Comment on The Thunderchild by mckinneyc
I like this kind of starship, the ones where the warp nacelles are slung underneath, it reminds me of a cheetah, sleek and swift.
I've always liked the design overall, just don't like the fighter carrier/torpedo cruiser idea. To me those openings at the front are windows to the mess hall. Also I see the pod being interchangeable like on the Nebula class which is why there is a torpedo launcher above the deflector. I see the Akira being designed, built and tested alongside the Nebula class but testing different technologies that would find their way into the Sovereign class, whereas the Nebula led to the Galaxy class.
hmm, depends on the philosophy of the design, don't forget this class of starship was designed for exploration with an emphasis on combat assignments.