A parade of spaceships...

Discussion in 'Fan Art' started by Warped9, Feb 5, 2013.

  1. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Giving this some further thought I am considering adding a little colour to this design even if it's not authentic. I can add a band of colour around the second stage and I can add a name scripted onto the third (upper) stage since that's the one that goes all the way to the Moon and back.

    So I'm asking opinions on three options: 1 (top), 2 (middle) or 3 (bottom).

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Albertese

    Albertese Commodore Commodore

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    Bottom. Definitely. Gots that old timey German look, which I'm sure they woulda gone with had they thought to mark the ship...

    --Alex
     
  3. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    I was thinking much the same (as soon as I came across it) even though I haven't made up my mind yet.

    It is odd that they didn't think of any kind of markings, not even a number registry or anything. Yet there are a number of oddities in this film. The crew don't enter the ship by any platform, but rather they have to climb in by rope ladder. :wtf: The crew take-off in a prone position (much like modern astronauts), but the controls are not easily accessible---they have to roll over sideways and reach for the control levers. :wtf: Not at all easy to do under crushing high-g acceleration (which they depict in the film).

    The ship has very advanced ideas and forethought (for the time) mixed with some genuine lack of forethought.
     
  4. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Playing with some imaging.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2013
  5. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Friede enroute and hard landing.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]




    The truth is the Friede hard landed and sustained such damage that it never actually returned to Earth. The ship is still somewhere on the Moon waiting to be found. :D
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2013
  6. Albertese

    Albertese Commodore Commodore

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    Hmm... from that footprint in the lower right corner, I'm assuming that this stage of the Friede is about 30 inches or so high?

    --Alex
     
  7. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Damn. I missed that. :lol:
     
  8. Potemkin_Prod

    Potemkin_Prod Commodore Commodore

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    Not much evidence of what I'd call "hard landed" either. :) Nice work though!
     
  9. Redfern

    Redfern Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Maybe a case of "contents may have settled during shipment"?

    Mercy, Warped9, you've become a real terror with Sketch-Up!

    Sincerely,

    Bill
     
  10. Potemkin_Prod

    Potemkin_Prod Commodore Commodore

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    I was thinking of a long gouged out area with the capsule not facing up.
     
  11. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    In the film they do land hard even though the ship remains upright albeit at a slight angle. Part of the ship does look imbedded in the lunar soil. To be more accurate I should have made it look like a bit of blast effect (from the descent engines) and disturbed soil from the impact. Even so in the film they still manage to lift off to return to Earth which I found a bit hard to credit.
     
  12. Potemkin_Prod

    Potemkin_Prod Commodore Commodore

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    THanks for the explanation. Not sure I've ever seen the original film.
     
  13. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    The beginnings of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2013
  14. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Sorry, it's Flash Gordon and not Buck Rogers.

    ...and thankfully no Twicky either.
     
  15. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    bidi bidi bidi.
     
  16. Albertese

    Albertese Commodore Commodore

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    I love Twiki!

    --Alex
     
  17. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    You know, when I look at the basic hull shape of this thing I'm reminded of some of the pre TOS designs done by Masao on his Starfleet Museum website. Take away the fins and the landing wheels and there's the basic shape for a 22nd century pre TOS ship variant in it. One of those "primitive" ships Spock could be referring to in "Balance Of Terror." That is if you ignore ENT...which I have from the beginning.

    For those not familiar with the site.
     
  18. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    [​IMG]

    Even though Dr. Zarkov’s Rocket Ship is pure pulp sci-fi in terms of design there are some interesting things about. The full-size exterior mock-up of the ship itself predates the Flash Gordon serials, but still it was a full-size exterior. Of course we also get to see a “flying” filming miniature and the two exteriors are not exactly the same it appears (much like the differences in the full-size and miniature filming models of the TOS shuttlecraft). The flying miniature rocketship appears not to have the rivet detail that is apparent on full-size exterior, notably around the access hatch and where the winglets fasten to the fuselage. The original design (seen in the screencaps) did not have the ray cannon affixed to the bow (it was added later in the serials), but it is included in the reference drawings I’m working from and so I’m including it also. The one real detail I’m uncertain about is how the forward wheel housings are attached to the fuselage and details for the wheels as well---those details are lacking in the reference drawings. I don’t know if I’m that keen on studying hours of serial footage just to get a better understanding of tthat detail.

    The interior set we see is not actually the interior of the full-size exterior. As I understand it two interior sets were made originally although I don’t recall having seen the aft compartment myself. Still it’s interesting the contours of the interior don’t match the exterior as if the designers or producers thought well enough to account for the ship’s mechanicals and hence less interior space than one might have expected. Certainly the interior is interesting in the fact that there is only one seat available (for the pilot) when the craft is supposed to be able to hold more than one person. Anyone else besides the pilot has to make do with hand-holds while standing.

    Another interesting aspect is that the ship is actually more like a rocket plane than the traditional upright missile style design. It takes off and lands more like an aircraft, but with apparently very little take-off area required. Although it’s called a rocket ship we also hear it is propelled by a “gravity neutralizer” which is mentioned more prominently in regard to landing the ship. If we accept this as some form of anti-gravity system then the short take-offs and landings as well as the rather small and stubby wing/stabilzers make more sense. Originally the numerous tubes surrounding the middle of the fuselage were intended as the rockets, but later in the serials the four aft facing exhaust ports (or what look like such) are also used as rockets. Interesting, too, that when the ships of Flash Gordon were shown in flight they were accompanied by an electrical like sparking and humming sound f/x rather than the roar of a rocket engine, which, unlike today, would likely have been a very uncommon and unfamiliar sound to most in the 1930s.

    The ship doesn’t have an actual airlock (much like a lot of sci-fi designs including the TOS shuttlecraft), but rather has a simple access hatch. Unlike in Star Trek and othe SF films, though, in Flash Gordon they thought nothing of opening this door while in flight in space, something they knew better not to do or even suggest on Star Trek and other film and television SF.


    As dated as it might look to contemporary eyes I must admit, much alike the TOS shuttlecraft, it would be a blast to have a full-size mock-up on hand to display and goof around with. :lol:
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2013
  19. B.J.

    B.J. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Nice! The ship and series that inspired Captain Proton on VOY. (Although knowing your opinions, I'm not sure if you ever watched those episodes.)
     
  20. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    I've seen bits and pieces of them.