HOME | DD
Jim197 — WIP new impulse engine features version 3
Published: 2013-09-21 13:39:55 +0000 UTC; Views: 874; Favourites: 11; Downloads: 31
Redirect to original
Description
I decided I still wasn't happy with the new stuff either side of the impulse engines, so I had another go. This time I've gone for one of my favourite fall-back options: storage tanks! Anyone who has been following my work knows how much I like storage tanks (you'll always find them on my space station designs somewhere), so it occurred to me that a few small ejectable storage tanks wouldn't go amiss on a ship either. They could be for storage of hazardous waste or something like that.I haven't decided yet if I like the result or not, I will have to render a few more images and see how it looks. However the practical and utilitarian nature of it appeals to me.
For the previous versions, see jim197.deviantart.com/art/WIP-… and jim197.deviantart.com/art/WIP-…
Rendered with POV-Ray 3.7 on Saturday 21st September 2013.
Related content
Comments: 11
If you like 'utilitarian' looking stuff, I'm surprised you don't do more ENT-era stuff (or any other era for that matter, as TOS is the lowest on greebles and doodads of all eras).
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I dunno... It doesn't seem to be prudent to hold tankage like that outside the protective volume of the hull.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
...or in a place where (when ejected) they could hit the Bussard collectors or the nacelles!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I completely agree with you that it probably isn't prudent, but in real life all designs are a compromise. You would expect a design to have aspects that aren't ideal, but which have to be a particular way because of some practical restriction or limitation. I like it when things look imperfect and sub-optimal, I think it makes them look more real.
It also gives the bad guys a juicy target to shoot at, which is nice (for them at least).
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
That's a different approach, nice though. Do the tanks have a clear line-of-sight to the rear though? If they are ejectable, it might be a problem if they then crashed into the pylon struts (sure, they could have charges that launch them up & out of the collision course, but what if the ship is travelling fast when they eject? Also, if they are holding something hazardous, a violent ejection might be impractical - especially since if they're being ejected there's presumably a problem with them anyway.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
They do not have a clear line-of-sight to the rear, they would smack into the pylons if they were ejected directly backwards.
Fear not however, for I have a cunning plan . I am going to rotate the tanks through 90 degrees, which will allow them to be ejected up or down instead. It will also mean I can make them bigger, so there will be just two tanks on each side instead of three. Plus it will look much better; I don't know what I was thinking when I stood the tanks upright, it was a dumb idea.
Version 4 to come. Thanks for observation
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I'm just concerned about the acceleration/inertia issue. If the ship is escaping from something & has to jettison the tanks, even if they shoot up or down, the acceleration of a starfleet vessel is such that they'd need to be launched at ridiculously high velocity to avoid the onrushing pylons. I suppose there could be a lockout - for half a second after the jettison button has been pushed, the ship cannot accelerate & speed remains stable, but it's a less than elegant solution. They do look good though.
Incidentally, have you given any more thought to the ToS-ised Next-gen era vessel I suggested a while ago? I was trying to remember what I read a few years back about the original design of the Enterprise, with it having much bigger engines than most sci-fi vessels of the day - astech advanced, would Mr. Jefferies have considered that they would shrink relative to the ship as a whole, or would vessel have had more power available but bigger nacelles? Also, while the Federation was an enligtened society without internal wars, the Enterprise had respectable enough firepower to be considered a heavy cruiser (by klingons, at least). A ToS future vessel might have less armament, as the reach of the peaceful nature of the federation may have extended to other cultures in the (somewhat rose-tinted) veiw of the era. Just a few thoughts to keep the idea bubbling in your head...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You're right, you wouldn't want to jettison these tanks when the ship was accelerating, the ship would have to be coasting for it to be safe. However the same can be said of jettisoning the warp core, and we know starfleet vessels sometimes do that.
Perhaps this idea wasn't well thought out, but I intend to stick with it for now. Maybe something better will occur to me one day.
I did start thinking about a TOS-style next gen vessel, but I couldn't come up with an interesting concept. Instead I ended up going off at a tangent which led me to an alternative design for the TOS Enterprise, but it looked awful so I binned it. I'm sure there is a good idea out there somewhere, but it is avoiding me. If and when it finally comes to me though, I can pretty much guarantee it will have big engines and limited weaponry; I am not a fan of small engines (e.g. Voyager) or big guns.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
