The potential for refits

[Granitehewer]

hi everyone,
despite the fact that it looks like 'hey arnold!' or a hydrocephalus baby, i really like the galaxy class especially in the dominion war, and judging by the numbers seen, including in several episodes of 'voyager' whether under construction at utopia planetia in 'relativity' or mobile in 'endgame' and 'pathfinder', there seem to be quite a few despite the introduction and refits of the sovereign class.
I don't know whether this is a case of managing resources and exploiting available infrastructure or not, but does anyone else here think that the galaxy class has the capacity to be refit as a good 'competitor' for the sovereign class?
Ps sorry if my typing is even worse than usual but am preoccupied with a familial hospitalisation so have come along to bug people with my little queries and become thoroughly distracted.

[Mikey]

Hope we can help with the distraction factor.

Anyway - competitor for the Sov? I don't think so, as the Sov was designed for combat from the ground up. Turrets, etc., can't be refit so easily onto a vessel not designed to take them. In addition, maneuverability would be hard to add - any refit would add, or at least swap, mass rather than reduce it.

That said, the GCS has a massive spaceframe and huge amounts of space, especially if we consider that we are free to claim as space all the civilian amenities. It could certainly be refit into a formidable ship - just not one that serves teh exact same purpose as the Sov, IMHO.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

hi everyone,
despite the fact that it looks like 'hey arnold!' or a hydrocephalus baby, i really like the galaxy class especially in the dominion war, and judging by the numbers seen, including in several episodes of 'voyager' whether under construction at utopia planetia in 'relativity' or mobile in 'endgame' and 'pathfinder', there seem to be quite a few despite the introduction and refits of the sovereign class.
I don't know whether this is a case of managing resources and exploiting available infrastructure or not, but does anyone else here think that the galaxy class has the capacity to be refit as a good 'competitor' for the sovereign class?
Ps sorry if my typing is even worse than usual but am preoccupied with a familial hospitalisation so have come along to bug people with my little queries and become thoroughly distracted.

Well, the GCS is big and surely has the capacity to support powerful systems of all kinds. As a recent design, she should be relatively adaptable to newer technologies. The biggest problems would stem from the infamous instability of the class. As to why there are so many of them, it could just be that by then there were more shipyards/lots adapted to constructing the GCS spaceframe than the newer Sov (besides OOU reasons...)

And, agree with Mikey that it can become formidable, but no match for the Sov.

[Reliant121]

I reckon the GCS is perfect for the basis for a long range bombardment ship. Its too slow and heavy to be much use as a "Advanced Deterrent cruiser" or whatever the hell the Sovereign is. The GCS has a fucking huge mass to fit heavy weapons in. Upgrade the torp capacity, maybe rebuild the phaser system and shielding.

[Coalition]

Wasn't there one part of the description where 1/3 of the GCS frame was left empty for future refits? Can you say cargo, hospital, or shuttle/fighter storage? It might not be able to launch fighters as fast as a dedicated carrier, but the ability to carry several dozen would be useful. Hospital abillity would be nice, where wounded from other ships can be beamed over to the full sickbay on board, and munitions/supplies/repair materials can be beamed back.

It might not be as tough as a Sovereign, but the Galaxy's 4.96 million ton hull (from DITL) compared to the Sovereign's 3.5 million ton hull would still be useful. Also, since it is an existing design, plus the testing from Enterprise and others, means that the bugs have likely been worked out and the Shipyards know what to build. Similar to XP and Vista today, were XP has about almost a decade of work, while Vista is having teething problems, and needs more resources just to run.

So a Sovereign might be better 1:1 compared to a Galaxy, but it is still undergoing shakedown, few yards know how to build it, and requires more advanced materials for construction. Galaxies are a known design, have had real-world experience, and the yards can easily expand.

Figure Sovereigns as long-range battleships, while Galaxies are well-protected carriers, in terms of combat function. The Sovereign can engage an enemy quite well by itself, while Galaxies are at their best supporting other ships, and providing long-range torpedo fire and fighter capacity. Both have their uses in combat.

[Aaron]

Wasn't there one part of the description where 1/3 of the GCS frame was left empty for future refits? Can you say cargo, hospital, or shuttle/fighter storage? It might not be able to launch fighters as fast as a dedicated carrier, but the ability to carry several dozen would be useful. Hospital abillity would be nice, where wounded from other ships can be beamed over to the full sickbay on board, and munitions/supplies/repair materials can be beamed back.

It's important to note that we really have no idea where the unfinished 1/3 is in the vessel. So while the thought of a fighter swarm streaming out of the main shuttlebay is appealing, we have no idea if it's possible. If there isn't any available space, essentially right next to the bay then you won't get much without a significant reworking of the vessel. Really I see the most likely use for the space being extra cargo room, quarters or labs. Even an extra sickbay would require things that may not even be possible, depending on how and what the spaces have available. For example are they just an empty room, are they plumbed for power, water, heat etc.

[Lt. Staplic]

hate to state the obvous but of course it can and "will" be refit, we saw the Galaxy-refit in TNG. I say "will" b/c there's a possability that time line won't occur now. but no I don't think the GCS will ever be a compeditor to the Sovereign. It'd make a good frigate, but not a Battle Cruiser.

PS. Who's running Rochey distraction so he doesn't find this thread and kill the poor man.
jk

[Aaron]

Yes, any ship can be refitted. It is just a question to what extent it can be.

[Lt. Staplic]

well, the obvous part that I was trying to get at was the fact that we'd seen a canon version of the GCS refitted, not that it could be.

[Sionnach Glic]

PS. Who's running Rochey distraction so he doesn't find this thread and kill the poor man.

Hey, I'm all for refitting the GCS. Maybe we can beat the design into something sensible.

[Captain Seafort]

well, the obvous part that I was trying to get at was the fact that we'd seen a canon version of the GCS refitted, not that it could be.

We saw something that might be a future refit of the GCS, or which might simply be part of a simulation rigged up by Q.

[Reliant121]

You could always chop of the nacelles and rip out the impulse engines to make a static defense platform.

[Lt. Staplic]

well, the obvous part that I was trying to get at was the fact that we'd seen a canon version of the GCS refitted, not that it could be.

We saw something that might be a future refit of the GCS, or which might simply be part of a simulation rigged up by Q.

I mentioned something like that.

[Captain Seafort]

You mentioned the AGT E-D - my point was that we don't know whether that was just part of an illusion created by Q.

[Sionnach Glic]

Good point. We're not sure if that'll ever come to pass.