Types of Sci-Fi Warship (Frigate, Destroyer etc.)

[Graham Kennedy]

I'd estimate that maybe a third of the volume goes to the nose and nacelles. Let's be generous and say half, though. That still leaves the working space as being 25,000 tons worth.

That would make her working space as big as the Russian Kirov class battlecruiser - and bear in mind that a chunk of that ship's space goes to engines and such too. Still, she can support over 700 crew and carry well over 200 missiles (and many of those are at least several times larger than a photon torpedo), plus guns, torpedoes, etc.

One could easily make the case that the Defiant is big enough to be called a cruiser, let alone a destroyer. Or not; there's a lot we don't know about starship design, and little we know about what words like Destroyer and Cruiser mean in the Trekverse.

[Mikey]

If Defiant is a PT boat, she sure as hell punches above her weight.

[McAvoy]

I'd estimate that maybe a third of the volume goes to the nose and nacelles. Let's be generous and say half, though. That still leaves the working space as being 25,000 tons worth.

That would make her working space as big as the Russian Kirov class battlecruiser - and bear in mind that a chunk of that ship's space goes to engines and such too. Still, she can support over 700 crew and carry well over 200 missiles (and many of those are at least several times larger than a photon torpedo), plus guns, torpedoes, etc.

One could easily make the case that the Defiant is big enough to be called a cruiser, let alone a destroyer. Or not; there's a lot we don't know about starship design, and little we know about what words like Destroyer and Cruiser mean in the Trekverse.

If you design the ship like a modern naval ship. I have served on the them, they are cramped, three people per bunk, in large berthings. Passageways are barely big enough to have maybe two people side by side. Majority of all pipes, valves, motors etc is in plain view and sometimes can be in the way.

Defiant was designed with minimal creature comforts in mind but they still give alot of space in passage ways, even the rooms which they sleep.

[Graham Kennedy]

Things like that are certainly worth consideration, but they just don't do enough to cover the difference.