One More Slow Dance...

[Starscape]

Thanks, Forbin!

Okay... a small update. I also finally included the curvature for the saucer/shelf, so let me know if it looks right.

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/2049/curvature.gif

The bottom point of that curved line should hit right where the side angles up for the "miranda shelf"...the top starting point looks correct, just "stretch" the curve down and back until it hits the angle point. Another way to think about that line, it's simply a foreshortened (horizontally-shrunk) copy of the top saucer profile-well, flipped of course

Looking good

Naaah, BolianAuthor's got it just about right (c.f. my model). If the saucer curved all the way to the very edge you'd be right, but... there's a flat area on the outer ~1/3 of the saucer which complicates things.

My only suggestion would be to have the lower end of that curved line intersect the horizontal of the saucer at a shallower angle. But it's just a small matter.

 

[judexavier]

Ooops! Sorry my bad, didn't see it/notice it flatten out like that.
So, moving on, nice work, I always like to see the blueprints

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Thanks, guys... I appreciate the kind feedback. Please... keep offering crits... that's what the whole point of this project is... to work out all the mistakes in the plans that exist, and try to create a new standard that makes sense of it all. That was my whole goal from the start.

I will not say that even these plans will be "final", but I want a somewhat cohesive point from which to begin. What I want to do, is basically what havoc92 and Shaw have been doing... I want to attempt to "build" this ship, deck by deck, via deckplans, so that not only does the internal arrangement fit the shape of the craft, but has a layout that is both functional AND makes sense, layout-wise, and in terms workable functionality.

In terms of the exterior, I am trying to make as many "genuine" parts/elements as possible include themselves into the exterior plans. For instance... the lower saucer is based directly off of the Casimiro 1701's lower saucer section, as are the warp nacelles. The bridge is based off of the Sinclair 1701's bridge. My feeling is that in the more early days of Starfleet, ships were built with as many "standardized parts" as possible, albeit in varying arrangements, as a time and cost-cutting measure. Thus, new ship classes would simply be variations of already available standardized parts, just like how the TNG Nebula-Class shares the same bridge, saucer, and nacelles as the Galaxy-Class... along with a clipped version of the Galaxy's engineering hull.

So I may yet end up redrawing all these plans... just keep telling me what needs tweaking, so I can eventually get it right! Also, again... if ANYONE has a nice and large front, bottom, and rear view of the Surya, I would love to see it... it would help me out a LOT.

 

[kkozoriz1]

One thing I've always wondered about was why the pylon gets so much larger between bend and the nacelle. I don't recall seeing that on any other ship before. Space for some sort of additional shield generators perhaps?

 

[BolianAuthor]

If you are referring to the 45-degree angle section of the pylon... IDK... I never thought about it in that regard. I always felt it was simply a stylistic choice.

 

[kkozoriz1]

Yes, the 45 degree angle bit.

Perhaps there's a weapon mount there. Something must be taking up space there. It's not like the fins on an old Cadillac

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Lol... well, it's likely some kind of warp power transfer equipment or something inside there. With this ship, I will only place phaser banks and torpedo tubes where they would have been on the Enterprise saucer... I think that's the safest approach, design-wise, in keeping this little ship true to TOS, and not overdoing it.

I also wanted to share this here as well... my Surya-Class model kit came in the mail today, and here is how it looked upon arrival. My thanks to the maker himself, Cory McDaniels, for sending me a truly neatly organized and professional-looking vacu-formed kit, and also for creating a custom sheet of U.S.S. Gemini decals for me, to use on the model. Thanks again, Cory!

I am going to integrate the build and study of this physical model into this project, so I have one more resource to assist me in rationalizing this ship. I'm gonna take my time, and build this as accurately and perfectly as I can. I MIGHT end up using the warp nacelles from my old AMT/ERTL TOS Enterprise kit on this model... but I will see when I get to that point.

And I notice that even in this bottom photo, we can see the curve on that shelf section.

 

[kkozoriz1]

Of course it's your project and yours is the final word on it. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

I'm just looking at differences and wondering "why". It's an interesting ship and would have looked right at home in TOS. I almost wish they had used a Surya or a Coventry in The Ultimate Computer like they replaced one of the Romulan D-7's with a Bird of Prey in The Enterprise Incident. Almost. But I'm glad that they kept it as four Constitutions.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

They actually DID think of that... Mike Okuda said somewhere that they thought of using some FJ Ptolemys or Saladins, but it was eventually decided to keep with the original Connies. IDK if Mr. Okuda would be willing to elaborate on that, if he's around here.

The most basic reasoning I can think of for that angular part of the pylons is that perhaps the artist thought it looked more "Miranda-like", to tie it in with that future class of ship. Your guess is as good as mine is, at this point.

 

[kkozoriz1]

I just started wondering about internal arrangements and deck plans. Still wondering about "The Box". It it the same height as the tallest part of "The Fish"?

 

[BolianAuthor]

Well, I started wondering about the internals, as well... so, I started work on this...

As for the box... that is indeed something I will have to figure out.

 

[MLJames]

Something about your revised top view has been bugging me ever since you posted it, but I couldn't put my finger why. The backward bow of the base edge of the aft section just looked....odd, but it wasn't until I printed out a couple of the images and monkeyed around with ruler and compass that I figured out what was bothering me.

On your revised image (and on Forbin's Coventry and Cory's Surya models), the upper edge of the angled cutback section would cross the centerline of the hull at the center of the bridge module if you extended the line all the way. The lower edge (the one that runs along the surface of the saucer to the rim) is drawn on a different angle, one that would intersect the centerline at a point forward of the bridge's center.

This is the exact opposite of the original drawings that aridas did. It's the upper edge that has a different origin point and angle, not the base edge. That's why there's no curve on the top view. The hull edge is effectively the same as one of the radials for the deflector grid. I even dug out my old, beat-up 1983 copy of the Avenger Development Chart to make sure I wasn't remembering incorrectly. The curve of the base edge is identical to that of the 15-degree deflector radial. And, before you ask, no, I can't scan it for you. The blasted thing is 2 feet by 3 feet and won't fit in my scanner.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

No need to scan them... I own a set of the Avenger/Miranda plans. I understand what you mean, though, and as Tallguy has pointed out... the top view that depicts the curve will fix this problem. If the curved version of the top view I posted as a test is off, that's because I was working off of the top ortho Melak sent me, but I can adjust the angle accordingly.

Regarding the Gemini's bridge... here is a closer look at the design/floorplan I chose for the Surya-Class...

^

The design is originally the fanon design for the bridge of the Loknar-Class U.S.S. Arkangel, designed by Phil Kagan and Cmdr. T. Weimann. I chose this design because I felt it was similar enough to the standard TOS bridge, yet somehow evoked the feeling of a smaller ship. I also liked the idea of a very basic and practical room adjacent to the bridge where the Captain could go at a moment's notice, and review eyes-only transmissions, or dictate log entries in private.

This small office is by no means a "Ready Room" however... at least not in the TNG sense of the term. This room is extremely basic... literally all it is, is a table, some chairs, and a computer terminal. It is NOT meant to be "relaxed in", only to serve as a place for conducting eyes-only business when the Captain cannot be away from the bridge activity... this way he does not have to go all the way to his cabin, and can be on the bridge instantly, should the need arise.

I figured this would make sense for a smaller ship like the Surya-Class, which would likely have more border patrol and "show the flag" missions than a large deep-space explorer like the Connie.

 

[Albertese]

Are you accounting for the slope of the ceiling around the rim of the bridge module? or is this deck 1 sunken even farther than the Enterprise's? If it's at the same level as the Enterprise then the turbolift nubbin on the exterior would have to be scooted a bit to the port side and the Captain's desk is gonna have pretty low headroom. Possible solution to the office, is to have it sunken a bit farther than the bridge, so you have to step down into it when you enter though the door.

And actually having the turbolift exterior part off center would look fine to me,even if it doesn't match the TOS E.

--Alex

P.S. Also, what are those triangle thingies? Are they ladderways? If so, where are the hatches to get to those areas, or are they only accessible from below be means of the ladder. That'd be cool too.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Yes, those are small ladderways. I may bring the bridge in a bit smaller in relation to the exterior walls... I will need to practice to see what the best fit is/will be.

 

[kkozoriz1]

What if you made the alcoves to the turbo and the office a bit smaller? It would add to the slightly more claustraphobic feeling that this is a smaller ship. Maybe move the door into the bridge to the point where the alcove angles in.

 

[BolianAuthor]

Well, I don't want to mess with the arrangement of the set itself, but I can scale it to fit... I think I have an idea of why it looks strange as-is, so I will play with some different sizes, to see what works best. The Captain's office if you think about it is really small... I don't think making it any smaller would help.

I decided to draw out the viewscreen from Auxiliary Control, just to get going this morning, lol.

 

[kkozoriz1]

I think you misunderstood. I meant move the doors closer to the middle of the bridge. It would add to the smaller feeling of the bridge.

I like the single station behind the captain.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Ah, okay... thanks. Yeah, for now I will keep it as-is... but if I do end up running into some unavoidable problems, I will have to alter things to fit. And yeah, I also like the single station behind that Captain. The monitor above that station will be the large "Condition: Alert" window.

Here is something I am working on... the forward wall of the Gemini's bridge... yes, I am this insane, lol. I am using the Aux. Control version of the viewscreen as the basis for the main viewer, because I feel that since it's a bit smaller than the main one on the Enterprise, it'd also help convey the feeling of a smaller bridge, as well as the fact that this ship is older (as evidenced by the 1604 NCC number).

 

[Macker]

So where's the head?