Why The Hayden Class Is My Favorite Fan Ship

The original motion picture Enterprise is my favorite ship in Star Trek. It's just beautiful. The design is so graceful and balanced. It's somehow modern while also being a little retro without looking like some cornball vision straight out of a silly golden age pulp science fiction book.

Love it. I like the smaller ships with high potential. And just like modern navies are getting smaller and smaller in ship size with modern frigates being more powerful than older destroyers due to great lethality upgrades. Nice lines too. Wish they had a bunch during the Dominion war. Would have been more useful than the defiant class.

I've day-dreamed a ship with a similar role as escort/scout but originating as a specialised science vessel for inserting into dangerous nebulae etc. With it performing surprisingly well when encountering pirates who tend to roam said areas the class was upgraded and expanded into policing/escort/scout roles. It's form would reflect this: a broad aerodynamic "flying wing" saucer/hull for when phenomenon would disrupt shielding/deflectors and providing a good array of sensors; a specialised single/combined nacelle above supported by two pylons for robustness, to minimise phenomenon effecting the nacelle, and a scoop like pod embedded in the buzzard collector for large sampling of nebulae which could be replaced with additional sensors/torpedoes in future.

"We all had fond memories of growing up" -- we?

First time seeing the design and i like it, and i see where you comming from with the submarine vibes, wich is also why the NX class is one of my favorite designs.
Never underestimate smaller ships, just becourse its small, they tends to punch above its weight in some way or another, and learning that Haydens carry quantum torps?! what next? tricobalt torpedos just for good measure?, dont take me wrong, I LOVE IT.

This may very well be the most well thought out ship design in all of Trek. It would make an absolutely stellar "harasser". If we're saying it uses the same warp core as a Defiant Class, there is enough power there for a litany of modifications/additions. Imagine a rogue crew with a modified Hayden just out in the fringes.

You say it has a conn officer, helm officer, tactical officer. I always thought the conn was the helm?

That warp bubble explanation sounds all hand wavy. If it's a harder bubble to detect, then why wasn't it more common.

@ venomgeekmedia9886
Do the 4 "Technicians" include medical staff or dedicated science personnel.
Edit:
After spending half the day driving and thinking on this; the Medical personnel would probably be handled by an EMH with holo-emitters everywhere in the ship, like the Phoenix.
As far as the specialist Science personal, probably not for this class.

I'm 43 years old, and now I daydream about this ship while I mountain bike or walk with my sled dogs for hours. What have You done...? 😅

I always loved smaller ships like the Saber Class, Nova Class, and Delta Flyer, etc. I loved playing with them in the Star Trek Armada games.

But I had no idea this ship even existed, which itself is a bit of a miracle since I thought I knew every ship.

Refreshing to be wrong, and now I want a Firefly-style show with this one! 😁

Cheers from Switzerland

I like your overall idea on how the vertical orientation helps maintain a low warp profile, but I'd actually go a step further and suggest that the vertical pairing, at least as it appears on this ship with no blue glowy grills facing inward towards one another, is functionally what you could consider a "dual mono" nacelle vessel. So the two nacelles aren't really even used simultaneously. It at least, not normally.

In the same way that some have suggested that 4 nacelle ships actually operate by alternating two pairs to allow for cool-down periods, you could gain the advantages of an efficient, low warp profile single nacelle ship, but ameliorate the speed disadvantage inherent to that design by swapping off between the two nacelles.

And actually, this would also go a certain way to explaining something about this vessel that doesn't quite sit right with me. Namely, the way those sensor modules are mounted to the nacelles. You wouldn't think a sensor would perform very well mounted right on top of a source of radiation. Now obviously, you can hand wave this away with techno jargon, but why design it like that in the first place? Why not just mount a sensor module to its own pylon? Well, if we accept that these are powerful sensors, equipped with very robust, high capacity EPS conduits, there could be some advantages to mounting them right next to the main warp plasma conduit.

So if we assume the nacelles alternate, so too would the sensor module. When the upper nacelle is carrying the ship, the lower sensor module is the one actively searching, and vice versa.

My favorite class is the Akira, and the Nebula before that. I guess I have a type, lol.

Neat ship! A cool, scrappy little arrowhead.

I feel a fitting name for one of these ships would be the USS Gungnir, named after the legendary Norse spear weapon of the god Odin.
In mythology, Gungnir is said to always hit its target regardless of a warrior’s skill, which really fits a starship that can blast enemies that it can detect even when cloaked,

So curious, will you be going over the Vienna class? I won't lie, as a former submariner if we broke this down to submarine classifications, the Hayden is definitely the SSN fast attack. Basically, your Sea Wolf and Virginia class subs. They would be the type who would go on long lone patrols or be part of a wolfpack as you mentioned earlier. While the Vienna would probably be like the SSBN and/or SSGN. It would be the large Ohio class that while not as fast the fast attacks, they are designed to drop warheads on foreheads. The nukes and conventional guided missiles, a first strike platform and strategic deterrent that would operate alone most of the time. Or have a group of Hayden class ships prowling around the operational area to warn them if the Romulans heading their way and to relocate. There is also the concept of the WWII German U-boat configuration, where the Vienna serves as the command variant to the Hayden in the neutral zone as the German wolfpack doctrine was based around size and their roles. I'm not going to get into that description as that is a lengthy one, but if you're curious I explain what I was taught in BESS (Basic Enlistment Submarine School) when it came to submarine history. However, this is assuming the Vienna is of this concept based around the idea of vertical warp nacelles to be essentially the stealth profile propulsion and how such a design could be used based around the submarine concepts and some of their history.

You still have a very weird relationship with rhotic and non-rhotic pronunciations.
Still can't forget your way of saying eg "D'Deridex"
Grew up in France, perhaps?

The entire basis for Federation starships is structurally unsound. Who in their right minds would place propulsion on pylons and a bridge out to the void of space?

3 of these and 1 promethues class would be a brutal little hunter killer sqaudron

A question about the warp nacelles. There's no such thing as vertical or horizontal in space, so why don't all ships have their nacelles rotated to achieve the same effect of reduced warp signature?

White Star from Babylon 5

I like this ship, but im not sure about 2 things.

1. Its size. I get that its patroling the neutral zone, but if it detects something like a ship incursion or or something along those lines, it would seem inefficient if it couldn't handle the situation if it where to come to a fire fight. The training would need to be top notch to talk down and the situation, but due to its size, shooting quantum torpedoes and then running until another ship comes along kinda defeats the purpose. The enemy ship could leave, could go further into UFP space. Its a bit like using motorcycles to patrol the border. It doesn't quite seem very efficient.

2. While I like the idea of these ships being a bit of a specialized ship. Im not sure if another operational ship couldn't do this job. You could have modified Sabers, Novas or even Defient class for example doing this. The shipyards are already there. The infrastructure is there for upgrades, personal and operations. To me, it just seems more resourse effective to use an already existing plateform.

Regardless, this is a cool little ship!

Dang... that IS a cool ship, both in mission profile *and* aesthetic. I think I love it.

I have always been a fan of vertically aligned nacelle designs.

From top or bottom, it looks like a push dagger.

Seeing a tiny Hayden class silhouetted against a giant Kerchan class is just crazy!

Those were the ships from the mars defense perimeter that swarmed the borg cube after the massacre at wolf 359.(at least in my minds eye)

I was 10 when TNG first aired in the fall of 1987. I'd seen a bunch of commercials for it over the summer, so I was already pretty pumped. However, the only movie I'd seen was the previous year's The Voyage Home, in which there were not exactly a lot of Starfleet ships flying around onscreen. Of course there's the Enterprise A reveal at the end, but as memorable as that is to me now, for whatever reason it didn't make that much of an impression at the time. I'd also seen a handful of TOS reruns, so I had seen the original Enterprise model in all its somewhat creaky 1960s TV budget glory. At least enough to know that the ship in the new show was an evolution of that design. But from the moment the camera pans up on the Enterprise D at the beginning of "Encounter At Farpoint", that ship emblazoned itself firmly into my mind, and has been there ever since.

And... uh... yeah... it's probably safe to say that Counselor Troi and her assortment of low cut outfits over the years made her my first character crush as well. 😂🤣

Why don't ships establish line of sight with stars then fire on any distortion as Sulu did after "to be or not to be"

My first ship crush was the enterprise d

i now love vertical nacelle designs, i didnt know i liked them so much untill after watching this

Who else thinks, oh, we are at war with Romulans, to H*ll with treaties, lets build some cloaking devices.

"You're not going to have a sign up that says 'I'm a cloaked ship'..."

Pakled: "Oooooo....we are cloaked, we are strong, we are smart."
"Pakled, where are you...we can't see you,"
a large cardboard sign appears out of nowhere, seemingly appeari g from the nothingness
Pakled: "We are here...we are waving at you. You cannot see us. We are smart. We are Pakled."
rolls eyes in Klingon

On a serious note...aren't there issues with having your specialized sensor arrays attached to your nacelles? I wonder how the interference is countered?

That's wonderful star ship federation

Would love to be the fly on the wall, the moment the Romulans found out that the Hayden can throw quantum torpedoes.

Amazing

sensor officer: "CON! SENSORS! CRAZY ROMULAN!
i see the hayden class as a hunter killer sub, small, quiet, but with REALLY sharp fangs if it can get in the first bite.
and since their crews are doing such a dangerous job, they get the best of everything, the best food, first call on repairs and requisitions, etc.
and since the prerequisite for service on these vessels is skill, regardless of anything else, the crews are composed almost entirely of the square pegs that are brilliant, but just don't fit in anywhere else, they are all considered to be slightly crazy by the rest of starfleet.

Unfortunately, you’re comparing a F 15 to a aircraft carrier in a long war you need to resupply your ships. You should make that your next video.

"All Trek Ships are Special and Unique in their own ways..., (Some are just more special and unique than others.)" 😆

That thing is hideous looking... hard pass

🏳️‍🌈✊🇬🇧 just sayin' - you pictured rather cute next gen and tos chaps... Not chappetes... If you are comfortable, are you... Part of the team?

OK can someone tell me why they have never flipped the standard design of starships the best position in a warp field is low and forward so why do saucer sections go up from the body of the ship if it were flipped and the neck went down or even straight ish the ship would sit in the absolute best part of the warp bubble position is what makes the Excelsior and Excelsior 2 such widely used and efficient warp ships now imagine an oh Excelsior with the neck chopped and the saucer attached just under the edge of the body it would put the nose of the saucer directly in the bottom front of the warp bubble making it the most efficient ship in starfleet at warp

Im missing something here. Ive never even heard of this ship or class. What gives? Am i jumping realities? Feels like it. Im thinking tbis is fan based? But you said you remember this ship was your favorite.

As a casual viewer… this seriously might be my favorite video of yours! (Do love all you content btw!)

But this makes sense!!! All the points you brought about in the Interceptor video - THIS should be the mass produced agile attack ship! As you mentioned Defiant’s are too costly and complicated to field/crew in any serious numbers, but packs and packs of these lil arrowheads - I LIKES!

Im not a fan or Condor or Peregrines, but squadrons of these amassed- not just for neutral zone patrols, but as outpost fast reaction wolf packs— Ohhh Wow!!!!! Linked together, kill web enabled- seriously a force to be reckoned with!

Great video, Many Thanks for the great content- Cheers

I feel an ‘NX’ Dauntless hull design with an Achilles class arsenal and armament would be my preferred hunter-killer.

("🖖😎👍!").