She uses design elements of the Galaxy Class "UFO" type yacht, the aggressive Sovereign yacht, the Scoutship and elements of the Norway Class herself in her styling.
I'd love to hear what you guys think of her.
-Ahkileez
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I like the idea of nacelles that fold all the way into the main body of the hull... though wouldn't that seriously cut down on internal volume?
Other than that, it's an interesting idea -- makes sense!
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Good lord. That's one darn cool little ship. Let's see what I can find that's wrong with it
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Remember... we nitpick because we love...I see but three things I don't care for:
1) The curvy windshield. I don't know why... but it's just not doing it for me.
2) The registry number on the top of the ship. I think it's too big and bold. It's also in the wrong font
Captain Mike will be posting shortly with a link to his zip file of Starfleet signage... 3) The side panels right above the nacelles. They just don't look like they work with the panelling on the rest of the ship. Maybe it's just that the stripes or too pronounced.
Other than that, this is great work. What program didja use? Did you sketch it out first?
Posted by The Red Admiral (Member # 602) on :
Yes, nice work Ahkileez, I see you're still very much into the Norway.
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Nice design here, and I concur with Aban's observations about the curvy windshield. Perhaps the nacelles could be a little longer, but it's all merely aesthetics. It's still a very cool design.
Posted by Ahkileez (Member # 734) on :
Thank you all for replying. I really appreciate the critiques
But first off, something new. I worked on the interior of the yacht. MinutiaeMan: Thanks, I loved the folding nacelle idea when I thought of it too. It's a great way to save space and kind of capitalizes on the Intrepid idea. The Nacelles won't take up all that much space though. As you can see, the nacelles are only as thick as the bottom 'half' of the ship. The part below the livable area up top. And the nacelles don't fold in entirely perpendicular. They stop at a little bit of an angle, maybe 15-degrees. Enough that they slot in, making the bottoms of them flush with the bottom of the yacht.
Aban Rune: I agree on all three of your points. I might go ahead and redesign the cockpit windows. Probably something more angular like the Sov's windows. Maybe with a stylized design on one side like the D-Flyer? Hmmm... maybe not
The top registry, I know, too big. I'm thinking of redesigning that to actually put in the Insurrection-type docking latches for docking with other ships. Not sure yet. And the side panels, I'm definitely thinking of redoing them. I came up with an idea when I was doing the side view (you'll notice some red text to the right of the panels) that the yacht has lifepods. Two two-person pods on each side that that would explode outward. So I might redesign it to look more like that.
Captain Mike has the official ST hull font? The real one? I had it once, but lost it. I even forget the name of it.
The Red Admiral: Mark, I'm definitely still into the Norway still
Maybe you can model the yacht too? Thanks for all your help guys, keep em coming!
Ahkileez
Posted by CaptainMike (Member # 709) on :
http://captainmike.org/Stuff/TrekFonts.zip
palindrome expanded ssi is my first choice for post-movie-era ship hulls, if you need big letters with the outline, use starfleet bold extended
so sue me for being a text-elitist! i'm a graphics major!
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
Bloody hell, 700 Kb?!
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
One can never have too many fonts, to many colored pencils, too many shirts, or too many girls that think you're hot.
Posted by CaptainMike (Member # 709) on :
I myself, have not enough colored pencils.
Oh sorry, I don't really have any use for splitting up that file.. those are all the fonts I find myself needing at school and i like to have them at my fingertips. For those of you with 28.8 I'll upload a separate font i guess if you need it.
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
It's probably for the best - I'm about to switch computers, and I always forget to transfer the fonts. 8)
Posted by CaptainMike (Member # 709) on :
and you guys know what will happen if i.. ever.. catch you guys using TNG Monitors again right?!
Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
Nice craft.
I actually like the windshield myself.
Interior:
I like the front area/control spaces. But not the back so much - a big row of seats/wrap around couch doesn't seem like a good use of space.
I could see airline style seating if it is supposed to be a transport. Or basically a lounge area if it is VIP courier - maybe even some sleeping berths since we've got warp drive and may be our awhile.
Posted by Ahkileez (Member # 734) on :
Folks,
I put in some changes based on suggestions from here and other places. I think they really add to the solid feel of the ship.
I also accounted for the size of the ship internally that I didn't before. She's a bigger animal than I remembered.
-Ahkileez
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
She's beautiful!
I take it those numbered hatches have something to do with evacuation (there are even small portholes there, right?). Escape pod hatches or just escape hatches? The interior makes for rather awkward access, though...
The "waist" part of the interior could perhaps be more crammed with machinery. Not everything can be stored above or below the habitable part, and this is the area where we have the pylon mechanisms, the plasma conduits from the rooftop reactor to the nacelles, stuff like that. You could show the escape pods as well. (They could be inflatable or otherwise collapsible!)
The ship has three ventral phaser strips, it seems - for clearing out a landing area? If they are for space combat, you might want to add some dorsal strips as well.
I dig the side view a lot now. And the flat bottom makes it possible that Paramount could even build this thing as a full-size prop.
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Nice, and good thing you made the interior look like a Danube Class because the original one looks like something James Bond would be using.
Posted by SoundEffect (Member # 926) on :
Nifty artwork...you're good with your drawing program. I wouldn't have thought the Norway to have an external yacht as so much of it's detail and structures are Defiant-related. I pictured the Norway as a larger Defiant type vessel with hidden lifeboats, hidden shuttlebay doors, etc.
PS: are the reversed registries supposed to be on the aft quarters of the craft, or are they undeleted artifacts?
Posted by Ahkileez (Member # 734) on :
Thanks for your compliments, guys
Timo: Those are escape pod hatches, yep
I'm not sure if other Trek escape pods have windows... I think they do, on the 'inside'. These ones have them on the out. *shrug*. Uhm, yeah I know I didn't properly account for the locations of the escape pods internally. I'm not an architect so I'm not entirely sure how to maneuver everything around spatially for the effect it should have. Who knows, maybe the inside doors to the pods are a little higher up on the wall? I thought of maybe something like anti-gravity going off at the flick of an emergency switch so you can easily scamper into the pods. Maybe I'll put together an image of the escape pods soon There should be more internal dividing walls and such. What kinds of machinery do you suggest?
Oh, and she has dorsal strips. One on the front, just forward of the cockpit, and two at the rear beside the door. See'um?
Colorge: Yeah, you're right. The internal layout looked a little too "Love Machine"
SoundEffect: It's really a point-of-view kind of thing, you know? The ship is such an unknown that it's really dependant on how you *want* to see her. It's probably not the original intent that the Norway would be a diplomatic ship, but since it hasn't been specified.... it's open game I say
P.P.S. No, they're supposed to be there.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
Wow; very nice. The new interior looks good; I wasn't too sure about the folding nacelles at first but they've definitely grown on me (not literally).
Posted by SoundEffect (Member # 926) on :
Nothing wrong with multi-role ships. There's not much to know about the Norway except it's a Medium Cruiser. My mind's eye placed more Defiant like stuff on the underside, rather than a Sovereign interpretation.
Posted by Ahkileez (Member # 734) on :
Hey guys. I found myself playing in Photoshop a little bit and jimmied up a quick 'docked' view based on the Fact Files picture from the last issue.
Wraith: Thanks Wraith. I really love those folding nacelles. I'm rather surprised there hasn't been more fan-based designs using them actually. They're a cool and plausible touch. But I suppose that using them in the wrong way would make even the nicest design an ugly one.
SoundEffect: Like the picture above? It looks like they leaned heavily on a very Defiant sort of patterning when the Fact Files people did this rendition of the Norway. Who knows why.
By the way, are you the guy that does commissioned models on your Maritime Modelers group? I was thinking about getting one of those ASK Norway Class models done up with the name and such of the ship I play on. How much would something like that cost you think?
-Ahkileez
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
Great ship Ahkileez, I think the second version is better but I did like the first. I never liked the idea of folding nacelles on Voyager but they look good on this and have a practical use too. Keep up the good work, look forward to more designs in future.
Posted by SoundEffect (Member # 926) on :
Yep, that's me. To save thread space, send me an email at [email protected], and we can talk about it.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
To keep closer to the Fact Files pic... you may want to recess the docked yacht all the way into the hull instead of having it pop out the bottom like that. This might also work better with the rear entry hatch when considering how people actually embark while the ship is docked.
As for folding nacelles... the one thing you have to consider is this: There's alot of important equipment in those stuts. Things like plasma conduits. If the nacelles fold under on themselves, you have to account for how those plasma conduits disconnect safely. Well... you don't *have* to... but you know what I mean
Posted by Sarvek (Member # 910) on :
You have a really nice looking ship.
Great use of the technology used in other vessels and quite original. Do you have any other plans to make any other designs? Thank you for the views of the Norway showing the placement of the yacht.
Posted by Ahkileez (Member # 734) on :
Thanks guys. I keep thinking of doing more for her. Like actually attempting a fore and aft view. Not sure though, because I've never been good at that type of perspective thinking. I'm thinking of designing the lifepods too actually.
Grokca: Thanks Grokca
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I'm rather proud of the design. It brought a *lot* of different styles together nicely. Maybe I should submit it to Bernd's JOAT thing? SoundEffect: I'll send you a mail later today.
Aban Rune: The 'pop out' effect was precisely what I wanted
Personally I dislike the 'clothes iron' look that the Norway has from the side and this helps break it up a little bit. Not much, but enough, hehe. As for the power distribution in the pylons, I would imagine this thing has the same flexible tubing in them that Voyager has. And remember that the nacelles don't fold in on themselves entirely. It's more like a sideways "V". An acute angle, yes, but not as hard on plumbing as folding flat against itself, which would create a pinch point. If I get ambitious, I might try an internal power distribution view, like a top-down MSD.. who knows
Sarvek: I've actually been thinking of maybe doing some other work actually Sarvek. Everybody concentrates on doing the capital ships, so small craft would really be more open game for me. I'm actually thinking of putting together an impulse fighter for the Akira Class....
What do you guys think of that?
-Ahkileez
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
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