Thanks for those links. I remember the top version, just couldn't remember who had done it. I think my favourite of those is the one in the third link, looks slightly longer than the top version. Plus, I love that rounded sketch in the last link of an aquashuttle! The classic blue line blueprint style of your designs are cool, and even cooler with the full.colour schematics also! You have definitely added to my personal canon! These would be designs I'd be using if I still played the FASA Trek RPG. I hope people on the FASA STSTCS starship forum have seen this thread! Looking forward to see how this version of the long range shuttle comes together.
I am experiencing frustration as there are contradictory and inconsistent lines that don’t seem to work together. *Sigh* Looks like I’m starting over again. Also, I have to make time to finish updating my Christmas village display for the living room.
It’s a physical display. The support looks like a table frame with no actual surface measuring about 4-1/2 x6 feet. Two 2 inch styrofoam sheets serve as the base for the village made up of various Christmas village houses and buildings, figures styrofoam snow hills and a moving train with lights and sound. This year I wanted to make it a bit larger with an expanded train tunnel. The support for the “table” are six removable kitchen style table legs. Makes it easier to dismantle and store downstairs. This was last year. https://imgur.com/a/jiN85ix
Obviously, Christmas decorations are important! Seeing you are having problems with a new version of the long range shuttle, did you ever reference the version shown in the Officers Manual that had the ovoid scout you modelled earlier? https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lca...l/USS-Enterprise-Officers-Manual_Page_078.jpg It's longer than your earlier versions. I didn't originally want to mention this, but was wondering if it could maybe give you inspiration, if you haven't already seen it before. It's still probably too big for permanent hanger storage on a Constitution class Starship!
Unti! I started to see your interpretations, that was what I envisioned what the TAS on-screen vessel actually looked like! It made more sense, especially the hexagonal cross-section matching with the view of the rear hatch in the episode
This is a schematic of my very first attempt at making a live-action version of the TAS scoutship. It certainly looks more compact without the exaggerrated proportions of the onscreen version. Yet while I would tackle certain elements differently now I still find much to recommend this approach. I suppose thats why I find myself coming back to this. I can see lengthening the main hull some and raising the nacelles higher more alike the onscreen version. What is really nice is that here I have ready made drawings (in scale) that I need only modify to be somewhat less compact yet without the extreme proportions of the onscreen original.
Well - in the real world - such small craft would be mass-produced to the same design (or range of designs) for efficiency's sake. Case in point - U.S. Navy Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters are generally common across many different ships (other than production variants, or mission specific models):
Ah the image in your post is from our book I believe, unless someone else has a storyboard which isn't inconceivable, so I just figured you had taken the photo. Sorry!
What my first model, and one of my first 3D models, actually looked like rendered. As I said upthread I can see where I can tweak/modify this, but I generally think it still works as a credible shuttlecraft variant for live-action TOS.
A thought exercise. The top view is the original configuration. The middle view is the original stretched 5 percent. The bottom view is the original stretched 10 percent. I think I'm on the right track. The only other major change I would make is to flatten the upper surface of the hull so it isn't angled forward or not angled as much. I would also move the nacelles upward. Personally I think I like the middle view best--I think it has a nice visual balance. A major issue I have with the onscreen version is the proportions are too exaggerrated. The aft end is far too angled for a credible setup for a rear acces hatch. And the bow section is simply far too pronounced. Like the view of the Enterprise's hangar deck it ends up coming across as ridiculously oversized.
What I always like about your work is that when you see it in classic blue line blueprint schematics, it looks cool. Then you produce these colour schematics, and they look cooler! I think you could get away with the lower 10% stretched version, to me personally, it would look closer to that schematic I linked to above length wise. But it's your design! Is that why when I watch the Remastered TOS episodes, the hanger deck now look too small compared to the original forced perspective mini set?
It’s interesting how some TAS designs look meticulously drawn (the freighters) and others look hastily drawn (the shuttles). To that end I try to make versions of the hastily drawn designs look credible as live-action vehicles. As such you basically sacrifice the wonky proportions and inconsistent elements, but try to retain the overall feel. I think I succeeded with the heavy lander and aquashuttle yet the scoutship is somewhat more problematic.