SSgt Baloo Posts Links to some of his ships.

[SSgt Baloo]

Not too long ago, I had a website on Geocities called the Alpha Quadrant Institute of Technology. A few months ago Geocities went away and so did a lot of the articles I wrote RE: Trek Tech. I did, however, save the starship drawings I did (to Photobucket), so when I can remember some of the backstory I'll post a link and some info in this thread.

Entry #1: The U.S.S. Friendship

The Friendship was supposed to have been a competitor to the Constitution Class starship. It had a large rotodome like an AWACS aircraft. It was intended to be kind of ugly, but looking functional and I think I managed to evoke those characteristics. The central nacelle contains four warpcoils which were an almost endless trouble to keep in alignment. They were eventually replaced by a two-warp coil mechanism that was neither as fast, nor as troublesome. It never went into series production.

LINK 1: The original drawing
Link 2: David Bruha's 3-d version
Link 3: Another view of David Bruha's 3-d version
Link 4: 3-D model by Darrel Lawrence
Link 5: Another view of the 3-D model by Darrel Lawrence

 

[Avon]

thats...odd.

and phallic.

 

[The Axeman]

It looks a lot older than a Constitution contemporary, rather simplistic looking. I like the idea behind the overall layout, but the humungous bussard on the front isn't helping the looks and the framework holding it all together isn't integrated very well.

Assuming 11 years have passed and you're still into it, do you have any new stuff? You have an interesting perspective on Trek design by the looks of things.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

thats...odd.

and phallic.

sometimes a nacelle is just a nacelle.

Interesting. I'm always intrigued by different Trek Universe design ideas.

 

[Avon]

and sometimes oddly placed giant nacelle makes for dildo-ship.

 

[SSgt Baloo]

I just got my present computer a couple of months ago and I'm still re-learning how to use MS Paint (mostly for the line-work) and GIMP to best effect. I'm not cranking stuff out as fast as I used to (I used to go from blank sheet to finished drawing in about an hour) and I'm handicapped by the notion that I have to understand what a ship's mission is before I can visualize it.

I've heard the "Phallic object" comment before regarding the USS Friendship and I really didn't notice it until someone pointed it out. Rockets are phallic, too. Whether that's intentional is another story.

Here are a couple vessels I whipped up last night. I saw someone else's ideas of what an early Earth vessel might look like with a ring-style nacelle like the Vulcan vessels favor in Enterprise:

The U.E.S. Bonaventure (not modeled after the animated series vessel of the same name)

The S.S. Valiant (built using some elements from my first attempt many years ago)

I've always avoided putting too much "gingerbread" in my designs. That way, someone who wants to model the vessel in 3-D can choose what the surface details are. Besides, windows and such are difficult to position correctly in a 2-D rendering, and I like my drawings to be as clear as possible in that respect. There are windows, etc., but I don't always show them because I don't want the front, side, and top views to show conflicting information. (Hint: Three-Dee modelers are welcome to take a crack at "sweetening" any of my designs, so long as I get to see them, and appropriate credit is given*.)

*"Design by SSgt Baloo" anywhere on the rendering will suffice. I understand how sensitive the fan-art community can be about credit.

 

[sbk1234]

That's a neat looking ship. I have to admit, it's not my personal cup of tea, but it's nice to see something original.

 

[sojourner]

Rather than gimping (no pun intended) yourself with MS-Paint, try downloading Inkscape. It's a free line based drawing program in the vein of Coreldraw/Adobe. Ms-Paint is like trying to design a nuclear powerplant with a piece of chalk.

 

[SSgt Baloo]

Rather than gimping (no pun intended) yourself with MS-Paint, try downloading Inkscape. It's a free line based drawing program in the vein of Coreldraw/Adobe. Ms-Paint is like trying to design a nuclear powerplant with a piece of chalk.

First response: Perhaps you're right, but I've been using MS Paint formore than two decades, and I can get it to do what I need it to do just fine, and it does a few things better than GIMP. I don't mind switching back and forth between the two.

Second response: Well, I suppose I should give it a try and see if it does the things I want it to do. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Finn]

Why are there two deflector dishes and one nacelle?