Are there 2 Types of D'Deridex?

[EmperorTiberius]

There seem to by two types of D'Deridex class Warbird, or so I've always assumed:
The one with sharp "nose" and one that is that has a nose that is blunt and oval.

Now, I'm wondering, is this really so, or am I imagining things and they just appear different because of the angle that the scenes are shot at? It's starting to bother me for some reason.

We know there are different types of Warbirds, since D'Deridex is referred by Starfleet as "B-type" Warbird. But I never see any reference to this "minor" difference in appearance so I'm starting to wonder

 

[Timo]

I've never noticed such a difference in the models, be they the original physical one or the later CGI creations.

As for the "Type B Warbird" thing, let's remember that the D'Deridex seemed to be a novel type in TNG "The Neutral Zone", not previously encountered by the Federation. Yet "Yesterday's Enterprise" suggested that Romulan vessels designated "warbird" had been in operation back in the 2340s, during the long period of isolation. One might thus think that Starfleet had pretty good intelligence on Romulan types preceding the isolation, including their real class names, but had next to zero intelligence on types dating from the period of isolation. Hence, those would be merely designated "Type A Warbird" (never seen in an episode) and "Type B Warbird" (later learned to be the D'Deridex), respectively.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[EmperorTiberius]

I've never noticed such a difference in the models, be they the original physical one or the later CGI creations.

As for the "Type B Warbird" thing, let's remember that the D'Deridex seemed to be a novel type in TNG "The Neutral Zone", not previously encountered by the Federation. Yet "Yesterday's Enterprise" suggested that Romulan vessels designated "warbird" had been in operation back in the 2340s, during the long period of isolation. One might thus think that Starfleet had pretty good intelligence on Romulan types preceding the isolation, including their real class names, but had next to zero intelligence on types dating from the period of isolation. Hence, those would be merely designated "Type A Warbird" (never seen in an episode) and "Type B Warbird" (later learned to be the D'Deridex), respectively.

Timo Saloniemi

I was thinking along the same lines. Here's what I mean by the difference:

Quarter view of the sharp nosed one:

Here's one that doesn't appear to have the nose as sharp as the first one, it's almost oval. I tried loading it in Word and playing with shading to remove the dark part, and it does reveal little sharpness, but not a lot, like the first one.

Now, I'm not sure, it might all be my imagination, and I'm falling for duranium shadows and thoron fields, but some others seem to have been "tricked" as well. Some fan art I assume, nose section is completely oval:

 

[NIUPonyBoy]

I haven't noticed a difference, but we could assume that the Romulan's like to do minor and major refits to their ships like the Feds do.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I think it's just the angle, to be honest, but it is hard to tell.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

I think it's the angle.

 

[Lonemagpie]

There was only the one filming model - it's just the angle and perspective that gives the appearance of some differences.

 

[FordSVT]

It's the angle and the lighting in those photos. The immense difference colour and clarity between the two images also makes them look a bit different.

 

[nx1701g]

Another vote for the angle, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were more than one Warbird design.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Oh, and the nose could be rounded in the last pic because it sped up rendering time (I don't know enough about 3-D modeling to know for sure if it would, but that's just a guess).

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Nah, that's more due to lack of either modeling skills or observational skills of the modeler.

 

[137th Gebirg]

^^^ Agreed.

Video-game and fan-made models don't count. If they're different from the original stuff, that's more an artifact of sloppy modeling than anything else, as you said.

 

[barnaclelapse]

I think it's the angle.

Me too.