View source for Flagship

{{Short description|Vessel used by naval commanding officer}}
{{About|the lead ship, store, university, or product of a group}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
[[File:Victory Portsmouth um 1900.jpg|thumb|[[HMS Victory|HMS ''Victory'']], flagship of the [[First Sea Lord]] of the [[Royal Navy]]]]
A '''flagship''' is a vessel used by the [[commanding officer]] of a group of [[navy|naval]] ships, characteristically a [[flag officer]] entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the first, largest, fastest, most heavily armed, or best known.
Over the years, the term "flagship" has become a [[metaphor]] used in industries such as broadcasting, automobiles, education, technology, airlines, and retail to refer to their highest quality, best known, or most expensive products and locations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-30 |title=Definition of FLAGSHIP |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flagship |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Merriam-Webster |language=en |archive-date=4 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604215825/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flagship |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Naval use==
In common naval use, the term ''flagship'' is fundamentally a temporary designation; the flagship is wherever the [[admiral]]'s flag is being flown. However, admirals have always needed additional facilities, including a meeting room large enough to hold all the captains of the fleet and a place for the admiral's staff to make plans and draw up orders.  Historically, only larger ships could accommodate such requirements.
The term was also used by commercial fleets, when the distinction between a nation's navy and merchant fleet was not clear. An example was ''[[Sea Venture]]'', flagship of the fleet of the [[Virginia Company of London|Virginia Company]], which was captained by [[Royal Navy]] Vice-Admiral [[Christopher Newport]] yet bore the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]] admiral of the company's fleet, Sir [[George Somers]], during the ill-fated [[Third Supply]] of 1609.
In the age of [[sailing ship]]s, the flagship was typically a [[first rate]]; the aft of one of the three decks would become the admiral's quarters and staff offices. This can be seen on {{HMS|Victory}}, the flagship of Admiral [[Horatio Nelson]] at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in 1805, still serving the [[Royal Navy]] as the ceremonial flagship of the [[First Sea Lord]] from [[Portsmouth, England]].  Non-first rates could serve as flagships, however: {{USS|Constitution}}, a [[frigate]] (a fourth rate), served as flagship for parts of the [[United States Navy]] during the early 19th century.
In the 20th century, ships became large enough that the larger types, [[cruiser]]s and up, could accommodate a commander and staff. Some larger ships may have a separate flag bridge for use by the admiral and his staff while the captain commands from the main navigation bridge. Because its primary function is to coordinate a fleet, a flagship is not necessarily more heavily armed or armored than other ships. During [[World War II]], admirals often preferred a faster ship over the largest one.
Modern flagships are designed primarily for [[command and control]] rather than for fighting, and are also known as [[command ship]]s.
==Flagship as metaphor==
As with many other naval terms, ''flagship'' has crossed over into general usage, where it means the most important or leading member of a group, as in the [[Flagship (broadcasting)|flagship station]] of a broadcast network. The word can be used as a noun or an adjective describing the most prominent or highly touted product, brand, location, or service offered by a company. Derivations include the "flagship brand" or "flagship product" of a [[manufacturing]] company, "flagship store" of a [[retail chain]], or "flagship service" of a hospitality or transportation concern.
The term "flagship" may have specific applications:
* [[Automotive industry|Auto companies]] may have a flagship in the form of their leading or highest-priced car.
* [[Electronics industry|Electronics companies]] may have a series of products considered to be their flagship, usually consisting of one or two products that are updated periodically. For example, the [[Samsung Galaxy S series]] consists of several flagship smartphones that are released on a yearly basis.
* In [[rail transport]], a "flagship service" is either the fastest or most luxurious. Often it is also a [[named train]] or service.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}
==={{anchor|University}}Colleges and universities in the United States===
Most states in the United States provide public university education through one or more [[state university system|university system]]s, with each system having multiple campuses located throughout the state. The phrase '''flagship institution''' or '''flagship university''' may be applied to an individual school or campus within each state system.  The [[College Board]], for example, defines flagship universities as the first to be established as well as the most research-intensive public universities.<ref name="nsf.gov">{{cite web |url=https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2012/nsb1245.pdf |title=Diminishing Funding and Rising Expectations: Trends and Challenges for Public Research Universities |year=2012 |website=www.nsf.gov |access-date=6 April 2018 |archive-date=6 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206045641/http://nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2012/nsb1245.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="trends.collegeboard.org">{{cite web|url=http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-fees-flagship-universities-time|title=Tuition and Fees at Flagship Universities over Time – Trends in Higher Education|website=trends.collegeboard.org|access-date=8 April 2015|archive-date=20 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020065350/http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-fees-flagship-universities-time|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/2014-15-tuition-fees-flagship-universities-time|title=2014–15 Tuition and Fees at Flagship Universities and Five-Year Percentage Change|website=trends.collegeboard.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017081403/http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/2014-15-tuition-fees-flagship-universities-time|archive-date=2015-10-17}}</ref> These schools are often [[Land-grant university|land-grant]] research universities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flagship universities must pursue excellence and access|url=http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2005/08/flagship.html|publisher=[[University of Virginia]]|access-date=2013-03-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001161549/http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2005/08/flagship.html|archive-date=2012-10-01}}</ref>  According to [[Robert M. Berdahl]], then-chancellor of the [[University of California, Berkeley]], the phrase "flagship" came into existence in the 1950s when the [[Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act|Morrill Act]] schools were joined by newer institutions built in a wave of [[History of education in the United States#Higher education|post-war expansion of state university systems]].<ref name=berdahl>{{cite web|url=http://cio.chance.berkeley.edu/chancellor/sp/flagship.htm |date=1998-10-08 |title=The Future of Flagship Universities |last=Berdahl |first=Robert |author-link=Robert M. Berdahl |access-date=2006-09-22 |publisher=[[University of California, Berkeley]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511120058/http://cio.chance.berkeley.edu/chancellor/sp/flagship.htm |archive-date=2011-05-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Berdahl notes further that because flagships are generally the oldest schools within a system, they are often the largest and best financed and are perceived as elite relative to non-flagship state schools.<ref name="berdahl"/> He comments that "Those of us in 'systems' of higher education are frequently actively discouraged from using the term 'flagship' to refer to our campuses because it is seen as hurtful to the self-esteem of colleagues at other institutions in our systems. The use of the term is seen by some as elitist and boastful. It is viewed by many, in the context of the politics of higher education, as 'politically incorrect.' ... Only in the safe company of alumni is one permitted to use the term."<ref name="berdahl"/>
Nevertheless, the term "flagship university" is still used in official contexts by various state university system boards of governors, state legislatures, and scholars.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-raceneutralreport.html |title=U.S. Department of Education |publisher=ed.gov |access-date=2013-04-02 |archive-date=8 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508150005/http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-raceneutralreport.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/cc-toolkit.pdf |title=College Completion Tool Kit |publisher=United States Department of Education |date=March 2011 |access-date=25 March 2013 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017050713/http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/cc-toolkit.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flbog.edu/about/_doc/budget/tuition/2012-13-College-Board-Tuition-and-Fees-By-State.pdf |title=2012–13 College Board Tuition and Fees By State |access-date=2013-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525084350/http://flbog.edu/about/_doc/budget/tuition/2012-13-College-Board-Tuition-and-Fees-By-State.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ilga.gov/house/journals/93/2004/HJ093218R.pdf |title=Journal |website=www.ilga.gov |access-date=25 March 2013 |archive-date=5 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505041233/http://www.ilga.gov/house/journals/93/2004/HJ093218R.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nlc1.nlc.state.ne.us/epubs/E4000/B035-2004s.pdf |title=2004 Baseline Report for LR 174 Higher Education Task Force |date=2005-03-07 |access-date=2013-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508193147/http://nlc1.nlc.state.ne.us/epubs/E4000/B035-2004s.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Additionally, state universities often self-designate themselves as flagships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umass.edu/pastchancellors/scott/action/vision.html|title=Strategic Action FY'97 – FY'01 III. A Vision of the Future: Reinventing the Dream|author=David K. Scott|publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Amherst]], Office of the Chancellor|access-date=2006-09-22|year=2001|archive-date=11 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011085721/http://umass.edu/pastchancellors/scott/action/vision.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2006-09-22|url=http://www.president.umd.edu/testimony/2006/delivering.html|author=C. D. Mote Jr|title=Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly|year=2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901121313/http://www.president.umd.edu/testimony/2006/delivering.html|archive-date=2006-09-01}}</ref>  Higher education agencies, research journals, and other organizations also use the term, though their lists of flagship universities can differ greatly. One list of 50 flagship universities (one per state) is employed by the Higher Education Coordinating Board,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wsac.wa.gov/sites/default/files/TuitionandFees2009-10Report-Final.pdf |title=Final report |date=2009 |website=www.wsac.wa.gov |access-date=14 March 2013 |archive-date=2 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702011228/http://www.wsac.wa.gov/sites/default/files/TuitionandFees2009-10Report-Final.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> the College Board,<ref name="trends.collegeboard.org"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/> the Princeton Review<ref name="books.google_a">{{Cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/americasbestvalu00owen | url-access = registration | title = America's Best Value Colleges | publisher = The Princeton Review | isbn = 9780375763731 | last1 = Eric Owens | first1 = Esq | last2 = Review | first2 = Princeton | date = 2004-03-01}}</ref> and many other state and federal educational and governmental authorities<ref name="engines-of-inequality">{{Cite web |url=http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED495096.pdf |title=Engines of Inequality: Diminishing Equity in the Nation's Premier Public Universities |first1=Danette |last1=Gerald |first2=Kati |last2=Haycock |publisher=The Education Trust |access-date=2015-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410192332/http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED495096.pdf |archive-date=2015-04-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> for a variety of purposes including tuition and rate comparisons,<ref name="nsf.gov"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mhec.org/mhecwww/pdfs/tuition&fees07mar.pdf |title=Average Tuition and Required Fees: A Comparison of Public Colleges and Universities in the Midwest and Beyond |date=March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107172410/http://www.mhec.org/mhecwww/pdfs/tuition%26fees07mar.pdf |archive-date=2007-11-07 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wsac.wa.gov/sites/default/files/KFChapterV.pdf |title=Chapter V: How Washington Compares with Other States |website=www.wsac.wa.gov |access-date=13 April 2013 |archive-date=20 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620224908/http://www.wsac.wa.gov/sites/default/files/KFChapterV.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> research studies<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ntj.tax.org/wwtax/ntjrec.nsf/198B2E40DE8EDF04852571C700477BF1/$FILE/Article%2008-Turner(F).pdf |title=Opportunities for Low–Income Students at Top Colleges and Universities: Policy Initiatives and the Distribution of Students |first1=Amanda |last1=Pallais |first2=Sarah |last2=Turner |date=June 2006 |publisher=National Tax Journal |access-date=2013-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502104717/http://ntj.tax.org/wwtax/ntjrec.nsf/198B2E40DE8EDF04852571C700477BF1/$FILE/Article%2008-Turner(F).pdf |archive-date=2013-05-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/which-state-university-grads-earn-the-most/|title=Which state university grads earn the most?|website=[[CBS News]]|date=2013-03-12|access-date=2014-09-21|archive-date=18 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418133241/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-57573646/which-state-university-grads-earn-the-most/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="engines-of-inequality"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scup.org/asset/65216/PHEV41N2_Article_Diversity-and-Budgets.pdf|title=SCUP OpenID Server|access-date=2014-09-21}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and public policy analyses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jointcenter.org/sites/default/files/upload/research/files/FullHarper%20-%2025%20pages.pdf |title=Black Male Students at Public Flagship Universities in the U.S. Status, Trends, and Implications for Policy and Practice |author=Shaun R. Harper |access-date=2013-04-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706095356/http://www.jointcenter.org/sites/default/files/upload/research/files/FullHarper%20-%2025%20pages.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-06 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Slater | first1 = Robert | year = 1996 | title = The First Black Graduates of the Nation's 50 Flagship State Universities | journal = [[The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education]] | issue =  13 | pages =72–85 | jstor = 2963173 | doi = 10.2307/2963173}}</ref><ref name="books.google">{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LbWX03UbQT0C | title = Examining the Status of Equity in Undergraduate Enrollments for Black, Latino and Low-income Students at Public Four-year Universities and Flagship Campuses | isbn = 9780549453512 | last1 = Gerald | first1 = Danette S | year = 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postsecondary.org/last12/241_712pg1_16.pdf |title=State Flagship Universities and Opportunity for Higher Education 1986 to 2010 |date=July 2012 |access-date=2015-04-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032936/http://www.postsecondary.org/last12/241_712pg1_16.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref>
Despite its ubiquity, this list{{reference needed|date=December 2023}} of 50 flagships is not the only state-by-state examination of flagships.  In a 2010 article, Standard & Poor's created its own list of flagship universities, noting that each state had typically one or two institutions with flagship characteristics.<ref name="img.en25">{{cite web |url=http://img.en25.com/Web/StandardandPoors/Flagship%20University%20Jul%2023%2010.pdf |title=University data |website=img.en25.com |access-date=13 April 2013 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316051834/http://img.en25.com/Web/StandardandPoors/Flagship%20University%20Jul%2023%2010.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>  The Education Sector, an education policy organization, used a different list of 51 flagship universities in an August 2011 study of college debt.  Several states had multiple universities categorized as flagships due to "less of a clear distinction between a single flagship and other public universities" in those states.<ref name="intered">{{cite web |url=http://www.intered.com/storage/deptofed/EdSector_DebttoDegree.pdf |title=Debt to Degree: A New Way of Measuring College Success |publisher=Education Sector |first1=Kevin |last1=Carey |first2=Erin |last2=Dillon |access-date=2013-04-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616083416/http://www.intered.com/storage/deptofed/EdSector_DebttoDegree.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-16 }}</ref>  Additionally, several states were not included in the study due to insufficient comparative data.<ref name="intered" />  There are many instances in which more than one school in a state has claimed to be, or has been described as, a "flagship".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.puaf.umd.edu/puaf650-Fullinwider/handouts-AA-Florida%20Plan.htm |title=Florida |access-date=2013-03-24 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060523203113/http://www.puaf.umd.edu/puaf650-Fullinwider/handouts-AA-Florida%20Plan.htm |archive-date=2006-05-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-01-13/news/sfl-today-in-tallahassee-flagship-universities-20120113_1_university-presidents-university-chiefs-flagship|title=Today in Tallahassee: Flagship universities will make reform pitches|access-date=24 March 2013|archive-date=18 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618061507/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-01-13/news/sfl-today-in-tallahassee-flagship-universities-20120113_1_university-presidents-university-chiefs-flagship|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.egr.uh.edu/news/Make_UH_next_flagship.html|title=Logical to make UH our next flagship university|website=www2.egr.uh.edu|access-date=24 March 2013|archive-date=27 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927115004/http://www2.egr.uh.edu/news/Make_UH_next_flagship.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tamu.edu/about/facts/ |title=Texas A&M University Facts – College Station |publisher=[[Texas A&M University]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918015141/http://www.tamu.edu/about/facts/ |archive-date=2011-09-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aei.org/article/society-and-culture/race-and-gender/race-in-admissions-a-tale-of-two-flagship-universities/|title=Race in admissions: A tale of two flagship universities|access-date=24 March 2013|archive-date=4 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404030255/http://www.aei.org/article/society-and-culture/race-and-gender/race-in-admissions-a-tale-of-two-flagship-universities/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2006/Jan06/r011006a |title=Michigan |access-date=2013-03-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909113111/http://www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases%2F2006%2FJan06%2Fr011006a |archive-date=2006-09-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sstievents.org/content/comment-raises-warning-flags-ualbany|title=New York|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731092654/https://sstievents.org/content/comment-raises-warning-flags-ualbany|archive-date=2013-07-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-08-30-tuition-survey_x.htm|title=USATODAY.com – USA TODAY's 2006 College Tuition & Fees Survey|website=usatoday30.usatoday.com|access-date=24 March 2013|archive-date=20 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120153556/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-08-30-tuition-survey_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronicle.com/article/Standing-Out-From-the-Crowd/131141/|title=Standing Out From the Crowd|date=15 March 2012|access-date=24 March 2013|archive-date=24 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824090103/http://chronicle.com/article/Standing-Out-From-the-Crowd/131141/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In February 2012, Idaho's State Board of Education made a controversial decision to strike the word "flagship" from the [[University of Idaho|University of Idaho's]] mission statement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/16/university-idaho-no-longer-states-flagship/|title=University of Idaho no longer state's 'flagship'|access-date=24 March 2013|archive-date=4 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504133232/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/16/university-idaho-no-longer-states-flagship/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Board's President Richard Westerberg explained that this revision was made as part of the board's many changes made to multiple Idaho universities' mission statements in an effort to ensure all statements were consistent and collegial in nature rather than comparative or competitive.<ref>[http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/02/29/krichert/a_single_outdated_word_board_president_addresses_u_i_flagship_fl Idaho] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130411025340/http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/02/29/krichert/a_single_outdated_word_board_president_addresses_u_i_flagship_fl |date=2013-04-11 }}</ref>
===Retailing===
{{Main|Retail format|Specialty store}}
[[File:TiffanyandCompanyFifthAvenue.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Tiffany & Co.]]'s [[Tiffany & Co. flagship store|10-story flagship store]] on [[Fifth Avenue]] in [[New York City]]]]
'''Flagship stores''' are core stores for [[brand name]] retailers, larger than their standard outlets and stocking greater inventory, often found in prominent shopping districts such as [[Fifth Avenue]] in New York, [[Oxford Street]] in London, [[İstiklal Avenue]] in İstanbul or Tokyo's [[Ginza]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Flagship Store|url=http://retailindustry.about.com/od/glossary/g/flagshipstorede.htm|publisher=about.com|access-date=2013-03-13|archive-date=29 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329054655/http://retailindustry.about.com/od/glossary/g/flagshipstorede.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Broadcasting===
{{Main article|Flagship (broadcasting)}}
A flagship station is the principal station of a [[radio network|radio]] or [[TV network|television]] [[broadcast network]]. It can be the station that produces the largest amount of material for the network, or the station in the parent company's home city, or both. The term dates back to the mid twentieth century years of broadcasting when headquarters stations produced programs for their networks.
For example, the flagship stations of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[NBC]] and [[CBS]] television and radio networks are their [[owned and operated station|owned and operated]] outlets in [[New York City]]. Likewise, [[public television]]'s [[WNET]] served as primary member station for [[National Educational Television]] (NET), a forerunner to the US [[Public Broadcasting Service]] (PBS).
In sports broadcasting, the "flagship" is a team's primary station in their home market, which produces game broadcasts and feeds them to [[Network affiliate|affiliate]]s. For example, [[WGN (AM)|WGN]] was the flagship station of the [[Chicago Cubs]] baseball team, which has an extensive [[Chicago Cubs Radio Network|Cubs radio network]] spanning several states.
{{anchor|automotive}}
{{anchor|Automotive}}
===Automobiles===
{{Hatnote|Contrast the automotive concept of flagship models with halo models; see [[Halo effect#Marketing]]}}
The term flagship is also used to describe an automaker's top (i.e. largest/most expensive/most prestigious) vehicle. Modern examples include the [[Mercedes-Benz S-Class]], [[Toyota Century]], [[Hongqi L5]], and [[Land Rover]]'s [[Range Rover]].
=== Airlines ===
[[American Airlines]] obtained copyright to the term "Flagship" on May 3, 1937, per the Catalog of Copyright Entries.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B7RaAAAAIAAJ&q=year+american+airlines+obtained+copyright+for+flagship&pg=PA434|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries. Part 1. [B] Group 2. Pamphlets, Etc. New Series|date=1938|language=en}}</ref> As of December 20, 2019 as stated in a legal document, this includes "the marks "Flagship," "Flagship Lounge" and "Flagship Suite" (the "Flagship Marks")—to describe premium air travel services for first and business class passengers since the 1930s and 1940s."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/AmericanAirlinesIncvDeltaAirLinesIncDocketNo419cv01053NDTexDec202?1577878975|title=American Airlines Inc v. Delta Air Lines Inc|website=www.bloomberglaw.com|access-date=2020-01-01|archive-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101141247/https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/AmericanAirlinesIncvDeltaAirLinesIncDocketNo419cv01053NDTexDec202%3F1577878975|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanairlinesnavigator.com/?lang=en-us|title=American Airlines|website=www.americanairlinesnavigator.com|access-date=2020-01-01}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Delta Air Lines]] also uses/used the word "Flagship" to describe its top lines, as pointed out by AA and being argued legally in December 2019 and into 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uspatentlaw.cn/en/airlines-battle-over-the-trademark-flagship-american-v-delta/|title=Airlines battle over the trademark FLAGSHIP. AMERICAN v. DELTA – uspatentlaw.cn|date=27 December 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-01|archive-date=9 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609151240/http://uspatentlaw.cn/en/airlines-battle-over-the-trademark-flagship-american-v-delta/|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Conservation===
Within conservation biology, the term [[flagship species]] refers to a species or taxon that is a symbol or rallying point to catalyze conservation actions.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Maan Barua|title=Mobilizing Metaphors: the popular use of keystone, flagship and umbrella species concepts|year=2011|doi=10.1007/s10531-011-0035-y|volume=20|journal=Biodiversity and Conservation|issue = 7|pages=1427–1440|bibcode=2011BiCon..20.1427B |s2cid=11030284}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of flagships]]
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Metaphors referring to ships]]
[[Category:Ship types]]