Why the love for Ralph McQuarrie?

[TheSubCommander]

I personally love the design. I don't deny I think there is a coolness factor for me that it was designed by Ralph Macquarrie, but it isn't the only, or even primary reason I like it. In fact, I like the Discovery even better than the RM design. It is much more refined, yet the same basic design. The saucer is spot on. Love the recessed bridge, ball turret phasers, and the bronze color of the hull. I like the nacelles. To me, they look like they took the NX nacelles, and tripple downed on them, then encased them in a shielding.

The delta shaped hull looks good to me, as well. It resembles the delta boom shape of the NX, yet is filled in, probably for cargo, or even as a shuttle carrier. I know some say it resembles a D7, but I don't see it. Rather,it too me looks like everything that the NX was, just scaled up.

As for size, I think the Discovery saucer is likely the same size as the NX class saucer. That makes it around the same length as a Constitution class, but obviously the secondary hull is much wider. Personally, I think this ship is most likely from around 2190-2220, post ENT\ pre-TOS and pre-Narada.

The two things I would change (if this is in fact a post ENT\pre tos ship) is the deflector. If it is that era, it should be an actual dish, or place a dish in front of the blue deflector. The other thing is I would probably scale back the size of the secondary hull. I don't have a problem with it being larger than the saucer, but it could be scaled back in size, some, to make the ship look more proportional.

Over all, I am happy with the design, and if tweaked slightly, could be a great design.

 

[Tuskin38]

I find it hilarious that the newest Star Trek TV show is borrowing from a Star Wars concept artist.

I personally love the design. I don't deny I think there is a coolness factor for me that it was designed by Ralph Macquarrie,

It was Ken Adam who designed the ship, Ralph drew some of the art but he didn't design it.

Everyone just assumes he designed it because his name is on the art.

 

[psCargile]

The shapes don't go together. It's like putting a saucer nose on the Concord.

 

[shapeshifter]

I wonder if the reddish color means it originated from Vulcan?

That, along with it kinda looking like the symbol for IDIC from some angles has my imagination running in tenth gear over where this series may be going!

 

[Jedi_Master]

That, along with it kinda looking like the symbol for IDIC from some angles has my imagination running in tenth gear over where this series may be going!

To Infinity and Beyond?

 

[eyeresist]

The TMP and TNG Vulcan vessels weren't red. But the FC one, yes, and obviously that's where ENT took its cues from.

I guess ENT was arguably a FC spin-off series.

 

[The Mighty Monkey of Mim]

It was Ken Adam who designed the ship, Ralph drew some of the art but he didn't design it.

Everyone just assumes he designed it because his name is on the art.

To be fair, I just looked at my copy of Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens' The Art Of Star Trek again, and the image posted above by @RAMA in post #20 is captioned "concept sketches by Ken Adam, based on McQuarrie's initial designs," so that may be part of where the confusion arose. The book also says McQuarrie was working under Adam, and that the design reflects his "unmistakable" influence, although the recent tweet from McQuarrie's archives seems to make the explicit point that Adam should get the ultimate credit. It seems probable that there might have been some exchange of ideas in both directions between the two men.

 

[publiusr]

I like the design myself--I'd just go for Lord Sarvain's nacelles on here though.

Lots of room in the secondary hull--looks like the IDIC symbol.

I will say this. If there was ever a cross-over between The Federation's mirror--the Terran Empire joining with the Empire of Star Wars, I can see a far larger-super detailed version of this visually telling the story.