USS Freedman - thru-deck cruiser

[The Axeman]

OK, after a short discussion over the past few days it has been decided that my latest personal design shall be the USS Freedman, and that it will be some form of carrier! Here's a quick layout of the basic shape of the ship so that we know what we're talking about, picked from several possible variants...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4271061603_44f1df50c7_o.jpg

This will be a reasonably large ship with the central decks devoted to small craft operations, accessed via a large opening at the rear between the pylons and right at the front of the upper hull. Inside will be one large hangar area with the openings at either end, so you could see right through the ship when they're open.

I dont know yet exactly how large the ship will be, I'll scale it to suit runabouts getting though the doors easily, then chop it into 3m decks and see what happens. I usually put a simple deck template in the background so that when I'm placing windows and docking ports I dont have them all split level and suchlike.

Why a carrier? It was a suggestion, and when I cut the shuttle deck in to see it really suited it. Besides, I have a fetish for shuttle and small craft so it would be nice to have somewhere to keep them.

 

[Patrickivan]

Looks good so far. The carrier idea has always been on my mind but I've never really conceived anything yet. Can't wait to see how this evolves.

Now when you say small craft, does that include tactical craft, such as fighters, interceptors, recon, et c.? Ya know- the things that Star Trek has never really explored?

 

[The Axeman]

Yeah, there are some fighter designs out there but it's not something that's really come up much. I dont know that a dedicated fighter would be any more use against a shielded starship than a standard shuttle with phaser emitters would be. Against the incredibly powerful, incredibly accurate weapons of a starship would a one man fighter be of any use?

The Trekverse seems to prefer larger ships for the role, able to carry a small crew and a shield powerful enough to stop one-shot kills. It's not naval aviation in the traditional sense, where fighters had the luxuries of speed, range and the third dimension to evade or attack heavy ships with penetrating weapons. The only disadvantage is that a starship may be less manouverable, but it doesn't need to dogfight anyway with the weapons and shields it carries.

Regardless, there may well be a need for a carrier like this. Some planets and areas of space are a no-go for transporters, and there's many civilian and humanitarian situations where a ship with lots of carrying capacity and many vessels would be a boon. I would think it could also serve as a mobile command centre or base of operations if need be, allowing the more offensive starships to get on with the job at hand. Colony rescue, setup and support? Specialised search & rescue? Even 'fighter' operations while carrying Peregrine class ships or Runabouts? We'll see.

Regardless, this is it for a day or two, I've got to go on a business trip tomorrow so no work on this till late Friday at the earliest.

 

[Starship]

Looks like an oversized Norway class...

 

[sojourner]

Cool so far. May I suggest making the nacelles fatter but not longer? I think it would give more an impression of "power" rather than the impression of "speed" that long nacelles give.

Oh, and on the carrier subject, someone once mentioned I should make one of my other designs a carrier. So, I drew this up real quick to show how I would do a carrier. If I did one.

 

[The Axeman]

Looks like an oversized Norway class...

Only in the most minor way, but I suppose there's only so much you can do in the Trek universe without it reminding us of something we've already seen elsewhere.

I'm sketching out designs for nacelles and hull detailing right now, but you're right in that I wanted stubby nacelles for this one. As you point out the long nacelle designs imply speed and delicate construction, whereas a squat, more powerful design would suit this much better.

 

[Patrickivan]

When you said small craft carrier, I mentioned fighters and such because that's the first thought that popped into my head. I agree with you that the ships in Trek are too big and powerful for fighters and there hasn't really been a need for them.

If there was a need- I can only see it in sensitive environments where Starships can't go (for whatever reason). Small, precise, tactical craft. Different types for different scenerios of course. Then again, Starfleet does seem to have a never ending various design of shuttle craft that seem adequate for whatever they need them for.

Your idea would have been a need ship to see at the end of Generations. A big carrier pulls into orbit and tonnes of rescue and salvage shuttles dive to the surface.

Assuming of course that they didn't have operational transporters!

 

[iguana_tonante]

Oh, and on the carrier subject, someone once mentioned I should make one of my other designs a carrier. So, I drew this up real quick to show how I would do a carrier. If I did one.

Very much USS Battlestar, but I love it.

 

[sojourner]

When you said small craft carrier, I mentioned fighters and such because that's the first thought that popped into my head. I agree with you that the ships in Trek are too big and powerful for fighters and there hasn't really been a need for them.

If there was a need- I can only see it in sensitive environments where Starships can't go (for whatever reason). Small, precise, tactical craft. Different types for different scenerios of course. Then again, Starfleet does seem to have a never ending various design of shuttle craft that seem adequate for whatever they need them for.

Your idea would have been a need ship to see at the end of Generations. A big carrier pulls into orbit and tonnes of rescue and salvage shuttles dive to the surface.

Assuming of course that they didn't have operational transporters!

As I have stated in other threads, my preferred force multiplier for Trek would not be fighters but drones. Take something the size of a runabout. Stuff it full of combat systems. (a full size torp tube running down center line?) Give it some rudimentary AI for tactical situations, but let it mainly be controlled from the mother ship. Maybe have variations. One with a torpedo launcher another with capital ship phasers, etc.

 

[largo]

Take something the size of a runabout. Stuff it full of combat systems. (a full size torp tube running down center line?) Give it some rudimentary AI for tactical situations

even after the M5 incident?

but let it mainly be controlled from the mother ship.

you're kind of hosed if the enemy can intercept or jam your control broadcasts, though. and very hosed if they can hack your drones.

 

[sojourner]

you're kind of hosed if the enemy can intercept or jam your control broadcasts

Hence the rudimentary tactical AI.

very hosed if they can hack your drones.

Every advance has an exploit. I'm guessing at one point some one said. "but yea, what if the other guy gets that bow and arrows from you? better to just use a rock".

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Sojourner,

Actually, I think I might have been the person to suggest that. However I would have had a straight through deck set-up with four nacelles (excelsior type) two on each side top and bottom with the pylon type of the Excelsior (but shorter vertically)

Looking at this though, I do like the basic aesthetics of this design, in terms of the shuttle-bay positions. Still though I would have put four engines on her, and have used more excelsior-ish engines.

 

[The Axeman]

I actually have been toying with four engines on it, I'm still undecided how to go about the nacelles just yet. I've come up with some basic detailing stuff for the upper surface though, so I can make a start on that and the big shuttlebay itself when I get the chance.

Drones are an interesting idea actually, very up to date, but again we come up against the problem that big ships are horrendously well protected against attack by small craft. You'd need an edge, something to negate the starships powerful shielding and accurate weapons. It might work if they were small, fast and attacked in overwhelming numbers though, and they would certainly help distract during a ship to ship engagement. Maybe a debate to be had elsewhere?

 

[AnyStar]

ever thought of the idea of drone ships, not with the ptorp or cannon like mentionted above, but rather meager weapons and a sort of anti-sheild drill.

to simply break through into the sheilded region and cause havoc, rather than major damage!?!?

 

[The Axeman]

If they could drill through shields they'd be a variant of torpedo, just pierce and detonate for effect. Small cheap drones which could be replicated fairly easily would best be used overwhelming an enemys shields and sensors, sapping his power and softening him up for your attack. Or slowing him while you run away.