posted
OK, a mere 4 years after Rev and the guys designed it (and we made its shuttle, the IAV-106) we re going to attempt to make a decent 3D model of the USS Korolev design from the old ASDB site.
The main reason I'm telling you guys is bacause I've been out of it for nearly a year and need some sort of impetus to keep me going. I dont know about you guys but I have bursts of creativity sparked off by something I've seen or felt, and then months where I dont want to go anywhere near the bloody PC. I'm starting a burst period, so while it lasts I'll work on the model and post my meagre progress. Here's the first...
All we have is the side view on the ASDB and a couple of rough sketches from Rev of the rear dorsal area and a couple of deflector designs, so it's going to be a bit of a collaboration again. As usual no two views match and I'll be making compromises all over it to make up for my lack of modelling skill. Anyway, we'll see what happens.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Actually that looks pretty bang on how I pictured her, so far anyway. As for the pylons, they're supposed to have a slight up-sweep to them, though I never got around to doing a fore or aft view.
posted
I'll do a basic pylon today based on the 3/4 view you sent me Rev, and we'll see how it looks. The upsweep can then be decided, choosing between either straight, constant swept or with a sudden swep at the end similar to the Excelsior.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Looks better without the nacelle-sweep: matches the design look of the era nicely.
One thing- the bussard collectors look wrong- sorta blunted.... Will those ne New Orleans style extended-nacelles? That would be a nice touch and a nod to that design's major oddity.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
That's because he hasn't modelled the scoops yet. Those are just the compression coils, or whatever they're called.
Again with the pylons it's best to wait and see how they look on the model before we make a decision. I think my initial intention was to have them sweep up and for the nacelles to be slightly tilted outwards, say 20 degrees, so the pylons are sweeping up to meet them rather than have them bunt up underneath. Again, we'll see what works.
The nacelle caps are added, based on the sketches on the ASDB website rather than the ones in the main drawing on the site. Just thought I'd try them as they looked funky, but I think the nacelles in the 3/4 sketch are actually more rounded than these units. I made them from the side view alone, and they're more like TNG squarer units and I may have to remake them.
Also added the basic pylons based on the sketch and the main drawing, the simple upswept design rather than a kinked or swept back version. Not sure I like them but they're reasonably accurate and you guys can debate the ins and outs of it. You'll notice the nacelles seem rather long compared to the 3/4 sketch on the site, but they're the right length for the side view so there's a discrepancy between the 2 you might wish to debate.
Also added the main hull radiator/black area, whatever the hell it is. I really like that sort of detail after seeing it on the original painting for the Ambassador class, and I think it's ok on this too. The tricky bit will be installing some sort of deflector into this thing. The designs I've seen had the black radiator part only wrap partially around the neck area and the deflector encroached into the centre, but I think that wouldn't fit with the saucer and the radiators would look kack. I'll have to check out some options tomorrow when I get a chance.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Pretty.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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Couple things to note - The aft cargo bay doesn't stretch right across the backside of the ship, it's actually split into two bays with a wide piece of hull separating the two doors. (something that would only show up on the aft view.) My intention was for the aft torpedo launcher to be sat up between them, just under the lip of the dorsal hull. Also, the center line of the bridge is intentionally set back a bit from the apparant center line of the saucer. The intention there being that this is an early step towards the Voyager/Prometheus/Nova type saucers with the forward pointing shapes. It's subtle and not helped by the fact I never got around to fixing the gridlines to reflect this.
Anyway, as for the renders, looks fine so far. I think the scoops would look better in a more Galaxy/Ambassador like style. The pylons look fine to me, though I would be curious to see how it looks with the nacelles tilted slightly out. If there's one thing to remember about the general aesthetic of this ship is that it's meant to look like everything is leaning slightly forwards, giving a very early precursor to the later, more streamlined designs.
posted
Ok, it just occurred to me that the registry and launch date on the site is WAY to early for a design like this, so I think I'm going to bump it up to the prototype up to NX-41050, Circa 2340. Do our starship registry/chronology experts agree with this? Bernd? Timo?
posted
I don't normally like ships where the nacelles are so high above the saucer, but this ship is pretty well balanced, and I like the way the secondary hull is reminiscent of the Pasteur.
And lack of modeling skill? As if. You're up there with Vektor as far as I'm concerned.
posted
Bollocks! Working from the wrong drawings, eh? That's that knackered then. The revised shape of the top saucer section means I'll have to ditch the whole main hull and go back to rework it. I had the rear tapered slightly too, based on the 3/4 sketch which was all I had to go on for widths and rear views. That means also chucking out the pylon main section, but thats an easy fix compared to the main hull.
I like the revision, the more elliptical saucer looks that little bit more modern than the one on the site and I can simply stretch the existing mesh to suit. Now I have a top view I should be able to be much more accurate, which can only be a good thing.
Last thing is the nacelle bussards then, which do we go with? I can try and make ones that match the new drawing (same as the old drawing) but they look a little old-fashioned to me. I will make 2 or 3 versions and you can chose; these, Ent-D style and something of my own. I'll also try a slight tilt to the nacelles if you like, but I think it will jarr somewhat compared to the rather angular feel of the main hull. I think i might have to play with the overall size of the nacelles to make it work. More pics tonight...
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Don't worry too much mate, I've just done an overlay comparison and the only significant structural differences on the side view are that the saucer gangway and the ventral sensor dome assembly have been moved slightly forwards, in line with the centreline of the saucer instead of with the bridge and as I mentioned before the aft cargobay is superficially different. The plans themselves probably look more different because the correct one has properly scaled escape pod hatches and fewer of them, plus the windows are all black instead of yellow and of course the lines on the old drawing are thicker. PSP 8 couldn't do lines thinner than 1.0pts you see. Other than tha the actual outline of all the major sections is identical.
As far as the ramscoops go, keep in mind this thing is circa 2340, so we're talking post Ambassador, pre Galaxy. So do a couple versions and see how it looks. For the nacelles, I'm not sure if tilting will work either, it's just something different I wanted to try because I liked how the nacelles on the Steamrunner has a somewhat swoopong look to them and it may give the design a slightly more distinguishing look. We'll see.
quote:And lack of modeling skill? As if. You're up there with Vektor as far as I'm concerned.
At the risk of sounding biased I think Kenny is better. Vektor does beautiful work to be sure, but he seams too much of a perfectionist for his own good sometimes. Kenny knows when to declare victory and move on. ;-)
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