10 Unused Star Trek Ship Designs We NEED To See

10. Enterprise-C Concept

The Ambassador-class Enterprise-C is another ship that differed between design and realisation. Andrew Probert, who also designed the Galaxy-class Enterprise-D, knew that the Enterprise-B had been labeled as an Excelsior-class ship. While the modified vessel that would appear in Star Trek: Generations was still some time off, the general shape it served as inspiration.

The Prototype Enterprise-C was more obviously a middle-ground between the Excelsior and Galaxy-class ships. The nacelles matched the latter, while the saucer section was circular like the former, the engineering hull was sleeker and arched backward. A model of this design then appeared in the Observation Lounge for the first three seasons of The Next Generation.

The script for Yesterday's Enterprise called for the arrival of the Enterprise-C. However, it fell victim to budget issues. It was far easier for the production team to construct a model from existing kits. The engineering hull was a re-model of the Constitution-class ships, abandoning the sleeker look of Probert's design. The deflector dish suffered the most from this decision, as the oval original became a circular one to match Kirk's era.

The original Enterprise-C deserves another shot at appearing in Trek, thanks to the logical design progression that it displays.