NX-02 problem

[Owen E Oulton]

UDT/F, your grasp of naval history and designations is pretty shaky. Yes, US Navy ships have a contract number - it has nothing to do with the hull number. US Navy ships have a hull number which designates the type of ship (CV is a carrier, DD is a Destroyer, CA is a Cruiser, etc...) with a number sequence which applies only to that type of ship.

NCC originally meant nothing - it was derived from US civil aircraft registration (N was the US national designator and C meant it was a civilian aircraft). 1701, was actually the street address of one of the crew on the show. A photo of Jefferies 1935 Waco aircraft is reproduced in A Star Trek Sketchbook and definitely is not 1701, but a 5-digit number (don't have access to the book right now, so I can't quote the exact number). The second "C" was added for æsthetic reasons.

The explanation of NCC as "Naval Construction Contract" originates with Franz Joseph Designs' Star Fleet Technical Manual, and Naval Contract Code with later fannish works.

The closest one can come to a canon meaning for Federation-era NCC numbers is the informal system used by the Star Trek art department during TNG and DS9. NCC is a Starfleet active service vessel. NX is a Starfleet experimental or prototype vessel. Other Federation vessels also begin with "N" - NFT is a Federation civilian transport, NAR is a Federation civilian science vessel, NSP is a Vulcan registry, and so on. the "CC" would appear officially to be a Federation designator for an active service Starfleet ship.

[AngryTree]

The picture of Matt Jefferies plane has the registry "NC 17740"

On page 62 of the Star Trek Sketchbook, Jefferies talks about the Enterprise registry:

It hadn't been decided what the serial number was going to be . . . so I gave the Enterprise my own designation, without any profound single reason for the sequence. Since the 1920's, N has indicated the United States in Navy terms, and C means 'commercial' vessel. I added an extra C just for fun. Interestingly, Russia's designation is CCC. So the N and the C together made it kind of international. After that, I had to pick some numbers. They had to be easily identifiable from a distance, so that eliminated 3, 8, 6, 9, and 4--none of which is that clear from a distance. That didn't leave much! So 1701 was as good a choice as any. The reason we gave for the choice afterwards was that the Enterprise was the 17th major design of the Federation, and the first in the series. 17-01!

[UDT/Frogman]

well may be u right Owen

[UDT/Frogman]

Originally posted by Owen E Oulton
One thing you're all forgetting is that NX-01 is not a Federation Starship - the Federation won't be founded for another 6 or 7 years. The NCC/NX dichotomy does not yet exist.

ok then why would starfleet change its registration system right after formation of federation

[prophetsteve]

Keep in mind that "NX" as in Enterprise NX-01 probably does not mean the same as "NX" as in Excelsior NX-2000.

Its been shown that a lot of old ships in Pre-federation and civilian Federation have "Letter" class names, as evidenced by the DY-100, the J-Class and Y-Class Freighters. Its likely that the NX designation is just following the style of the times.

Perhaps later, when experimental Starfleet vessels were being created, the creators of the NCC system found it pleasing to call their prototypes NX, both as to designate it as Naval eXperimental vessels, but also an homage to the ship that helped found the Federation.

At least, that is how I am going to explain it

[Lezta]

Because 'Earth Starfleet' is not 'Starfleet' that we know and love. Same name, different organisations.

[UDT/Frogman]

u know prophetsteve ur explanation is the most realistic i have heared in this thred

[UDT/Frogman]

ok if u havent heared


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