Question for Rick Sternbach regarding Voyager design.

[SicOne]

Oh, you mean like MegaMaid?

(outdated "Spaceballs" reference possibly lost on younger TrekBBS viewers..."

 

[SicOne]

"Suck...Suck...SUCK!!!"

 

[Klaitu]

Oh, you mean like MegaMaid?

(outdated "Spaceballs" reference possibly lost on younger TrekBBS viewers..."

The 'balls is timeless.

 

[ancient]

I always wondered if the variable-position nacelles on Voyager might be the result of the same Federation-Klingon technology exchange that, as Rick suggested, was behind the Starfleet-looking engines on the Klingon Vor'cha class. After all, the Klingons operate the only other major ship class with wings that (sometimes) change position during warp, the Bird-of-Prey. YMMV.

The BOP doesn't have any nacelles on the wings anyway, so VGR is still the only ship with that design.

Other newer ships like the Ent-E and the Prommie lack the moving nacelles too.

Since the ship does land, I could see them lifting the nacelles for that, but I actually think they left them down for the landings...

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Probably lifts one of the nacelles while doing a dump of the fluid waste tanks while landed, I'd imagine.

 

[Rick Sternbach]

Hello,
This has been nagging me for years. On the Voyager, why did the nacelles change position to go to warp? From a design standpoint it just does not make sense to me. Why not leave them in the correct position all the time? I know the real life answer is the producers wanted "something cool that moved" on the ship. I just wanted your idea on an "in Universe" reason for it. The best idea I came up with would be "variable geometry", i.e. they would change angle of attack to best suit the warp dynamics for the speed they were going. (much like the wings of an F-14 or F-111) Unfortunately, in the show, they were not portrayed this way. They went straight from stowed position to warp position. Thanks in advance for your time!

Well, you're right about the real-world cool factor. As to an in-universe reason, it probably has to do with the gradual warp field compression or Imagawa factor of storing and then releasing a rotating four-lobed subspace well. Known informally as the "wind-up," this rotating dimpling into subspace while the ship is close to rest condition, with reference to the external space frame, is able to launch the ship across the Warp 1 threshold more efficiently, with the added benefit of causing less of a self-sustaining ripple tear in the continuum.

Howzat? By the time of the Prometheus, they probably came up with a way to twist the "wind-up" field within a static nacelle, maybe by segmenting the warp coils into four parts each instead of just the two and energizing them not only front to back but in a rotating pattern (clockwise for the starboard nacelles as seen from the front, ccw for port).

Rick
www.spacemodelsystems.com

 

[Rick Sternbach]

Actually, the reason the nacelles moved was because the powers that be wanted some part of the ship to articulate for whatever reason (I think it was to look cool), so Sternbach gravitated to the nacelles during the design process.

I didn't exactly gravitate; the producers settled on the pylons moving, and then we went through more machinations about what position meant what condition, could the pylons rotate down, etc. until it the positions were limited to up or flat. Then they argued over whether flat was warp or rest.

Rick
www.spacemodelsystems.com

 

[Praetor]

Thanks as always, Mr. Sternbach.

Then they argued over whether flat was warp or rest.

Really?

 

[JNG]

Apropos of nothing: man, it would be great if someone took the design from the study model of the "Voyager that almost was" and made a pretty version for a Ships of the Line calendar.

 

[Praetor]

That would be pretty awesome.

 

[sojourner]

Hello,
This has been nagging me for years. On the Voyager, why did the nacelles change position to go to warp? From a design standpoint it just does not make sense to me. Why not leave them in the correct position all the time? I know the real life answer is the producers wanted "something cool that moved" on the ship. I just wanted your idea on an "in Universe" reason for it. The best idea I came up with would be "variable geometry", i.e. they would change angle of attack to best suit the warp dynamics for the speed they were going. (much like the wings of an F-14 or F-111) Unfortunately, in the show, they were not portrayed this way. They went straight from stowed position to warp position. Thanks in advance for your time!

Well, you're right about the real-world cool factor. As to an in-universe reason, it probably has to do with the gradual warp field compression or Imagawa factor of storing and then releasing a rotating four-lobed subspace well. Known informally as the "wind-up," this rotating dimpling into subspace while the ship is close to rest condition, with reference to the external space frame, is able to launch the ship across the Warp 1 threshold more efficiently, with the added benefit of causing less of a self-sustaining ripple tear in the continuum.

Howzat? By the time of the Prometheus, they probably came up with a way to twist the "wind-up" field within a static nacelle, maybe by segmenting the warp coils into four parts each instead of just the two and energizing them not only front to back but in a rotating pattern (clockwise for the starboard nacelles as seen from the front, ccw for port).

Rick
www.spacemodelsystems.com

That's great! Thanks for taking the time. I will admit that the Voyager we got is not my favorite design. I much preferred your sharper edged version with the angled down nacelles.

 

[Praetor]

I still like the sexed-up 'Lexus' version that we got more. I think I'd have just preferred the original angle-down nacelles.

 

[bullethead]

Actually, the reason the nacelles moved was because the powers that be wanted some part of the ship to articulate for whatever reason (I think it was to look cool), so Sternbach gravitated to the nacelles during the design process.

I didn't exactly gravitate; the producers settled on the pylons moving, and then we went through more machinations about what position meant what condition, could the pylons rotate down, etc. until it the positions were limited to up or flat. Then they argued over whether flat was warp or rest.

Rick
www.spacemodelsystems.com

My bad. I was going off of memory of the first part of that article on designing the Voyager that Star Trek: The Magazine had in one issue, which I haven't looked at in a long time.