Topic: RSE DDorax class Starbird WIP...... (Read 7150 times)

Raven Night · « **on:** July 18, 2007, 03:33:06 pm »

Ok, here is my latest "bridge" to the TNG and new era ships. As you know, most of my vessels sit in the new era, but I decided to create a smaller ship along the design lines of the Warbird for a story line I am working on. Here is the mesh....it is around half the size of the Warbird, and is in the TNG time period, still used in the new era like the Warbird.

Klingon Fanatic · « **Reply #1 on:** July 18, 2007, 04:58:18 pm »

Always nice to see a non-Federation ship, especially one from TNG/Post-TNG.

KF

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #2 on:** July 18, 2007, 05:35:06 pm »

I think the bottom is a bit too 'flat' as it where, its perfectly horizontal.
The original D'Deridex bows outwards, perhaps, too be different and maintain a certain sleekness it should bow inwards instead.

ModelsPlease · « **Reply #3 on:** July 18, 2007, 06:28:16 pm »

Very nicely done !!!!

Shadowfleet · « **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2007, 06:52:49 pm »

HOLY CRAP! Another awesome Raven Rommie! She's gonna make another great addition to SFC!

Starforce2 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2007, 07:43:08 pm »

Looks to be too much a ripoff of the TNG D class to me, but regardless it will no doubt kick arse.

Raven Night · « **Reply #6 on:** July 21, 2007, 02:49:24 am »

Ok, just to clarify, and this is by not means an indication that I am not open to comments, Ive already tried a few of them placed here. Thanks for the input.

For the top wing portion, it is almost a copy, shape wise, of the DDeridex upper wing. The center pylon is different, as is the tail, but the overall shape is very similar to suggest a design lineage. The nacelles are very similar as well, but neither are exact copies of course. What I did was look at a huge poly mesh, study its shape in pics, as well as some model shots, and build the portions I wanted to look similar. Then I built out from there.

The bottom I wanted flattish to show a move toward the Valdore...I have a few designs meant to show lineage. This design actually exists at the very same time as the DDeridex, it is just never seen on screen. I contend it was there, just not sent into deep space.

I really liked the head on the Melak. Its one of my favorites, so I tried a Melak-like head on this one and one other ship, both turned out well.......I just stretched them out to be more hawkish.

I tried a few expansions of the bottom, but they have looked silly sofar......Ill try a few others and see what I come up with. It wont be much of a change, but it will be noticable. I want this sucker to scream "I'm the sleek scrawny brother" whereas the DD says "I'm the fat bouncer at the door".

Rod ONeal · « **Reply #7 on:** July 21, 2007, 03:01:38 am »

I like the idea of loosing the lower wing. I think the design would gain a lot of elegance. possibly add somemore "canter hull" to make up for the overall loss of mass. Depends on the scale of it. If it's one of those 1+ kilometer Rommie designs, then you wouldn't need any additional hull even.

Raven Night · « **Reply #8 on:** July 21, 2007, 07:05:36 am »

I was planning on doing a version without the bottom wing. If I do, I will have to thicken up the center pillar as you suggested. I tried a few sofar, but no avail, but it was my original plan.

Starforce2 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 21, 2007, 04:44:37 pm »

maybe just decrease the size and compexity/gracefullness of the bottom wing so it looks more utilitarian, that would indeed make the ship look smaller.

Raven Night · « **Reply #10 on:** July 23, 2007, 07:30:27 am »

Ok, well, I tried to do a concave lower wing, I decided to leave a trench in the center on the bottom as you will see in the pics, and not bring the concave shape all the way to the tail, to try and keep it apart from the DDeridex. I need to tweak it of course, but you get the idea. I can also do a valdore-like bottom wing, but I dont want this to look like new era, it has to remain believable for TNG.

FoaS_XC · « **Reply #11 on:** July 23, 2007, 08:13:26 am »

Very cool.
Looks, much better.

Starforce2 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 23, 2007, 09:01:00 am »

that looks pretty good.

Shadowfleet · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2007, 06:53:34 pm »

Awesome wing change. She's gonna be a beauty!

Only other change you might consider is the "tail". From the side view, instead of curving downward have a neutral curve -- i.e. the same curve up from the bottom as the top. A little more like the original Rommie Warbird, but she was a classic, and I think this one will be as well.

Once again, great work Rn!

Starforce2 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2007, 07:50:15 pm »

What about a fantail? CLassic of the slightly older era warships or the armada shrike?

Raven Night · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2007, 08:27:23 pm »

Hmm....fantail....thats sounds interesting.

I'll explain my resistance to the bottom wing coming out to the tail, or the tail curl on the ventral side. The problem is that this ship already closely resembles a DDeridex. I'm worried about hitting the "baby ship" syndrome. You know, the "It's a baby Defiant, just add water", the idea that all shuttles look like the ships they come out of, and all ships in a line look too much alike. I want this to be similar to the DDeridex because it was designed by the same designers during the same period, but it has to be different enough to set it apart from its sister ship.

Now, the head accomplishes this, but this has to be more than a transplant and downsize, or a squashdown. Otherwise it ends up like an ugly kitbash.

So, a different ventral wing was in order. As well as a very different connection spar for the ventral neck struts. The pic below shows the areas I concentrated on to set differences. To make a long story short, I had to eliminate the overal "egg" shape, but still make her look like other ships these designers would have made. By doing so, it explains away the whole "baby ship" thing by saying that the same designer made the shuttles for the ship too.

Below is a pic that shows my focus points. The idea was that this ship had to be more sleek, have a quicker look to it. It should be an even match for a Galaxy or a Vorcha.

The similars would be the rear of the head (the flat stages coming out the back), the oval opening on the leading edge of the aft wings, the top wing and the cloak emitters on the spine spar, dorsal side. The differences are obvious...flatter bottom wing, different tail, different head.

Starforce2 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 23, 2007, 09:23:26 pm »

perhaps if you were to simplify the bottom wing so it is thinner, with less curves, almost like a cold war era mig, except the wings are swept foreward rather than back? Then again that may look too much to the thin support wing style of the valdore. Also, if you want to rid yourself of the baby ship issue then perhaps you ought to loose those D class nacelles? DOn't ask me what to put in their place, nothing strikes me at the moment. The nacelles style of LC's raptor remake simply wouldn't befit a ship of this size, and as much as I like the nacelles on that ship (pretty much the only part of it I still do like) I can't think of how they could be altered to fit a larger class either. Ugh..I'll think of somethin.

Edit:
Ohhh...somethin just hit me like a jem hadar bugship..give me a plain bottom view, nose pointing up, please?

Raven Night · « **Reply #17 on:** July 25, 2007, 05:26:28 am »

Quote from: Starforce2 on July 23, 2007, 09:23:26 pm

perhaps if you were to simplify the bottom wing so it is thinner, with less curves, almost like a cold war era mig, except the wings are swept foreward rather than back? Then again that may look too much to the thin support wing style of the valdore.

I actually considered doing a light version with a lesser lower wing...I like the flat lower wing, maybe it just needs to be smaller. I think I might try to make it look a little more like the Melak...to suggest a progression from the Melak to the DDeridex.

Quote

Also, if you want to rid yourself of the baby ship issue then perhaps you ought to loose those D class nacelles? DOn't ask me what to put in their place, nothing strikes me at the moment. The nacelles style of LC's raptor remake simply wouldn't befit a ship of this size, and as much as I like the nacelles on that ship (pretty much the only part of it I still do like) I can't think of how they could be altered to fit a larger class either. Ugh..I'll think of somethin.

So im guessing you dont like this design.....that never happens

I intend on making a new era version of this ship, much like the new era version I made of the DDeridex...a modern refit. But since this ship did not exist in the first place, I had to create the TNG version first.

Quote

Edit:
Ohhh...somethin just hit me like a jem hadar bugship..give me a plain bottom view, nose pointing up, please?

There is a pic a few posts up that might be the view you need.

ModelsPlease · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2007, 09:22:55 am »

If you ever do any Lost Era (Early TNG) designs for bvridge gaping I hope you consider

Mogai class
Type of Romulan Warbird which predated the D'deridex class but came after the C-10 class. Sorry this is the only pic of the design I could find.

Starforce2 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 26, 2007, 08:32:27 pm »

nah, If I am going to draw my idea I need a direct ventral view not a 3/4. My drawing ability is mediocer at best, and that's witha pen, not a mouse..

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Topic: RSE DDorax class Starbird WIP...... (Read 7150 times)