Starfleet's OVERUSED Starship - Miranda-class

Why does Starfleet use so many of them? Are they cheap to manufacture and then throw away in battle, or are they just really good at their tasks? We’ll explore this today as we dive into our Star Trek Starships Explained Series: The Miranda Class. Coming in at 233 Metres, the Miranda-class starship, a Medium Cruiser, was introduced in the early 2260s. It would suit 220 officers and crew while having a 500-personal evacuation limit.
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___________________________________________
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:55 - Technical Information
05:31 - Interior Design
07:43 - Lore & History
13:00 - Behind the Scenes Info
16:55 - Conclusion
18:09 - Outro
Sources:
MemoryAlpha
MemoryBeta
Paramount - Visual Effects of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
Video Credits:
Written by Jack Trestrail
Presented by Adam Watson
Edited by Troy Courtney-Hart
Special thanks to:
Marc Bell VFX - Muranda Class
www.marcbellvfx.com/projects/...
‪@TheZEFilms‬ - Miranda & Reliant Class Gameplay Footage
‪@deLimitedProductions‬ - REDUX ST II
‪@Omniscape‬ - Unreal Engine ST Battle Footage
‪@JasonAdank‬ - Miranda--class Flyby
• USS Saratoga (Miranda ...
‪@captrobau2686‬ - USS Reliant Attack
• USS Reliant Surprise A...
DS9 4kHD Battle Scene -
• Star Trek Deep Space N...
___________________________________________
All STAR TREK® footage and its various marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. 2022 © CBS Studios Inc./Paramount Global Pictures Corp.
Title: Starfleet's OVERUSED Starship - Miranda-class
#StarTrek #StarTrekExplained #USSReliant
Star Trek Starships Explained, Star Trek, Star Trek Miranda-class, Star Trek USS Reliant, Star Trek Trek Central, Star Trek Starships,

[@saltysailormike]

I love the Miranda class. One of my favorite starship designs.

[@cosmicquestion9184]

The Miranda has the right to remain silent, but never will.

[@bonemar66]

The Miranda class's close-to-the-hull design means less dead space to extend warp fields and battle shields over. Fewer "easy targets" (like long nacelle struts). It was such a good idea that not only did they still use Miranda class ships in the 24th century, they borrowed the design aesthetic for the Nebula class.

[@arthurchadwell9267]

It's a great design. I think the NX class sort of mimics the Miranda.

[@goldeng8073]

Completely agree, I think the Miranda and Nebula classes are better as the Nacelles are less exposed, they are a sleeker design

[@rohenthar8449]

The last type of Miranda, if Im correct is Shi'Kar class.

[@joesheridan95]

@@arthurchadwell9267 Could be from a design perspective. The idea fits, but in universe it would probably be the other way around: They probably thought: Hey we had this relatively little but effective litte NX-class only a few decades ago... let´s look at what it did good and design a new ship around those aspects.

[@kyle857]

@Golden G there is obviously a reason in lore why the hero ships don't use that design. I imagine the more traditional layout has a more efficient warp field

[@charliesthill4790]

somehow, I just love the idea of one starship type that's so versatile , reliable and durable it can last for centuries .

[@kyle857]

The problem is metal fatigue. Even in the future, that would be an issue. Also, New systems tend to need more power, and re enginimg a ship often costs almost as much as just building a new one. It's why ships in real life have about a 40 year lifespan.

[@toomanyaccounts]

@@kyle857 they did refits of the ships. the B-52 is how old now?

[@TheZamaron]

@@kyle857 Um, dude, different settings and uses. Sea ships are consantly in the sea which has risk of rusting and other natural wear and tear damages, meanwhile sitting for months in dry dock out of water can also cause structural damage as they were desighned for water, not being suspended in the air or on dry land. Plus gravity weighing down on the sea ships. Starships on the other hand once we can get to Star Trek's level and be able to knock out difficulties in resource transportation have a more 3D space to work on and upgrade ships, also Sci Fi, nuff said for advanced technology, especially if replicators are used in material creation, ships still got to be physically put together, but replicators and dock arms an tracot beams plus maybe some robots or drones make ship construction likely much easier, where as we have to conpletely refit a dock for new sea ships, I assume space docks are more versatile, especially with so many alien ships likely coming and needing repair work, this allows Starfleet to be able to construct many more versatile ships then we can sea ships, which is why the US just tries to build ships which can last quite awhile, or like the Nimitz Carrier just build modular and upgradable so we can keep it around awhile.

[@SturdivantRacing126]

The Miranda class is what makes Star Trek seem more real. Practical, cheap to make and seen at scale. It feels like the more common ship that you'd see to represent the Federation for most modular assignments. Especially for first command type assigments.

[@Skruddgemire]

Not to mention that in the book canon, specifically the Starfleet Prototype books, the Miranda class was a benefit of the old Class A hulled tugs that had a full saucer section but weren't doing anything more exciting that pulling milk runs. They were a boon of Class A hulls that had nearly no wear and tear on them. The tug was redesigned to a much smaller ship with a bug fuck-off tractor beam and the hulls were refitted to new frigates.

[@archades115]

For the longest time the Miranda class was my favorite Starfleet design. Embodying that old saying: If it's not broken, don't fix it. And I love that elements of it's design did survive into other classes. Such as the Nebula class, Saber class, and ultimately the Reliant class.

[@podemosurss8316]

And don't forget the California class.

[@InfoTopCoatArmor]

@@podemosurss8316 Lower Decks on deck!

[@lukedogwalker]

HMS Victory was such a good design she was still in service 40 years after construction, and the Royal Navy based most of their late 1800's 120 gun ship designs on her. So there is real life precedent for keeping a successful design in service for over a century.

[@TheZamaron]

It's a great workhorse desighn. You only need a saucer, a larger shuttle area attachment, and new nacelle struts and boom, functional starship. THe Cantaur was like this with throwing Excalibur parts together.

[@nickshaw3619]

The Miranda class is like Starfleet's Crown Victoria: versatile enough to fill a bunch of roles, and made of so many leftovers from other designs, it might be less efficient NOT to build it.

[@bentstrider]

And just like in real life, still in service with smaller agencies years after they stopped being manufactured. I'd like to guess that even in the Picard/early 2400s, some Mirandas are still serving in a regional capacity. Plenty of lesser known Federation allies needing constant patrol of planetary ghettos.

[@nickshaw3619]

@bentstrider there HAS to be an episode of Lower Decks in the works, where Boimler and Marriner get into some Romulan Ale, call for a ride, and a beat up yellow Miranda shows up to give them a ride. On a serious note, given that the top speed of the Miranda is respectable (according to this video, at least) and it only needs a small crew, I could see it being the backbone of the fleet in secure sectors. The Vulcan ambassador probably takes an Excelsior to and from Earth, but merchants, scientists, etc? A Miranda would be perfectly acceptable, and not very resource intensive to have on that run.

[@brianmitchell6210]

Miranda Class is like the B-52 of Star Trek. It will be in use for 1000 years.

[@treyhelms5282]

B-52s, and Spitfires, IN SPACE! Lol.

[@michaelhughes6189]

@@treyhelms5282 Ah, but unlike the Spitfire, the B52 is still in service - and has been for nearly 70 years. By the time USAF decommissions them, the B52s will be 100 years old.

[@thunderboltcougar5626]

Or Mig-21 Fishbed

[@MichaelHeal99]

I once read the Galaxy Class was supposed to have a 100 year hull. Seems if a ship lasts 20 years in ST it's an old man and retired with honors. Tall ships in 18th & 19 century were typically scrapped at 10 to 20 years old. Time and duty took a toll on a ship.

[@jamiethedinosaur869]

Well, we haven’t seen any since the Dominion War, so they were probably finally retired then. That’s still a 110+ year lifespan for the class.

[@hackman669]

This class of ship should have its own series. Especially with Trek's Lost Years. Late Kirk era based on 80s films.

[@rhysholdaway]

"He tasks me, he tasks me and I shall have him. I'll chase him around the outer nebula and around Antares Maelstrom and around Perdition's flames before I give him up..." Dammit Jim, I love that film.❤️🖖

[@floyd9572]

I stab at thee

[@TomUlcak]

Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor. Not a film maker.

[@treyhelms5282]

And later with Khan's dying breath, on a ship about to explode, watching Enterprise try to get away: "From hell's heart... I stab at thee". Goosebumps.

[@rhysholdaway]

@@treyhelms5282 oh, so many good lines... Kirk: "Khan, you've got Genesis, but you don't have me. You were going to kill me, Khan [...but like a poor marksman you keep missing your target...]. You're going to have to come down here! You're going to have to come down here!" Khan: "I've done far worse than kill you. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her, marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet... Buried alive! Buried alive..." Kirk: "KHAAAAN!"

[@treyhelms5282]

@@rhysholdaway “hours could seem like days”

[@90lancaster]

People found out that odd device with the glowing tubes that has been around in Movies and TV for decades is actually made partially out of Pool filters you can still buy even today. I liked it when Shatner was standing near it in the Airplane sequel. It's in Star Trek Movies as well as set decoration in the shuttle bay as well. It has it's own wikipedia page so I recall. A very nostalgic device.

[@LgiovanniF]

Obviously it doesn't make any sense to have an expensive piece of equipment lying around and nobody knows what it does

[@SaltRockStacker]

I like the Miranda class. It's one of my favorite "little" ships of Star Trek. I played Star Trek Online and this is your starter ship. And one of your early missions is to fend off a Borg ambush - with a Miranda! - But of course, plot dictates that you prevail and you get mad props from the captains of the reinforcing fleet.

[@explorinjenkins349]

Heck yeah, I loved that little ship. I named it Bonaventure after the ship from TAS.

[@ericmadsen7470]

The Miranda class in particular the U.S S. Reliant is 3rd on my list of favorite ship.

[@kyle857]

It's larger than a constitution

[@SaltRockStacker]

@@kyle857 Yes. But looking at the newer ship classes, the Miranda and OG Constitution hulls are tiny by comparison. And most likely the Miranda will outlive those new classes as well.

[@MoonjumperReviews]

That rotating laser thing with the blow dryers is a prop I remember seeing in virtually every sci-fi series and movie in the 1970s and 80s, then it showed up on 90s Star Trek, among others. So I figure it got passed around the prop houses for no less than 30 years. Hollywood loved that thing.

[@tetravega567]

*Most uncredited cameos by a prop

[@ronaldrobertson2332]

I saw it in the Regula 1 space station in Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan.

[@MoonjumperReviews]

@@ronaldrobertson2332 - Yup, that too!

[@chrishenry620]

It was also in "Airplane II: The Sequel" which also had Bill Shatner in it as the commander of the spaceport .

[@arthurchadwell9267]

When I was a kid back in the 70s, I invented a "Ranger" class light cruiser that looks very similar to the Miranda class. When STII:TWOK came out, I thought Paramount ripped me off! 😄

[@arthurchadwell9267]

In FASA's Star Trek role playing game, there was one almost identical to my Ranger class, called the Baker class.

[@lancerevell5979]

As a kid, I drew aircraft designs. One of my favorites was using a belly intake. A few years later, when I joined the Airforce in 1976, along comes the F-16! I felt like General Dynamics read my mind and ripped me off! 😄

[@arthurchadwell9267]

@@lancerevell5979 Exactly! The coincidence is sort of scary, isn't it? I guess great minds think alike... 😉

[@sailingmaster]

I still want to see a Miranda in SNW.

[@danielhomant2832]

The first replica ship I've ever made of any sci Fi ship was a Miranda Class based on designs and images of the Reliant. It turned out really good.

[@TomUlcak]

I think the Miranda class makes the story of Star Trek more believable. Which a great story must be. Love your videos. Well done.

[@hausofalts6220]

It is one of my favorite classes of starship, right up there with its technological successor the Nebula class!!

[@BammerD]

You remember the hair dryers connected to the tubes with flashing red lights from "Pathfinder"? I remember first seeing them in both "The Wrath Of Khan" and "The Last Starfighter."

[@kenw3360]

kind of remembering seeing them in Airplane 2.

[@BammerD]

@@kenw3360 Me too, but my first time remembering them were those two movies.

[@randallwong7196]

The Miranda is the bravest little ship class of them all.

[@ddrelanding]

Little?

[@roberthunter5059]

*Cali class has joined the chat*

[@YdnarLah37]

TWOK was my first Trek movie. I was to young and poor to have seen the MP in theaters. So when I see the clips of the movie now I get that nostalgic feeling.

[@TheShornak]

Those over used flashing light thing you said were attached to hairdryers the first I saw them was in Airplane II. In fact The Shat starts to go crazy looking at them saying there is to many blinking lights, etc... In the Shats style of acting.

[@sunfire29841]

Starfleet got hooked into the "the more you buy, the.more you save" schtick that befell so many others The Miranda class is Starfleet's C-130. Used for everything from airlift to firefighting to gunboat.

[@thecman26]

More like the A10 of Starfleet. It was so useful they could never retire it!

[@RedXlV]

Based on how many Mirandas are still around in the TNS/DS9/VOY era, I wouldn't be surprised if Starfleet built over a thousand of them.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

@@RedXlV Eh, 2000 even.

[@linz8291]

lol...the more space settlements we build, the more we reach galactic civilization.

[@TheBamaChad-W4CHD]

Absolutely THE work horse of Starfleet. No other can compare by far! I am surprised they didn't go with this class in Lower Decks. I guess in reality they actually did use it but just updated it. The Cali class is very similar to the Miranda. Kinda like a Miranda and Centaur class had a special needs baby.

[@jamescooper7878]

the Cali is kind of below the Miranda in terms of polularity in LD, its like being assigned to an Oberth class

[@Starfoxfan-rg6iz]

i mean im kind of glad they didn't but even still having a cameo would be nice in lower decks of the centaur class and miranda class

[@twisted202]

@@jamescooper7878 I mean for all the flak the oberth gets it's spiritual successor the Nova kicks ass

[@TheZamaron]

In STO the Centaur was made a skin for the Miranda class, if you get the Legendary TOS Captain Bundle you can even get a TOS style Miranda class and customize it to the Discovery era Malakowsi class. Ironically even in STO the Miranda serves as the workhorse of Starfleet, having cosmetics for each era of Starfleet, and serving as one of the most common ships encountered as enemy ship in missions where the Federation or Terran Empire is the enemy. But it kind of fits well, it tiers just below a Connie, but not by too much, it's one of the smallest ships you can get without ending up a shuttle.

[@TheBamaChad-W4CHD]

Lets all say a little prayer for the Oberths. At least none of the ships are Oberths lol

[@tobywesson6424]

The prop was used in “The Last Starfighter” & “Alien Nation “

[@philiptite6254]

Enjoyed the video, thank you. I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but there was a ship design like the Miranda class preceding TWK (even TMP). This was one of the ships in the 1970s Star Trek Technical Manual, where a tug ship is designed that looks very similar to Reliant ("Class 1 Transport/Tug, Ptolemy Class Starships"). Instead of a secondary hull, the ship has a "tow pad" (to attach to the ship being towed or the container being transported, much like a tow truck or a semi truck's cab). The warp nacelles are in the same place as Reliant, below the singular primary hull. This 1970s (I think the manual was published in 1975?) ship design, much like for example the scout/destroyer and the dreadnought, was a variation on the TOS Constitution class (i.e., the Enterprise). In TWK we see an adaptation of this tug/transport design in the much more visually beautiful USS Reliant. I'm not sure if the designers of the Reliant were consciously drawing from that old Tech Manual, but the parallels are suggestive. I remember having that old manual when I was a kid and when I saw TWK I immediately made the connection. Thoughts?

[@Quadrolithium]

Overused? Yes, but they are overused for a reason. Miranda is one of Starfleet's rather practical designs. Along with Defiant and Akira. While other boats (except for other Federation ones such as the Andorian Imperial guard) look like luxury cruisers in space, these 3 mean business. We come in peace but don't mind the heavy phaser arrays mounted. Or that extra large torpedo bay. They are there in case of the slightest bit of aggression. In fact the next most practical Starfleet ship for me after these 3 is the Catbox carriers (Atrox and Aspero) well hidden and armored warp nacelles and impulse engines. The deflector might be massive and placed in the front but this is heavily shielded and no starship captain in the 24th century will not take advantage to weaponize said deflectors. Turning what appears to be just a giant radar array into a sword and use the entire ship as a battering ram. The only complaint I have with it along with the rest of the ships in the entire franchise is the bridge. Why the fuck does everyone put the bridge in the most visible place ever? Klingons are the biggest offenders with the bridge right smack in front and a rather vulnerable "neck". Starfleet can be pretty recessed but it's usually on top of the ship as a potruding circle. Heck even the catbox carrier has a traditional bridge similar to real life carriers which is very visible on top of the vessel. That bitch be better well shielded or a single torpedo means the entire command staff gets taken out.

[@williammay5300]

I like the Miranda Class with the roll bar are the best! Cause it gives it mean bite if combat happens to break out...

[@shermantank7216]

Starfleet found that manufacturing the *Maranda* class out of the cheap material called "explodium" made these the perfect vessels for crewmembers wearing a red shirt.

[@NoFormalTraining]

Supposedly, despite lacking the secondary hull stardrive section, the Miranda apparently has more overall space for the crew. Which does make me wonder if anyone has made a model that uses the Miranda's saucer (minus it's nacelles) bolted onto the neck of a Constitution class?

[@logands1969]

There are actually several schematics on the web showing just that. It's a bit bulky but cool. Check them out.

[@thomas.parnell7365]

Hmm I'm personally thinking if attached to engineering section of a intrepid you would have a capable vessel .

[@kyle857]

Yeah, those extra decks on the back of the saucer add as huge amount of room. It is larger than a constitution, just visually smaller.

[@Reliant1864]

​@@logands1969I like that model. I feel it makes sense as a potential battleship. Extra photon torpedoes, and space for crew/equipment.

[@chrisdufresne9359]

I think that the main reason they had so many was due to the decommissioning of the Battle fleet in one of the older movies. They were likely only a part of a planned battle group. Likely the largest part, thus the sheer number that exist.

[@craig.a.glesner]

I figure it keeps getting used because it is so damned beautiful! Still want one.

[@kevinvandal8595]

The Miranda class is my favorite starfleet (non hero) vessel. I always find it in universe odd that starfleet did not make of The Miranda class not a budget version of the Defiant class with some Defiant tech. The phaser on the roll bar are perfect to place the defiant`s pulse phasers and the hull looks perfect for a blade of hull armor

[@scythemouse]

The Lantree and the Brattain had to be some of the quietest ships in service. The blueprints makers always liked to join the shuttlebays together.

[@csi1392]

JOINING FORWARD OF THE IMPULSE DRIVE MIGHT BE POSSIBLE

[@Senna-78]

I think Star Trek producers decided to use many Miranda class ships because of the success of STAR TREK 2, because the very first Miranda ship is the USS RELIANT used by Khan, the most famous and appreciated villain of the saga. Seeing a Miranda ship is like to see RELIANT again

[@AnonEyeMouse]

Always loved these mid tier classes. The Miranda, the Oberth, the Olympic and the Aerie all make sense to me as part of a living, breathing federation. Small crews taking care of the mundane aspects of a galactic civilisation.

[@terran6686]

Something not yet mentioned is are their crews of as few as 26 in the 24th century. These ships are like the (slightly inadequate) fighters and corvettes of Starfleet, being small enough to be deployed across a wide area while being large enough to weather a few hits from other capital ships as well as use their maneuverability to weave through fights as well as the Defiant could.

[@elrondmcbong467]

I mean the Miranda class is often described as backbone of the star fleet so it makes sense they're everywhere.

[@chrismulders2344]

No surprise here. The versatility of the Miranda was amazing.

[@TONYGILLEY]

Behind the Constitution-Refit and Sovereign Class, I love the Miranda class, however there is ONE glaring oddity that no one seems to notice when discussing this ship. Given all the other Starfleet Vessels from Archer's time to the 24th century (I'm not counting any Kurtzman-Era series) all the ships have the thing that's missing from the Miranda, What does it use in the place of a Deflector Dish? Many times it's stated how important the Deflector Dish is to a starship in preventing a dust particle or space debris from hitting the ship. Where is this on a Miranda?

[@74stang2togo]

If you look at the 2:30 mark in the video, you'll see a glowing blue dish atop the engineering section of the hull. That's the deflector.

[@Digikidthevoiceofreason]

@@74stang2togo Umm….no. That is environmental support. The Constitution class has the same thing in the same place.

[@TONYGILLEY]

@@74stang2togo That's the impulse deck, just below it is the warp core. The layout is different but the Enterprise has the same thing.

[@kyle857]

The klingond seem to get away with not having one. They just use the shields

[@kyle857]

@Matt Huber that was added in STO. It's not in any of the on screen versions of the ship (the tiny dish above the rollbar)

[@keithrees4755]

love the miranda class in kirk's time light cruiser in picard's time excellent heavy destroyer role over the last 100 years the hull idea has served very well could not ask for a better ship

[@richardajoy79]

I understand why there were 20+ (that we know of) Miranda's built, the ships are small and probably quick to reproduce, very much a workhorse for Starfleet. Like the Excelsior, of which we see many also, a tried-and-tested design will always be over-produced. Also we saw a few variants to the Miranda, showing just how versatile this little ship was.

[@RedXlV]

By the TNG/DS9 era, Starfleet had thousands of active starships. For Excelsiors and Mirandas to be so common in the fleet battle scenes, there must have been hundreds of them built.

[@michaeldemarco9950]

That double-barreled mighty thing first showed up in Star Trek in ST:II. I saw it second in the movie Airplane II.

[@brianoconnell6459]

I always saw them as portrayed as scientific vessels since ST II, only pulled into battle when absolutely necessary.

[@freshdoug]

The glowing tube thing actually showed up first in Trek in ST2, and then Datalore. It was also in Airplane 2. It's been in some Star Trek labs since then.

[@obelic71]

What the douce and a halve Truck is for the Army is the Miranda class for Star Fleet. You just can't have enough of them! Both are 100% genuine workhorses Both also stay mostly the same and just slightly improve with newer tech for each new generation. So i make a very bold statement: The day the last Miranda class retires from starfleet means the end of starfleet!

[@331Grabber]

They really should have just set TNG 15-20 years into the future. Just had Enterprise - B and actually been the next generation. Then all those 100 year old ships would have been much younger. And you could have had plausible guest appearances by the original TOS cast.

[@danielyeshe]

I assume they set it later to give them room to breath from TOS. Basically a way to explain the differences they wanted to put in.

[@bubkusjones]

@@danielyeshe I could imagine that if they had set it that close to TOS, there would've been constant demands for them to cameo non stop. Hell, even as it is, we still got 3 of 'em in TNG, plus the three in Generations.

[@jamesmcgrath1952]

My favorite ship. In The Wrath of Khon Spok states the Relient was faster and more heavily armed than the Enterprise. Too bad they started to make the Miranda class out of explodium after that.

[@TheZamaron]

DO remember the ships kept getting bigger and bigger. I see the Miranda originally as a standard combat ship, more firepower then the Connie, but not as durable, with the Oberth being the dedicated Science Vessel, and later Excelsior as the future, but as time went on the Connie was retired as it just couldn't be upgraded any further, while the Miranda stayed on as a common standard starship for Starfleet, with Excelsiors taking a Heavy Cruiser role, and the Ambassador and later Galaxy as the mainline cruisers leading the way in technology.

[@kdrapertrucker]

It could outrun and outgun Enterprise due to the battle damage Enterprise had suffered.

[@icecold9511]

He was referring to the current status after battle damage.

[@jamesmcgrath1952]

@@icecold9511 Given the four super phasers (not counting the eighteen standard) and the four torpedo tubes on the Reliant I'd say the Reliant out gunned the Enterprise before battle damage. But hey, my opinion.

[@kyle857]

It's actually a bit larger too.

[@timbert4672]

I remember when that class of ship got modded in to the first Star Trek Armada game as part of the timelines mod, there it was both cheap to build and good at its job, I was always building fleets of them and sending them to guard my wormhole exits. Etc.

[@marksouthwell4490]

I love it. Hope this ship continues in the Star Trek universe

[@stevenkarmazenuk2540]

That weird thing with the orange lights first turned up in Airplane! 2: The Sequel! Which co-starred William Shatner.

[@dirkkrohn1907]

17:15 I was in the process of commenting about this Miranda when you mention it. My friend and I used to play a lot back in the day.

[@thecommodoredecker]

Ive heard that during the creation of ST2 they were going to just make the reliant another constitution class ship, but they wanted to break up the visuals so the audience could tell the difference between the enterprise and reliant

[@kyle857]

Correct. Also making it a ship that appeared less grand (although the Miranda is actually a bit larger in volume) makes it even more of a shock when it knocks the enterprise on its ass.

[@bmtphoenix]

LMAO at Khan standing up pointing and shouting "Fabreeze Fabric Spray!"

[@liquidsuspect2469]

10:00 mass for the Genesis Planet came primarily from the Mutara Nebula, you can see it disappear with the Genesis explosion and it was massive enough for 2 starships to play cat and mouse in

[@kaneo1]

LOVE the Miranda class. Looks naked without a 'rollbar'. (where's the MARA supposed to fit?) The Galaxy-style replacement Nebula could look cooler: rotate saucer 90°, mirror the deck 4 shuttlebay, add FOUR times the phaser strips, and add more torpedo tubes.

[@atigerclaw]

"Which made a planet from LITERALLY NOTHING..." Mutara Nebula: "Am I joke to you?"

[@jackrembold4976]

I like the Miranda class. It only makes sense to have a standard cookie cutter starship design with endless modular features to build in mass. Though it would be boring to write this way, I would imagine that most jobs wouldn't require a top of the line cutting edge starship.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Thanks Lieutenant Commander Adam for this comprehensive look at the Miranda class Starship!!! Happy Holidays!!! 🖖🎄⛄

[@1COMIXMAN]

It's got so many variants and mods in canon that helps it stay so relavent for so long. It was a strong work horse.

[@redfishtex738]

It would have been easy to build. If you look at it closer it is actually parts of other ships so there you are. Do a few modifications and add a few things and then take away a few things and there you go. You have your Federation Vanilla Star Ship whereas the Enterprise Constitution class was the Chocolate Chip or Chocolate Fudge of the Federation. Food analogy FTW and yes I'd call the Defiant class the Rocky Road.

[@yodaslovetoy]

Defiant class should be referred to as "the sisko pimphand" class

[@redfishtex738]

@@yodaslovetoy that's the overall name of that badass ship. Which every time I say that name it brings a smile to my face, probably just like it does to Sisko.

[@WAGISDev]

You can never overuse the Miranda. Yes...I said it...more I say! More! More Mirand. More Reliant. More Khan. :)

[@tetravega567]

I got a fever, and the only cure is more Miranda. They don't fear the reaper...

[@danielrollins4315]

It can't be overused when it's great They should make a completely new star trek Series with this starship.

[@madhatterrx7]

I always thought the Excelsior was the same, its as common to see in Star Trek as the Miranda.

[@erikvinson7511]

As a kid I build the film release model of the Reliant and it was one of my favorite ship designs. One again you left no stone un-turned in you research.

[@darksourcetech]

12:59, USS Orbital Death Cannon! That name made me chuckle lol

[@JarOfRats]

I'd say the Excelsior class was WAY more over-used. That might be incorrect, but it seems that way to me. But, the real difference is, the Miranda class looks good.

[@garyheighway7635]

I love the Miranda class . I have a hopped up version of one as my ship on Star Trek online. There’s just something about it. 👍

[@elcowabungahe-man6156]

Miranda is one mine favorite 23 century starship great info review of the ship funny the part throwing all the Miranda at the Borg. In mine opinion is a good class it can ba produced in large numbers and takes very little time to make

[@atmosdwagon4656]

It is my favorite ship design in all of Star Trek. Just something about it that's sleek and practical. Not too overdone. 2:00 Ahh, good ol Paramount Editorial apathy. The "four unspecified phasers" were a reference to the twin "super-phasers" found on the roll-bar because, at the time of printing in the late 1980s, the writers for the common reference material assumed there were two forward firing and two aft firing phasers as seen in use on The Wrath of Khan. Later materials would contradict this, with some calling these weapons "Emperor" class Super-Phasers (which does make sense, they are physically much larger than the regular phaser banks found on the primary hull) while erroniously retaining the entry about the four unspecified phasers, found nowhere else on the model of the ship. And yeah, as stated it was overused because it was one of the few original Industrial Light & Magic models from TMP era, making it not only highly photogenic on the face of things, but readily available for whenever an episode of TNG (and later, DS9) required a generic Starfleet ship that wasn't yet another Constitution class or its derivatives. This also meant it was one of the first ships to be fully digitized and thus retained once the series started doing space scenes entirely in CGI, and why we kept seeing gobs of Mirandas well into the Dominion War, where they were seemingly little more than cannon fodder.

[@pigpig252]

It might be overused, but it's probably my favourite Starfleet class. It looks fantastically practical, and I always love a workhorse. The way it kind of "rides" on its nacelles is wonderful too. It looks like it skates through space.

[@pointman2021]

Love the Miranda class but one question...as they served so long in the fleet, why didn't they get upgrades like different warp nacelles? Kinda looks weird having TMP era nacelles in the TNG era where everything had similar nacelles as the Enterprise D...

[@QuantaSolace]

As a kid, I liked this class more than the Constitution refit. I have always liked how it looked more like a warship than a ship of exploration.

[@kyle857]

Kinda the opposite what star fleet is for

[@MrTilbin]

The Miranda class. Boldly exploding like no one has exploded before. I love these underdog ships. Same reason I like the California class. Not everyone serves on a deep space science vessel, massive flag ship cruiser, or experimental tactical escort. 😊 I'd like to see star trek shows and movies get into carriers. I loved that DS9 and SNW showed fighters.

[@chardtomp]

It always bothered me that Star Fleet had so many different ship types in service at the same time. It was as if every time they built a new ship they went with a different design. That doesn't make any kind of sense. You'd have maybe five different ship types, and you'd just build a lot each type. They could be equipped differently depending on their primary mission but that's just a matter of equipping them with different sensors or weapons or whatever. The Miranda class seems to be one of the few times they did this.

[@Z1gguratVert1go]

I think your idea of 5 different types could easily be true at any one time, but Starfleet vessels are very well made and very upgradable so the old ones don't get retired they just get updated. Thus you get lots of ships of different generations coexisting. Probably no new Mirandas have been built for a long time, but there were just so many of them. And when it comes to Borg invasions or the Dominion War they had to use them because they just had to throw everything at the enemy they could.

[@kyle857]

Mission specific mission modules are something our real navy as struggled to implement for like 40 years. It's a bit of a pipe dream.

[@Z1gguratVert1go]

@@kyle857 None of the "hero ships" have them, it's always the "support character" ships. Perhaps Starfleet hasn't figured them out either. Of course we are just assuming they are mission-specific, it could be that, say, a Nebula Class ship with a given configuration is permanently that way. We've never seen a Nebula with the same name appear with two different attachments.

[@shanenolan5625]

Why are the pharsers in strange new worlds red ? ( farragut) for example

[@ZS-bg7jo]

Stealing a point i made from a similar question on the Excelsior class: People have been born, grown up, got jobs, had children, retired, passed time playing with their grandchildren, and died old and grey with a B-52 on active patrol somewhere in the world. It is realistic that these may see a century of service. Sometimes a design just works so well for the mission it is called to do that replacing is not needed. Like the B-52, the later versions will be different beasts from the originals, though. Sensor suites, engines, and a whole host of electronics and equipment upgrades will have happened.

[@derekmartin2817]

No one complains about how many gem hadar fighters are on screen and they have a few sizes like the birds of prey.

[@blackc1479]

I always thought it was a nice contrast to the refit design. My only bitch was when they pumped it up as more heavily armed etc to the constitution. The ent was supposed to be a "heavy cruiser" vs the reliants smaller size and weapon load out

[@kyle857]

The Miranda class is actually larger than the constitution. It has more internal volume. It's original designation was "new heavy cruiser," it was a direct replacement for the constitution.

[@kdrapertrucker]

The hairdryer thing has been a staple of sci-fi shows and movies since the 1980s.

[@stevedickson5853]

First seen in a 1982 movie it's proved to be an absolute timeless design, and long may it live.

[@Firefox13A]

It’s definitely not overused. It’s a practical, efficient starship, but by the 24th Century few were left in service. With the Borg threat and Dominion War, old mothballed starships were re-commissioned to close the gaps Starfleet had as it took defense far more seriously. These are way better than the hodgepodge “Frankensteins” thrown together in an emergency during the Dominion war, so they had a second life cycle. This is not unlike US Navy ships, which many end up sold after they reach the end of optimized refits. The Miranda was also great in that it could be specialized in different variants. If you want to truly talk “Most Overused”, then it’s really the Klingon Bird of Prey. The B’Rells ended up supersized into K’Vorts which was the single, lamest skip out of the model making team. It’s of the reasons for me “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is barely watchable. The Klingons “Bird Of Preying” everything is practically a trope now.

[@a6am3mn0n]

Because studio models are expensive and tv shows had small budgets

[@G36645]

If you just watch TNG and early DS9 their are about 3 types of ships

[@TrekCentral]

This is explained in the video :) - Jack

[@jamescooper7878]

we need the Lantree variant in STO and also the Antares Variant

[@bjbeardse]

The red light-hair dryer thingy first shows up on Regula 1 in TWOK. It's second appearance was in Airplane II The Sequel!

[@YesterchipsMIG]

Thanks so much. The Miranda is my alltime favorite class! :)

[@TrekCentral]

You're so welcome! - J

[@sailingmaster]

Mirandas are the best ships in Starfleet. Slightly larger than the Connies by volume in a more compact length. Great ships.

[@baystated]

I wonder what portion of total Miranda footage in Trek is of them taking heavy damage or other misfortunes. It's got to be their default activity.

[@RMSTitanicWSL]

There's likely a thousand of them in the fleet--if not more. So, for every Miranda-class ship we've seen come to grief, it's a good bet there are nine more who served long, productive lives and got rebuilt or scrapped (and likely replaced with another Miranda-class ship).

[@2011Kestrel]

Gotta admit, the Miranda class and all her variants are one the the few Star Trek ships I actually like. When I was model making I purchased a conversion kit to turn the Reliant into the Bozeman. I haven’t gotten around to lighting it (yet), but she’s still one of my favourite models.

[@andrewdrabble8939]

One thing puzzles me about the Miranda class starship, where is the main deflector? At least on the Enterprise (1701 through to the E) and in fact all subsequent starship classes the main deflector dish is on prominent view but it's absent on the Miranda (and indeed all sub classes). I think the Excelsior class was also used a lot too from ST3:TSFS through to TNG and DS9

[@Allegheny500]

Not every class of ship in star fleet has a main deflector dish, I'm looking at you Orberth class. But when a mission called for one it was located on a roll bar pod. Also a deflector dish has nothing to do with shields but is an acronym for something like "Directed Energy Forward Looking Emitter CollecTOR" for example.

[@andrewdrabble8939]

The main deflector was used, amongst most things, to 'deflect' any debris or space bourne particles that would be in the way. Even the smallest dust particle would damage the ship at warp speed

[@Allegheny500]

@@andrewdrabble8939 Not quite, as the ship and objects entering the warp field never move very fast relative to each other or anywhere close to light speed even, and while it could be directed to "deflect" a larger object it was not normally in constant use as that would interfere with the bussard collectors. A couple of other ship class's do not mount one either, the Freedom class, the TOS Romulan bird of prey, and most Klingon ships.

[@kaisershipyards]

Whoever voiced this vid did good job :)

[@hollismccray3297]

I see the the Miranda-class and her descendants as similar to the C-130. Rugged, reliable, and adaptable. Not a stellar starship by any particular means (pun intended) but useful in a wide variety of roles. Also, I remember reading at one point that the Miranda-class was originally conceived as a carrier. Starfleed decided they didn't need a carrier so the design was shelved and later repurposed as a general-purpose starship. That's why it has two big shuttle bays. (Source super-unknown on this one)

[@floyd9572]

I love Mirandas and Nebulas, they're like Constitution and Galaxy compacts.

[@kyle857]

The Miranda is actually a buy larger than a constitution by internal volume (I've done the math). The nebula is a bit smaller than a galaxy because it does not actually use the same secondary hull.

[@anumeon]

I love the Miranda Class.. They are so versatile and modular. It is a good compromise starship for various tasks.

[@UnclePhil2k]

That weird hairdrier light thing has been used as a shiny prop in films & TV (and even cartoons!) since the 60s.

[@Thkaal]

that orange light thingy was in Airplane 2, and The Last Starfighter, and in some of the og TOS movies

[@jbranum3087]

Some of those were nebula class. It's a great design having the nacelles under the saucer.

[@z0zo532]

Bit late on this one, but this class was always my favorite. I have no reason why other than "I just think they're neat".

[@tehguitarque]

One huge omission here unless I missed it: where is the main navigational deflector? Aside from the out of universe that it is not needed for so many plot devices!

[@seangriffin2040]

Shall we talk about the longevity of the C-47, B-52, F-15, F-18??? The struggle is REAL !!!! If it works and it's cost effective don't mess with it. Art imitates reality.