Luna class Replacement/Supplement Concept/Sketch Series

[JES]

Circa 2420, this design is supposed to supplement, and eventually completely take on the roles of the Luna class, which at this point, is 40 years old. For the moment however, both classes are more than capable of supplementing each other.

Funny, but this whole design actually only started out as an idea for a primary hull and nacelle pylon concept in my head.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40445677@N06/14964576050/
I soon noticed that my sketch was evolving into something familiar, and seeing as how I like for my designs to have their purpose, I figured "why not"?
I was also toying around with the idea of her being able to carry an alternate "war" package of weapons pods, akin to Sean Torangeau's design for the I.S.S. Titan, but this time capable of separating into support craft, which could be controlled via remote control, onboard, or perhaps even programmed subroutines.
I was also experimental with a different fantail, even back then, which is hard to believe has been three years back.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40445677@N06/15151338145/
Fast forward to today, and now you can see the hull separation lining, which I had already figured at the time. In my mind, the hull separation first seen in Sean's I.S.S. Titan was eventually refitted into even the Prime Timeline's Luna class, and I saw no reason why not to continue with her descendant.

At this point, I'm thinking of calling her the Charon class, and the plan is that her kin will be named after any moons that haven't been used by the Luna class, or any Luna class that have been lost, and whose names haven't been reused in the meantime.

I figure that by 2420, the crises with the Klingons, Undine, and Iconians oh my! will have abated, and Starfleet will want to get back into exploration. The Luna class would be 40 years old by then, which I think is a fine design cycle for medium cruisers.

She is designed to be completely slipstream capable, with even the primary hull having a pair of retractable Warp/Quantum Slipstream nacelles, so both hulls can be completely independent.

Oh, and I made an alternate design for the shuttlebay, which stays a little more true to the Luna class's design for the fantail. I kind of like the idea that those pads are not just landing pads, but are also shuttle pad elevators, which can elevate down a level, so you have an alternate ingress/exit route to launch craft from, assuming that they fit.
Sean, I look forward to any thoughts on my take on your unique design element.

As always, comments and criticism for improving this design is welcome, as are offers to model this in 3D, for any of you modelers who would like to bring one of my designs to life (that would give me one less thing to do in the future). Either way, I am willing to block out further details, and give further form.

Verbal abuse is only authorized from Sean, since this is based off of his design.

For reference if modeled, here is the weaponry that I've planned as of now, which stands at the following, and is subject to change:
Phaser Arrays:
1-2 Dorsal/Fore/Port
1-2 Dorsal/Fore/Starboard
2-4 Dorsal/Aft/Port
2-4 Dorsal/Aft/Starboard
3 Dorsal/Omni-directional/Port
3 Dorsal/Omni-directional/Starboard
1-3 Ventral/Fore/Port
1-3 Ventral/Fore/Starboard
3-5 Ventral/Aft/Port
3-5 Ventral/Aft/Starboard

Quad Point Defense Pulse Phaser Turret Emplacements:
3 Dorsal/Fore/Port
3 Dorsal/Fore/Starboard
3 Dorsal/Aft/Port
3 Dorsal/Aft/Starboard
2 Ventral/Fore/Port
2 Ventral/Fore/Starboard
2 Ventral/Aft/Port
2 Ventral/Aft/Starboard

Single Point Defense Phaser Emplacements:
1 Dorsal/Fore/Port
1 Dorsal/Fore/Starboard
2 Dorsal/Aft
1 Dorsal/Aft/Port
1 Dorsal/Aft/Starboard
2 Ventral/Fore/Port
2 Ventral/Fore/Starboard
1 Ventral/Aft/Port
1 Ventral/Aft/Starboard
2 Ventral/Aft

Torpedo Launchers:
2 Dual Automatic Turrets
1 Fore and 1 Aft

Probe Launchers:
2 Fore
2 Aft

There is also one aft torpedo launcher in the primary hull, and at least 2 phaser arrays on the secondary hull, all of which are concealed except when the two hulls have separated.

Yes, this might seem like a formidable lot of weaponry for a vessel meant for exploration, but considering that the Federation has just come out of a period of 3 straight conflicts, I don't see Starfleet taking any more chances.

Oh, and sorry again for so much text.

 

[Kaiser]

Love it

 

[IreneAdler]

Oooh, I really like this. I've always loved the lines of the Prometheus-class, as I'm a huge fan of a more angular design.

 

[JES]

Thanks! So, nothing you don't like yet? No improvements anyone can conceive at the moment? No negative comments, so I guess that I'm headed in the right direction.
Anyone have an opinion about which shuttlebay design I should go with yet?

Oooh, I really like this. I've always loved the lines of the Prometheus-class, as I'm a huge fan of a more angular design.

I've also always loved the design of the Prometheus class, and the Nova class, but not because of the angular lines, but because of their sleek hulls. I also love the Prometheus's pointy bow.

I've lately been adding more and more of these design elements into my own designs. It just seems like a good direction for Starfleet design to head into.

 

[JES]

And this is where I'm probably going to need some opinions from you fellow artists and designers out there!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40445677@N06/15022791210/

Here, in addition to 3 primary nacelle concepts, I also sketched multiple concepts for the front and rear ends of the nacelles.
Any idea which design elements that I should go with? Or perhaps you have your own ideas of what they should look like? I'm kinda having a hard time deciding if they should resemble the Luna's nacelles in shape a little, or if I should go in a completely new direction, or if I should try going a little somewhere in between. I could really use some feedback, so I have help having the nacelles take shape, so help a fellow artist out!
The bottom primary nacelle concept's warp field grid was inspired by Galen's Renown class, which has a similar warp field grid.

The next set of sketches and illustrations will be a lot more interesting: the ventral/underside of the Charon, which is what I'll refer to her from this moment on.

 

[JES]

Wow, no opinions on the nacelle designs? *Crickets chirp*

Okay, so maybe one of you have an opinion, little guys?

*Crickets stop chirping, and hop under the nearest floorboard gap*

Great, so not even the peanut gallery has anything to say.
Maybe none of the nacelle concepts are to your liking? Anyone have any other ideas that they want to share?

Okay, so maybe this will elicit some responses.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40445677@N06/15246146301/

I came up with three different main concepts for the ventral of the primary hull:
1) a rounded surface
2) the navigational deflector flanked on both sides by hull structures, so there is a sort of "trench" leading up to the nav deflector, inspired by the STX-1701-G
3) and something not unlike how there is a trench, not unlike what was started with the Sovereign class, but I actually sort of go the idea from Vector's Polaris, while looking through a thread of Sci-fi Meshes.

In addition to perhaps just using a navigational deflector design like what is common at the moment, I also toyed around with the idea of a navigational deflector, not unlike what was first started with the Dauntless.
However, I'm not certain that I want to start using that now, or save it for later, more advanced and sophisticated designs.

Which concepts do you like the most? Please, share your thoughts.
I could really use some opinions.

 

[JES]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40445677@N06/15275972316/
Sketches for the fantail. Also sort of did some sketches for a workbee, since I had the space, but didn't really get into that very far design wise.
Haven't quite decided if I'm going to go with these design elements based on the Luna class. Depends on opinion.
Then again, I'm going to restart the Sparrow class, and do that in Illustrator for the Journal of Applied Technology, but also post my progress here. I don't see any real reason to continue with this design for the moment, seeing as how there hasn't really been much commenting here, or on the the SCN, and may be a little too complex for me right now to do in Illustrator.
I already started the basic outline of the Sparrow anyways.