...They Almost Built a Life Sized Enterprise-A in Las Vegas

[C.E. Evans]

I don't think that would have ever been approved by the city.

Au contraire, mon ami. The project had the full backing of the Las Vegas Downtown Redevelopment Committee...

*SNIP*

You omitted both the smiley and the part that made my comment a joke: that it definitely would have been built in Riverside, Iowa--as where the nuEnterprise was built in Star Trek XI?

They could have built it in a dry dock that served as support while still looking like part of the exhibit

Apparently that was the plan. The illustrations were just early concepts, but it would have been built with supports at key locations as if in a planetside dock.

From the original blog:
(We learned everything we could about the Starship – its actually size and dimensions, how it would exist in “dry dock” on the planet if indeed such a situation had been possible. We imagined what it could be, and how we might achieve it. We got Ken Ball (former head of engineering at Disney’s MAPO) involved to figure out how to engineer and support it. (Ultimately we realized we would need to add some supports on the outer edge of the “disc” section due to the extremely high wind conditions in Vegas. For this we created a high tech “scaffolding structure” that gave the ship more of the appearance of being in an open-air dry dock...)

http://www.garygoddard.com/blog/ind...-attraction-that-almost-came-to-life-in-1992/

 

[scotpens]

If only a handful of "Star Trek" locations were really inside the ship, would it matter? Or would fans only accept an authentic deck-by-deck structure, including fictional machinery spaces and life support and deflector units and such?

And don’t forget the bowling alley.

Some aspects of the “real” Enterprise’s interior would be beyond today’s technology. Would it be possible, for example, to have elevator cars that move horizontally as well as vertically?

 

[Paul Weaver]

And if it wasn't 100% faithful to the movie ship, fans would have lost interest fast.

So at least 78 decks, with two deck 52s?

 

[The Wormhole]

As awesome as that would have been (and I mean awesome), I can understand why it never went through. That would have been a pretty big gamble. Sure, you're guaranteed big crowds for the first month or so, but after that it would just be the die hard Trekkies, and there aren't really that many of us.

Still, I think that's fucking awesome all the same.

 

[EJD1984]

Dayum!!! This would have been phenomenal! Hopefully with this new exposure of the project, it might gain some traction/interest today.


I would love to see some of the preliminary engineering drawings as to how the saucer (and possibly the engines) would have been supported.

 

[lisa]

Wow. This would be so awesome.

As it is not going to happen, I am going to choose to believe that it would be totally realistic... In my mind it is complete with TNG door chime sounds and jeffries tubes to crawl through.

A girl needs something to dream about...

 

[ALF]

A project like this must have been budgeted out at some point in the design phase. I wonder what kind of $$$ they were looking at for something like this?

It might have been feasible had they built the main areas (bridge, engineering, sickbay etc) and then had them connected with a few lifts or staircases and left the bulk of the ship empty space (conveniently placed doors that won't open). But there would still be a few hallways you could roam.

In other words, only create certain decks for exploration. Several dozen decks populated with all the rooms and interior spaces would be nearly impossible to manage from a security standpoint... unless there were guided tours people would get lost in there.

I have a feeling when "real" holodecks come about one of the first commercially available programs to roam around in will be the good old Enterprise.

 

[biotech]

Anyone else been here long enough to remember someone wanting to build a full sized enterprise, paid for and built by fans?

This was around the time Nemesis sunk the films and enterprise was getting cancelled.

Always thought he was trolling, or just very deluded.

 

[Takeru]

For fans, wouldn't a large part of the appeal be the opportunity to freely roam the corridors and explore areas of the ship, rather than bop between the bridge, sickbay, and Kirk's cabin and that's it?

No, there's not a single fan in the world who would appreciate an authentic interior. Many would claim that it is the most awesome thing ever, but after walking down 3 identical decks with nothing but cabins, conference rooms etc. they'd be bored do death.
They obviously would have stuffed the interior with themed restaurants, gift shops, museums etc., I wouldn't even be surprised if they had built several bridges including a replica of the tv version, that's stuff people want to see, not miles of boring corridors ... "OMG, what's behind this door?! A cabin and it looks exactly like it did in the movies!!!" is interesting once or twice, not 200 times in a row.

 

[scotpens]

A project like this must have been budgeted out at some point in the design phase. I wonder what kind of $$$ they were looking at for something like this?

According to the linked blog, the construction cost estimate was about $150,000,000 (in 1992 dollars).

 

[EJD1984]

I was just thinking of this from the real-life engineering standpoint. They most likely would have built a similar looking dry-dock structure from the TMP to encase the ship and support it.

For the saucer, the best spot would have been the gangway doors in the saucer rim (see picture) and that's where the major horizontal support I-beams would have been located all the way thru.

Plus form a tourist (and weigh savings ) standpoint, most of the saucer would be hallow except for the few key visitors would visit - bridge, sickbay, recreation deck, officers lounge......etc. Plus a few corridors to wander thru.

Though I could see hotel rooms in along the perimeter of the saucer as well.

I think that most of the attractions would be in the lower, more stable secondary hull that could be filled up on every possible area.

I could see conventions in the hangar deck and cargo bay for years on end..................

Question: Has there even been a cantilevered building made on this scale before?

 

[TOSalltheway]

If the rooms would have been modeled off of Kirk and Spock's cabins from ST6?

Have you seen how uncomfortable the Enterprise crew quarters are? Even the Captains quarters. Not my idea of a vacation room. Museuem tour yes, my room, no.

 

[Rarewolf]

Plus form a tourist (and weigh savings ) standpoint, most of the saucer would be hallow except for the few key visitors would visit - bridge, sickbay, recreation deck, officers lounge......etc. Plus a few corridors to wander thru.

I'd just house them in the drive as well, have a completely hollow saucer. Once inside you'd have no frame of reference to where you are, any windows would be better served by monitors. Just cause the Turbolift told you that you'd moved several decks and location might not really be the case.

 

[SchwEnt]

If the rooms would have been modeled off of Kirk and Spock's cabins from ST6?

Have you seen how uncomfortable the Enterprise crew quarters are? Even the Captains quarters. Not my idea of a vacation room. Museuem tour yes, my room, no.

Yes. But there are museum ships (carriers, battleships) that offer overnight stays in the original crew bunks. Not even rooms, just bunks. If people would willingly spend nights in naval vessel bunks, I can imagine a TUC-style cabins similarly appealing to some people. What the hell, right?

 

[EJD1984]

If the rooms would have been modeled off of Kirk and Spock's cabins from ST6?

Have you seen how uncomfortable the Enterprise crew quarters are? Even the Captains quarters. Not my idea of a vacation room. Museuem tour yes, my room, no.

Yes. But there are museum ships (carriers, battleships) that offer overnight stays in the original crew bunks. Not even rooms, just bunks. If people would willingly spend nights in naval vessel bunks, I can imagine a TUC-style cabins similarly appealing to some people. What the hell, right?

I'm sure the rooms/cabins for overnight guest would have been redesigned and Star Trek "themed". And if you really want a low cost "rough-it" cabin, then you can have a classic movie cabin.

BTW. Isn't Paramount planning a new theme park in Spain with a Star Trek section? Hmm...............never too late to revive this genius idea.

 

[Maurice]

I believe if you read the blog post the thing wouldn't have hotel rooms. It was designed to draw people to downtown so they would use the hotels and other businesses there, not take all that business away.

 

[Shilliam Watner]

They could have designed the shuttle bay doors to open and have suspended cable cars designed like starfleet shuttles to ferry tourists from another location to it. The movement in the wind would be like the real deal in the movies.

 

[Tiberius]

And if it wasn't 100% faithful to the movie ship, fans would have lost interest fast.

So at least 78 decks, with two deck 52s?

"Excuse me, I'm trying to get to Deck 52..."

"This is Deck 52a."

 

[Deimos Anomaly]

You know what would be even better?

A giant flying Enterprise, built as a rigid airship.

The E-D would actually be better for this than the E-Nil, because it's more filled out and voluminous (surface area / volume) with its bulging saucer and more 3-dimensional inter-hull neck.

You could probably build a modern giant dirigible using carbon fiber for the skeleton and saving a lot on weight vs the old aluminium ships. It would likely be stronger too.

You could have the bridge and maybe a few of the rooms near it, sickbay, a transporter room, maybe a bit of corridor, and maybe it might be possible to include one of the smaller shuttlebays in the stardrive section too. The rest would be gas space.

Another advantage is that the warp nacelles could be real engine nacelles, housing the engines turning the props, or even serving as ducts for low diameter ducted props or turbines if you wanted to go that way.

 

[Shilliam Watner]

You know what would be even better?

A giant flying Enterprise, built as a rigid airship.

The E-D would actually be better for this than the E-Nil, because it's more filled out and voluminous (surface area / volume) with its bulging saucer and more 3-dimensional inter-hull neck.

You could probably build a modern giant dirigible using carbon fiber for the skeleton and saving a lot on weight vs the old aluminium ships. It would likely be stronger too.

You could have the bridge and maybe a few of the rooms near it, sickbay, a transporter room, maybe a bit of corridor, and maybe it might be possible to include one of the smaller shuttlebays in the stardrive section too. The rest would be gas space.

Another advantage is that the warp nacelles could be real engine nacelles, housing the engines turning the props, or even serving as ducts for low diameter ducted props or turbines if you wanted to go that way.

Now that would work.