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Playing with the Enterprise...

The only time those windows on the struts have been lit have been in scenes from TOS-R; on the eleven footer, those struts are solid wood, so no way to light them.
 
I like how they added fairly subtle cargo doors to the Enterprise underside of the secondary hull in TOS-R...kind of makes sense when the ship needs to drop objects/sensors etc into orbit.

RAMA
 
IIRC, there were decals underneath the original to suggest this. The pics I took in 76 at the Smithsonian (prior to it being retouched) confirm this. The decals from the Estes flying model rocket confirm this. And there are hints of the decals in episodes like "The Immunity Syndrome."
 
"The nacelle struts are even worse. A person would really to squeeze into those.

If someone has a plausible explanation for this, I am all ears."

Better late than never?

FJ has isolation doors corrosponding to the 'window' locations, suggesting that these details may be hatches of some kind, maybe containg some kind of escape pod in case someone were to get trapped between compartments?
There may also be a small staging area to store and don enviro/space suits etc.
 
IIRC, there were decals underneath the original to suggest this. The pics I took in 76 at the Smithsonian (prior to it being retouched) confirm this. The decals from the Estes flying model rocket confirm this.
The markings on the underside of the secondary hull are also included in the decal sheets for the Polar Lights 1/1000 scale TOS Enterprise and the latest re-issue of the venerable AMT 18-incher.
 
I really like some of the work that Vektor and Deg3D have done to CGI the TOS E over in the Art forum. Despite some subjective (though arguable) criticisms made in this thread, I don't have a problem with the MJ design used in TOS.

I have mixed feelings about the phasers and photon torpedo tubes. I like the way they looked in TOS, although I would've liked to see more of them covering multiple firing arcs around the rest of the ship's perimeter.

The notion of using the "Cage style" pregnant anthill Bridge definitely has its appeal. It looks more logical than later versions. And yes, I would have the Bridge "facing perfectly forward" with the turboshaft offset.

The military-style block lettering on the TOS E's hull always impressed me. I intensely disliked FJ's revisionism there, and TMP adopting that. I was also baffled that they dropped the use of the old, boomerang-style Starfleet pennant. I was also turned off by the saucer domes no longer glowing as they did in TOS. That was one of the TOS E's trademark features.

People dis the TOS E's interior sets as "cardboard", but I don't see why the bulkhead materials could not have been given a little ENT-style metal treatment. As far as the control switches go, I'd keep some of the toggles, and supplement them with TNG-style touchscreen interfaces.

Gotta grab a bite to eat. More to come later. Thanks for starting this thread!
 
Back again...

I really like what Deg3D did with the aft ends of the nacelles. Makes them look not only hollow, but like there's active machinery inside. Vektor seemed to be the most impressive job with the front-ends, as well as with the Big Dish. (Love that "First Contact" treatment.) Vektor also seemed to have some interesting ideas for the weapons ports on the saucer. "Balance of Terror" seemed to suggest the TOS E had extensive weapons arrays covering the ship's entire perimeter. So let's see 'em.

One major thing I would change about the saucer: I would add at least one mini-hangar deck somewhere. I like the idea of the saucer having its own shuttlecraft landing capability, even if it were limited in that regard. Not enough room in the saucer for a hangar, you say? Let's add a little expansion... And I'd like to see shuttlecraft modified to dock with the Enterprise while in-flight so they don't have to land on a hangar to unload. And yes, I would like to see saucer separation used on the TOS E. I would also like to see a new class of scoutship, a kind of TOS-era Runabout. Think of it as a United Planets Cruiser C57D, TOS-style. (It does not have to be a saucer.) This scoutship would not necessarily fit in a hangar; I was thinking that the undercut on the underside of the secondary hull would serve as a docking point for this kind of ship.

For the interior, I would beef up the seating. Especially on the Bridge. No more people falling out of their chairs at a critical moment. Please don't flame me for this, but I would prefer to see widespread use of chairs with restraint-arms like those used in TMP3. I would want to see chairs that firmly attach to the deck and not flop over when the ship takes a tumble.

As stated in my pervious post, I have no problem with the basic design and look of the interior sets. If they look too cardboard, then I say give the walls a more metalic texture a la ENT. The only other major thing about the Bridge I think I would change would be to take those square displays that ring the outer bridge stations and consolidate them by twos or maybe even by threes, so they would each form a widescreen rectangular display like today's HDTVs.
 
Nothing.

She's a classic beauty as she is...

Well, maybe some day-glo green flames painted on the hull; but other than that, she's good-to-go!

:p
 
The TMP Enterprise to me is the ultimate design and its functonality is beyond reproach. I personally would make no changes whatsoever to it.
 
I also prefer TMP design over the original... it's more "evolved". However, I don't like how thin the warp nacelle support struts are. Not only are they thin, but they taper as well. It just looks so fragile. Remember, these ships are capable of entering a planet's atmosphere. This means that it would be subjected to intense gravitational forces. Those long warp nacelles would put tremendous stress on such thin supports. Just a little thicker and less tapered is all I ask. In fact, there are techniques one can use to make them appear thinner... like black paneling aft of the leading edge.
 
I don't like how thin the neck is on the original Enterprise but other than that I do love the design. Actually I like all of the designs of the Enterprise..except the D!
 
I love both the TOS and TMP designs of the ship. The only change I think I'd make to the TOS version would be to add a few more windows. TMP is pretty much perfect, IMO. I just wish we could've seen more of the interiors throughout the movies (the science labs, the botanical gardens, etc.).
 
I always felt that OS Scotty had a 'still tucked away down in Engineering. :shifty:

NuScotty's Engineering IS one bid honking 'still. Is that cool or is that cool. :cool:
 
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