Would like to add my congratulations on a carnally thermic model, there, Jason.
The main quibble I've usually had with three nacelle designs is that in most of them you get the sense that if the third nacelle wasn't there, the model would have an engineering hull instead. You could argue the same with the Medusa because in some ways it looks over-engineered compared to the upper pair of nacelles. It has two separate struts, for instance, and is positioned much further away from the saucer. My first reaction was that the model would look just as good with something like a modified Oberth secondary hull with a constitution or excelsior style deflector dish molded into the front. The model would then have all the traditional components of the original Trek frame of reference. In fact, it would be a more believable design than even the traditional connie layout as the nacelles would not look so precariously attached and it would retain a sense that the design has a centre of gravity at least somewhere close to the position of the impulse engines, which makes for a nice sense of balance, I think.
My second thought, however, was a justification for the third nacelle, which could perhaps even be used to counter Berkley's remark to Janeway quoted above. That is, the third nacelle, rather than "taking the strain" off the other two and presumably improving efficiency, could in fact be a big warp drive nitrous oxide gas boost! This would explain why the struts are more heavily engineered as well. The idea is that this third nacelle gives the Medusa an extremely high sprint speed. The twin struts are necessary to handle the increased flow rate of warp plasma and to counteract structural stresses at high speeds. Rather than Medusa, you might instead rename it Roadrunner! ;-)
That's a nice Naigara model too. I particularly like it as it obscures that awkward attachment point of the lower nacelle strut. I never liked the way it just penetrated the aft engineering hull scoop because there was no apparent alterations made to the hull to account for it. For instance, the hangar is unchanged, but surely this means there's a bloody great warp nacelle strut and plasma conduits running right through the middle of the hangar deck! If they moved or removed the hangar and rounded out the scoop so that the lower strut meets the hull in the same way that the other two do, then I'd give the design a pass
Registered: Jul 2006
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Just to pick nits... The bottom of the ship is the ventral side, not the dorsal.
Dorsal means posterior portion of a biped, but the top back region of a quadraped or fish. The dorsal fin is the top fin on a shark or dolphin, for example.
Still, those are great models.
Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Mars Needs Women: Yeah Jason nice Medusa. Okay, I'm done with this ship now.
Edit: BTW Jason you wouldn't have a website where you post picks of all your models would you?
Sure. Though it's not nearly all of them- I only have so much space allotted at that site.
I'd happily take pics of any ships you want to see, Mark! Longtime (absent/newlywed) member Soundeffect also made a Medusa (though in a much larger scale)
The Niagara looks really good (to me) from almost any position other than the one used onscreen (and in that pic of that dude holding the model). Design-wise, a refit of this class would definitely benifit from the Venture's nacelle-phaser-pods.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
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posted
I'll have to dig out pics of my USS Demeter when I'm not at work. I mmade it a Merced-class ship that is similar in lines to Niagara with enough small differences to warrant the separate class name.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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I imagine their main engineering centered in the secondary hull- with the lead to te impulse engines running up through the secondary hull. Instead of "downward" the core could eject "up" to a shaft just fore of the impulse engine on the saucer's dorsal side.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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But what about the hangar bay? Looking at this page, particularly the image below, you can see how the struts all come together right in that part of the engineering hull that we expect the hangar to occupy.
Hmm... I've just noticed that this model doesn't have impulse engines.
Registered: Jul 2006
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Yeah, but even with a shortened hangar (due to the pylon) the hangar is still far larger than the one seen in TMP- probably five times as wide. Combine that with te shuttllebay on the dorsal sauer (facing forward!) and you have all the ship's requirements handled.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Mars Needs Women: Yeah Jason nice Medusa. Okay, I'm done with this ship now.
Edit: BTW Jason you wouldn't have a website where you post picks of all your models would you?
Sure. Though it's not nearly all of them- I only have so much space allotted at that site.
I'd happily take pics of any ships you want to see, Mark! Longtime (absent/newlywed) member Soundeffect also made a Medusa (though in a much larger scale)
The Niagara looks really good (to me) from almost any position other than the one used onscreen (and in that pic of that dude holding the model). Design-wise, a refit of this class would definitely benifit from the Venture's nacelle-phaser-pods.
Well thanks for the site. I have to ask, do you make these from scratch or do you buy the from somewhere?
Registered: Feb 2005
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I also came up with this background: A derivative design of the Niagara-class, the Merced-class is a "fast cruiser" used for swift transport & response. Measuring 478 meters long, 312 meters in width, & 64 meters in draught, they are 17 decks & weighing about 1.465 million metric tons. Intended for long-range scouting & quick internal transport, Merceds are often seen running between starbases or along the frontier, returning from exploration beyond the rim. In wartime, their tri-engined hulls afford them enough speed to work as advance scouts. During the Dominion War, several Merceds were deployed with as many as 20 of the much smaller Peashooter-class scouts to act as a mobile base of operations for the smaller craft.
Basically I went the cheap, easy & sloppy route.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
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