"Crossbow-class" - a ship, for a change!
- Thread starter Ptrope
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While I'm getting myself psyched for the "Ships of the Line" contest, I've been working a little on the Crossbow-class to improve it at higher resolutions. This is the first run at it:
Mostly, it's just tweaking the materials, and adding specular maps to the major hull areas.
Mostly, it's just tweaking the materials, and adding specular maps to the major hull areas.
An intriguing design! 
The Crossbow is an interesting design for two reasons, because it reminds me on two other designs: the Longbow-class Battlecruiser (similar name too, go figure), which also has horizontal pylons, and the Decatur/Belknap-class Strike Cruiser, who share similar registry numbers, and also have their pylons and nacelles below the saucer section.
The Crossbow is an interesting design, and takes a design approach
The interesting, (and unfortunate) thing here is that the Geonese shares her registry with an Ascension-class Dreadnaught (a sub-class of the Belknap), the Minsk.
In order to assume the existence of the Crossbow and the Geonese, I'd have to overlook the Minsk, and I'd have to assume that the Crossbow has a registry that isn't shared by the Decatur, Belknap, Ascension, or any of the Belknap's variants, such as the Raan. I'm usually willing to overlook the existence of one insignificant ship to acknowledge of another design.
And like I said, the Crossbow is nice, well modeled, and unique design.
By the way, are those holes in between the impulse drives and in the front rim of the saucer torpedo tubes?
The Crossbow is an interesting design, and takes a design approach
The interesting, (and unfortunate) thing here is that the Geonese shares her registry with an Ascension-class Dreadnaught (a sub-class of the Belknap), the Minsk.
In order to assume the existence of the Crossbow and the Geonese, I'd have to overlook the Minsk, and I'd have to assume that the Crossbow has a registry that isn't shared by the Decatur, Belknap, Ascension, or any of the Belknap's variants, such as the Raan. I'm usually willing to overlook the existence of one insignificant ship to acknowledge of another design.
And like I said, the Crossbow is nice, well modeled, and unique design.
By the way, are those holes in between the impulse drives and in the front rim of the saucer torpedo tubes?
Thanks for the kudos! The registry for this ship isn't hard-and-fast - I'm not really that conversant (or interested) in the various ship registries, names, classes or specs, so I picked a number that was a pun (Zager & Evans' "In the Year 2525" - one-hit-wonder from 1969 
). It took me 2 years to even get around to making some sort of determination of the ship's actual size (slightly longer than the Constitution class, but all the major components are larger - they're just tucked together much more tightly ).
As for those 'holes' - the ones in the front are supposed to be forward long-range scanners, the pod between the impulse drives was originally conceived to be some sort of unique, relativistic supralight drive - kind of an emergency propulsion that can exceed SOL, but you suffer the effects of time dilation, unlike warp drive. And that is my "B.S." in science for the day.
). It took me 2 years to even get around to making some sort of determination of the ship's actual size (slightly longer than the Constitution class, but all the major components are larger - they're just tucked together much more tightly ).
As for those 'holes' - the ones in the front are supposed to be forward long-range scanners, the pod between the impulse drives was originally conceived to be some sort of unique, relativistic supralight drive - kind of an emergency propulsion that can exceed SOL, but you suffer the effects of time dilation, unlike warp drive. And that is my "B.S." in science for the day
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Out of curiosity, where are the Crossbow's torpedo launchers (can't seem to find any)? Or does she simply not armed with any (which would make her more of an Exploration Cruiser)?
The idea of an emergency relativistic drive is an interesting one, but I believe that all Starfleet vessels have the ability to travel at relativistic drives.
This reminds me of the story where the Columbia and the convoy she was escorting was ambushed by Romulan vessels.
The convoy was destroyed, while the Columbia managed to escape, but her Warp Drive was shot, so her crew attempted to return home by turning off some sort of limitation field that normally prevents starships from traveling at relativistic speeds, knowing full well that if they managed to reach home, it would be drastically different from the one they left. Not that they managed to reach home; they found refuge in the Caeliar...
I believe that all Starfleet vessels (and probably most starships) retain this emergency ability.
The idea of an emergency relativistic drive is an interesting one, but I believe that all Starfleet vessels have the ability to travel at relativistic drives.
This reminds me of the story where the Columbia and the convoy she was escorting was ambushed by Romulan vessels.
The convoy was destroyed, while the Columbia managed to escape, but her Warp Drive was shot, so her crew attempted to return home by turning off some sort of limitation field that normally prevents starships from traveling at relativistic speeds, knowing full well that if they managed to reach home, it would be drastically different from the one they left. Not that they managed to reach home; they found refuge in the Caeliar...
I believe that all Starfleet vessels (and probably most starships) retain this emergency ability.
The torpedo launchers are the 'rolltop' doors in the leading edge of the 'bow' connecting the nacelles.
Sadly, I'm not a Trek scholar - even though I've watched them all, and TOS through DS9 several times, I'm not very familiar with the hundreds of books, fanon, nor the tech specs that have collected over the decades, so I have no idea what has or hasn't been established over that time - I pretty much just go on what looks good to me, and I try to create a plausible engineering explanation for it.
And now, a new pic, one I submitted for the Ships of the Line contest, but which probably won't make it, since it's not a design ever seen in the show, even though U.S.S. Korolev has been named in an onscreen infographic; I thought it would be a nice touch to spell out its name in Cyrillic ...
Sorry, this doesn't show the launcher doors at all ...
Sadly, I'm not a Trek scholar - even though I've watched them all, and TOS through DS9 several times, I'm not very familiar with the hundreds of books, fanon, nor the tech specs that have collected over the decades, so I have no idea what has or hasn't been established over that time - I pretty much just go on what looks good to me, and I try to create a plausible engineering explanation for it
.And now, a new pic, one I submitted for the Ships of the Line contest, but which probably won't make it, since it's not a design ever seen in the show, even though U.S.S. Korolev has been named in an onscreen infographic; I thought it would be a nice touch to spell out its name in Cyrillic ...
Sorry, this doesn't show the launcher doors at all ...
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I like the Cyrillic! Although shouldn't it be КОРОЛЁВ? Ё and E are different letters. Though I suppose it could also be КОРОЛЬО́В if you wanted to go for the Ukranian spelling.
.... You know what, never mind these nits. I'm just going to sweep them under the rug over here.
.... You know what, never mind these nits. I'm just going to sweep them under the rug over here.
Actually, I think that the registry of the Korolev was supposed to be NCC-2014.
And I don't see why Starfleet wouldn't allow the use of Cyrillic, if-whoever-was in charge, wanted to do that.
Funnier, stranger stuff has happened, such as how the Larson class Richtofen was painted in red during during one of her upgrades.
And I don't see why Starfleet wouldn't allow the use of Cyrillic, if-whoever-was in charge, wanted to do that.
Funnier, stranger stuff has happened, such as how the Larson class Richtofen was painted in red during during one of her upgrades.
Well, at least she now has the canon registry. Which is always a very nice touch.
Memory Alpha does claim that the Korolev is a Constitution class, though this was never explicitly stated in The Undiscovered Country, so I guess that might not really be considered canon?
Now I wish I never even looked it up to confirm whether she was ever even given a class type in the film, but then again, I am such a busy body.
Memory Alpha does claim that the Korolev is a Constitution class, though this was never explicitly stated in The Undiscovered Country, so I guess that might not really be considered canon?
Now I wish I never even looked it up to confirm whether she was ever even given a class type in the film, but then again, I am such a busy body.
