Jayru (JSnaith's) 3D Trek
- Thread starter JSnaith
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No, the Surak is much weirder than that.
Tom Sutton never drew her consistently. Sometimes, she was sorta Oberth-inspired. Once, he drew the warp sled from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Occasionally, she's a mini-Excelsior. And, in her final appearance, drawn by Todd McFarlane, she's a proto-Soyuz class!
I compiled all of the visual references in an essay on my website. I think of your take on it as the "real" ship that Sutton was trying to draw.
I think you've mentioned your page before to me... I'm certainly aware of it, so I may have been pointed to it by someone else. Kudos on the write up. I've seen Wild-Endeavour's take on the side view before as well. It's good, very good - but it lacking the neck which is consistent with the deign the few times the ship was depicted this way. There is a temptation to create something more closer to what Sutton drew (when he was consistent), and that's something I may think on. My brief, if any, was to try and rationalise designs - to make them work - in a way that make sense to even the most lay-engineer amongst us. The McCaffrey Class is an inspired design, rather than a take on Sutton's ship. But as I say, we'll see if I explore Suttons design a bit more. Got some calls on my time at the moment, so...No, the Surak is much weirder than that.
Tom Sutton never drew her consistently. Sometimes, she was sorta Oberth-inspired. Once, he drew the warp sled from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Occasionally, she's a mini-Excelsior. And, in her final appearance, drawn by Todd McFarlane, she's a proto-Soyuz class!
I compiled all of the visual references in an essay on my website. I think of your take on it as the "real" ship that Sutton was trying to draw.
More as and when!
Morning!
I've been thinking about the Sutton design, and have explored Wild-Endeavour's take on it. By Sutton's design, I mean the one idea that seemed to be consistent for a time, rather then the more interesting ones (like the warp sled, or the mini Excelsior). I guess I mean the one that originally inspired me:
There is something to the design, it is... Intriguing.
Wild-Endeavour did a bang up job of conceptualising a side view, but I have some caveats about that - they missed details off the nacelles, and the missed putting the neck on her. So it's more of interpretation then a straight up mock up of Sutton's design.
I am - seriously - considering doing a take on Sutton's design - a take take that fits more with its outline, but still keeping to the TMP ethos. Yes, I know I have the McCaffrey but that was an inspired take, and is pretty much its own thing. Sutton's design is more akin to the size of a refit Connie looking at the details on her. I'm thinking of doing a basic study model, and then seeing where to go from there. A Sutton Class... I do so like making rods for my back, lol.
Anyways, more on this later.
I've been thinking about the Sutton design, and have explored Wild-Endeavour's take on it. By Sutton's design, I mean the one idea that seemed to be consistent for a time, rather then the more interesting ones (like the warp sled, or the mini Excelsior). I guess I mean the one that originally inspired me:
There is something to the design, it is... Intriguing.
Wild-Endeavour did a bang up job of conceptualising a side view, but I have some caveats about that - they missed details off the nacelles, and the missed putting the neck on her. So it's more of interpretation then a straight up mock up of Sutton's design.
I am - seriously - considering doing a take on Sutton's design - a take take that fits more with its outline, but still keeping to the TMP ethos. Yes, I know I have the McCaffrey but that was an inspired take, and is pretty much its own thing. Sutton's design is more akin to the size of a refit Connie looking at the details on her. I'm thinking of doing a basic study model, and then seeing where to go from there. A Sutton Class... I do so like making rods for my back, lol.
Anyways, more on this later.
(with acknowledgement and thanks to Tom Sutton)...
One very basic rough study model.
Borrowed the nacelles off the Clarke and the bridge module is the standard one I always use for TMP ships. Not sure I can make the design work, but I'll have a go. Layout is going to be wild on this one, and she is a much bigger ship, but I can handle that. Going to be refining this for a bit until I get it all to fit a deck layout that works, and then... Well, the devil is in the detail.
Questions and things I need to explore:
More later.
PS: I forgot to add, that the image from the comics is not a direct side view, but one of the ship at an angle, so some things are going to be a guess.
One very basic rough study model.
Borrowed the nacelles off the Clarke and the bridge module is the standard one I always use for TMP ships. Not sure I can make the design work, but I'll have a go. Layout is going to be wild on this one, and she is a much bigger ship, but I can handle that. Going to be refining this for a bit until I get it all to fit a deck layout that works, and then... Well, the devil is in the detail.
Questions and things I need to explore:
- Will she have a platform behind the saucer?
- Deflector dish, yes or no?
- Excelsior style, or more early TMP style?
- Reg number (have a name in mind) NCC-XXX or NCC-2XXX? Ideas helpful.
More later.
PS: I forgot to add, that the image from the comics is not a direct side view, but one of the ship at an angle, so some things are going to be a guess.
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After a bit of refinement :-
22 Decks, 275 meters in length.
Have been playing around with her parts and rejigged a few things, resized a few bits and refined most of it. Much happier with it now. I can see how it fits together in my mind's eye from and engineers POV, and whilst a few things might be tight, as a ship I think this will work well with the TMP ethos. aridas should be happy that I've kept the space clear on the nacelles - something that was difficult to do on the McCaffrey/Clarke.
As to my questions -
Comments welcome (as always), more soon :-)
22 Decks, 275 meters in length.
Have been playing around with her parts and rejigged a few things, resized a few bits and refined most of it. Much happier with it now. I can see how it fits together in my mind's eye from and engineers POV, and whilst a few things might be tight, as a ship I think this will work well with the TMP ethos. aridas should be happy that I've kept the space clear on the nacelles - something that was difficult to do on the McCaffrey/Clarke.
As to my questions -
- No. Although Tom did show a platform behind the saucer on different iterations of the design, this ship will work very nicely without one.
- Yes, cutting in the bay altered the curve of the secondary hull slightly, but it works.
- TMP style, with some nods to what is to come.
- NCC-1XXX - pre Excelsior, but post Miranda. Throw some ideas at me, and lets see what sticks.
Comments welcome (as always), more soon :-)
Damn fine start. Looking forward to seeing where this is going.
As am I, lol. The only thing that bugs me at the mo, is that it feels like a JJTrek ship, and that's a big no-no for me (not a fan of his films. My own opinion, and if you like them, you like them. I do not).
You are quite the expedient modeler. And that is a fascinating design. I remember the comics from that era, and it never occurred to me that ship might actually make sense. The saucer is a bit bloated, but it is neverthelsess a fine design, and rather creative both for the time, and now. The bloated saucer is just an aesthetic judgement on my part because in universe, it makes sense. Ships got bigger. Saucers took on that much more “top heavy” form. And it was a science vessel, wasn’t it? So that thing has enough lab space to be a university in space. Impressive. Very impressive!
The neck placement does evoke the JJ-prise but Sutton's design has a wide stance so there is some large differences. You've got a fine start though.
Thank you! It is an intriguing design. Will be interesting to see what I can make of it. Oh yes, this is supposed to be a science ship, so the saucer makes sense. In terms of the internal gubbings, I have a rough idea how it all fits together, and to my mind makes it "workable" - but there are very few perfect designs, lol.
Thank you! This is the one design that seemed to be the most consistent of the Surak. And I can live with the neck - for the moment ;-)
More soon!
I like your take on it.
When I look at the side view---
I can imagine as many as five supports there.
The engine pylons
Two pylons coming off the secondary hull in an "A" frame (with vents)
A submarine conning tower rising between the above that blends with the nautical like secondary hull.
When I look at the side view---
I can imagine as many as five supports there.
The engine pylons
Two pylons coming off the secondary hull in an "A" frame (with vents)
A submarine conning tower rising between the above that blends with the nautical like secondary hull.
Thank you!
I understand what you mean, but if you adjust for the fact it's not a perfect side view as the ship's front is rotated to us, then you can see both nacelle pylons and the neck. Obviously I'm doing an interpretation that fits with the TMP ethos, so it will not quite be as the image is...
More soon!
Last image of the day -
Just to show where the Intermix Shaft is located, and where the shuttle bay will be. Added a couple of observation domes to the back end of the secondary hull. Obviously these will be big rooms - bigger than the bridge and then some. Figure it fits with the science feel, and echoes part of the original design as well.
Comments and the like welcome. More tomorrow :-)
Just to show where the Intermix Shaft is located, and where the shuttle bay will be. Added a couple of observation domes to the back end of the secondary hull. Obviously these will be big rooms - bigger than the bridge and then some. Figure it fits with the science feel, and echoes part of the original design as well.
Comments and the like welcome. More tomorrow :-)
I like that dorsal- it looks like the one I put on Ariel.
Thank you! I like happy ships :-)
Thank you! Not sure about the impulse engines yet. I left it to my hind brain to sort out whilst I slept, and nicely I have woken up with some ideas which I shall explore. I may shorten the secondary hull slightly - I think it's too long, but I'll post on that later on. It was nice that once I had the study model I could make it work, if I hadn't been able to fit a proper intermix shaft and shuttle bay in her, I would have passed on building her. I like to build things that work! (And I have to remind myself that this is all fiction, still I like feel that it can work in a real world sense, lol)
Now on to some other thoughts and comments -
I did a little research on Tom Sutton with a view to getting in touch with him and seeing what he thought, but sadly he passed away in 2002. In honour of him, the ships reg will read NCC-1937 (1937 being the year of his birth), and the class name of Sutton is now established. The actual hull name... I'll surprise you with that later.
More soon!
I'm quite fond of them myself.I like oddball ships..
Updates, first pass at the Impulse Engines -
With the secondary hull shortened (overall length remains 275meters) -
Impulse engines don't look right yet, so I'm going to be playing with them for a bit. Comments and the like welcome, more later :-)
