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Archer-class 3D conversion

Yes, wheels would be logical, but my mind keeps drifting to a concept drawing Matt Jefferies made and can be found at TrekCore, that "glass" cabin flatbed hover-truck.

http://www.trekcore.com/specials/albums/sketches/STTOS_Sketch_SpaceTug4_Color.jpg

(You may have to copy the link and paste it in the URL window.)

Yeah, some would see it as "Jetsons-esque", but at least it would be in keeping with the TOS design ethic. andd when not "in gear", it could deploy "landing legs" to conserve power. Obviously, it's not something the original series could have readily depicted in studio, but we're not limited by that real world aspect.

Sincerely,

Bill
 
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I love how the cargo hatch blends in with the contour of the back of the hull. The more that I look at her, the more that I'm loving the attention to detail that has been put into her. The straight-forward saucer-connected-to-engineering configuration makes her a sleek and compact looking design. Though every time I look at her, I cannot help but notice that there are at least four other designs that I know of that also use Archer as their class name... :S

It makes me wonder, sometimes, what Trek would've looked like if we'd had CGI in the '60s, rather than having to build 11' foot models that required arc lights to get even a dim image on the available film stock - I could easily see Matt Jefferies proposing that the registries, if they were going to be on the ship at all, be lit internally, rather than using spotlights across the irregular contours of the hull; we certainly have the technology to make it happen. It makes perfect sense now, but having set the precedent, it's hard to go with some of the logical improvements that we now know are possible, because 'that's not the way Gene did it.' (the only place I have seen it done is on the Operative's ship in Serenity)
Yeah, I'd like to see more stuff with self-lit markings too. The only problem is that many people had a weird reaction to seeing the Operative's ship like that, simply because they're not used to it.

I think that they could of, and should have used that for the Enterprise-J. Considering how advanced that she is, she would have been a perfect platform for introducing innovative ideas. Maybe this is something that should be used for all ship designs built afterward.

I myself imagine that something akin to LEDs surround the all of the registry markings, or all of the registry markings would glow completely, and turn off during combat mode, so the ship isn't as easy to spot, and the energy that is used to run those lights are redistributed elsewhere. The registry markings would appear to be black when the lights are turned off, similar to the LCARS, so that if the ship were damaged, she could still be identified, even by sight if the navigational transponder were damaged.
 
Yeah, I've noticed that there are several Archer classes, when I was searching for the resin model of the ship; I don't know what the pedigrees are for the rest, but this one, at least, does seem to have the offical 'seal of approval' in that the licenseholders have put it on the covers of the books. Given who it's named after, and Trek fans being who they are, it was pretty much inevitable that there would be several different designs and classifications of ships called Archer ;).

I've thought for awhile that the registries could perhaps be a film, or even something like a paint or anodized finish, that would require a very, very small current to glow - keep in mind that in the depths of space, it wouldn't require much light to be visible against the background. Microwatts as opposed to megawatts. I have to confess that I misread your post above, at first, and conceptualized it as saying they would glow unless current were applied, which made me think, "Yeah, that's a good idea!" Like air brakes on a semi-trailer, which arein their active state unless air pressure is applied, so that when the driver brakes, he's actually releasing the restraints on the brakes, and if the trailer accidentally loses pressure, it isn't without brakes entirely. If the registries glow as their default state, and a micro-charge is applied to turn them 'off', then if the ship is damaged, they automatically come on to make it easier to spot the ship. Whadya think? ;) Maybe they glow as a response to various rays that they are bombarded with in space, like phosphors.
 
...that "glass" cabin flatbed hover-truck. Yeah, some would see it as "Jetsons-esque"...

I'm sort of reminded of another flatbed vehicle of onscreen Trek - the supposed boat of TAS "Ambergris Element".

http://tas.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x13/theambergriselement_051.JPG
http://tas.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x13/theambergriselement_070.JPG

Are we sure this thing is nothing but a floating shell? It's weirdly shaped for that - wave-piercing inverted bows are no good on open boats, for one thing! Perhaps we're actually seeing yer average flying truck here, with antigravs on those prominent side sponsons?

I'm also pretty much convinced that the thing has some sort of a weather cover available - even if it's only a forcefield, a bigger brother of the life support belt field. The "glass" cabin of MJ's vehicle (one out of many such sketches) could be such a forcefield, too. It isn't that implausible to think that in the 23rd century, forcefields of this type have replaced the tarpaulin and the trenchcoat because they are cheaper and more durable and consume only minimally more power...

The poor Archer couldn't accommodate anything of this size, of course. But if she does carry vehicles, and can only carry one or two, then a "flitter" or a "hopper" might be more useful than a "roller"!

Timo Saloniemi
 
...that "glass" cabin flatbed hover-truck. Yeah, some would see it as "Jetsons-esque"...
I'm sort of reminded of another flatbed vehicle of onscreen Trek - the supposed boat of TAS "Ambergris Element".

http://tas.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x13/theambergriselement_051.JPG
http://tas.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x13/theambergriselement_070.JPG

I can´t see the pics... I receive this message:
Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /gallery/albums/1x13/theambergriselement_070.JPG on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
 
Copy the link and paste it into a new browser tab - it's firewalled against hotlinking.
 
Here's my first test render of the lightcycle as a Starfleet ground support bike ...

Cycles001.jpg
 
The first thought that comes to mind is those motorcycles from the new Thundercats series. My first thought when I saw them was: "Now that is how you make motorcycles!"

Rather than making what is pretty much a gloried motorized horse and exposing the rider to the elements, and guaranteeing that s/he will get injured, it should be more like a cockpit on wheels, so that you have enough room to equip with safety harnesses, roll cage, and all.

I swear I will never ride a motorcycle; those things are dangerous, but this is different.
 
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