TAS made real....

[Colonel Midnight]

Perhaps the long nose section and off-color patch is a mod (‘ShipAlt’) for a new fancy (prototype) sensor package? What comes to mind is something much like the array covers on a DDG-51 destroyer or CG-47 cruiser, or the modified/stretched noses of some fighter craft for a more powerful radar. The latter might be even more applicable if this craft is a one-off variant, never to be again...

Just a thought, YMMV.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[StarCruiser]

Had a similar thought just a while back - like an AWACS shuttle...

 

[Warped9]

Looking at what I did here some years ago I still find much to recommend it. The proportions are tidier and the cockpit doesn’t sit quite so high. My main criticism of this is the aft landing struts do not merge into the main hull as smoothly and in the same way as on the onscreen version.

What I’m pondering mightn’t be too, too different from this.

 

[Mysterion]

Some distinctive things to note. The nacelle is oddly obscuring the access hatch. The hatch is shown as a one that swings open rather than slides as was pretty much standard on TOS.

Easy fix - the nacelle is just a bit further out on it's pylon, leaving room for the hatch to swing clear of the nacelle.

 

[Warped9]

Yeah, but I still find that swing open hatch wierd.

 

[Mysterion]

Yeah, but I still find that swing open hatch wierd.

Maybe it's an older model of shuttlecraft? Maybe it's just one of those indispensable workhorse models that Starfleet keeps updating internally and flying because they're just that useful/durable (see the C-130 or B-52 in the USAF).

 

[Warped9]

I'm starting to build the nose section. Something about this design suggests an aircraft influence so I'm going with that in trying to figure out what shape this thing really is.

 

[aridas sofia]

It has always struck me as influenced by that old stalwart Nazi SdKfz 250:

https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/Armored_Cars/SdKfz-250/SdKfz-250-7-Granatwerfer.png

 

[Warped9]

*Sigh* The more I look at this thing the more weird it looks. There is little to tell you what the shape is really supposed to be. The previous flying mouse design basically became workable once I clued into the idea behind its shape. Each time I try out an idea I don’t end up with something that looks right.

I’m now onto my next idea for this...

 

[Atolm]

Awesome as the norm bro!

 

[publiusr]

Perhaps used for dense atmospheres—an armored TOS Delta flyer

 

[Warped9]

Allright now--finally--something to show. It took me awhile to get some sort of handle on this, but I think I'm on a decent track. This is just the main hull and the aft landing supports.



Although this will be scaled somewhat more modestly than what we see onscreen it will still be much too large to be properly berthed as one of the Enterprise's shuttlecraft. But this is an exercise into seeing how a TOS take on this design could have looked like.

 

[Michael]

This is looking really good, @Warped9! Interesting how you managed to make it look like a smaller craft while still keeping the basic shape of what we saw in TAS. Looking forward to how you progress on this.

 

[Warped9]

All I really did to make it look a bit smaller was to thicken the forward viewport. The landing supports look thinner than they really are as seen from this angle. They are actually distinctly thicker to suggest being able to support what looks like a heavy vehicle.

 

[Warped9]

Some further progress. I have added the landing supports as well as the aft detail. What remains are the forward nav deflector, the nacelles, the access hatch and steps as well as the ship's markings.



While I generally like how this is turning out I cannot get away from the conviction that I cannot envision Matt Jefferies or anyone else on TOS ever designing a Starfleet vehicle to look like this. Indeed I think very few of the TAS designs are something I could easily envision on TOS. The robot freighter and the transport Huron are the two notable exceptions.

This designs strikes me as having something of a 1950's vibe to it--as if it could have appeared on some pulp SF novel cover or some anthology of SF short stories in a '50's era pulp magazine. It also has a bit of an aircraft influence to it. Then again depending on my mood it at different times makes me think of a bird, a dog or a shoe. This is one truly wierd looking thingy.

 

[Warped9]

I was thinking about where else this design could have been used in TOS even without a live-action version of "Mudd's Passion." I'm thinking it could have been used in "Lett That Be Your Last Battlefield" as the shuttlecraft Lokai steals from the starbase.

 

[Warped9]

And here we are folks. I think I've taken this as far as I can. It's not supposed to be a highly detailed rendering of a "real" craft, but a nicely convincing miniature as maybe we could have seen on TOS.




I have added some extra surface detailing to liven up what would otherwise be a lot of blank exterior hull surface. I also tried to use authentic looking TOS colours to tie it in to the other Starfleet ships we saw in TOS. I have also tried to scale things a bit more accurately on this than what we saw drawn in TAS. The access hatch is 6ft. and the three access steps are about 7 - 1/2in. apart. This scale means this craft would be almost 52ft. in length--almost 25ft. longer than my take of the familiar Class F shuttlecraft.

Although the the type of craft this is is not specified onscreen Alan Dean Foster did identify this as a heavy laneder type shuttlecraft yet without clarifying what that really meant. But given it's unconventional configuration and somewhat robust appearance perhaps this is a specialized vehicle meant for unusually hostile environments where it would utilize its extensive sensor systems.

I must say I was dubious of this design when I started, but as I've fleshed it out and tweaked it into a 3D form I found myself rather liking it more. Now looking at I think it would make for an pretty cool model kit. Anyone out there interested in doing some 3D printing?

Next I'll be working up some scenes from a live-action version of "Mudd's Passion."

 

[Redfern]

Next I'll be working up some scenes from a live-action version of "Mudd's Passion."

That's brings up an interesting point. Obviously, a live action version of the episode could not have depicted two kaiju sized silicate looking creatures. How do you think the production would have menaced Mudd and the crew? (Even though they wouldn't "fit" with a live action version, I'd love to see your efforts modeling those monsters.)

BTW, I conjecture that's why a heavier, more "robust" shuttle was depicted, to demonstrate the insane strength of "Rockzilla", crushing the vehicle like a soda can.

 

[Warped9]

That's brings up an interesting point. Obviously, a live action version of the episode could not have depicted two kaiju sized silicate looking creatures. How do you think the production would have menaced Mudd and the crew? (Even though they wouldn't "fit" with a live action version, I'd love to see your efforts modeling those monsters.)

BTW, I conjecture that's why a heavier, more "robust" shuttle was depicted, to demonstrate the insane strength of "Rockzilla", crushing the vehicle like a soda can.

Given enough time (which TOS didn't have even if under unually ideal circumstances) I imagine something in the form of stop-motion f/x could have been used to depict some kind of monster to threaten and wreck the shuttlecraft miniature.

In any case that element of the story would most likely have to be rethought and reimagined.

 

[Redfern]

If Wah Chang had still been working for the show, he would have been a prime candidate to animate such creatures (as well as model them).

Given it is such an involved process, I've often wondered how Filmation arranged to have a couple of stop motion creatures for "Jason of Star Command". Being a Saturday morning series, one would assume it would had an even tighter budget and an even tighter schedule.