So, how does Starfleet build its starships?

[LaughingCheese]

Early design flaws worked out over time...

BUT....

Do we ever see the GCS's refitted with these design updates?

Or did Starfleet just figure 'screw it' and incorporate the fixes in the Sovereign class?

[Mikey]

Early design flaws worked out over time...

BUT....

Do we ever see the GCS's refitted with these design updates?

Or did Starfleet just figure 'screw it' and incorporate the fixes in the Sovereign class?

No, we don't. But - and here's where license for logical deduction comes in - we do see the GCS with a different appearance to the superstructure (so we know that changes have been made) as well as seemingly fewere incidences of AWC* syndrome.

*AWC = "Angry Warp Core"

[Captain Seafort]

Do we ever see the GCS's refitted with these design updates?

We saw them take a lot more punishment during the war without blowing up than the E-D ever did.

[Praeothmin]

Also, in TNG, in the last two season (don't remember if its season 6 or 7), we do see the E-D get a new Warp Core, so we know that they do replace those occasionaly...

[kostmayer]

Maybe there was a bad batch of Warp Cores but all the ships that had them by then had already blown up.

[Sionnach Glic]

It's possible that there was simply a problem with the warp cores of the original batch of GCSes due to a design error, which was spotted and fixed within a few years.

[Praeothmin]

Yeah, the pedal got stuck and the ship kept accelerating and wouldn't stop...
Those were on the old "Toyota" type Cores...

[Deepcrush]

Well, if they were Fords then everyone would be pissed cause they couldn't figure out why the things are still running...

[Captain Seafort]

It's possible that there was simply a problem with the warp cores of the original batch of GCSes due to a design error, which was spotted and fixed within a few years.

If that's the case it took them a very long time to fix it. The Odyssey and the E-D were lost to core breaches over a decade after the class first entered service.

[Praeothmin]

It's possible that there was simply a problem with the warp cores of the original batch of GCSes due to a design error, which was spotted and fixed within a few years.

If that's the case it took them a very long time to fix it. The Odyssey and the E-D were lost to core breaches over a decade after the class first entered service.

Perhaps it wasn't automatically popping up.
Like the Toyota issue, not all cars with the same faulty part had the issue come up, so perhaps it took special circumstances for the Cores to blow, like someone staring real hard at them...

Next TNG episode:
"Men who stare at Warp Cores"...

[Sionnach Glic]

It's possible that there was simply a problem with the warp cores of the original batch of GCSes due to a design error, which was spotted and fixed within a few years.

If that's the case it took them a very long time to fix it. The Odyssey and the E-D were lost to core breaches over a decade after the class first entered service.

Well I'd imagine that they'd only really started worrying about it after the Yamato went up in flames with all hands. That was Series 4 (IIRC), so given a year or so to realise what the problem is, begin figuring out a solution, testing said solution out, verifying it works and then giving the order for all GCSes to be reffitted as soon as is practical, that would extend the service times of some of the unmodded GCSes. Additionaly, given that many of the GCSes would be out in remote regions on multi-year missions, I don't find it too surprising that there were still ships a number of years later with the older cores.

Though why the flagship of the fleet wasn't refitted is a mystery.

[Atekimogus]

Well let us not forget that both, the loss of the Yamato and the loss of the Odyssey where due to extreme unlikely circumstances which starfleet might not have blamed on faulty warp cores.

No matter how stupid the idea oou is, the conclusion of the Yamato incident was not that the warp core was faulty, but that an extreme advanced alien super-computervirus was to blame ie could have happened to every ship, one was just unlucky. The Romulan warbird doesn't even have a warp core and was similarily threatened with destruction.

The Odyssey, after beeing pounded without shields for minutes, finally suffers huge structural damage in sensitive areas. Now maybe there was something wrong with the warpcore but I wouldn't find it that surprising if starfleet decided the loss was inevitable given the damage suffered. Once again no iu mention of faulty warp cores.

Cause and Effect never happened as far as Starfleet is concerned, so also no reason to consider a new warp core which,

leaves the E-D at the end of Generations with pretty much the only incident where it is rather clear that there is something wrong with the warp core system. If this really is the first time they seriously reviewed safety procedures for this system it would fit in rather nicely with later more stable GCS'.

[Captain Seafort]

No matter how stupid the idea oou is, the conclusion of the Yamato incident was not that the warp core was faulty, but that an extreme advanced alien super-computervirus was to blame ie could have happened to every ship, one was just unlucky.

Doesn't change the case that the very fact that the computer could override the antimatter venting (the immediate cause of the Yamato's loss) is idiotic. The ship had no failsafe.

The Romulan warbird doesn't even have a warp core and was similarily threatened with destruction.

The warbird was almost lost to a self destruct. A case of something working perfectly at the wrong time, not badly designed safety systems failing to work.

The Odyssey, after beeing pounded without shields for minutes, finally suffers huge structural damage in sensitive areas.

And held together. If both the bug and the Odyssey had exploded on impact I wouldn't have a problem with it, but the ship held together for several seconds afterwards, indicating that power to the core and antimatter pods wasn't immediately lost. That should have been enough time for them to eject, leaving the Odyssey crippled but saving the crew, who would then be able to retreat in the saucer section.

leaves the E-D at the end of Generations with pretty much the only incident where it is rather clear that there is something wrong with the warp core system.

The E-D was nearly lost to pod containment failure in "Disaster" and jammed AM injectors in "Hollow Pursuits". Worse, pod containment failure was the scenario that destroyed the ship in Troi's command test in "Thine Own Self". Starfleet knew about the problems and simply trained it's personnel in workarounds rather than fixing it.

Well I'd imagine that they'd only really started worrying about it after the Yamato went up in flames with all hands. That was Series 4 (IIRC)

Series 2. You're giving Starfleet too much credit.

[Mikey]

In general I tend to agree, but this:

...indicating that power to the core and antimatter pods wasn't immediately lost.

I have a slight issue with. While it does indicate that power to those systems wasn't totally lost immediately, it does not follow that such power wasn't lost partially and degraded from there; nor does it indicate that power wasn't lost subsequently but as a result of the damage from the impact.

[Graham Kennedy]

Really the Yamato one is the one that bothers me least. Yes the system isn't fail safe. So what? What says it even can be?