Captain April's Enterprise

[BolianAuthor]

^

Yeah, I've seen that. It's an interesting take, but what I am trying to do is incorporate the main elements of two of the Jefferies sketches, into the form of the pilot/series Enterprise, so that we can see the logical progression of parts that have changed with the ongoing refits... bridge, nacelles, and deflector/sensor dish area. It might work, it might not.

 

[Warped9]

When I saw aridas' rendering I thought it interesting although not as the 1701. I stand by the thought the the E looked pretty much as we saw it in "The Cage" when launched and not so drastically different. aridas' rendering, though, could be taken as a prototype for the Connie class or a design preceding the Connie.

 

[Wingsley]

The front "impeller" caps on the nacelles need to be topped off with "Where No Man..."-style spires.

 

[BolianAuthor]

The front "impeller" caps on the nacelles need to be topped off with "Where No Man..."-style spires.

You know... I was wrestling with whether or not to do that... I could, but I am afraid that it will make the nacelle look too "busy", since it already has a few changes. I am kind of going for the idea that the pilot version of the ship was the first refit, and then Kirk's version was the second refit, with the TMP version being the third. IDK... I might try it, just to see how it looks.

 

[BolianAuthor]

Started on the saucer section... man, the curvature of the saucer bulge is SO hard for me to get right... I am gonna have to redo that, most likely...

 

[Nero's Shadow]

You need some spikes on front of the bussards me thinks apart from that it's looking good. What your plans for the deflector a dish or dome I'd go for a larger dish but would not make it round maybe a different shape and maybe change the shuttle bay doors make the aft section a bit more different.? Are you also going to make the bridge dome bigger.?

 

[Patrickivan]

Is it going to be the smaller concept version? More advanced then the one I did it seems? Sorry for posting images. I just wanted to illlustrate what I was talking about.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Np... I am going to try and incorporate elements of both, actually. I was going to cite your project, but I didn't want you to think my version was going to be a blatant copy of your work. I MIGHT use the same aft section/shuttlebay that you have on yours, IDK yet... anything and everything is subject to change... the only thing I will not alter is the neck... I want to keep that as-is.

Basically, I want to keep this as simple and subtly different as I can, while retaining as much of the MJ original concept as I can... as if to show what the concept version would have been like IF it had been fully fleshed out as the filming version.

 

[ghoyle1]

Is it going to be the smaller concept version? More advanced then the one I did it seems? Sorry for posting images. I just wanted to illlustrate what I was talking about.

Oh, I really like this. Very Matt Jefferies!

 

[BolianAuthor]

Okay, guys... I am at an impasse with an issue regarding the warp nacelles, and I can't decide on what to do, so I'd like to ask my fellow board members for advice...

The issue I'm pondering is the aft end of the nacelle endcaps. On the pilot version, there were vents, and in the series version, there was the bubble. I want "something else" other than vents or the bubble in the April version, but IDK what that could be. See, this is my philosophy and goal, when addressing the warp nacelles in general...

Throughout both pilot and series, the major and general details on the nacelle remained the same. The only things that changed, were the impellers, and the endcap tips... in the pilot, the impellers had those antennae on them, and in the series, they did not. So my goal is to only change these two aspects of the nacelle.

In my version, the impeller will be a new shape, in line with an early MJ sketch. But I would like to have some sort of different detailing on the endcap of the nacelle, to "explain" that with each refit, newer technology was integrated into the overall nacelle, explaining away the fact that the pilot version had vents, the series the bubble, and so on.

So I am open to any ideas for new detail for the endcap... feel free to provide illustrations, if possible, so I can translate your ideas into my plans better. I will consider ANY and all ideas that are not "too advanced-looking" for a TOS ship.

 

[Albertese]

Well you could incorporate the aft ends of the 33" model used in the Cage. They were different still from those on the WNMHGB pilot ship, which was the 11' model with the vents. The 33" model was modified to have matching details to the 11' ship, but the original ends, as shot in "The Cage" were smooth, with a long tall rectangular plant-on running from the top edge to about 3/4 the way down and had a small raised bar towards the lower end. Go find Shaw's thread about the 2/3 scale model he did of the 33" ship and you'll see what I mean.

--Alex

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Ah, yes! I see just what you mean! Thanks, Albertese... that is a great suggestion, and it's one that was actually shown ON a Connie, so I am going to use it... thanks!

 

[BolianAuthor]

How does this look? It's my first try at recreating that endcap... does it look right or okay enough?

 

[Wingsley]

Maybe it's just me, but I would try to include some of the "cheese grater" details to the aft nacelle caps. I say this because the actual "Cage" model looked the move like just a model and not a ship because of that detail. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Well, my main issue with that is having the end cap look TOO busy. I was going to organize the three looks thusly...

 

[Captain Robert April]

Maybe it's just me, but I would try to include some of the "cheese grater" details to the aft nacelle caps. I say this because the actual "Cage" model looked the move like just a model and not a ship because of that detail. Just my opinion, of course.

That probably has more to do with the fact that they were using the three-footer and not the eleven-footer. Big ass camera + teeny model = lousy depth of field.

 

[ghoyle1]

(Edit: I didn't see the comments above mine before i posted this... sorry!)

Forgive me if you already know about these links. You might want to take a look at Agatha Chamberlain's diagrams and notes for the First Pilot Enterprise, at http://culttvman.com/main/?p=10925 . These show a couple of views of the endcap details from "The Cage". Charles Casimiro also has a sheet of First Pilot blueprints, at http://home.earthlink.net/~casimiro/blueprints.html .

If you're looking for some variation, I might suggest a single circular hole in the middle of the area, or some concentric, circular vents cut into it, or a series of horizontal or vertical vents instead of the second pilot version. Or maybe make the endcap flat, with any of the suggestions above?

Guy

 

[ghoyle1]

How does this look? It's my first try at recreating that endcap... does it look right or okay enough?

It looks like the ones on Pike's Connie (at least as drawn; I don't ever recall seeing them in "The Cage"), but they do look a little plain. they don't need to be excessively detailed, but they could use a little extra detail to make 'em pop. Maybe some kind of texturing on the curvy part of the endcaps, horizontal lines maybe? Or at least a different shade from the vertical unit?

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Thanks for those refs! Ironically, it looks like my version of that raised tab is more accurate to the screencap than Casimiro's or Chamberlain's, lol.

I don't want to add anything to a detail that was seen on-screen... I want to be faithful to how it was originally depicted. I think one of the big problems many fans have when adapting designs, is that they tend to like to "over-enhance", and go overboard, which does a lot more harm than good to a design.

 

[Patrickivan]

Good call. A precursor to the E-refit's aft section of the warp nacelle... Just wider.