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Altair: It's more than just twinkly lights. The V-ship is quite distinctive. The wings are obviously the biggest point of difference (they're longer, and swept downwards and quite far forwards), but the central hull of the ship also has numerous difference, including a much (proportionally) larger dividing ridge in the middle and bigger top-mounted pods. It's also clearly only two-to-three times the length of the Bug based on the Nebula scene, and not in the 600+ ize range.
Apparently the V-ship served as a draft for the finalized battlecruiser, and wasn't an error or anything. The final version is more detailed, and has of course numerous differences. A CGI and physical model exist for this baby, the CGI most likely used in every battle sequence from CtA onwards and the model used in the shots where it was up close and docked or something. (IIRC, the model is shown in the background of a picture in ST:The Magazine or something) I think Stipes said it was 792m, but the DS9TM's figure of 640m seems a bit more in keeping with the VFX. It has one dubious booboo in SofA in which it appears shorter than a Galor. Perhaps the VFX guys were using the V-ship size erroneously?
The third variant appears only once, at the end of SofA. It's the last ship in the Dominion lines, and blows up as the Defiant passes over it. Although seen only briefly, its also quite different. Hang on, a pic first (not great, but the best I could find): The top nacellish pods are extended way out away from the central hull on Starfleetish pylons, the wings are again different (backswept?--I have to check again) and the bow is proportionally longer and again with a more pronounced dividing ridge. It's also big. At least 750m, possibly up to kilometer long, based on the questionable Defiant length. I'd imagine this is also CGI, but allow me to advance few theories here. One is that the model shown in the aforementioned photograph (which I have yet to see, so bear with me) is actually of this ship, and it was built specifically so we could have an impressive explosion in the last shot (a la a new model for the Valiant.) The other is that this is the source of Stipes' 792m figure, regardless of whether its physical or CGI. As for why this ship was built? Unknown. It could have been another draft floated around at the time of Purgatory's Shadow, it could have been a new design that never got seen again due to Norway-ish CGI problems. All I know is that it's not a standard battlecruiser and can't be passed off as one.
------------------ "Truth about Santa Claus debunks Santa God. God evolves from Santa." -Gene Ray, http://www.timecube.com
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