Just for fun. A "twin-engined destroyer" using Modular Models new resin parts (available at the Starship Modeler store): Parts are: Modular Models "Masao class" saucer with hangar deck Modular Models short nacelles Modular Models nacelle pylons Modular Models TOS-style megaphasers Modular Models 2-turbolift bridge Modular Models shuttlecraft PL kit nacelle detail parts and the hangar beacon are pretty much the only plastic parts! Decals are homemade on my Alps, plus kit window decals. The impluse deck markings are from a JTGraphics sheet. Yeah, I made the hangar doors interchangeable.
Never seen this design before. Great design! Great job on the model, Forbin! Beautifully executed! It's a good looking, very integrated, flowing and believable TOS style design. Well done!
Nice looking model! Was Masao the first to create that hangar deck on the back of the saucer like that on a TOS design? I really like that feature.
What a beautiful ship! A very believable possibility for a TOS ancestor to the Miranda. The only thing I'd do (slightly) differently would be to put little dishettes on the front tips of those upper mini-pods, to give it even more TOS authenticity.
Yo Aridias, I'm happy for you, and imma let you finish, but Forbin has the best TOSified Miranda of all time! Of all time!!!
Hey... I LOVE this design. Then again, I'm one of Forbin's biggest fans. I don't agree with it being a TOS Reliant, because I think it is more original than that. I'd probably have called it a light frigate because of the similarities though. In any event, it's a fantastic design and one I'd love to see drawn up in schematics.
I like this very much. Enough to make me almost - almost - want ot buy those kit parts and build one of my own. And I say this as a guy who gave up model making years ago for lack of space and boredom.
God I love this thing. Looks like a serious workhorse of the fleet. I never understood why people bash kitbashes (no pun intended) done right like this they can look as original and well thought out as anything out there.
Thanks! I'll probably get around to some orthos some day. I've been trying to do at least orthos of all my ships for a tech-manual0style book of my own. I'll probably never finish them all, though. This little ship is actually based very loosely on Jackill's Lancer class light frigate (one of his prettiest designs EVAH!), but I figure the short nacelles would give it more destroyer-like performance. I may yet relent and call it a frigate. The idea was just to take a bunch of Ziz's new resin parts and see what came out of it.
Forbin: I have (an admittedly silly) question: How do you manage to cut into the little saucer parts to insert the nacelle pylons? That looks like really delicate work. Is it difficult?
I actually cut the pylons, not saucer. I just had to do some filling with putty on the bottom of the notches because of the aerodynamic recess under the saucer.
I looked up the Modular Models web site to see what else they have, and I'm a little bothered by the fact that they entirely credit Jackill for the container pods, and don't mention Franz Joseph at all. Marian
I based the Container system on the Jackill designs because he has more options for end caps and the cargo bay doors than the original Franz Joseph designs. It all kind of rounds out though, as the basic container Jackill has listed is based on FJ. I know there are a lot of people who rank FJ right up there with Roddenberry and Jeffries, but bottom line is that he did very little for fan-based designs aside from getting the ball rolling. It's games like Star Fleet Battles and guys like Vance and Jackill who have really pushed fanon designs forward.