Franz Joseph Blueprints

[Trekwatcher]

I have been a longtime fan of the Franz Joseph TOS Constitution Class blueprints from 1973. I have always been amazed at how well thought out and exhaustively detailed they were. You can practically walk the halls of the Big E while poring over those 12 white sheets. I still have mine in their original vinyl case.

I was wondering what others thought about these. How many fans had/have a copy? What do you think about some of their eccentricities (the bowling alleys, the statement that NCC stands for Naval Construction Contract, etc). Thoughts? Anybody love or hate these blueprints?

 

[Mike Okuda]

I love the Franz Joesph blueprints and tech manual. I may have a few quibbles about some details, but they're amazing works that brought our favorite starship to life. They're on my bookshelf right here.

-Mike

 

[FalTorPan]

Mike Okuda said:
I love the Franz Joesph blueprints and tech manual. I may have a few quibbles about some details, but they're amazing works that brought our favorite starship to life. They're on my bookshelf right here.

-Mike

And how, Mike! (And it's good to hear from you -- kudos to you and CBS Digital!)

I love FJ's Trek-related works. I don't agree with all the design decisions and constraints, but I think they're great fun, and they're still among the best Trek-related technical publications -- licensed or otherwise.

 

[Albertese]

I disagree with almost every page of FJ's stuff including the deck by deck blueprints which i stumbled across in a used bookstore one day I was passing through Tacoma, but that doesn't make me love it any less. Let's face it, given what he had to work with, that stuff is nothing less than amazing. I thumb through the old tech manual at least once a month it seems.

Verdict:
Still Awesome!

 

[Nerroth]

Ah, FJ - the godfather of the Star Fleet Universe!


As a huge fan of the SFU, which derives from the Technical Manual to a large extent, I can't not but appreciate the TM - not to say that I don't like it on its own merits, of course...


I haven't seen the blueprints, though.


Gary

 

[Nebusj]

I got my own copy -- hardcover! -- some ... well, that's just not possible. It was in 1986, but that can not have been twenty-one years ago, I'm sorry. It was in 1986, but that was only something like eight or nine years ago. Still, quite the delightful read, and just wonderful all around.

 

[WillCAD]

I have my copy, which someone bought for me at a convention in the mid-80s. They're a little beat up, but still complete and in the original paper envelope (inside a plastic comic book sleeve).

I also have a couple of copies of the Tech Manual.

They are not perfect, but they are amazing works of hand drafting skill. As a draftsman myself, I am still amazed at the incredible skill it took to draw so much detail in those deck plans!

 

[FalTorPan]

WillCAD said:
I have my copy, which someone bought for me at a convention in the mid-80s. They're a little beat up, but still complete and in the original paper envelope (inside a plastic comic book sleeve).

I also have a couple of copies of the Tech Manual.

They are not perfect, but they are amazing works of hand drafting skill. As a draftsman myself, I am still amazed at the incredible skill it took to draw so much detail in those deck plans!

I've been fortunate enough to see many of the original drawings for the Technical Manual. They were drawn at the same size as that at which they were published! I thought they'd have been drawn on larger sheets and then photographically reduced.

 

[Irishman]

Having gotten my first dose of Trek tech art with FJ's Tech Manual back in Junior High (ca. 1982-83) when a buddy brought a copy to school, I would love to have a copy of the full-on blueprints. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. What is it they say? Life gets in the way?

I remember just being blown away by the detail on the cutaway equipment views and pseudo-circuit diagrams, as well as the color guide for everything (Cool and helpful addition to a black and white work. I wonder if this means his original intention was to publish it in full-color? Has anyone considered releasing a new edition in color, matching FJs original palette?). My only gripe then was that there was depicted only the one starship we'd seen on screen (the E-nil). So many things could have been included that weren't, just from an on-screen perspective that leaves the door open for a truly DEFINIVE TOS Tech Manual.

Wouldn't it be tremendous to see the DY-100, a really well-thought out SS Woden, an original Aurora (from "The Way to Eden"), as well as the Ray Generator, that predecessor to the TNG PADD that the Captain was always signing off on? Oh, and the Anti-grav units, the antimatter pod. Now with the CBS Digital new designs for alien vessels, maybe someone like Mike Okuda could contribute something like his new Orion or Gorn ships to it.

So many juicy possibilities

 

[Noname Given]

Trekwatcher said:
I have been a longtime fan of the Franz Joseph TOS Constitution Class blueprints from 1973. I have always been amazed at how well thought out and exhaustively detailed they were. You can practically walk the halls of the Big E while poring over those 12 white sheets. I still have mine in their original vinyl case.

I was wondering what others thought about these. How many fans had/have a copy? What do you think about some of their eccentricities (the bowling alleys, the statement that NCC stands for Naval Construction Contract, etc). Thoughts? Anybody love or hate these blueprints?

I have a set - also still in their original vynal case. Of all the 'Star Trek Blueprint' set (from TOS to the 24t century era) - I have to agree that these are the best of the 'Trek' blueprint sets produced.

 

[MGagen]

I, too, am a big fan of FJ's work. I'm in the same camp with many of you who don't completely buy his interpretation of things, but given the meager references of the day they are nothing short of miraculous.

I well remember my first glimpse of the BPs. And later, when the TM came out, I made the horrible mistake of asking for it for Christmas! This was in late October when they hit the bookstores. I could have bought one for myself long before then, but instead I had to wait until late December before I could get my hands on my own copy. My only consolation was poring over a copy everytime I was in a bookstore. That was a life lesson!

M.

 

[Doomsday]

I have an original of both of those.

I bought the blueprints (brand new, and in the vinyl case) at a convention in 1974.

I bought the TM from a bookstore the year it came out, red paperback with a hard black binder to protect it. I think in '74-75 I paid $5 for each.

They are both still in very good condition since they have only been handled a few times in the last 30 years.

Last year, my son's best friend (who is a big VOY fan) was over and I showed them to him. He was blown away, not knowing such things even existed back in the "olden" days.

In retrospect I also am very impressed by their detail and all the wonderful creative work that went into them.

And even though the interior arrangemnt of the ENT was FJ's supposition only, he nonetheless did a very good job of documenting the correct configuration of the sets themselves. That is, you may argue that his placement of engineering was wrong, for example, but he did a fine job of actually showing what engineering looked like.

However, I have always wondered if the fact that those blueprints were used on computer displays in ST-TMP, TWOK and TSFS, if that actually makes them canon?

 

[Forbin]

I have this interesting giant poster, which is really the sheets from the blueprints in an untrimmed state, all on one giant rolled sheet. I have no idea where it came from any more.

 

[Classic Fan]

I dont own any F J material, not physical anyway.

I love the work, its fantastic.

I have a few gripes with some of the stuff, but hey.

I have images from various internet pages, thats all i own. The closest i got was some drawings at the Star Trek Exhibition here in England back in 1997, oooh my god, that was ten damn years ago. Jees how time flys.

 

[Warped9]

I still have my original copy of FJ's blueprints, and while I treasure them for nostalgia and sentimental value they do not represent the definitive reference to the TOS Enterprise as far as I'm concerned.

More "definitive" drawings have since been done and so far there has been no definitive drawings done for the ship's interior layout, as far as I know. Although I really do like the cross sections that some posters around here have done in the arts forum, particularly those of aridas sofia.

For myself I like to think of the 3-footer filming miniature in its original form as depicting the first Constitution-class and then modifications were made later and we got the 11-footer version that was the Enterprise. When I'm finished my current non-Trek project and then my TOS shuttlecraft drawings I'd like to tackle drawing "The Cage" version of the Enterprise.

 

[Forbin]

One thing I came away with from the FJ plans is that the Enterprise may as well be a passenger liner. Putting in quarters for 430 people (rather than barracks or bunk rooms) pretty much fills up the entire ship, with little room left over for those 14 science labs.

 

[ancient]

They are clearly beautiful works, even if some of the details and proportions are wrong in relation to the show.

 

[Hofner]

I bought the blueprints and the TM with original black cover when they first hit the bookstores and they're still on my bookshelf. I used to pore over those things for hours.

In fact I soon realized that I'd better quit unfolding and refolding the blueprints or they'd fall apart so they haven't been in the vinyl case for decades. I just let them lie flat on the top of my bookcase.

Robert

 

[WillCAD]

Irishman said:
I remember just being blown away by the detail on the cutaway equipment views and pseudo-circuit diagrams, as well as the color guide for everything (Cool and helpful addition to a black and white work. I wonder if this means his original intention was to publish it in full-color? Has anyone considered releasing a new edition in color, matching FJs original palette?).

It was reprinted and released in 1986 with the color in full cover and the one color sheet inside (TO:00:10:10 Uniform Color Code) in full color, even including actual metalic ink for colors 01 Silver, 03 Gold, 04 Bronze, and 29 Platinum. The rest of the reprint is, and always was, even on the original version, black and white.

Durn thing sold for only $10.95, a bargain even by 1986 standards, considering that I paid about $20 for a crappy, incomplete, one-sided Xerox copy of the original version in about 1983.

But if you check on Amazon, you'll find that it was apparently reprinted in 2006 as well, with a different cover, and is still available for only $12.21
Star Fleet Technical Manual on Amazon.com

 

[ialfan]

I got a hardcover copy at a Scifi convention probably ten years ago. Great book! Does anyone know how much it would be worth today in good condition (not that I plan on selling)?