Star Trek : Angel - Book IV - Saving History II - Covers

[unusualsuspex]

Honestly couldn't decide between 1 & 2 but eventually plumped for the Air Force One cover!

Check out the continuing story on the Fanfic board!

 

[B.J.]

Interesting! Did you make the AF1 model, or did you get it somewhere else? The reason I ask is because it's got quite a few inaccuracies if it's tail number 28000 or 29000. The two most obvious are AF1 doesn't have winglets, and it's missing the distinctive nose bump for the refueling port.

 

[Kaiser]

very cool covers

Id go with the first one

 

[unusualsuspex]

@B.J. In the story it's 2026 you see and the VC-25A is now an upgraded 747-400 which is the VC-25B! (It's actually a screen cap from FS2004 with after effects in PS!)

@kaisernathan1701 Thanks dude, glad you like 'em!

 

[Gibraltar]

Both are phenomenal covers, but I think you went with the correct choice. There's something visceral and disturbing about seeing AF1 plummet out of the sky.

Terrific work on both of these!

 

[Epsilon IX]

These are both fantastic cover designs, unusualsuspex! Both are very dramatic. However my vote would go with the first one (ie. the rocket blasting off).

Concerning the second one, whilst it gives the story a lot of momentum, I would say that it is unlikely that the US government and military would be employing a Boeing 747 as Air Force One by 2026. I imagine that the 747 would be obsolete by then anyway. I also believe that, in order to show the rest of the world (above all those nations hostile to it) that it is still top banana both militarily and technologically, the US would probably employ a more contemporary design as Air Force One, possibly something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBZxwjC8yys&feature=related

 

[sojourner]

^I have to argue just the opposite. 2025 is not that far off. As can be seen by the 767 dreamliner and the new Airbus A380, production of a new design of airliner can take 15 to 20 years from start to finish. When you factor that in with no U.S. built large airliner in development + the Airforce's penchant for "bigger and better" when it comes to updating Airforce One, I could easily seeing the current plane still flying 15 years from now.

 

[unusualsuspex]

Ok the justification for a 747-400 goes as follows:-

Having lost the USAF tanker competition, Airbus also withdrew its A380 from the potential forthcoming AF1 competition though its doubtful that the USAF/DoD or Government would have opted for that aircraft anyway.

Instead, following the tradition of AF1, they would more likely select a homegrown aircraft to fly the flag for the US, and in this case it would be a no brainer - Boeing. It's instantly recognizable and supports the US aerospace industry.

Also, they would not select an aircraft that does not have a proven safety track record to transport the President. By 2026, the 747-400 (currently the most successful wide body) would have established that.

Et voila: 747-400 = VC-25B.

For an encore, I will saw this young woman in half.....

 

[unusualsuspex]

Here we go then, the final definitive three covers for the SAVING HISTORY TRILOGY!

Now read the stories!

 

[sojourner]

The spaceplane on book 3, is that just a re-skin of the one from Babylon 5?

 

[B.J.]

Looks like he also replaced the T-tail with 3 verticals, and removed the monster engines.

 

[unusualsuspex]

Erm, possibly??? Same model as the one in the pic at the top of the page.

I hate to admit that I never watched Bab5 and this particular model was anonymous and listed as 'Future Shuttle'. It came already skinned with the shuttle colours and I added the logos, though you're right about the tail. I took off the T tail and added two stabilizing fins. Seemed a bit fragile for a vertical launch!!

Oh and the engines have been changed for aerospikes as well as adding cargo doors on top!

Your guess is as good as mine as to the original provenance though as there was no text file with it.

 

[B.J.]

Here's a model of the shuttle, but yeah, it's pretty obvious.

 

[unusualsuspex]

Yep, looks very similar to the original other than the engines which were less spike infested!

Still, style and looks fit with my story so I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[Gibraltar]

Continued excellence! Great work all the way around. They say never to judge a book by its cover, but in your case, the cover is only a sampling of the quality within.

 

[The Axeman]

Yep, looks very similar to the original other than the engines which were less spike infested!

Still, style and looks fit with my story so I'm pretty happy with it.

And rightly so, it's a nice reworking of the model. I was admiring it in the original launch pictures without recognising it, but in that last post I finally twigged when I looked at the cockpit area.

 

[ambessalion]

dude...your covers look professional

 

[Kaiser]

wicked Awesome covers