Topic: Clyde Fleet Yards' latest baby

[Scottish Andy]

Hi All,

I'd like your opinion on this ship please. I have a general idea for what I want here, but there are a few last variations to play out and I'd like to know which one you like best. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to take part. I have my own favourite, but I am still undecided. So, I would like to introduce you to the Starfleet science cruiser USS T'Lani NCC-3941, first of her class!

Here we have Variant 1, with the Oberth Pylons attaching the Oberth sensor array to the saucer:









The Pro of this version (IMHO) is that it does look the best at first glance.
The Con is that it suffers the same shortcoming as the Oberth class: no turbolift to the sensor array. You either crawl down and up the pylons, or beam down to and back up from it to access the array.

Here we have Variant 2, with the standard dorsal neck attaching the Oberth sensor array to the saucer:









The reverse of the above, the Con of this version (IMHO) is that it doesn't look as good at first glance (I have since gotten used to it).
The Pro is that it avoids the same shortcoming as the Oberth class, and actually provides turbolift access to the sensor array. This variant makes more sense to me from a practical/engineering standpoint.

Here we have Variant 3, where I have taken my Jenshahn-class "engineering dorsal" and attached the Oberth sensor pod to that.









The Pro (I think, I'm still not sure) is that the design looks more balanced in general.
The Con - again from an practical/engineering standpoint - is that the operation of the warp engines could interfere with the delicate sensor equipment and possibly distort the readings. Both the earlier, main variants avoid this by pushing their nacelles well above the level of the saucer.

Okay, so, let me know what you think! I am most interested in your answers and comments!

Thanks, all.

[ModelsPlease]

Clean bashes, but why would Starfleet want such designs when they already have the Oberth? They almost look like the SFB Chicago FNCA (lol that's why I scrapped my Sirius, same reason  ) Also that reg is already in use during the TMP/Early TNG era's U.S.S. Underwood NCC-3941 and T'Lani is a class of munitions cruisers  . Just friendly info  Keep up the bashes, your getting much better 

[Scottish Andy]

I'm currently working on the formalising the ship's development history, but it's based on a long-running argument I have with a friend about the limitations of the Oberth class. I'll put it up when I'm finished with it.

As for the Registry, while I really do admire and appreciate your Ship Registry thread and the effort it took to put it together, a hefty percentage of those registries are from truly horrific (IMHO) FASA ships, and Jackill ships that are... also somewhat lacking in design grace, shall we say?

I can safely say I like 1% of FASA designs, 50% of Jackill designs, and I haven't yet met a Ships of the Star Fleet design I didn't like (Unless that Lynx Time Ship and the Fed-Klingon hybrid cruiser are SotSF. *shudders*). So, I don't feel constrained by their registry numbers. I go by my own, independently derived http://www.starbase23.net/Databanks-FedShipRegistries.html system, where I pick and choose which ships I have in my own storytelling universe. I still have to update it with the T'Lani and her sisters, but I will.

So, back to the ships themselves. I'm pleased that you think they are well put together, MP. I was just wondering which of the three you think should be my "production" model?

Edit: heh, you edited your post while I was creating my answer, MP! lol. I actually think that the dorsal neck variant looks like the TMP'd SFB Federation War Destroyer rather than the NCA, but I see where you're coming from. I didn't realise the T'Lani was a munitions cruiser, though! I just came up with a random female Vulcan name for a class of science ships.

[Arcanum]

I personally like versions 1 and 2, I would add both of them to my fed fleet.  But I have a suggestion, if you made version one TOS with older nacelles and white scheme it would flow to version 2 easily, about the only thing i would suggest to version 2 is a slim photon laucher about midway on the "strut" that would be nice there is a TMP Saladin out there with the slim pod, I think it was bashed by Firesoul but not sure, I am at work so I can't check the readme of the ship I am picturing.

[Scottish Andy]

Thanks for your input, Arcanum! It would be interesting to come up with a TOS prequel to Version 2... I might give it a go if I can figure out a way to make the Oberth sensor pallet look TOS-ish, or come up with (or find) a new TOS version of it.

I have a TMP Fast Cruiser variant of the Constitution, the USS Agincourt NCC-1601 - I think it's by Atrahasis - where it has the squared-off warp nacelles and a single tube photon deck at the bottom of the dorsal neck.
I won't be adding in a torpedo launcher, however, as I'm building a science cruiser here - basically, a faster, stronger, longer-ranged Oberth. In SFB/SFC terms, she'd be the New Scout Cruiser (NSC). Except for the photon tube the Oberth already has at the front of it's sensor pallet, which is more a probe launcher anyway.

Did you vote in my poll? I'm counting numbers here! Thanks.

 

[Rod ONeal]

I like the 1st one. Maybe put one of WZ's bridges he has available on them, instead of the TOS one?

[Scottish Andy]

Thanks for your comment, Rod! Did you remember to vote?

That bridge and undersaucer dome (in fact the entire saucer and nacelles & pylons) are from Atrahasis' model of the 'Ships of the Star Fleet' USS Tikopai NCC-1800 Constitution.

I deliberately chose that less advanced looking bridge because, in the terms of SotSF - in which I think, mostly - the TMP Enterprise-style bridge and lower saucer sensors are tactically-leveraged sensors. Since this is a science cruiser, and the Tikopai is meant to be an exploratory cruiser with lesser tactical abilities than the Enterprise, I gave my ship the less advanced bridge.

This torturous logic is also how I justify the USS Bozeman from 'TNG: Cause and Effect', with her less advanced bridge, being a surveillance/spy ship rather than Jackill's "attack frigate". The shiny, happy, clappy UFP doesn't make warships, remember?

[Rod ONeal]

Yeah, I voted. I just think it'd look better, I guess. I've found that in Trek there's always a technical explanation for anything without too much effort.  For instance Reliant = science vessel, I think?  I'm not disagreeing with you though. You've put more thought into it than me. More than the writers for Trek do most of the time, IMO. lol

[Starforce2]

I like all three, however I would suggest using the gafy textures on the 2 variants that consist only of connie and oberth parts, just too make them look higher res.

[Klingon Fanatic]

  Nice... How about an OBerth Tug variant and some Klingon kitbashes too?

Thank you for sharing these.

KF