Very good job! Now - let's see her in action...
3D Romulan BOP
- Thread starter MGagen
- Start date
What size is the Romulan B.O.P.?
The original script for Balance of Terror played up the possibility of espionage. When the B.O.P. first appeared
on screen, it's design was supposed to echo Federation technology closely enough to underline this in the viewers' minds.
And Wah Chang's design does just that: We see very familiar, but subtly different nacelles; a familiar saucer
design with a raised teardrop-shaped super structure. But in order for the espionage angle to work best, these
elements should be fairly close to the same size as their Federation originals.
In my mind, that's where the McMaster scale for the ship falls down. His version is just too tiny to underline the similarities.
In the image below, I have placed my canon-scaled Enterprise model next to two sizes of B.O.P.: The size called
out on McMaster's BPs, and a larger version that is more to my liking.
Comments are welcomed.
M.
The original script for Balance of Terror played up the possibility of espionage. When the B.O.P. first appeared
on screen, it's design was supposed to echo Federation technology closely enough to underline this in the viewers' minds.
And Wah Chang's design does just that: We see very familiar, but subtly different nacelles; a familiar saucer
design with a raised teardrop-shaped super structure. But in order for the espionage angle to work best, these
elements should be fairly close to the same size as their Federation originals.
In my mind, that's where the McMaster scale for the ship falls down. His version is just too tiny to underline the similarities.
In the image below, I have placed my canon-scaled Enterprise model next to two sizes of B.O.P.: The size called
out on McMaster's BPs, and a larger version that is more to my liking.
Comments are welcomed.
M.
Regarding the question of size there was kind of a poll in Albertese’s tech thread last year http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=215326&page=15
(including tons of other topics regarding the BoP).
IIRC, most participants preferred the 353' O.L. figure. Interestingly, assuming the teardrop superstructure on top of the saucer is more or less a constant size with different Federation designs, the Romulans seem to have copied the size but with slight alterations.
Looks to me as if the stolen Federation design (according to the deleted scene from BoT) would have been a destroyer class ship (saucer with two warp nacelles) which would tell us little about the diameter of the saucer.
The tail fin looks like a Romulan addition, perhaps a component of the cloaking device (as a heat dissipator it would probably leave an undesired heat trail).
The engine pylons look remarkably pre-TMP. Possible that the original design considered TOS Enterprise pylons for warp engines. But if the Romulans had only impulse engines they might have realized the need to re-enforce these pylons.
Bob
(including tons of other topics regarding the BoP).
IIRC, most participants preferred the 353' O.L. figure. Interestingly, assuming the teardrop superstructure on top of the saucer is more or less a constant size with different Federation designs, the Romulans seem to have copied the size but with slight alterations.
Looks to me as if the stolen Federation design (according to the deleted scene from BoT) would have been a destroyer class ship (saucer with two warp nacelles) which would tell us little about the diameter of the saucer.
The tail fin looks like a Romulan addition, perhaps a component of the cloaking device (as a heat dissipator it would probably leave an undesired heat trail).
The engine pylons look remarkably pre-TMP. Possible that the original design considered TOS Enterprise pylons for warp engines. But if the Romulans had only impulse engines they might have realized the need to re-enforce these pylons.
Bob
Personally I like the 353' or larger size for the BOP. The details scale and compare better to the Enterprise (particularly the windows). Also, it's easier to envision the Romulan ship needing to be big and voluminous to hold all that impulse fuel to power the engines and weapons and cloak...
Yeah, that thread was a lot of fun! I seem to remember leaning towards the very small BOP (223' long) that was offered, as it better matched the cramped quarters of the control room we saw in the episode. The original script, as well as the aforementioned scene with the "stole our designs" dialogue, also described the BOP as a "cockpit", again suggesting a smaller vessel.
In effect, it is a massive gun with wings!
In effect, it is a massive gun with wings!
But would the spartanic Romulans adopt these luxurious, large rectangular Starfleet windows or redesign those to match their own standards? (Romulan officer to the Geordi double in "The Mind's Eye": "Don't enjoy yourself too much")
And a bigger ship would probably equal bigger mass. It remains inconclusive whether the BoP travelled from and back to Romulus on its own or had an FTL carrier ship waiting on the other side of the Neutral Zone.
I still like the "Doolittle Raid" theory. Everything non-essential discarded on behalf of the plasma-energy weapon.
Bob
And a bigger ship would probably equal bigger mass. It remains inconclusive whether the BoP travelled from and back to Romulus on its own or had an FTL carrier ship waiting on the other side of the Neutral Zone.
I still like the "Doolittle Raid" theory. Everything non-essential discarded on behalf of the plasma-energy weapon.
Bob
Sorry, it's just a memory I have sludging around in the void between my ears! Maybe in Justman's book? I don't have it to hand right now. Then again, I've read many Star Trek web pages over the years!
Anyone else recall anything specific as to the model's fate?
If the Romulan task force seen in "The Enterprise Incident" had been comprised of TOS-era Romulan warbirds instead of Klingon cruisers, I would definitely make sense for the warbirds to be the longer length. I suppose it might work, but the Romulan interiors in "Incident" were a bit spacious; this would be a little jarring after the submarine-style Romulan cockpit we saw in "Balance of Terror". Speaking of "Balance", I got the impression that the attacking Romulan vessel was that era's Romulan analogue for Sisko's Defiant: a compact, dedicated warship; so dedicated that it didn't make a decent starship.
Another handy semantic point should be remembered: the characters aboard the Enterprise did not exactly say the Romulan ship was operating under "impulse power". Instead, the word "impulse" has to be viewed in context:
Another handy semantic point should be remembered: the characters aboard the Enterprise did not exactly say the Romulan ship was operating under "impulse power". Instead, the word "impulse" has to be viewed in context:
SPOCK: Obviously, their weaponry is superior to ours, and they have a practical invisibility screen.
MCCOY: You're discussing tactics. Do you realise what this really comes down to? Millions and millions of lives hanging on what this vessel does.
SPOCK: Or on what this vessel fails to do, Doctor.
KIRK: Yes, well gentlemen, the question still remains. Can we engage them with a reasonable possibility of victory?
SCOTT: No question. Their power is simple impulse.
KIRK: Meaning we can outrun them?
STILES: To be used in chasing them or retreating, sir?
Note that Scott did not say "impulse power", but described the Romulan power as "simple impulse". Since the Enterprise's pursuit of the attacking ship obviously covered interstellar distances requiring (limited) warp speed, in was equally obvious that the Romulans were FTL, just not as advanced as the Enterprise.MCCOY: You're discussing tactics. Do you realise what this really comes down to? Millions and millions of lives hanging on what this vessel does.
SPOCK: Or on what this vessel fails to do, Doctor.
KIRK: Yes, well gentlemen, the question still remains. Can we engage them with a reasonable possibility of victory?
SCOTT: No question. Their power is simple impulse.
KIRK: Meaning we can outrun them?
STILES: To be used in chasing them or retreating, sir?