 7:48 pm

Didn't the USS Galaxy blown up in the episode with the Iconian computer virus?

posted on February 4th, 2010, 7:51 pm

That was the Yamato, the Galaxy was around to take part in the attack on Chin'Toka during the war.