Starship Ajax VFX Blog

[Captain Atkin]

Retracted, partially retracted, whatever.

I just meant the pole would be retracted, is what I am saying. The dish would still be exposed

Whether or not having the dish aimed down would make a difference, as far as deflecting space particles goes, I have no idea. Like I said, I don't think it would, but I could be wrong. I just happen to think it looks better this way, from an aesthetic point of view. Looks more aerodynamic (not that it matters in space, but still...)

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The fact that you have the dish aiming down means that it can't aim a deflector beam directly at particles or objects in the flight path of the ship, which is what I always understood the intended function of the device to be.

Further, being on the arm might allow the dish to be aimed in different directions, which has potential tactical implications that might be important for a warship.

 

[Captain Atkin]

The fact that you have the dish aiming down means that it can't aim a deflector beam directly at particles or objects in the flight path of the ship, which is what I always understood the intended function of the device to be.

I always thought the dish created a "bubble" around the ship. Therefore, it wouldn't matter what way it was aimed, as the bubble would suround the entire ship.

Further, being on the arm might allow the dish to be aimed in different directions, which has potential tactical implications that might be important for a warship.

I had mentioned the possibility of it being aimed before to one of the Ajax team. No one seems to know if it was made to function in that way, but I do think that would be a cool idea.

From an aesthetic point of view, I do think the placement of the dish is a bit wonky. Especially with the cap on the front of the warp nacelle having the 'dancing lights' effect. If it was centered better with the nacelle cap (or even on the cap!), I would probably like it more. Just my two cents.

 

[Kaiser]

Maybe have the dish on the edge of the saucer or a mini one on the Warp nacelle Neck/pylon?

 

[Captain Atkin]

Maybe have the dish on the edge of the saucer or a mini one on the Warp nacelle Neck/pylon?

I just tinkered with the Ajax ship to see what it would look like in front of the nacelle cap. I think it would look odd placed on a longer poll (connected to the saucer), but if it was actually on the nacelle, I think it would look good.

Note: I am not suggesting that the Ajax team actually make any of these changes... lol...

 

[Kaiser]

well this wont work cus your blocking the Bussard collecter (front of Nacelle) with the deflector dish.

 

[Captain Atkin]

well this wont work cus your blocking the Bussard collecter (front of Nacelle) with the deflector dish.

They collect? I thought they were just... caps! Oh man, I'm way off on my Trek tech knowledge tonight... lol...

 

[monodox]

The deflector has been one of the banes of building this model. The producers have requested a model that remains true to the FJ blueprints while reflecting the lines and colours of the 11 foot TOS miniature - the model as it stands manages to bridge these two requirements.
A retractable dish is an interesting concept, but if I remember the various cutaways, the workings would eat in to the area reserved for the computer core. Then again, I'm trying to work out the best position for the shuttle bays and fitting those in with the internals is proving just as problematic.
However, probably the neatest solution to the various treknical issues raised is the following illustration.

​

(Apologies for not acknowledging the artist correctly - I have the image in my reference collection but not the correct credits.) This version elegantly deals with the deflector. Perhaps this can appear in a future refit.

 

[Captain Atkin]

The deflector has been one of the banes of building this model. The producers have requested a model that remains true to the FJ blueprints while reflecting the lines and colours of the 11 foot TOS miniature - the model as it stands manages to bridge these two requirements.
A retractable dish is an interesting concept, but if I remember the various cutaways, the workings would eat in to the area reserved for the computer core. Then again, I'm trying to work out the best position for the shuttle bays and fitting those in with the internals is proving just as problematic.
However, probably the neatest solution to the various treknical issues raised is the following illustration.

(Apologies for not acknowledging the artist correctly - I have the image in my reference collection but not the correct credits.) This version elegantly deals with the deflector. Perhaps this can appear in a future refit.

I love that ship! Something like this looks more practical.

 

[Jeyl]

Warning. Orbital decay detected. Warning.

 

[chardman]

I've been working on my own variant of the FJ scout, and my solution to the "flimsiness" of the strut, was to replace it with a nice, beefy pod on the bottom of the saucer, on which to mount the deflector. Like so:

 

[Kaiser]

The deflector has been one of the banes of building this model. The producers have requested a model that remains true to the FJ blueprints while reflecting the lines and colours of the 11 foot TOS miniature - the model as it stands manages to bridge these two requirements.
A retractable dish is an interesting concept, but if I remember the various cutaways, the workings would eat in to the area reserved for the computer core. Then again, I'm trying to work out the best position for the shuttle bays and fitting those in with the internals is proving just as problematic.
However, probably the neatest solution to the various treknical issues raised is the following illustration.

​

(Apologies for not acknowledging the artist correctly - I have the image in my reference collection but not the correct credits.) This version elegantly deals with the deflector. Perhaps this can appear in a future refit.

I think thats from Masao the guy that runs the Starfleet Museum site and the designer of the Vanguard Station from the novels.

 

[Wingsley]

Either that or its Harry Doddema of the Titan Fleet Yards.

Though I'm not a fan of single-nacelled designs anymore, (used to love 'em, back in the day) I'd say the dish-on-strut improves this design significantly. If you must employ something that looks like Franz Joseph's Saladin, this certainly looks close enough.

No matter how you look at it, you're still basing Ajax on FJ's design. You're simply employing some creative license of your own. Nothing wrong with that at all. If anything, this would make the design more pleasing by improving the forward visibility of the nacelle. As I recall, the early orbital "test shots" of the Ajax, posted on Vimeo, suffered because the FJ-style dish seemed to obstruct the view of the nacelle. This has the effect of making Ajax look like little more than a saucer in orbit.

This newer concept may aleviate the nacelle visibility problem. Maybe the "Starship Ajax" team could post a "before" and "after" test video on Vimeo, showing the first orbital test shot with the FJ-style dish, and this newer one. That would be very interesting to see.

If it were me, I'd base the Ajax's design on Forbin's Minmus. I like the balance of two shorter nacelles. But that's just me.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I did up a destroyer concept a while back. Can't find it at the moment...

 

[largo]

i don't think the nacelle caps were explicitly called out as bussard collectors until TNG. there's no TOS canon to support them being anything more specific than blinky glowy things, or that ships of that era required much less utilized collection of free interstellar hydrogen for refuel.

 

[Starscape]

... Then again, I'm trying to work out the best position for the shuttle bays and fitting those in with the internals is proving just as problematic.
...

When I was playing around with a Saladin-type design I decided on launch-bays for the shuttles:



It seemed to be a fairly space-efficient solution at the time.

 

[monodox]

Updates on the VFX blog.

http://ajaxvfx.blogspot.com/2011/10/updates-and-variation.html

I have taken the alternate dish variant discussed previously and modeled that as well - intrigued to see what people think.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I have taken the alternate dish variant discussed previously and modeled that as well - intrigued to see what people think.

The FJ Tech Manual says in its own Foreword II that the transmission of the manual into our time-frame may have been garbled. I take this to mean that you have carte blanche to tweak any of his designs as you see fit, while remaining true to the universe he created.

 

[Kaiser]

Updates on the VFX blog.

http://ajaxvfx.blogspot.com/2011/10/updates-and-variation.html

I have taken the alternate dish variant discussed previously and modeled that as well - intrigued to see what people think.

very good renders

 

[monodox]

Updates...

http://ajaxvfx.blogspot.com/2011/11/refurbished-shuttle.html