OK this is how I spent the weekend, not done yet. (I never am, hehe), but enough detail to post some images. The DY-700 class cargo vessels are an off shoot of the XCV-300 project. What Starfleet saw as design problem in the maneuvering at warp issue, the cargo industry saw as a benefit. If the crews found it difficult to change course while at warp, there was less chance of "side trips" leading to more shipments arriving on time. The fact that the Annular propulsion system was based on proven Vulcan designs and better yet, more efficient was just icing on the cake. The design of the DY-700 reflects a modular construction method. The hammerhead crew modules, main cargo truss, and propulsion modules are built separately with final assembly in orbit. To save resources in construction instead of designing an access way leading from the crew area to the propulsion module it was decided to use a "turbo car" to get from one end of the ship to the other. This saved on life support and construction time/materials. In the starboard wing of the hammerhead there is a small bay for cargo workpods and a small 5 man shuttle. The impulse engines on the ship use a unique design that allowed the four outlet nozzles to swivel 120 degrees providing much improved maneuverability during yard operations. The DY-700 proved itself a durable design with over 50 of the class being built and remaining in service for 63 years. This was inspired by the XCV-300 Enterprise from the new SOTL calendar and of course, the DY-100. Questions and comments always welcome.
Awesome! Although one little thingie: The container area seems not be designed to dock containers from above or below like on the DY-100. I guess that would be the most efficient way to maximize cargo capacity.
Looks way Kewel! Have you posted this over at Aridas' website http://federationreference.prophpbb.com/? If not, you should, I bet he'd like this alot, as it's along the lines of his general ideas he postulates over there. Keep up the great work!
very cool. it LOOKS cool, and the design background is splendid. if you ran the turbo car rail down the center of the truss, you'd have space to attach more cargo pods along the top. it would also allow a classic shot of spars whipping past as the car travelled between the hammerhead and the ring.
Looks cool, except for two things: Scratch the turbo car and make the center section solid and able to dock cargo pods top and bottom as well. Or at least move the turbo car inside the framework so that it has at least some minimal protection.
Very very cool. I could totally see something like this on Ent. I agree though that the turbo cab would work better inside the truss.
Yea, I thought about putting the car inside the truss. 2 things stopped me. 1) The engineers told me they still need to add alot of equipment in the truss area. (cabling, winches for cargo straps, etc) 2) The engineers also wanted the car to have a good vantage point from which to do inspections of the cargo pods.
1) The track should go all the way up the support strut to the ring. 2) The engineer's car should be "open-air" with swing-down padded restraints. 3) At the boarding area for the engineer's car, there should be a little sign that says, "must be this tall to ride the engineer car."
Very nice work...really like that engine array, the truss details, and the forward module shape is perfect...is that sketch up, or another program?
^thanks Jude. Still good ole Sketchup for the modeling. Rendering was done in Kerkythea. No work today, pulled a muscle in my back somehow and sitting at the computer hurts. Still alot I want to do on the model. You'll notice there are no airlock doors yet or doors on the turbocar. A docking hatch is slated for the port side of the hammerhead. Round piece at the aft of the ship that the impulse engines are centered on needs finishing off. The "nacelle strut" is still a blank slate. Lots of other little details to be added. The crew area of the car is about 12'x 8' by 7 feet tall, so get your college buddies together and let me know how many you can squeeze in!
The thing I'm not getting is the shape of the cargo pods. The shape would make some sense if they were for connecting all around the central spar in a ring shape, which would certainly maximise the amount of cargo the ship could haul. If they're only going to be mounted on the sides though, why not make them more like current containers and maximise the cargo you can haul on just the sides?
The thing I'm not getting is the shape of the cargo pods. The shape would make some sense if they were for connecting all around the central spar in a ring shape, which would certainly maximise the amount of cargo the ship could haul. If they're only going to be mounted on the sides though, why not make them more like current containers and maximise the cargo you can haul on just the sides?
^The engineers on the design team! Yea, I went for a visually interesting shape over max storage. In RL they would probably just be big square boxes.