Star Trek: Voyager boasted a reasonably cool ship along with the present's titular ship, and the Delta Flyer has an interesting historical past. Whereas the bulk Star Trek TV reveals rely completely on commonplace shuttlecraft, which Star Trek: Voyager the forged had entry to an thrilling various that reworked the way in which they explored such a hostile a part of the galaxy. The vessel occupies a singular place within the Star Trek customas nothing comparable had been tried earlier than, nor has it occurred since. Nevertheless, there's a good cause behind its rarity.
Though the Delta Flyer could seem to have been current for many of the present, it really solely made its debut in Star Trek: Voyager Season 5, Episode 3, 'Excessive Danger'. So whereas it wasn't a part of the story for each season of Star Trek: Voyager, the ship turned important for captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her crew on their lengthy journey again to Earth. With out the Delta Flyer, the Voyager crew may by no means have made it house.
Star Trek: Voyager's Delta Flyer Defined
The USS Voyager crew got here collectively to create a custom-made house shuttle
The Delta Flyer was primarily a Starfleet ship. Regardless, it didn't precisely adhere to Starfleet specs. Not solely was it constructed aboard a stranded Federation ship, however the crew of the USS Voyager drew inspiration for its design and performance from an eclectic mixture of sources. Whereas the idea of its design definitely arose from different Starfleet ships, the contribution of Jeri Ryan's Seven of 9 meant the Delta Flyer additionally integrated Borg expertise into its designbut it surely didn't cease there.
As an aficionado of retro expertise, Paris said that he was uninterested in what flying had grow to be within the twenty fourth century and needed the choice to fly the Delta Flyer just like the pilots of previous.
With Lieutenant Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) instrumental as a part of the Delta Flyer development staff, Voyager's helmsman gave his undertaking a twentieth century contact This was maybe to be anticipated. As an alternative of unique use of Starfleet's signature touchscreen panels, Lieutenant Paris additionally built-in many extra tactile controls impressed by his beloved Captain Proton adventures on the holodeck. As an aficionado of retro expertise, Paris said that he was uninterested in what flying had grow to be within the twenty fourth century and needed the choice to fly the Delta Flyer just like the pilots of previous.
The Delta Flyer was typically far more maneuverableextra responsive and with better affect when it comes to firepower when in comparison with different Voyager house shuttles. As an alternative of two seats for pilot and co-pilot as in a conventional house shuttle, the Delta Flyer's bridge was extra much like a full-size starship. It had a number of stations specializing in particular elements of the vessel's operation, so it tended to wish many extra crew members to be only. It may additionally attain speeds of as much as Warp 6, making it the quickest Voyager shuttle.
Why Star Trek: Voyager Wanted a Delta Flyer Shuttle
The Delta Quadrant offered dangers that Voyager's commonplace shuttles may not face up to
For nearly the whole journey house, the USS Voyager was the one Starfleet ship at her facet. There was, after all, the USS Equinox, however that two-episode arc infamously ended with Voyager as soon as once more alone within the Delta Quadrant. So ultimately, Janeway determined that her ship's commonplace buses had been not ample when it got here to backup and more and more harmful distant missions. Because of this, she gave her crew an attention-grabbing process - to construct, design and construct a brand new house shuttle - the Delta Flyer.
Star Trek: Voyager famously, it by no means tracked the attrition fee of its house shuttles very properly. It has at all times been unclear what number of shuttles the ship had when it arrived within the Delta Quadrant, however it's extensively recognized amongst Trekkies that an unrealistic variety of them had been misplaced in fight. Both method, the Delta Flyer was nonetheless superior to any of them. It was basically a hybrid of not solely totally different applied sciences, but additionally totally different capabilities. Though it was primarily used as a shuttlecraft, it was additionally an unbiased mini-ship that doubled as an important vessel in Voyager's diminutive fleet.
There's additionally the difficulty of Starfleet not designing commonplace shuttlecraft with the situation in thoughts of being the one pleasant ship in gentle years. Merely put, they had been for use to move personnel to and from a planet's floor, with any weapons on board solely meant to supply sufficient firepower to cowl a retreat to the mothership. Clearly, Voyager's dire circumstances couldn't have been predicted, so it was as much as Janeway and her crew to appropriate their ship's deficiencies creating a customized bus particular to your wants.
Starfleet not constructed Delta Flyers after Star Trek: Voyager
The Delta Flyer stays particular to the present it debuted at
Outdoors of the world of the present, it is smart that the USS Voyager was the one ship to have a Delta Flyer. Making the ship distinctive to Star Trek: Voyager it made the present extra distinctive, and permitting the collaboratively designed shuttle to grow to be a part of Starfleet's infrastructure would make it much less particular. Nevertheless, there are some in-universe theories that would clarify why the Delta Flyer has by no means appeared in different Star Trek present after Traveler.
In comparison with different Starfleet shuttles, the Delta Flyer is armed to the tooth, a lot stronger than its conventional counterparts. Due to this fact, it might undoubtedly ship the fallacious message if a peaceable group that prioritizes exploration applied such a formidable shuttlecraft as commonplace. It was needed within the Delta Quadrant, however it isn't needed within the Alpha Quadrant. Moreover, whereas Lt. Paris' retrograde design selections may simply be eliminated, built-in Borg expertise will surely make Starfleet brass uncomfortable - and it's an enormous a part of what makes the Star Trek: Voyager ship what's.