WIP - USS Enterprise: the R-Protocol

[publiusr]

He's not done with it--but it looks great as is.

Herkimer Jitty wrote:

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And nacelles are always the hardest to get right.

Ain't that the truth. I did like the nacelles as drawn by an individual who calls himself justicar.

Orne's are just perfect for Aridas concept of an Advanced Circumferential Engine

Wingsley wrote:

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I think the twin secondary hull would work better if it were balanced with a larger (Ariel) saucer and longer wings for the nacelles.

I can see that. Corey Brown was working on the Ariel--or had put it aside. Orne you might have an interest in picking that up for a physical model:
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=144181
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=130992

Orne wrote:

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Didn't like the aesthetics of the Excelsior secondary hull, which basically is stretched enormously to accomodate its shuttle-bays.

That's more true on Ingram http://federationreference.prophpbb....10.html#p13502
http://federationreference.prophpbb.com/post13797.htm

Excelsior itself only seems to have that little dome on the very back--and that doesn't extend so very far.

What you have done is to imagine a follow-on the the Enterprise refit that has nothing to do with Excelsior or any of its lineage--but to continue the refit era design and take it to the next level, for which I am thankful in that not enough has been done.

I've seen some stretched secondary hulls but they are a little simple and flat. You also lowered the saucer and raised the nacelles giving the ship that muscle car look

[Orne]

Sojourner - that isn't excess resin-flash, but the very thin nacelle extensions past the rear-housings; not painted yet, but the end-plates are auxilary impulse-engines.

Have seen the Ariel. If you compare that design with the plans for the Discovery I linked, altho the Ariel saucer looks more like a flattened discus, there's general similarities despite the several decades lying between the times pen was put to paper. (Yep, the originals are real inked plans; still hand-draw most of my work.) But the intent was spelled out in the back-story for the model, to use the original refit saucer as is; it might look a bit smallish fitted to the Discovery hull/nacelles, but not freakishly out of scale.

Publishr - agree with you not enough done in Trek canon to evolve the refit design. Seems each time the producers go to a new series/movie-arc, they just summarily dispense any more references to the primary ship-designs.

The 'muscle-car look' isn't hard to come by for me with a '69 Charger sitting only a few feet away in my garage. (NX-1969 takes some cues from my ride.)

[sojourner]

Orne wrote:

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Sojourner - that isn't excess resin-flash, but the very thin nacelle extensions past the rear-housings; not painted yet, but the end-plates are auxilary impulse-engines.

I know it's not resin-flash, but that's what it looks like. Not enough bulk there for an impulse engine. It's just too thin.

[Orne]

The impulse-engines are in the end-plates on either side of the fin-extensions, not the extension itself.

[sojourner]

Bringing us full circle to the fins looking out of place. Blatant aerodynamics like that just don't look right and would serve no purpose.

[Orne]

I don't know why you're insisting that the extensions are "aerodynamic" or "tailfins" - they're just that, extensions, no different from the end-pieces of the original refit nacelles, just a bit thinner. My take is that while the hull and nacelles are larger and thus should be 'heavier', it can be taken into account that, in the years following the original refitting, technology and newer materials have winnowed the mass/weight of similarly-sized ship-components quite a bit.

But, as above: ".....eye of the beholder....."

[publiusr]

It looks great. Something you might do if you have the time or inclination might be to do different iterations of the refit as seen on novel covers. The image of the Enterprise in the nove cover for ST:TMP looks a bit different. fewer brush strokes--and seems a bit sleeker.

Over the years there have been many drawings of the TOS Enterprise--and each has its own charm. Kimble's drawings have been used dé rigeur --and that is fine--but it would be nice to see the original model perhaps slit scanned along its length if possible--a mere photo will not show a true profile, perspective and all...
http://makeprojects.com/Project/Flat...tography/761/1
http://www.3dscanningservices.net/?g...FQmd7Qod2UNqnA
http://www.creaform3d.com/lp/handysc...FQmd7Qod2UNqnA

A resulting blueprint off the model directly might be nice to see...

[sojourner]

^You realize slit scanning does not serve the same function as 3d scanning?

Also, wtf does this have to do with his model?

[Orne]

No, I get it (just don't have an iphone, etc., written about in those linked guides).

Have the TMP novel, and know what cover-art you're talking about; one of the runner-ups in the E-F STO ship-design contest had a similar slick-streamline appearance. Liked it a lot.

[publiusr]

You know, poster Warped9 has a nice TOS/TMP combo--the Defiant
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=118673

[sojourner]

No, Warped9 doesn't. Madman1701A does, as the link you provided shows.

[Orne]

Saw the Defiant, nice one. Nacelles have a lot in common with the ones for my USS Charger.

[publiusr]

sojourner wrote:

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No, Warped9 doesn't. Madman1701A does, as the link you provided shows.

That's my cholesterol again...brain shutting down.

[Orne]

Finally completed the model - the problematic R2 aztec decals took many days to apply, and went thru three sets and part of a fourth to finish the scheme. Took penbrushes to some of the gaps between sections and added more tiling to mesh it all together.

Anyway.....
http://infinityreach.multiply.com/photos/album/36

[publiusr]

That really makes the model pop. The dual shuttlebay's join-line adds visual complexity to the secondary hulls topside.

Something I was thinking about.

You actually have a 1/350 TOS Enterprise all your own--something that has been lost on folks who are discussing the other 1/350.

And yet people are discussing the type of paints needed to make their model into what they saw on screen, and the paints themselves will not allow for that alone.

Now I wonder if you could use vacuform/blow-molds with this substance--scotchlight
http://shop.novoworks.com/3M-Scotchl...ive-Vinyl.html

Now this, perhaps mixed with paint and lit with mercury vapor lamps would yield the painfully bright blue-white look from the original series, although you would have to use zip-a-tone (screentone) for the decals to allow light to bleed through else the decals would look too dark:

Also, vacuform/blowmolds allow for better self-illumination via the raytheon effect as lit from beneath, seeing as internal support mechanisms on clear injection molds may allow for internal shadows. One day someone might find a way to vacuform LED strips or flexible screen displays. So Kerr planned based yard displys might be something to play around with, to approach the warm NBC yellow? I don't think they allow for Radium paint for that anymore

Very strong whites and blacks
http://phys.org/news95513144.html
http://www.sciencespacerobots.com/blog/130081
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/ultrablack/

Glow in the dark paint http://glonation.com/

I wonder if a multi-armed robot could remove material all in one go from a solid piece of acrylic with a rod at the base allowed for a light pipe. Paint all over and maybe you have a uniform glow from all parts.