Lead ship

Lead ship

The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.

Contents

Overview

Large ships are complicated internally and may take as much as five to ten years to construct. Any changes or advances that are available when building a ship are likely to be included, so it is rare to have two that are identical. Constructing one ship is also likely to reveal better ways of doing things and even errors.

The second and later ships are often started before the first one is completed, launched and tested. Nevertheless, building copies is still more efficient and cost-effective than building prototypes, and the lead ship will usually be followed by copies with some improvements rather than radically different versions. The improvements will sometimes be retrofitted to the lead ship. Occasionally, the lead ship will be launched and commissioned for shakedown testing before following ships are completed, making the lead ship a combination of template and prototype, rather than expending resources on a prototype that will never see actual use.

Naming

Ship classes are typically named in one of two ways; echoing the name of the lead ship, such as the Pennsylvania-class battleships, whose lead ship was the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), or defining a theme by which vessels in the class are named, as in the Royal Navy's Tribal-class frigates, named after tribes of the world, such as HMS Mohawk (F125). If a ship class is produced for another fleet, the first active unit will become the lead ship for that fleet; for example, the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates are known as the Adelaide class in the Royal Australian Navy. Larger civilian craft, such as the Sun Princess, the lead ship of the Sun-class cruise ships, sometimes follow this convention as well.

In fiction

The same custom is often followed in fiction: the Constitution-class cruiser is the basis for the Enterprise of Star Trek (although in Star Trek the term pathfinder is also occasionally used in lieu of lead ship) and the Imperial-class Star Destroyer appears in Star Wars.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ship class — A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design.[1] This is distinct from a ship type,[1] which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the USS Carl Vinson is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class.… …   Wikipedia

  • Ship breaking — or ship demolition is a type of recycling involving the breaking up of ships for scrap. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomic. Ship breaking allows for materials from …   Wikipedia

  • lead — lead1 [lēd] vt. led, leading [ME leden < OE lædan, caus. of lithan, to travel, go, akin to Ger leiten: for IE base see LOAD] 1. a) to show the way to, or direct the course of, by going before or along with; conduct; guide b) to show (the way)… …   English World dictionary

  • lead|er|ship — «LEE duhr shihp», noun. 1. the condition of being a leader. 2. the ability to lead: »Leadership is a great asset to an officer. 3. guidance or direction: »Our group needs some leadership …   Useful english dictionary

  • lead|ing mark — «LEE dihng», any object used as a guide in bringing a ship in or out of port …   Useful english dictionary

  • ship — shipless, adj. shiplessly, adv. /ship/, n., v., shipped, shipping. n. 1. a vessel, esp. a large oceangoing one propelled by sails or engines. 2. Naut. a. a sailing vessel square rigged on all of three or more masts, having jibs, staysails, and a… …   Universalium

  • Ship gun fire-control system — Mk 37 Director c1944 with Mk 12 (rectangular antenna) and Mk 22 orange peel Ship gun fire control systems (GFCS) enable remote and automatic targeting of guns against ships, aircraft, and shore targets, with or without the aid of radar or optical …   Wikipedia

  • Ship model — This article is concerned primarily with static models. For operating models see model yachting or radio controlled boat, Model of a 19th century vessel in the Bishop Museum, Hawaii …   Wikipedia

  • Ship — A ship IPA|/ʃɪp/ audio|en us ship.ogg|Audio (US) is a large vessel that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as …   Wikipedia

  • Ship camouflage — ‎ USS Drayton wearing measure 1 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”