Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Analyzing the Akira class

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Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

These are some of the features which I found on the Akira class:

Red: Warpcore ejection hatches.

Green: Sideways firing torpedo launchers (official??).

Purple: 3 small shuttlebays (official).

Yellow: Seperation line (official??).

Blue: Connection points for other modules.

White: Rotating torpedo launcher (I'm not sure about this one).

Please feel free to comment on this.
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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

[This message has been edited by Altair (edited August 06, 1999).]

Posted by Identity Crisis (Member # 67) on :

In order:
Those might be warp core ejection hatches or they might be sensors or anything really.

Yep, those sure look like torp tubes. Which is worrying, torps are long range weapons and side facing weapons are normally short range. The total number of torp tubes on the ship seems to be very high (7 forward in the pod, an unknown number aft in the pod, 2 port, 2 starboard, 3 forward between the shuttle bays and the deflector, 1 forward beneath the deflector). This is silly.

Yep, those are the foward launch bays, they connect to a through deck hanger and hence to the two large rear bays.

The idea that the bridge would go with the engineering section when the ship separates is very odd.

What do you mean? That the weapons pod is replacable? Or that extra pods of some sort can be hung off the pylons?

Nope, the torp launcher doesn't rotate. The four tubes you've circled are merely mounted at different angles to give a wider coverage. As are the three tubes below this and the three tubes above the deflector.

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-->Identity Crisis<--

Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

The total amount of torpedo tubes is an official 15!

The connection points: I mean that the weapons pod can be detached, to make room so that you can put other modules on those connection points on the top of the ship (maybe a Nebula module, or something like that).

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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

Posted by Identity Crisis (Member # 67) on :

There's nothing official about the number 15. It's just something that Alex Jaeger said. Sure he designed it but the tone of his remark indicates that he was not speaking in order to lay down the law: he was just chucking a few facts and figures out to show how impressive the Akira was. He might have forgotten the exact number and just approximated.

Look at the pictures of the ship in issue 3 of The Magazine. There are 17 or 19 torp tubes depending on whether there are two or four aft firing ones in the pod. To get down to exactly 15 you have three practical options: (a) There are no aft firing tubes or (b) there are four aft firing tubes and those port and starboard thingies aren't tubes or (c) there are aft firing tubes and some of the forward pointing thingies aren't tubes.

Whatever way you look at it the Akira is severely overgunned.

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-->Identity Crisis<--

Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

I had a feeling that 15 was to low (feels weird saying that).

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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :

Didn't someone post here something about the Defiant being overgunned...

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"Its origin and purpose, still a total mystery."

-Dedication Plaque quote from the U.S.S. Odyssey

Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :

Heck, SISKO said the Defiant was overgunned and overpowered! And it was established that the recoil from the pulse cannons screwed things up until O'Brien fixed it. What they didn't explain was how energy weapons have recoil. . .

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

This may sound waay to newbie for you gentlemen, but I have always wondered what it means to fire a torpedo with varying degrees of "spread", full spread, .75 etc.

Also, I recall a screencap of the Ent-D firing five red photons in a cluster. Anyone care to enlighten me?

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If I had a drone for every person I've assimilated, I'd be a queen.

Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :

I think a spread is MEANT to indicate a volley of several torpedoes, fired at varying angles to cover a whole area. I wouldn't be surprised if such dialogue then hadn't been compromised by poorly-thought-out FX showing a single torpedo launch, though.

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

Sounds 'bout right, First. Anyways, Tom Riker ordered a full spread at a Galor in "Defiant", and the maquis gunner shot three pairs of quantum's. They were solely aimed at the aft section, but as you say, the FX-guys seems to be out of time and patience sometimes...

The torpedo complement does seem to be fairly large on Starfleet ships from what I've heard, so they shouldn't be so cheap on the torp's, but I guess most of the time the storyline forbids a ship to use it's full potential before the end of the ep, am I right?

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If I had a drone for every person I've assimilated, I'd be a queen.

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

Jeez, I gotta stop answering my own questions! ;I

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If I had a drone for every person I've assimilated, I'd be a queen.

Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

And start commenting on my post

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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

Posted by Cargile (Member # 45) on :

The only flaw with the Akira that I have is that any concentrated firing on the forward saucer section impaires it carrier capabilities by damaging the hangers inside.

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Bethlaham the bride-groom, Babylon the bride.
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And when we fell together, all our flesh was like a veil.
But I had to draw aside to see the serpent eat its tail.
Some women wait for Jesus, and some women wait for Cain.
So I hang upon my alter, and I hoist my axe again.
And I take the one that finds me back to where it all began.
When Jesus was the honeymoon, and Cain was just a man.
And we read from pleasant Bibles, that are bound in blood and skin,
But the wilderness is gathering all its children back again."
excerpt from the song "Last Year's Man"
By Leonard Cohen.

[This message has been edited by Cargile (edited August 06, 1999).]

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

To address something that seems to have fallen by the wayside... Why is it odd that the main bridge would go w/ the engineering section? There has to be a bridge of some sort in each section. Just because the E-D had the main bridge in the saucer and the auxiliary bridge in the warp section doesn't mean another ship (of a rather different design, for that matter) can't have it the other way around...

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Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :

Wait, why does the final Akira Class have to have 15 torpedo launchers, a shuttlebay that goes from the front of the saucer to the back, and the ability to saucer separate? I mean the Galaxy Class was to be able to land on planets...

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"Its origin and purpose, still a total mystery."

-Dedication Plaque quote from the U.S.S. Odyssey

Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :

Does the Akira have phaser batteries, I mean not strips but those little knobs on the hull that can fire at any angle, like the Excelsior? (I'm trying, see?)

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If I had a drone for every person I've assimilated, I'd be a queen.
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Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

That was my second guess on the 'warpcore ejection hatches'. Similar 'things' can be seen just behind the bussards.

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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :

Could it be possible that the port and starboard "torpedo launchers" are actually bay-view windows (like what Voyager has)? It seems strange that torp launchers would be located there. Why wouldn't phasers be used to protect the sides of the ship? There simply isn't any sane reason to have launchers in those locations.

Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

Nope, they are torpedo launchers alright, same type as below the Ent-E deflector dish.

Here is a bigger version of the above picture.

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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

I still don't see anything indicating those have to be torpedo launchers.

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--
Ben Folds Five

Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

On the starboard side you can see the tubes sticking out. On the port side you can see the shadows of the tubes.

Here is a close-up of the Ent-E tubes:

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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :

Unfortunately, I can see your point, Altair. I still don't understand why there are launchers there.

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

They're in an okay position to attack pursuing ship, maybe?

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Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")

Posted by Michael Dracon (Member # 4) on :

Don't think so, they already have a possible better position for that:

This is getting beyond overkill...

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"Okay! No more mister knive guy!"

- Jim West, Wild Wild West

Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

Aha...I was worried those were escape pods or something...

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Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

Nope, they sure look more like torpedo launchers to me (the aft part).

And I know there's already a better place, but whoever said ILM was smart?

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Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")

Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :

It seems odd to place torpedo tubes there still. Could they be phaser cannons?

Hobbes
9908.10

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[This message has been edited by Hobbes (edited August 11, 1999).]

Posted by Jaresh Inyo on :

How can a ship have too many torpedo tubes?

Young Ensign: "Um, Admiral, the Thunderchild was just attacked by six Jem'Hadar battle cruisers."

Admiral: "My God, were there any survivors?"

Young Ensign: "Actually, sir, they used their torpedo tubes to win the battle. They took no damage or injuries.

Admiral: "Really? Hmmm. Seems to me that she did too well. Starfleet doesn't want ships that can win battles. Have all the Akiras scrapped. Replace them with science ships."

I mean, really. A ship can be underarmed, but overarmed? I don't think so.

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Me: Oh, I agree. I think they're spending too much time together, that is of course, if you catch my drift.
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Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

I think so.

The Defiant was too powerful for its size. Therefore it was originally "overarmed" until the good chief fixed her up.

However, if the thing works, it's not "overarmed."

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Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")

Posted by jh on :

I don't think it's a matter of being 'overarmed' so much as it is a matter of diminishing returns. Weapons aren't everything. If you can have forward and aft torpedo launchers, say three each. Each capable of launching independently targeted torps, or independent spreads. Why have 15 launchers when you can use the space for an extra phaser bank, or backup targeting sensors? Not to mention having to have someone to carry all those torps around, somewhere to store them and about 15 separate mechanisms for loading, etc. It doesn't make much sense.

Two other things on the original design. Why would you need TWO warp core ejectors?

And I don't think we should find a use for every little bulge and nook on the thing. Remember when you were little and used to build spaceships out of legos or tinker toys? You'd put on all these things just cause they looked cool, not because you had a reason for every little piece. We may be imposing order where there is none.

My personal guess for the green things: Starbase docking hatches. Like for the pylons at DS9.

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[This message has been edited by jh (edited August 18, 1999).]