I’m pretty sure I read a write up about it somewhere that asserted the AMT model kit was actually pretty accurate with only a very few small differences.
Unseen TOS....
- Thread starter Warped9
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Yeah, I can't imagine where the company that built the original would turn around and intentionally make inaccurate scaled-down versions.
IIRC, the AMT model that was sold was pantographed from the studio miniature of the Klingon battlecruiser made by AMT. There are only one or two added details on the boxed model, such as the grills, which were absent on the filming model.
Yep, thats what I remember.
Sorry I meant the Romulan AMT kit. I knew about the D-7 pantograph process.
Be aware that there's a 'glitch' in the shape of the hull as you move back along the outer edge. It starts to curve ever so slightly inward - more true horseshoe shaped. I.e. those sides are not as straight as they appear.Look familiar?
The Polar Lights 1/1000th scale kit got that shape very close to perfect.
Let's see if this PDF link helps:
https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/7/0/8/975708-68-instructions.pdf
https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/7/0/8/975708-68-instructions.pdf
Very interesting. It seems I’m pretty damn close.
I’m using the Michael McMaster drawings as a starting point in tandem with photos of the original miniature to check against, and it looks like McMaster got some things slightly wrong.
The way the pylons attach to the hull is strange and seemingly counterintuitive, but eventually I figured out how it could work. It was a bit labour intensive though. From what I can see the upper surface of the pylons look to be flat while the underside looks curved toward the leading edge. It looks like I deduced that correctly, but the pylon thickness is a bit of a question.
From what I can see I might have got the underside of the main hull slightly wrong toward the aft, but it might be something I can fix without too much trouble.
I’m using the Michael McMaster drawings as a starting point in tandem with photos of the original miniature to check against, and it looks like McMaster got some things slightly wrong.
The way the pylons attach to the hull is strange and seemingly counterintuitive, but eventually I figured out how it could work. It was a bit labour intensive though. From what I can see the upper surface of the pylons look to be flat while the underside looks curved toward the leading edge. It looks like I deduced that correctly, but the pylon thickness is a bit of a question.
From what I can see I might have got the underside of the main hull slightly wrong toward the aft, but it might be something I can fix without too much trouble.
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So it would seem...
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Apologies for taking a second ADB-related detour:
The way the Star Fleet Universe tells it, the "sub-light" (Non-Tactical Warp) Warbird was one of a number of "Eagle Series" hulls - from the Snipe frigate up to the Vulture dreadnought.
Initially, these ships were armed with lasers and atomic missile launchers. Despite failing to historically develop Tactical Warp before the Treaty of Smarba, the Romulans managed to install a series of "pre-Smarba" upgrades nonetheless. On the one hand, the atomic missiles were swapped out for plasma torpedo launchers (although these could only fire plasma bolts initially; seeking plasma required a further upgrade). On the other hand, the Romulans went through three iterations of "practical invisibility screens': the Masking Device gave way to the Veiling Device, which in turn was superseded by the "modern" Cloaking Device.
Aside from attempting to mug enemy ships in open space (as shown on the cover art of Captain's Log #43), Warbirds were designed to land and take off from planetary surfaces. So, when waging a series of wars against the warp-powered Confederation of the Gorns (who, unlike the Federation, knew who and what the Romulans were from the outset), this enabled them to land their otherwise vulnerable "sub-light" ships on occupied worlds, in essence creating portable ground bases which the Romulans dared the Gorns to try and dislodge.
The warp-refitted War Eagle also saw the installation of phasers in place of lasers, as well as Klingon-sourced transporter beams. Even so, the warp engines on the War Eagle were slower at tactical warp speeds than those of the Klingon-built KRs. Eventually, however, the Romulans devised a more powerful "King Eagle" upgrade - and, later still, a "King Eagle-X" which incorporated first-generation advanced technology.
On a side note: the miniature entries on ADB's Shapeways storefront each include a 3D viewer, so you can take a look at the "model" of the ship if you so wish - which might help if you want to gauge the design evolution from Warbird to War Eagle to King Eagle to King Eagle-X. (Each product page also tells you the dimensions of the miniature in question, which vary depending on the scale it is set at.)
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Any thoughts on whether the Vulcanians joined Earth in the War? If so, would they've consulted, design, and constructed a hybrid ship (Earth/Vulcan) to combat the Romulans?
I neglected to thank you for this. Thats priceless and shows subtleyies not seen on the McMaster drawings. Polar Lights does a very good job with their model schematics. I'm too far along to make certain changes but I have adressed the underside to make it closer, if not exact, to the PL drawings.
Thats a little beyond the perview of this project. But my sense is the Vulcans might have suspected who Earth was fighting, particularly if they heard about ships painted with giant birds of prey on the hulls, but for some reason or other might have declined to be directly involved. Indeed if we assume the Federation did not yet exist then Vulcan would have no bimding obligation to aid Earth's war efforts.
Looking at the "window" detail. On the edge of the main hull we see three levels of "windows." It's hard to credit there are actually three decks at this part of the hull. It's hard to credit there are two decks at this part of the ship. Perhaps that detail is not all windows and perhaps sensor arrays on the hull of the ship?
If the ship were indeed two decks thick at this point then that would make the vessel roughly equivalent to the Enterprise's saucer in overall size. If the ship is one deck thick at this point then the vessel is a lot smaller.
There is no way the ship is three decks thick at that point.
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I put those "window" features as part of the hull-based cloaking system. Later in The Enterprise Incident, the Romulans have an improved cloaking device that works through a ship's deflector shield system, hence, allowing any ship with deflector shields to be able to cloak (like a Klingon D7 or the Enterprise). YMMV 
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An excellent bit of reasoning.I put those "window" features as part of the hull-based cloaking system. Later in The Enterprise Incident, the Romulans have an improved cloaking device that works through a ship's deflector shield system, hence, allowing any ship with deflector shields to be able to cloak (like a Klingon D7 or the Enterprise). YMMV
I don't think depending on the MK 1 eyeball in space combat makes any sense...
For my own curiousity I will try working out a quick deck layout for this to get a better handle on the size.
Some things to consider. My impression of the ship is that it was (comparatively) slow. At best it had low warp flight capability. That means it can’t range too far from home. And its cruises would likely be protacted. If you have to spend extended periods in flight you’re going to need substantial support facilities to sustain you. A tiny craft isn’t likely to offer you that even if you go for cramped and austere conditions for the crew.
Also the Centurion Decius called their ship “the Praetor’s glorious flagship.” That doesn’t sound like something you’d say about a small vessel. Mind you it can be a matter of perception. With their new plasma weapon and their new invisibility screen they might have felt a smaller ship was still sufficient to challenge whatever “the Earthers” had to offer. Boy were they wrong—once the Enterprise figured out the Romulan’s limitations there was no real contest.
My overriding impression from the episode is the Romulans didn’t advance much since the war while Earth and the Federation leapfrogged ahead.
In the end I think the BoP might be more analogous in size to the Enterprise’s saucer. It’s still smaller, but not unreasonably small.
It all adds up to the Romulans having an over-the-top sense of arrogance over others. They simply couldn’t imagine anyone else being able to do better than them. Losing the war, or at best being held to a stalemate, must have been seriously humiliating in their own minds.
At least the Klingons, even with their own arrogance, can acknowledge and even respect the capability of others. Kor even said so in “Errand Of Mercy” expressing his admiration for Starfleet. He certainly had big eyes when he learned who “Baroner” really was.
Some things to consider. My impression of the ship is that it was (comparatively) slow. At best it had low warp flight capability. That means it can’t range too far from home. And its cruises would likely be protacted. If you have to spend extended periods in flight you’re going to need substantial support facilities to sustain you. A tiny craft isn’t likely to offer you that even if you go for cramped and austere conditions for the crew.
Also the Centurion Decius called their ship “the Praetor’s glorious flagship.” That doesn’t sound like something you’d say about a small vessel. Mind you it can be a matter of perception. With their new plasma weapon and their new invisibility screen they might have felt a smaller ship was still sufficient to challenge whatever “the Earthers” had to offer. Boy were they wrong—once the Enterprise figured out the Romulan’s limitations there was no real contest.
My overriding impression from the episode is the Romulans didn’t advance much since the war while Earth and the Federation leapfrogged ahead.
In the end I think the BoP might be more analogous in size to the Enterprise’s saucer. It’s still smaller, but not unreasonably small.
It all adds up to the Romulans having an over-the-top sense of arrogance over others. They simply couldn’t imagine anyone else being able to do better than them. Losing the war, or at best being held to a stalemate, must have been seriously humiliating in their own minds.
At least the Klingons, even with their own arrogance, can acknowledge and even respect the capability of others. Kor even said so in “Errand Of Mercy” expressing his admiration for Starfleet. He certainly had big eyes when he learned who “Baroner” really was.
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