TOS Carrier
- Thread starter Klaus
- Start date
YARN
Fleet Captain
Well inspired by Redspar's thread and the discussion therein, here's an idea... keeps the asymmetry that several folks were fond of in his design. The secondary hull has several pass-through shuttlebays on three sides...
And it flies in circles...
Code:
...when they can extend the warp field over the secondary hull.
Well they do it on aircraft carriers by parking most of the planes on the deck and wheeling them over or bringing them up by elevators... because of the constraints of vacuum that seems like it wouldn't work in space as well as this would, where you could just depressurize each bay when needed and allow access to the rest for maintenance, etc. The reason for an aircraft carrier's deck is the need to launch and land planes... space carriers could save a step and just have them open directly to the void.
I like the fact that you're thinking outside of the box, but the design doesn't make sense to me. Symetry is our friend. Not our enemy. Embrace it. Love it. Make it love you.
Airplanes need runways. shuttles don't.
Hats off to you, Klaus and Redspar!
I like and appreciate it when someone dares to do something unusual and outside-the-box. Of course it's going to be controversial (or at least questionable) on some level. But you have to toss your greens in order to have tossed salad anyway, so kudos for trying.
I just wish there was a way to take each of these modules and quickly and easily re-arrange them to come up with different variants. I am green with envy at folks who make perfect (or nearly perfect) 3D images for STAR TREK ship-hull modules (saucers, dishes, nacelles, etc.) and make even a colorless model look like it fits in the STAR TREK Universe.
Starscape, a member of this forum from the United Kingdom, has come up with some interesting variations of the classic Constitution-class starship design. Starscape's Starship Spitfire is an example of what I call "an inverted Jefferiesian" (upside-down arrangement of Constitution-class hulls). The Starship Corona is an Excelsior-derived echo of the Spitfire.
The Spitfire / Corona concept would pose some possibilities for the TOS Carrier concept.
One question on my mind would be where the warp drive engine room would be located in a ship with so many launch bays. Would it still be in the secondary hull? If so, where?
This design also reminds me of Forbin's interesting Starship Triumph. While I'm not the fan of tri-nacelled designs that I used to be, Triumph is still an eye-catching design.
Vance also came up with some interesting shapes that might be applicable to these carrier modules, like maybe the Achilles or the Apache. I could see possibilities if the secondary hull were attached to the saucer's underside without a neck, like Achilles, except with the nacelles on pylons reaching straight up and down.
There are other variations I would love to experiment with. If I had 3D software, experience and the time, I would want to do things like substitute in different primary hull shapes (like Vance's Apache), or maybe use unusually long nacelles, or elongate the secorndary hull, or use a different shape for the secondary hull. The best carrier idea (for me, anyway) would be to develop a heavily armored warptug based on a cross between Forbin's Sultana and Columbus. The "carrier" would actually be in extra large, extra-long frieght pods. Each pod would contain launch bays, support facilities for launch crews and pilots, and a small engineering and command facility so that each pod could be jettisoned and serve as a provisional space station if necessary.
I like and appreciate it when someone dares to do something unusual and outside-the-box. Of course it's going to be controversial (or at least questionable) on some level. But you have to toss your greens in order to have tossed salad anyway, so kudos for trying.
I just wish there was a way to take each of these modules and quickly and easily re-arrange them to come up with different variants. I am green with envy at folks who make perfect (or nearly perfect) 3D images for STAR TREK ship-hull modules (saucers, dishes, nacelles, etc.) and make even a colorless model look like it fits in the STAR TREK Universe.
Starscape, a member of this forum from the United Kingdom, has come up with some interesting variations of the classic Constitution-class starship design. Starscape's Starship Spitfire is an example of what I call "an inverted Jefferiesian" (upside-down arrangement of Constitution-class hulls). The Starship Corona is an Excelsior-derived echo of the Spitfire.
The Spitfire / Corona concept would pose some possibilities for the TOS Carrier concept.
One question on my mind would be where the warp drive engine room would be located in a ship with so many launch bays. Would it still be in the secondary hull? If so, where?
This design also reminds me of Forbin's interesting Starship Triumph. While I'm not the fan of tri-nacelled designs that I used to be, Triumph is still an eye-catching design.
Vance also came up with some interesting shapes that might be applicable to these carrier modules, like maybe the Achilles or the Apache. I could see possibilities if the secondary hull were attached to the saucer's underside without a neck, like Achilles, except with the nacelles on pylons reaching straight up and down.
There are other variations I would love to experiment with. If I had 3D software, experience and the time, I would want to do things like substitute in different primary hull shapes (like Vance's Apache), or maybe use unusually long nacelles, or elongate the secorndary hull, or use a different shape for the secondary hull. The best carrier idea (for me, anyway) would be to develop a heavily armored warptug based on a cross between Forbin's Sultana and Columbus. The "carrier" would actually be in extra large, extra-long frieght pods. Each pod would contain launch bays, support facilities for launch crews and pilots, and a small engineering and command facility so that each pod could be jettisoned and serve as a provisional space station if necessary.
Another idea occurred to me, looking at Klaus' o.p.:
How about two of those large secondary hulls slung below on the long pylons, with the nacelles balanced on upward pylons above the saucer? Or, how about a Connie-style neck coming down a short ways from the back of the saucer, terminating in a small central pod, with two of the big launch-bay hulls on pylons to either side, and nacelles on straight-up-and-down pylons from the small central pod?
How about two of those large secondary hulls slung below on the long pylons, with the nacelles balanced on upward pylons above the saucer? Or, how about a Connie-style neck coming down a short ways from the back of the saucer, terminating in a small central pod, with two of the big launch-bay hulls on pylons to either side, and nacelles on straight-up-and-down pylons from the small central pod?
That's one way of doing it.
Another possibility would be for the secondary hull pylons to be shaped and situated like Forbin's Starship Minmus (almost like a TOS-era Miranda, but with no "hunchback" on the saucer) and the pylons simply continue upward and connect to the nacelles above the saucer.
Yet another possibility would be for a kind of offset X-wing pylon design, with the dual-secondary hull pylons as-is but the nacelle pylons connecting to the saucer further outboard. It would not look like Vance's Bristol, but vaguely similar.
Maybe the most logical approach would be a combination of the Minmus and Bristol, with nacelles on slanted pylons and the secondary hulls on straight up-and-down pylons from rim of the saucer.
Another possibility would be for the secondary hull pylons to be shaped and situated like Forbin's Starship Minmus (almost like a TOS-era Miranda, but with no "hunchback" on the saucer) and the pylons simply continue upward and connect to the nacelles above the saucer.
Yet another possibility would be for a kind of offset X-wing pylon design, with the dual-secondary hull pylons as-is but the nacelle pylons connecting to the saucer further outboard. It would not look like Vance's Bristol, but vaguely similar.
Maybe the most logical approach would be a combination of the Minmus and Bristol, with nacelles on slanted pylons and the secondary hulls on straight up-and-down pylons from rim of the saucer.
Why not just an attachment for an FJ Tug (which can tow two such attachments at the same time, by the way)?
That way, Starfleet can experiment with fighter tactics without committing to building dedicated carriers.
That way, Starfleet can experiment with fighter tactics without committing to building dedicated carriers.
I think Madman made a USS Valiant similar to your second attempt, there.
First one was pretty original, but I can imagine the stress and strain 2 engine pods would have on that one support. And I could picture it spinning like a top.
First one was pretty original, but I can imagine the stress and strain 2 engine pods would have on that one support. And I could picture it spinning like a top.
Love the Minmus.
Is there any more on the story to that muddy planet with the building?Maybe have the deflector on the front of the pod between the nacelles instead of a deflector on both carrier hulls?
(Either that, or at the front of the saucer.)
Still looks good though.
Love the Minmus.
. nope. It was "Let's see what mysterious-looking thing I can throw together quickly in Bryce for a background."
Hey, how about tucking those shuttle pods up against the saucer, with little or no neck at all? Kind of like Jackill's Miranda-class tug variant?
http://www.jackill.com/Pages/MVA-4_Sample_Page.htm
http://www.jackill.com/Pages/MVA-4_Sample_Page.htm
Neat thread... but I think I like the asymmetrical one that you started out with, the best.
But, maybe instead of having all those sideways bay doors, what about just a through deck platform, having the traditional clamshell doors at each end?
-Ricky
But, maybe instead of having all those sideways bay doors, what about just a through deck platform, having the traditional clamshell doors at each end?
-Ricky
^No reason why not. I imagine you could launch a conga-line of shuttles under computer control pretty quickly.
That was my idea here:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/kitbash/trekpage_saipan.html
Even then I though four shuttle bays may have been going too far, but it looked cool.
That was my idea here:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/kitbash/trekpage_saipan.html
Even then I though four shuttle bays may have been going too far, but it looked cool.
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