Voyager's Aerodynamics

[Johnny]

I noticed the other day that in the intro for Voyager, when the ship pierces that nebula gas, that it 'whirl-pools' just in front of the nacelles. Shouldn't it just split out from the front of the saucer in a V shape? I can't think of any circumstance that stella gas would be drawn past the hull in that fashion, unless it was in a high orbit...?

 

[Timo]

The patterns in which the gas flows outward could be attributed to the navigational deflectors of the ship, and might be intriguing indeed.

However, the way the gas continues to swirl, in little horizontal whirlpools, is certainly aphysical for any nebula-style concentration of thin gas.

But why should we assume that this happens in a thin nebula? The universe of Star Trek is full of strange heavenly wonders. For all we know, the ship is operating in the dense atmosphere of a gas giant, floating on an interface between two transparent gas layers of different densities, where things would indeed look pretty much as depicted. We see stars beneath her belly, but not above her, so perhaps she is flying belly up?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[voyagerfan]

I noticed that and also the nacelles could clearly be make out as well, so perhaps the aerodynamics come from the nacelles and when in warp, the nacelles lift to not cause as much subspace disruption as apposed to other starfleet craft.

I think it is is to do with the whole way that the aerodynamics of the ship work, it is showing almost as much as there being an opening for Voyager but the rest of the nebulla was undisturbed, maybe it is the dynamics of the vessel itself.