As a side note,
I found the info about the Akira interesting.
Even though to my dismay, it states that the Akira does have 15 torpedo launchers and 40 fighters, the little hint at why the low registry was not expected and therefor good.
BTW
The Areoshuttle is the craft carried by Voyager[and other Intrepid class ships]on the underside of the saucer.
Anyway, when was that mesh made and for what episode? Though unfortunately it never made it onscreen.
As a side note,
I found the info about the Akira interesting.
Even though to my dismay, it states that the Akira does have 15 torpedo launchers and 40 fighters, the little hint at why the low registry was not expected and therefor good.
[ November 24, 2001: Message edited by: TheF0rce ]
It is not seen in any episode - it was constructed purely for the purposes of the Spotter book. Fan speculation generally concludes that the Aeroshuttle was never actually fitted to Voyager, or else they would have used it at some point. Instead, they could have had a non-flight test article docked in the compartment, waiting for the actual vehicle to arrive later.
Mark
[ November 24, 2001: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]
It was such a cool runabout with wings.
Mark
I think it was Rutger Warrink (sp?) who did a really rockin' conjectural drawing of the Aerowing based on the underside shape that we can see.
And I agree...anyone got a pic? I haven't been able to find the book yet.
On that note, you'd think that something that was a runabout with wings would have its own name and reg number, no?
Mark
[ November 26, 2001: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]
Since most of the equipment on the U.S.S. Voyager isn't Starfleet stock technology (new transporters, new tricorders, etc), maybe it was good that they didn't use the Aeroshuttle, which would've forced them to reuse the common runabout interior sets. Also, they had already been reused for Chakotay's raider, and you know how us viewers get confused about that.
[ November 26, 2001: Message edited by: Phelps ]
Beware, since it is a twopager, the result isn�t all that good:
And the mesh:
Ok, let's clear up the Aeroshuttle mystery!
Way back when, maybe in the 3rd season, we were all in an FX meeting and I was playing with the Voyager toy and wondered what that shape on the bottom of the hull was. FX Producer Dan Curry explained that it was a shuttle that had not been used yet. He wanted to pitch to Rick Berman to phase it into the show, so Rob and I offered to build a model and do a launch sequence (on our own time) that he could show to Berman and hopefully get approved.
Sternbach leant us his drawings and we made the model based on those. It actually *IS* more or less a Runabout with wings, since they wanted to be able to recycle the Runabout sets for the Aeroshuttle.
We did a REALLY COOL launch sequence which featured the ship dropping from under the hull, and even some views through the window of the cockpit as we watch the underside of Voyager's hull race past. The shuttle then heads for a planet and flies into an atmosphere.
I've shown the sequence at conventions, and if you can make it to one of my few appearences, you can see it too! The next one will be in Los Angeles in February at a con called GALLIFREY (I do a show there every year).
Anyway, Berman ultimately decided not to use the Areoshuttle since he wanted to save that sort of sequence for "Insurrection," which featured the captain's yacht.
However, I plan to have an Aeroshuttle launch sequence in my UNSEEN FRONTIER book, so you'll at least get a better look at it. I also did a few renders of this for the Star Trek magazine, which I imagine will run them at some point!
Mojo
Mojo: Thanks for that great behind the scenes story. The launch sequence doesn' by any chance show what the shuttle looks like from inside the bay or how the crew get aboard before it launches, does it? I've always wondered about that. I guess I sort of picture some kind of umbilical since walking around on a floor that's about to drop out from underneath you doesn't seem particularly safe... 
The hatch on the Aeroshuttle is much more cleverly hidden than on the Yacht, though - there is that big square thing ahead of the reactor assembly, and that more oblong thing aft of the assembly, both of which could be covers for the doorway. I suspect the aft one is the real hatch.
The side disembarking doors are also portrayed rather "seamlessly", but there are at least two shapes aft of the side windows that could be doors.
Timo Saloniemi
And oddly enough, there aren't any obvious weapons emplacements on the shuttle. Oh well, let's imagine that the oversized maneuvering blisters on the sides and the forward dorsal panel thingy house mucho grande popup launcers and stuff. Yeah.
Mark
[ November 27, 2001: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]
Mojo
Mark
[ November 27, 2001: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]