OT:small ship design

[The Axeman]

Here's one I knocked together based on a couple of digital paintings from a Flickr friend of mine called Colourbrand. He does the odd sci-fi thing and I've made a couple of models based on his designs. Here are the original images with the ship in it...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourbrand38/5443256376/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourbrand38/5265954257/

I had him sketch out a rough sjhape for the ship from front back and side so I could knock up a model based on it. It's a very clean and simple design with no real windows or doors to muck up the views, so I kept it pretty clean as well. I did landing gear for it, but it was just a reuse of some gear I made for a Trek shuttle and it didn't really look right. Anyway, here's the finished model I'm going to upload to my site soon for download...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/6014349521/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/6014349163/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/6014348977/

I was sorely tempted to alter it a bit, add lots of detail like windows and phasers and convert it into something from the Trek universe, but it doesn't really look Federation to me. In its current form it's somewhat similar to the original Type-7 shuttle concept with the clean lines and wrap around window, but not like anything I can recall getting screen time.

 

[sojourner]

I like it, It has a very space cadet-ish feel.

 

[MadMan1701A]

Wow, this is neat. Without any windows at all, though, it almost reminds me more of a drone, than an actual manned vehicle.

I especially like the intakes and the way they blend in with the rear stabilizers...

-Ricky

 

[The Axeman]

The 'no windows' bit seems a bit brave, but in terms of realism and engineering it makes a lot of sense. No interplanetary ship is flown purely by sight, it relies totally on sensors and displays tell the pilot what the ship is doing and where its going. At any significant speed or distance the window is useless, which is why the Trek bridge viewscreen is such a good idea. Your ship is also a lot stronger and easier to build without bits of fragile material riddling the hull.

 

[Klaus]

very sleek...

 

[RichMerk]

I love it!

Give it an Air Force paint job and it would almost look like a lifting body test vehicle or one of those X-plane shuttle replacement concepts.

 

[The Axeman]

I nearly gave it the classic US Airforce star roundels with the stripes at either side when I was looking for decals to put on it. It might be an idea to try that; paint it overall gray and subdued airforce markings so it looks like a fancy drone.

 

[RichMerk]

An Air Force pattern could give the design some credibility. The "space cadet" design is real nifty, but the model might enjoy broader appeal if it was more "gritty". To me, the no-windows design says real world more than it does space cadet anyway.

 

[The Axeman]

OK, here's a quick attempt at a drone version. Bear in mind I'm just back from the pub after 5 hours of drinking, and I spent a whole 2 minutes on this conversion.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/6019932148/

 

[RichMerk]

Looks like you do your best work while drunk.

 

[JES]

I've thought for some time that being reliant on guidance systems/technology/devices alone can be a mistake, because if you somehow loose them or they become compromised and can't be depended on, without a windshield, you would be left blinder than a bat, and if the sensors that feed the instruments their information were damaged, you would be left with no knowledge of whats outside, and what you're headed towards.

That said, I actually kinda disagree that she couldn't work as a Starfleet shuttlecraft. The winglets, with what looks a lot like impulse exhaust vents at the end, and the rear hatch, reminds me a quite a bit of the Delta Flyer. I don't think it would be that much of a stretch for her to be a 25th Century shuttle, and those intakes look like a good place to hide the nacelles, bussard collectors and all.

 

[Patrickivan]

OK, here's a quick attempt at a drone version. Bear in mind I'm just back from the pub after 5 hours of drinking, and I spent a whole 2 minutes on this conversion.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/6019932148/

Dude- Not bad at all. Especially after having a few! I prefer this as a contemporary design. I think it's the intakes for the jet engines that make it look more appropriate for now.

And after my immediate argument with my wife, it looks like I'll be having a few pints after work now.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

I like this a lot! Very sleek with a few retro-design elements thrown in for good measure.

As to the lack of windows, perhaps there are view-ports that are transparent from within the ship but appear opaque from the outside - for aesthetics and privacy, perhaps? Not that there are many peeping-toms in outer space, but one can never be too careful.

Nice work.

 

[Warped9]

This is really very nice! Very cool! Clean and distinctive and I really like it.

 

[The Axeman]

I think a lot of people are kind of lost without a window, and believe it a vital thing. In terms of interplanetary ships, or even just up to orbit, they dont matter in the slightest. The astronauts on the space shuttle didn't initiate the roll program when they looked out of the window and saw the sky was a certain shade of blue. Nor did they look out the window to figure out when to fire the retro's to come home. Instruments, electronics and automated programs handle it all, the windows are there for landing only, and a large viewscreen would work just as well. Indeed it might work better, since its location would not have to be dictated by the shape of the craft.

In terms of Trek it gets even more useless. You're talking speeds and distances that boggle the mind, and just what would you see out of a window when traveling faster than light anyway? You certainly wont see the Klingon ship 30,000km ahead travelling at warp 5 out of your window. Your Trek viewscreen with all sorts of magnification and views would serve you much better. If anything takes out your systems so badly that you need to navigate by looking out the window, you are screwed beyond help.

I like the very clean, futuristic look of it without a window. It speaks volumes about the reliability and advanced tech of whoever designed such a thing. Our current aircraft and spacecraft can comfortably fly themselves with no need of windows, and submarines have been navigating on instruments only for years. You can bet a sub commander would be thrilled with a big viewscreen instead of a weak window.

 

[SonicRanger]

Apollo 13 would have been totally screwed without a window on their capsule.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

I just wanted to chime in on 2 topics here. First, I love this design; everything about it.

Second, I agree with you about the windows 100%, Axeman. I've always thought that, from a practical perspective, they made absolutely no sense, especially on Trek (or other FTL) ships. In addition, it has always seemed to me that they add entirely unnecessary points of vulnerability. That having been said, I guess my internal explanation - at least where Trek was concerned - was that it was a concession to the human psyche. You mentioned submarines. I know someone who served on submarines, and he told me once that of the (admittedly many) things that makes serving on a sub so mentally stressful is not ever being able to see outside. Still doesn't mean they're "necessary", of course.

Just a few thoughts. Very nicely done!

 

[Warped9]

I think a lot of people are kind of lost without a window, and believe it a vital thing. In terms of interplanetary ships, or even just up to orbit, they dont matter in the slightest. The astronauts on the space shuttle didn't initiate the roll program when they looked out of the window and saw the sky was a certain shade of blue. Nor did they look out the window to figure out when to fire the retro's to come home. Instruments, electronics and automated programs handle it all, the windows are there for landing only, and a large viewscreen would work just as well. Indeed it might work better, since its location would not have to be dictated by the shape of the craft.

In terms of Trek it gets even more useless. You're talking speeds and distances that boggle the mind, and just what would you see out of a window when traveling faster than light anyway? You certainly wont see the Klingon ship 30,000km ahead travelling at warp 5 out of your window. Your Trek viewscreen with all sorts of magnification and views would serve you much better. If anything takes out your systems so badly that you need to navigate by looking out the window, you are screwed beyond help.

I like the very clean, futuristic look of it without a window. It speaks volumes about the reliability and advanced tech of whoever designed such a thing. Our current aircraft and spacecraft can comfortably fly themselves with no need of windows, and submarines have been navigating on instruments only for years. You can bet a sub commander would be thrilled with a big viewscreen instead of a weak window.

Very much agreed. I've long thought much the same thing.

A window or viewport on an interstellar spacecraft is mostly for psychological/emotional benefit rather than operational necessity.

In Trek, for example, for the level of technology we see their ideas for a view screen strike me as limited: a large flat panel in various sizes. But why not an advanced system where you could have curved screens or projectors that could mimic a curved viewport yet also allow for HUD like display of other things?

 

[The Axeman]

I know the military have been toying with the idea of no-window aircraft and vehicles for a while, since it allows them to put the pilot or driver anywhere they like in the vehicle and keep them very well protected. It always comes down to two things though - how reliable are our systems and the psychological factor.

The windows were put into the first Mercury spacecraft only because the astronauts kicked up about it. Likewise it happened on the Skylab station as well. When they were building it the engineers didn't put a window in as it's a real stress point in the circular hull, but were made to by the astronauts. The engineer in me hates breaking into a surface like that to introduce weakness and stress points, but if I were up there i'd go mental not being able to see out at the most amazing view available.

As for the future and Trek stuff, they'll be sick of looking at the view of space and probably wont mind the lack of a 'real' window.

 

[Warped9]

I love designs like this. If I were doing a far future series or film this is the direction I'd go for to get away from the industrial hardware look that's become so prevalent since Star Wars.