USS Kelvin - examination and theories (large images)

At this time we have only one decent view of the USS Kelvin.


By baxart at 2008-10-22

I've been looking at this image and I think I've about got it figured out.
I don't think the Kelvin has over/under nacelles.

I think what we're seeing at the top of the image is the secondary hull's deflector dish. Notice it's blue/white which is consistent with TOS movie-era designs which it looks like the design team is sticking with. Also notice that the blue area is turned like an eye looking at the right side of the image. Why would a nacelle look like that?

Below the saucer we can see a yellow/orange glow which would be consistent with TOS warp nacelles. Also note the black fin shape within the yellow/orange, I think that is one of the rotating fins we saw within the nacelle cap in the trailer. We also see what may be a nacelle cowling, also consistent with what we saw in the trailer.

So these observations lead to to think the Kelvin may look something like this:

By baxart at 2008-10-22

I pieced this together with Vance's toolkit:
www.pixelsagas.com/gallery/viewgallery.php?album=5

and let the debate begin.

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

There's a similar design being worked on, over at the Art forum... And yes, that looks like the most pleasing putative configuration.

Although I'd argue that both the dorsal pod and the nacelle are actually fairly long, and that the image here hides the length through perspective. What we see is very close to a dead-on bow shot, giving the maximum perspective taper for things extending aft.

Also, I'd argue that this is essentially the Franz Joseph Saladin destroyer restyled: the dimensions are largely the same, but the nacelle is an "older model" and so is the saucer. Change the former to a newer one in a refit, and then expand the saucer by giving it a top bulge, and you get the Saladin. Plus the extra pod on top, of course - perhaps an optional extra?

Timo Saloniemi

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

I lightened the pic to give us a better look.


By baxart at 2008-10-22

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

Yep, that's me. Apparently, I totally forgot about a shuttlebay! I guess the consensus is that it should be on the back of the pod? I was wondering about incorporating them into the back of the saucer...

-=MadMan=-

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

Couldn't it be just like the USS Stargazer and have a warp nacelle on top and one on the bottom?

~String

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

I don't think so... Someone in the trek tech area said he had it on good authority that it's a deflector up top. It looks concave, too, so that kind of makes me think that way.

Unless, maybe they re-imagined Impulse Engines into fancy space jet engines! Maybe that's what's going on up there.

I hope not!

-=MadMan=-

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

Couldn't there be a deflector on both or one of the nacelles?

~String

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

I suppose they could stick one there, but that would mess up the whole "bussard ramscoop" idea that the fronts of the nacelles need to be open to scoop up interstellar hydrogen and whatnot.

It is an interesting idea, though, even if I hope they don't do something like that.

-=MadMan=-

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

The Bussard Collectors are a TNG era invention, from my understanding.

Damn... I used to have a wonderful copy of "Mr Scott's Guide to the Enterprise" along with the "ED's" blueprints and a few other books from TOS, with all sorts of starships and whatnot.

~String

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

No, bussard collectors have always been around. That's always been what the front part of the nacelles are.

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

Is there a WEEEEE chance that this is a shot of the ship flying upside down? It's possible.

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

Nah. the lettering would be inverted, then.

-=MadMan=-

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

I don't think so, as the bridge is clearly seen on top.

 

^^ Hmmm. I couldn't see that. Oh well. It's just a funky design.

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

 

Re: USS Kelvin - examination and theories

They were referred to as "matter sinks" a long time before any TNG stuff came into play. Not sure if that was as early as "The Making of Star Trek," because my copy isn't handy, but it was definitely in Franz Joseph's Technical Manual, for what that's worth.

 

So do people want to MAKE them something else or what? Really what else
would the bussards be besides... the bussards. It's been part of the designs
of the ships from the beginning, TNG simply defined them.

And if both we're nacelles or both we're deflectors(Cause the latter makes
a whole lot of sense) then I think the colors would be the same.
Traditionaly the... "Front ends" of the engines are red or orange and the
deflectors are blue.

As for the design itself I think it is very cool and the drawings are very well done

 

What are all those irregularly spaced bumps near the number 4, don't see them anywhere else. Could the fighters be landing on the hull?

 

Just parts of the hull being hit at an angle by the light of what I assume is a star.

 

Franz Joseph called them "Space Energy/Matter Sinks (acquisition)", and the little balls at the opposite end "Space Energy/Matter Source (restoration)" which implied to me the domes up front grabbed hold of space itself and possibly opened up some kind of rift, the machinery in the middle dragged the ship through that rift, and the aft bumps stitched space back together.

Personally, I always thought of the domes as the main matter/antimatter intermix ... the tremendous energies released brilliant enough to even shine through opaque materials and held at a distance from the rest of the ship for very obvious reasons.