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This
web page takes a look at the Constitution class USS Enterprise-A,
approximately as seen in 2290 (Star Trek V). Despite being one of the most
scrutinized science fiction space ships every conceived, the Starship
Enterprise, in all of its incarnations, only really exists as a
collections of models and sets which in many cases, do not fit together
very well. Because of this, it has to be examined both as a movie prop and
as a real starship. |
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What IS the Enterprise? Gene Roddenberry has stated that while the Starship Enterprise might only exist as a movie prop, it is also a vehicle of exploration in a very real sense, for telling stories. With this in mind, it makes sense that not EVERY trek story fits in with the rest
As for the
Starship, Roddenberry was very explicit in his wish to have the Starship
Enterprise be a ship of peaceful exploration, not a warship. When Star Trek
was originally proposed, it would be a 'Wagon Trail to the Stars', referring
to a popular Western show of the day that followed the adventures of a group
of pioneers making their way West. To help show the Enterprise as being
non-military, the ship has no military markings or designations, the crew
wore pajama-like uniforms, and the ships missio Why the Enterprise-A of Star Trek V? The original Starship Enterprise underwent a number of minor and major design changes in its life time and was destroyed in Star Trek III. While the plan was for the main characters to command the USS Excelsior, due to negative fan feedback for the Excelsior's design, it was instead decided to bring the USS Enterprise back, as a newly built ship of the same class. While Star Trek V did not prove to be popular with fans, to the point of being considered 'It Never Happened', the fifth movie DID show us the Enterprise (and Constitution class) in what might be considered to be the hight of it's developement, including many of the aspects seen in the first through sixth movies. In the sixth movie, the Engineering section used the set from Star Trek: The Next Generation, which implied a major change in the ship's Warp Reactor. ST VI also introduce a couple previously unseen areas of the ship (The dining room, lounge, and torpedo control room) and it is assumed that those areas where in the ship all along and not recent additions. |
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Enterprise Reference links The Model Builder Reference Vault
Model Building Links
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How did the Enterprise change over the years? While
official Star Trek lore does not detail how the Enterprise changed over
time, there seems to have been a number of minor and major upgrades to the
ship, throughout its 40 year life (2245 - 2285), corresponding to the
first pilot episode, second pilot episode, and the TOS series itself,
movies I-IV, V, and VI.
With the movie Star Trek the Motion Picture, a totally new filming model was made, giving the ship both a more modern look and a level of detail that could be seen up close, on a large screen. the complete change in appearance was attributed to the ship's refit, also explaining new technology and other changes in the basic design. In the Refit of 2269-71, the ship was almost completely redesigned. The Ex-Astris Scinetia web site has a complete comparison of the TOS and Movie Enterprises. The most striking changes where to the warp power systems and weapon placements. In the TOS series, the special effects shots did not show the weapons in any specific location and often suggested different parts of the ship entirely, though in general, they where around the lower primary hull. With the refit, a 'torpedo deck' was added to the interconnecting dorsal, and obvious phaser batteries where added at various points around the ship. The ship's power systems where tied together a little bit more locally, with the mater/anti-matter warp reactor including an Intermix Shaft, channeling the matter/anti-matter plasma directly to different systems, like the Warp Nacelles, Impulse Engines, Deflector Dish, and Phaser Batteries. This lead to a completely different look for the engineering section inside the ship and the Warp Nacelles, Impulse Engines, and Deflector, outside the ship. The Impulse Engines also have some sort of auxiliary power function (probably fusion reactors) that can supplement the Intermix Shaft in case the matter/anti-matter reactor is disabled. Interestingly, the Shuttle Bay looks almost unchanged in the refit, with the forward wall being open, in ST: TMP, allowing cargo shuttles direct access to the cargo bay. There is some discussion that since the ship was essentially not finished from the refit, the shuttle bay's forward partitions may have just not been installed yet. In the movie Star Trek V, we see a slightly different shuttle bay, which seems to be shorter and has a forward wall, with two shuttle-size doors, assumable for the shuttle elevators, going down to the hanger deck. |
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