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Description

The Constitution class heavy cruiser and its variants ( Constellation fusion testbed (2226), Constellation dilithium testbed (2238), Republic heavy cruiser prototype (2238), Constitution heavy cruiser (production prototype) (2242), USS Enterprise heavy cruiser (production prototype) (2245), USS Constitution heavy cruiser (operational standard) (2245), USS Constellation heavy cruiser (operational standard) (2245), USS Republic heavy cruiser (operational standard) (2245), Constitution heavy cruiser class (2247), Constitution Flight II heavy cruiser (2251), Bonhomme Richard heavy cruiser subclass (2251), Bonhomme Richard heavy cruiser subclass (Type 2) (2256), Bonhomme Richard heavy cruiser subclass (Type 3) (2256), Constitution Flight III heavy cruiser (2260), Victory heavy cruiser subclass (2265), USS Republic heavy cruiser (Academy trainer) (2286)) are Part 5 of the Project Starship series.

Image provided by: Adrasil
Inspirations from: Star Trek (The Original Series), Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Fleet Technical Manual (Franz Joseph), Ships of the Star Fleet (Calon Riel), FASA, captshade ,Nichodo
History from: Hobbyist's Guide to the UFP Starfleet , by Timo Saloniemi

Variant blueprints: Access via Adrasil's Download button

Featured in: Starship Recognition Manual #298

Constellation was the original “lead” vessel of Project Starship, having served around 17 years as an Advance class battle cruiser, before being removed from active service in 2219 due to severe battle damage. Granted to the Chiokis shipbuilders in 2222, over the next 23 years she was dismantled, reconstructed, tested and warp-ran, and then reconstructed again. That last prototypical rebuild bore light on the silhouette of what would become the epitome of a Star Fleet starship for decades.

At the time of sister test ship Republic ’s own conversion into the prototype third-generation heavy cruiser, it was thought that Constellation’s time in reconstruction did not provide a solid basis for determining what lengths and costs would be associated with converting a typical Horizon to the new standards. Instead, because of great faith in her physical superstructure, it was decided she would “join” the future class as a one-off variant, possibly serving alongside the production vessels or (more likely) as a training ship for those crews that would be trusted to take those same vessels out to the frontiers of Federation space. In mid-2239, she entered the shipyard once again in order to be equipped with the sensors, living spaces, weaponry and propulsion necessary to truly make her operational.

However, mere months before her early-2243 scheduled re-commissioning, work efforts were ordered halted. Early analysis of the Constitution combat sensor tapes suggested the Republic design could undoubtedly be improved upon and it would be intuitive to include such improvements on Constellation. By the time the re-finalized production plans were completed, the external shapes—specifically of the secondary hull—were far more similar to the originating Horizon class, which Constellation had retained—until 2239. The re-conversion of Constellation, Republic, and Constitution began in 2244, alongside the continuing construction of Enterprise (NCC-1701). Of note, in order to commit due diligence, a last study was made to again catalog every difference between the finalized Constellation and Republic designs in order to properly ascertain how difficult and costly it might be to convert the remaining Horizons to the Starship standard. With little surprise to anyone, it would be unfeasible to conduct such a conversion on what was noted to be a class of ship designed and first fielded almost sixty years prior.

USS Constellation was re-commissioned in June 2245 and served in her initial Constitution production standard variant—in a primary exploration and diplomacy role—until Flight II configuration in the 2250s. In the mid-Sixties she would be overhauled into the Bonhomme Richard standard, just prior to her 2267 loss—and that of the highly decorated Commodore Matt Decker—to a leviathan of possible extragalactic origin.

Would you like to learn more about this class of ship? Download the free Hobbyist's Guide to the UFP Starfleet , a three-volume, 1236-page history of space flight, by Timo Saloniemi.

For an extremely rich gallery of Star Trek starships and vessels from other universes, check out my partner, Adrasil , here on DeviantArts.

Description

The Constitution class heavy cruiser and its variants ( Constellation fusion testbed (2226), Constellation dilithium testbed (2238), Republic heavy cruiser prototype (2238), Constitution heavy cruiser (production prototype) (2242), USS Enterprise heavy cruiser (production prototype) (2245), USS Constitution heavy cruiser (operational standard) (2245), USS Constellation heavy cruiser (operational standard) (2245), USS Republic heavy cruiser (operational standard) (2245), Constitution heavy cruiser class (2247), Constitution Flight II heavy cruiser (2251), Bonhomme Richard heavy cruiser subclass (2251), Bonhomme Richard heavy cruiser subclass (Type 2) (2256), Bonhomme Richard heavy cruiser subclass (Type 3) (2256), Constitution Flight III heavy cruiser (2260), Victory heavy cruiser subclass (2265), USS Republic heavy cruiser (Academy trainer) (2286)) are Part 5 of the Project Starship series.

Image provided by: Adrasil
Inspirations from: Star Trek (The Original Series), Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Fleet Technical Manual (Franz Joseph), Ships of the Star Fleet (Calon Riel), FASA, captshade ,Nichodo
History from: Hobbyist's Guide to the UFP Starfleet , by Timo Saloniemi

Variant blueprints: Access via Adrasil's Download button

Featured in: Starship Recognition Manual #298

Constellation was the original “lead” vessel of Project Starship, having served around 17 years as an Advance class battle cruiser, before being removed from active service in 2219 due to severe battle damage. Granted to the Chiokis shipbuilders in 2222, over the next 23 years she was dismantled, reconstructed, tested and warp-ran, and then reconstructed again. That last prototypical rebuild bore light on the silhouette of what would become the epitome of a Star Fleet starship for decades.

At the time of sister test ship Republic ’s own conversion into the prototype third-generation heavy cruiser, it was thought that Constellation’s time in reconstruction did not provide a solid basis for determining what lengths and costs would be associated with converting a typical Horizon to the new standards. Instead, because of great faith in her physical superstructure, it was decided she would “join” the future class as a one-off variant, possibly serving alongside the production vessels or (more likely) as a training ship for those crews that would be trusted to take those same vessels out to the frontiers of Federation space. In mid-2239, she entered the shipyard once again in order to be equipped with the sensors, living spaces, weaponry and propulsion necessary to truly make her operational.

However, mere months before her early-2243 scheduled re-commissioning, work efforts were ordered halted. Early analysis of the Constitution combat sensor tapes suggested the Republic design could undoubtedly be improved upon and it would be intuitive to include such improvements on Constellation. By the time the re-finalized production plans were completed, the external shapes—specifically of the secondary hull—were far more similar to the originating Horizon class, which Constellation had retained—until 2239. The re-conversion of Constellation, Republic, and Constitution began in 2244, alongside the continuing construction of Enterprise (NCC-1701). Of note, in order to commit due diligence, a last study was made to again catalog every difference between the finalized Constellation and Republic designs in order to properly ascertain how difficult and costly it might be to convert the remaining Horizons to the Starship standard. With little surprise to anyone, it would be unfeasible to conduct such a conversion on what was noted to be a class of ship designed and first fielded almost sixty years prior.

USS Constellation was re-commissioned in June 2245 and served in her initial Constitution production standard variant—in a primary exploration and diplomacy role—until Flight II configuration in the 2250s. In the mid-Sixties she would be overhauled into the Bonhomme Richard standard, just prior to her 2267 loss—and that of the highly decorated Commodore Matt Decker—to a leviathan of possible extragalactic origin.

Would you like to learn more about this class of ship? Download the free Hobbyist's Guide to the UFP Starfleet , a three-volume, 1236-page history of space flight, by Timo Saloniemi.

For an extremely rich gallery of Star Trek starships and vessels from other universes, check out my partner, Adrasil , here on DeviantArts.