TOS Enterprise WIP

[blssdwlf]

@Mytran - Thanks!

@Science Officer - Here's a side profile comparison but I calibrated to the top bridge module/dome rather than the edge of the saucer.

Note: The only comparable items are on the centerline plane as the nacelles and even the rim of the saucer closer to the camera would be enlarged differently by camera perspective.

(The image is really wide! so apologies up front.)

[publiusr]

Reliants saucer also loks fatter/taller from top to bottom

[blssdwlf]

Yeah, it does. Although it could be because Reliant was shot from slightly below the saucer and the Enterprise slightly above.

@Everyone - I posted this in another thread in case I wasn't clear with my explanation...

I used the top of the bridge dome (the only circle in the middle) to calibrate against. Then I cross-checked with the profile view using the same dome and compared the radius of the saucers. Why the bridge? Because of all the things that might be scaled weirdly, I am assuming that the circle docking port present on the back of the Enterprise bridge would be the same size as the Reliant bridge and thus the two bridge tops should be very close in size or identical. Once that reference point is established, I can scale my 3D models appropriately

[publiusr]

Its a tough thing to photograph a model from the side. I wonder if anything has been done in photography similar to what a photocopier does, so you can get an undistored side view of a model to blueprint back to perhaps...

[malchya]

This has to be the single most fascinating thread I've read on any board at any time. The feel of the propulsion plant as seen "hanging" in three dimensional space is simply incredible. I came to my love of science fiction in general and Trek in particular through my love of all things nautical. For the first time ever in my 45 years of being a Trek fan, the grand old lady finally feels like a real ship, designed by naval architects, rather than something thrown together by a group of set designers and science consultants whose closest approach to an actual vessel is either flying in an aircraft or watching one pass while drinking Mai-tais in a beach chair!

My hat's off to you! Please continue. I eagerly await what ever may come next.

[Science Officer]

FYI - Tobias Richter is at it again! He's working on a model of the Reliant and posting updates over at ScFi Meshes.

http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/s...84-USS-Reliant

What is interesting is that he is reusing parts from his Enterprise model - the saucer and warp nacelles. I'm keen to see what the end result will be.

My comment from 26th August concerned scaling the model based on the deck spacing of the saucer rim. If I remember correctly, the Reliant physical model was smaller than the Enterprise (was it 2/3 scale). So given different parts and a smaller model, whether there is a certain amount of flexibility in how you can interpret the scale. Could it be that Enterprise and Reliant have the same saucer diameter?

So when Tobias finishes his model, we could end up with two sets of blueprints from which to work out relative sizes.

Cheers,
S.O.

[blssdwlf]

Thanks malchya

@Science Officer - cool beans. And they seem to have some more reference material too Should be interesting to see how accurate Tobias makes it.

It's entirely possible that the Enterprise have the same saucer diameter. I did a comparison and posted on a different thread but will copy over here soon where I did a top-view matched-diameter comparison. The only catch on that one is that perspective on the two ships could be off enough where the bridge modules might appear to be different sizes.

If they have the same diameter saucers, then the Reliant ends up with ~6% more volume than the Enterprise. If I can find good pics where the docking ports are clearly visible on both ships I think it'd point to roughly how large the Reliant is.

Interestingly, in a post by one of DS9's production crew, they scaled their CG Mirandas to 560' which is alot smaller than the roughly 700' or so if they had matched diameter saucers...

[mephit]

I just want to say that your TOS Enterprise is looking absolutely fantastic! I truly hope you are able to finish it. Thanks for sharing with us!

[blssdwlf]

Thanks mephit

[mattpiper]

If we assume the nacelles on the two vessels were supposed to be the same... If scaled to the nacelles, the Reliant would be even smaller (as currently at the given scale, the Reliant's nacelles are all around bigger than the Enterprise)...

[blssdwlf]

@Mattpiper - I don't think that would work from the side profile since the Reliant's nacelles are further out than the Enterprise's which would cause them to look larger due to perspective.

On that note, I'll be back to modeling the TOS E for a while as the Reliant was a sidetrack

[malchya]

I can hardly wait to see what's next!

[blssdwlf]

By chance a business trip to DC gave me a brief opportunity to see the Big E up close at the Smithsonian

[Kaiser]

All these years later shes still a buet

[Tallguy]

Ha! What day were you there? Before or after the museum was shut down?

https://picasaweb.google.com/1111047...82043887336226

I was there two weeks ago this Thursday.