OK, I've been wondering about the Akira class starships.
1. Where would the Engineering Section/Warp Core be? Would it be centrally located in the "saucer" section, or tucked away in one of the twin hulls? If it's in the saucer, then wouldn't the conduits delivering the warp plasma from the core to the nacells be extremely long?
2. The pod on top. This is assumed to be a weapons pod (at least I assume it is). Couldn't it be something else? Also, if this is a weapons pod or photon torpedo launcher, how do the torpedoes get delivered to the pod? Are they stored there? Are there crew stationed in the pod?
3. Using Replicator/Holodeck/Borg technology, couldn't the pod be reconfigured by the starship crew in order to carry out various tasks? It could be used as a weapons pod, then reconfigured as a sensor pod, then reconfigured as a communications pod, etc...
It would seem Starfleet could easily develope this kind of technology. Replicators seem able to recreate and recycle just about anything. Barclay easily reconfigured the holodeck in "The Nth Degree" into a computer several times more powerful than the Enterprise had (and even reconfigured a new propulsion system to boot) and with all the data gathered from the Borg, surely some of that technology could be put to use.
Herb
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
1) I'm pretty sure there's an ejection hatch detail on the underside of the engineering bulge. It's a pretty safe bet that the warp core is somewhere in the middle lower part of the saucer. Yes. The plasma conduits would be long.
2) Could be anything, especially if the pods are modular and can swapped out for varying missions. As for the torpedos... I'm voting for torpedo faeries.
3) Holographic tech could not be used to make torpedos, but they could possibly replicate the casings. The pod could be multi-functional or swappable with other kinds of pods, but there's not really any cannon info on any of it.
To be clear... Reg didn't create a computer in the holodeck... he created an interface between his bean and the ship's computer. He used this interface to mess with the computer and the propulsion system.
p.s. I see that you're a graphic designer in Ohio... you're not a student at CCAD by any chance?
Posted by SoundEffect (Member # 926) on :
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump: 2. The pod on top. This is assumed to be a weapons pod (at least I assume it is). Couldn't it be something else?
The CGI model of the Akira shows there are a multitude of torpedo launch tubes at various angles in the upper pod. If you have the Starship Spotter book, you can see them clearly on the Akira wireframe diagram.
The Akira broke with tradition in that most Starfleet ships have many more phaser banks than they have torpedo launchers, and with the Akira, it's the opposite. The pod could double as a probe launch facility, but it doesn't look swappable, but I suppose it could be.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
In any case, the pod is so big that there is no problem with storing torpedoes in there. It would make no sense to move the torps from the primary hull to the pod on some sort of a conveyor, when the pod itself is as big as some TOS era starships. The far smaller Miranda pod is a different matter - but again, it's big enough to hold a hundred or so torpedoes (assuming there's not much else inside), and it's unlikely one would need more!
I don't really think the pod would be a good place to apply holodeck-style "variable geometry". If such tech exists, why not apply it on the whole ship? Today, it's Akira class. Tomorrow, a Nebula...
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
quote:Originally posted by SoundEffect:
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump: 2. The pod on top. This is assumed to be a weapons pod (at least I assume it is). Couldn't it be something else?
The CGI model of the Akira shows there are a multitude of torpedo launch tubes at various angles in the upper pod. If you have the Starship Spotter book, you can see them clearly on the Akira wireframe diagram.
The Akira broke with tradition in that most Starfleet ships have many more phaser banks than they have torpedo launchers, and with the Akira, it's the opposite. The pod could double as a probe launch facility, but it doesn't look swappable, but I suppose it could be.
I just had a thought about all those torp launchers in the Akira's pod... what if they aren't all SEPARATE - but there is something like a rotating torp 'room' that can utilise the various torps by rotating around and lining up with each tube opening?
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
A rotating single launcger would be groosly inefficent. Besides, we see the Akira "rapid fire" from several tubes in First Contact. A single launcher would have had to move from one tupe to another....and for what purpose?
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
To cover a greater arc?
Maybe it's something like that launcher on DS9 in Way of the Warrior.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
The main problem is that that would only really be efficient for short range firing where the torprdo itself doesn't have enough room to manouver itself onto an intercept course. And at close range the launcher would have to move damn quick between tubes to fire in time.
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
The way I see it, Akira is equipped with 13 single-fire torpedo launchers (located mostly on the pod) and 2 standard rapid-fire torpedo launchers on the saucer, firing forward and aft.
My personal theory is that Akira was refitted in such way to serve as anti-Borg torpedo platform Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Don't forget the two tubes each in port and starboard launchers from the saucer dorsal rim.
*spooge*
Mark
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
That's why I said "mostly on the pod" Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
But you also said "2 standard rapid-fire torpedo launchers on the saucer, firing forward and aft."
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
The pod more than covers the aft arc (both ventral and dorsal sides) and the saucer's two forward facing launchers cover the forward-ventral aspect.
It's all overkill to have the launchers pointed in various directions anyway: The Dominion Battleship's torpedos were agile enough to make tight arcs around the hull to nail the Valiant aproaching from the ventral side.
I'm sure Fed torpedos can do the same.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Maybe different launchers for different... things to launch? Maybe putting the Akira as an older ship than the Galaxy generation with it's multipurpose launcher - i.e. a burst of like eight torps at once?
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Hmmm...if the Akira were really an older class than the Galaxy it sure doesnt look it: The ship has the Sovvie style lifeboats and all the earmarks of the "class of 94" starships (notched front, hull plates sovvie style phasers and the new pennants).
I think the registry number is just an error.
The Galaxy has the launchers that puke out a spread of six but for combat (against the Borg in particular) a lone launcher could be easily disabled. So the Akira has more launchers for redundantcy.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
The lifeboats and pennants could be explained by a refit.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Yeah....but that'd be one excessive refit. Why change the lifeboats? Older ships do fine with their galaxy style square lifeboats...
And older ships tend to keep their old pennants (even aincent ship classes like the Miranda and Excelsior) after decades worth of refits and upgrades.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Old design... newly built? Spaceframe made - the finishing touches not added till they were de-mothballed?
Hmmm a roughly Ambassador/Galaxy-ised version of the Akira would be interesting.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Don't forget, those squares are only lifeboat HATCHES. Voyager had squares, but had hexagonal pods concealed underneath. Defiant had hex pods in groups under irregular hatches, and so on. While there is no real corollary between hatches and pod types, for all we know there are simply two kinds of ways to deploy pods, for example.
Mark
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Then why new hatches on an older starship? The phasers are all wrong for a 5xxxx era ship too.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
No, they aren't. For example Steamrunners, with even lower registries, have those. Offscreen or off-focus, we know that the registries of many Galaxy-kitbash, strip-phaser ships go down that far, too (New Orleans, Springfield, Challenger, even Nebula).
And the triangular lifeboat style is ages-old, too, since that's the Steamrunner configuration as well. Of course, it is theoretically possible that registries are indeed completely screwed and Steamrunners are incredibly modern ships, too - but they don't look like that, really. Not that there would be any specific trends in starship design that we could follow...
I'm quite ready to buy into the idea that Akiras as seen are late models of an old design. Some of the torpedo tubes look like hasty retrofits, too (at least those under the pod proper), and could speak of upgunning of a design that originally wasn't on par with the later and more advanced armament of the Galaxies and their ilk. (If the purpose was to upgun to post-Galaxy levels, then I'd expect such additions on Galaxies and Nebulas as well.)
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
quote: So the Akira has more launchers for redundantcy.
But they're all concentrated in the pod, where a single hit could potentially take out all or most of them still.
Posted by Manticore (Member # 1227) on :
There are probably three more forward launchers where the bulge and the saucer meet (judging by the way the torpedoes fire in FC) so it's not quite that bad...
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Maybe the pod is a decoy? While the enemy is busy trying to take out the pod - you wack 'em from the saucer area.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
I can live with that Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
The Akira fires a couple of torps from the "notch" at the front of the saucer, so they're not all concentrated in that pod.
I dont buy the screwy registry numbers on the Akira, Sabre and Steamrunner: it's just a VFX error to drive us crazy (like the Prommie's 5xxxx).
The registry numbers might corespond to diffrent shipyards (7xxxx might refer to ships built at UT for example) but that makes dating starships by registry imposible.
Posted by Wes1701J (Member # 212) on :
Man, you guys arnt giving props to my man Alex Jeager at ILM. The Akira is supposed to be a fanboy's wet dream. Its designed spec is a beast of a ship with a fly-though shuttlebay and dual warp cores.
Let me see if I can dig up my old emails to Alex at ILM.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
Which some people have been saying for a while... That dating by registries is impossible already, that is.
Posted by J (Member # 608) on :
Dating by registries isn't exact, I grant that... but it is generally correct--- we'd argue over the stuff that registry dating is inconsistent on whether or not we used registry's in a dating scheme.
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dat: But you also said "2 standard rapid-fire torpedo launchers on the saucer, firing forward and aft."
Well, yes... I said that. I don't know about you, but I think that torpedo launchers firing forward and aft shouldn't be located on port and starboard side, but on forward and aft side
In short, you confused single-fire torpedo launchers (located mostly, but not exclusively on the pod) with rapid-fire torpedo launchers, located on the saucer, and saucer only.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Who's to say the port and starboard launchers aren't also rapid-fire launchers? We never even saw them fire anything. We've only IDed them as launchers.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kazeite: The way I see it...
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Fine. It's the way he sees it. I still see it differently though.
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
How? Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
I see an Akira designed with 15 launchers as intended. 9 of them on the pod (7 forward [4 on an upper level and 3 on a lower level], 2 aft), these being single-fire tubes. The rest are on the saucer. 2 port, 2 starboard, and 2 saucer underside above the deflector. These are all rapid-fire. I think it's quite possible seeing as the Sovereign now supposedly has 11 launchers.
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