Romulan TOS shuttle

[The Axeman]

Hi guys, been a little busy with my real job so haven't built anything for a few months. However, a couple of days ago I was contacted by a company I've built models for before, and was asked if I'd have a bash at building a Romulan TOS era shuttle or cutter. The brief is that it would be at least twice the size of the original Galileo shuttle, have recognisably Romulan traits, needs a cargo hatch on the underside and landing gear that deploys.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/5989135792/

This is the first idea I came up with, and they liked it so I rebuilt it from the ground up and have started detailing it. The hull colour is going to change in the next iteration as they are sending me the colour and material settings so that it matches the full size BoP they built. I'll need to add some kind of impulse engines.

As for the texturing, I want to try and make the panels a little like the panels on the Klingon Bird of Prey so that they resemble a wing or feathers, rather than outright drawing feathers or eagles on it. I dont think they'd go to the bother of completely painting small ships with eagles.

Comments, crits and ideas are all welcome.

 

[LibraryComputer]

Looking good so far!

 

[Warped9]

I like it. It plays with the shape that MJ originally had for the TOS shuttlecraft.

 

[Psion]

I love it! As Warped9 indicates, there's a shout-out to Jefferies in the design, yet it clearly evokes the shape of the Romulan Warbird.

My concern is a practical one ... this isn't a good shape for storage. It would take up a lot of room on a starship, and my impression of the original Romulan ships was that they were smaller than the 1701. Perhaps if the pylons telescoped or pivoted at the shoulder, they could be stored more efficiently, and then "pop" into flight configuration shortly after launch. Rather like how the shuttlepods from Star Trek: Enterprise extended their wings.

EDIT TO ADD:
You know what The Axeman? Fuck it. I'm sick of know-it-alls like me chiming in on a fresh design to nitpick it to death. Go with the flow of your creative juices and let the rest of us wallow in sopping awe of the result.

 

[publiusr]

Hey, you could always have an even larger Cabbage class and have all the room in the world for these great shuttles. My only question (OT) was where did FASA have the one lonely forward firing disruptor on the Rom BoP?

 

[The Axeman]

Psion, keep right on nit picking. I had exactly the same thought as you, regarding the whole practicality of such a wide ship. Unfortunately I am not that smart that I could figure out how to make a convincingly Romulan small craft with the warp nacelles close to the body. A folding wing system maybe, but it wouldn't be shown in the episode and just complicate the model. We can get away with it by calling it a Runabout, since it's larger than a normal shuttle and capable of doing some distances by itself. I'll post a pic or two in a little while, I've retextured to match the full size BoP they are using and I'll add another couple of details as well.

 

[Kaiser]

Very awesome Romulan TOS Shuttle or Scout Craft there

 

[The Axeman]

Here's the latest picture layout of the v1.2 Romulan shuttle...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/5992527876/

and to complement that, i made a little flypast video to check out the lighting and textures I set up...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/5992485106/

As you can see it's now the metallic grey that was requested to match the large BoP model, although I have added a green sheen that can be seen when looking almost straight on to the model. I also made the front windows slightly smaller to make the whole ship look slightly larger. It also now has impulse engines, more detail and vents, an underside hatch (requested for some reason, they plan to use it for something) and I have made the tail more rounded as requested too. The bit I like most is the impulse engine glow, it's very nearly those little blue-white bits on R2D2's head.

 

[The Axeman]

That's the modeling almost complete, so I did a coupple of quick beauty shots to see what the surfaces looked like...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/5996116112/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/5996115966/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/5996116240/

Now I have to get the bird textures done and give it some form of deployable landing gear and it's done.

 

[Solarbaby]

Very fitting design for TOS and the romulans

 

[The Axeman]

Here's probably the last WIP shot. I just need to add a couple more bird decals and some basic landing gear that can deploy, and we're done.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/axeman3d/6003874972/

 

[Klaus]

gorgeous!

 

[Kaiser]

Awesome Romulan craft there

 

[Donny]

Very nice, very TOS.

 

[Unicron]

Nice.

 

[Tiberius]

That looks great! Regarding the storage issue, just have it so the wings can fold up, like fighter planes do today on aircraft carriers.

 

[Patrin-Zero]

If one may ask, does the rectangular detailing on the belly suggest a possible 'bomb bay' or some such ?

 

[The Axeman]

It's a cargo hatch. It was specified by the company asking for the model, it's going to be used in the episode for something, I dont know what.