Forward Observation Lounge ( VIP Observation Lounge)

[Albertese]

Back in 2005 when I was working with Shane Johnson on a new Scott's Guide. The discussion at the time was that that lounge was going indeed be at the very front of the saucer section, behind panels that slide back and sideways to reveal the windows. In my opinion, it was too much of an excuse, like the reuse of the TNG engineering for 1701-A. I always thought that room should be where the forward port or starboard windows are on the ship, but then the window shape doesn't match...
Part of the book was going to be some 3d renders of some rooms like that one. You can see it here, if you scroll to the bottom of the page: http://cydonia6.com/about.html
(If posting the link is too spammy, forum monitors, feel free to remove this post).

Those snippets of deckplans are fascinating. Is there a way someone could see more complete versions of those?

--Alex

 

[wildstar]

Those snippets of deckplans are fascinating. Is there a way someone could see more complete versions of those?

--Alex

http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints/belknap/belknap-7.jpg

 

[Timo]

...What I find especially fascinating is that one turboshaft with a triangular cross section, ST5:TFF style. Sabots for standard circle-cross-section lift cabs, room for kingsize triangular logistic turbolifts?

In the E-A blueprints, that is, not in the Belknap ones.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[wildstar]

...What I find especially fascinating is that one turboshaft with a triangular cross section, ST5:TFF style. Sabots for standard circle-cross-section lift cabs, room for kingsize triangular logistic turbolifts?

In the E-A blueprints, that is, not in the Belknap ones.

Timo Saloniemi

Those only showed up in the 1701-A to match what was seen in ST5. That style of TL shaft aren't in any other.

 

[blssdwlf]

We do have the hidden eva port used in TMP where Spock and Kirk comes out of the Enterprise so it isn't out of the ordinary for a hidden opening. We could also argue that as far back as TOS they had hidden phasers and torpedo launchers behind covers that blended into the hull as well as the window from "The Mark of Gideon" and even possibly "The Conscience of the King" (because they don't match existing window locations). Also, weren't the window positions different between the 3' and 11' models suggesting that some windows (black or lit) were hidden?

The thing is, though, we don't know what the shuttering is supposed to look like from the outside. Does it mean that this (as such plausibly and recognizably Enterprise-porthole-shaped-and-sized) hole in the hull ceases to exist altogether, or that it goes from glowing yellow to black (the two states in which holes of this sort are shown existing on the outside)?

Shutters over the tall bow lounge windows of ST5 would have to do more than just seamlessly "patch up" the hull - they'd have to reproduce at least one of the art deco lines on the saucer rim. That's so much aesthetic attention paid that it really amounts to an attempt at camouflage!

 

[F. King Daniel]

^The last movie had a shedload of torpedo launchers hidden behind seamless panels, too

 

[Timo]

There are nuances to that, though: the TMP ship was provided with a dedicated hatch to cover a saucer spacewalk/docking port, and the prominent seams for that can be seen both in general ventral views and the (belatedly) finalized VFX of Spock's spacewalk. In ST:ID, the seams sort of magically appear at the last second instead.

Yes, it would make sense to assume the TOS ship could sprout new portholes at will at various locations - there are bigger seams we're "not seeing" that still "must be there". But that's as regards the exterior. "Mark of Gideon" suggests there's heavy machinery involved in opening a porthole cover, making it less likely that, say, the Briefing Room could suddenly exhibit portholes into space.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mytran]

I suspect there's similar porthole machinery behind the Observation Deck windows seen in COK. This also nicely sidesteps the issue that there's no corresponding windows on the model!

 

[publiusr]

To me, the best place for an observation lounge would be to place it where the refit's torpedo tubes are.

Then you can look out to the underside of the saucer. The lower dome takes any debris strikes from directly ahead that way.

That seemed to be the case with Enterprise J. Now, I've seen examples of here with a flush/flat underbelly--but the cover art on the latest Ships of the Line book does seem to suggest a true secondary hull with a semi-circular bow.--not unlike the early Congo concept from drexfiles... http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net...n_cover.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141019165334
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net...concept.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141025114018

Those only showed up in the 1701-A to match what was seen in ST5. That style of TL shaft aren't in any other.

I would have liked to see Shane do a post refit ship that had nothing in common with Excelsior--that just took Probert's design to another level.

How is his health these days