Valiant Class

Universe :	Prime Timeline
Affiliation :	Humans
Class Name :	Valiant Class
Type :	Explorer
Unit Run :	SS Valiant - Destroyed1 plus 30 others built in total. 3 have been lost in all. 28 have been retired from service.
Commissioned :	2064 - 2100, remained in service until 2120
Dimensions :	Length : 97 m2 Beam : 38 m Height : 19 m3 Decks : 5
Mass :	6,800 metric tons
Crew :	80
Armament :	2 x Laser cannon 1 x Mod 1 spatial torpedo tube with 8 rounds
Defence Systems :	Light Monotanium Single hull. Low level Structural Integrity Field
Warp Speeds (TOS scale) :	Normal Cruise : 1 Maximum Cruise : 1.05 Maximum Rated : 1.1 for 1 hours.
Strength Indices : (Galaxy class = 1,000)	Beam Firepower : - Torpedo Firepower : 0.04 Weapon Range and Accuracy : 5 Shield Strength : - Hull Armour : 0.31 Speed : 1 Combat Manoeuvrability : 480
Overall Strength Index :	8
Diplomatic Capability :	2
Expected Hull Life :	20
Refit Cycle :	Minor : 1 year Standard : 1 years Major : 5 years

Notes

Once Zefram Cochrane completed his first practical warp flight in the Phoenix and made First Contact with the Vulcans4, his warp project attracted huge interest and funding. He set out at once to construct a new and much more ambitious vessel, capable of extended duration interstellar missions. The work proceeded remarkably smoothly, and by late in 2063 the S.S. Valiant was launched. The Valiant employed the same fusion reactor power core as the Phoenix, but where the Phoenix had one such reactor the Valiant employed six. The nacelles also employed the same design, but the addition of a second pair of warp coils increased their length by some 80%. Outside the propulsion system, much of the ship was based on technology donated by the Vulcans.

In 2064 the Valiant herself set off on a mission of exploration; the ship failed to return and was reported lost in 2065. In fact the Valiant was eventually swept out of the galaxy. The ship was virtually destroyed while trying to cross the great energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy. Six of the crew where killed, but a seventh experienced some form of mutation which dramatically increased ESP powers. Fearing the rapidly increasing power of the crewmember, the captain of the Valiant ordered the ship destroyed.1

The Valiants continued to be built for over thirty five years, though the design was massively improved throughout this period and later members of the class bore little internal resemblance to the first ships. They continued in service until as late as 2130, operating well beyond their designed hull life.

Colour key

References

#	Series	Season	Source	Comment
1	TOS	1	Where No Man Has Gone Before
2				Calculated from the diagram comparing the Constellation, Miranda, warp shuttle, and Valiant class ships ('show resource' entry under Starships). Note that this uses the conjectural figure for the length of the Miranda.
3
4			Star Trek : First Contact

Comments

The Valiant was stated to have been lost in 2065, only two years after the flight of the Phoenix. To even build a ship in such a short time I think it would have to be based almost directly on the Phoenix herself, hence I've said that it shares the same engine layout components. The idea of Vulcan help is also intended to explain how the ship was built so quickly.

One big problem with the Valiant is that even if she was launched within a few months of the Phoenix, she would only have a maximum of 2 years to reach the edge of the galaxy. Given that this is a trip of a good 1,000 light years of more, the Valiant should be able to average Warp 10 (TOS scale, warp 7.94 on the TNG scale). This is way faster than the ship should be able to do - hell, it's almost two TNG warp factors faster than a Galaxy class starships average cruise!

I can only think of two ways this could happen. The first is the 'warp highways' theory - there could be 'spacelanes', naturally occurring stretches of space where warp drive works far better than it normally does elsewhere. This idea would also allow for oddities like the Enterprise-A's trip to the centre of the galaxy in "Star Trek V : The Final Frontier". The other possibility is that the Valiant encountered some sort of alien craft which dragged it off at high speed - a variation on what happened to the E-D in "The N'th Degree". Personally I don't like either of these ideas all that much, but I can't think of anything else offhand.

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Last updated : 31 Jul 2004

Series :	TOS Season 1 (Disc 1)
Episode :	Where No Man Has Gone Before