I was hoping people on this forum could help me. My website lists the Sovereign Class with 3 torpedo launchers. One on the bottom of the saucer and 2 on the secondary hull. I been told that this information is incorrect and in fact it has 2 more. Where are they located and which one is correct?
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
The actual studio model of the ship has a total of five relatively easily recognizable torpedo launcher muzzles. However, pictures of that model aren't so commonplace, and many sources omit the views that would show the two aft tubes. The "TNG Sketchbook" has a good selection of photos.
In the model, the tubes are placed like this:
-Single tube at the bottom vertex of the saucer, seen firing bursts of bluish quantum torps in "First Contact". Just above the berth of the Captain's Yacht.
-Twin forward tubes just below the navigational deflector dish on the secondary hull, side by side. Not seen firing yet.
-Twin aft tubes at the point where the bottom of the ship makes a sharp twist from the bulbous "belly" to the stern "undercut". There is also a blocky tractor beam emitter there, obscuring the tubes for view if one looks from below. These tubes may have been responsible for the single yellowish aft torpedo seen fired in "Insurrection", although the camera angle denies us absolute proof.
It's also possible that the shot came from a heretofore unseen launcher somewhere on the upper aft hull of the ship, but no such launcher has been built into the studio model.
Of course, the "real" ship may have hidden weapons between movable panels. Computer graphics could easily create such panels even though the studio model lacks them.
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by nx001a (Member # 291) on :
I assumed it was three launchers since the starship spotter book lists the number as three.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
And they might be right. After all, even though there are five tubes, four of them are in two-tube pairs. Perhaps a pair is counted as a "launcher"?
As an aside, perhaps you have read the recently released early version of TNG:Nemesis script? It mentions "aft phasers" in several occasions. Given that the E-E doesn't have any aft phasers built in, it may be that these references were dropped from the final script - or then some aft phasers were actually installed! Certainly the ship could use some...
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Boris (Member # 713) on :
Starship Spotter took a lot of its info from the SciPubTech poster, which in turn was based on the MSD that labels the quantum launcher and the two launcher sets torpedo *launcher* as opposed to *launchers*. That's probably how SciPubTech failed to double the forward and the aft twin tubes.
[ March 22, 2002, 05:52: Message edited by: Boris ]
Posted by nx001a (Member # 291) on :
I always assumed that a torpedo launcher was a single launch tube.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
It isn't in the real world. Typically, a steerable triplet of ASW torpedo tubes on a western navy frigate or destroyer is considered a single "launcher", so that a classic six-tubed frigate has only two launchers. And anti-ship torpedoes of old were often launched from big sviweling five-tube launchers.
Of course, the Trek launchers are fixed to the hull, like submarine torpedo tubes. But sub tubes aren't typically referred to as "launchers" anyway.
In the missile business, a "launcher" typically comes with several "launch rails". Again we're talking about swiveling arrangements - a fixed missile launcher usually is a "silo" or a "container".
In that parlance, the four-tube Miranda torpedo pod would probably count as a single launcher...
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I'd guess that the Starfleet system is basically identical to the subs, but they're called "launchers" instead of "tubes."
But then... what about the fact that the Enterprise-D can launch multiple torpedoes at the same time? I don't recall if it was addressed in the TNG:TM, but I remember seeing the Enterprise fire a burst of a half-dozen torpedos or so. I doubt that they just fire them one after another in very rapid succession... so that implies that the launchers can handle much more than just a single torpedo.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
The TNG tech manual suggests the Enterprise D's launchers can accomodate up to ten torpedoes at a time, launched together and then splitting off to take care of their individual targets.
Posted by Nim Pim (Member # 205) on :
A pity they never used a ten-torp volley on more enemies. Would've liked to have seen the end-battle of Generations with those volumes.
Now the Jem 'Hadar battleship, THAT'S a decent missile saturation/fire solution for people claiming to be professionals. :.)
Posted by nx001a (Member # 291) on :
But with 250 photons on board that supply won't last long if 10 are fired every few seconds.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
I've challenged a friend of mine to do a sample CGI animation of a Galaxy-class starship operating at the level of tactical effectiveness the TNG Tech Manual led us to expect, with the added perk of multiple phaser beams firing from different points on the same strip as seen in "Sacrifice of Angels".
And suggestions what the threat ship(s) should be? And how many?
--Jonah
Posted by nx001a (Member # 291) on :
I suggest a single borg cube...
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
Or maybe a couple of Romulan Warbirds - the Federation wasn't on good terms with them during the TNG era. Or you could have a couple of Cardassian Galor-class vessels.
Posted by U//Magnus (Member # 239) on :
Or one. The Galaxy isn't superman.
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
quote:Originally posted by U//Magnus: Or one. The Galaxy isn't superman.
OK, one Warbird. But if there were 2, then you'd get the feel that the ship was firing more shots because it was desperate to win and get the hell out of there.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Well, I reckon if there are going to be multiple targets... make them jemmie fighters and maybe one larger vessel (for the torpedoes).
I'd like to see some of those smaller strips used... like the ventral strips etc. OH and have the ship separated... that exposes more strips... or maybe just the battle section!?!
Posted by Matrix (Member # 376) on :
or Spiderman.
Nor did any of the battles the E-D went through did she actually prove that she could take on more than a single Romulan Warbird. However I'd like to believe that she could take on a few Galor class ships. It'd be cool to see the Galaxy class do that same thing they did in Sacrifice of Angels.
Posted by MadCat221 (Member # 803) on :
I have visually spotted the turret launcher (easily ), the ones under the nav deflector, and the lower aft sections on the Sov.
Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
The Enterprise-D did fire a volley of torpedoes in the episode where the crew lost their memories. Go figure Worf thought that he was captain when the weapons system was tested.
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Best example of Galaxy-class firepower: The Survivors (TNG)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
), the ones under the nav deflector, and the lower aft sections on the Sov.