Zardoz links to you.
Zardoz was mistaken, the mod was for Bridge Commander, not Starfleet Command.
Zardoz has spoken.
Doug Drexler refits the NX-01
- Thread starter darkwing_duck1
- Start date
Zardoz links to you.
Zardoz was mistaken, the mod was for Bridge Commander, not Starfleet Command.
Zardoz has spoken.
It's hard to get an idea of the final lines from this shot, but the addition of the second hull looks very ungainly to me. It seems vastly undersized, and the location appears to be entirely predicated on extending the existing nacelle pylons through the catamarans and into the second hull - a conceit which I think is, well, somewhat absurd.
Appears to be a nice render, though ...
Appears to be a nice render, though ...
http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/screenshots/File/41035/6
It reminded me of this model. Pretty much the most likely successor to the original NX class.
It reminded me of this model. Pretty much the most likely successor to the original NX class.
Seconded
as Doug stated on his blog, the new hull is designed to be jetisoned away, the original engineering/warp core etc. remains unchanged, only the shuttle-bay was moved. so placement was hindered by this aspect
I personally would have made it give the impression of being more of an "extended range cargo module" for the NX-01. Less aerodynamic, obvious indications that it is removable.
Subsequent ships could then be built incorporating it as more of a standardized part of the ship and at that point doing things like moving the shuttle bay there.
They actually had a good stepping off point for doing this. When they started the whole "expanse" story line it could have been fitted to the ship to extend the mission range.
Subsequent ships could then be built incorporating it as more of a standardized part of the ship and at that point doing things like moving the shuttle bay there.
They actually had a good stepping off point for doing this. When they started the whole "expanse" story line it could have been fitted to the ship to extend the mission range.
Like I said, this appears to be going along similar lines as I was going with my rethought Daedelus idea, so naturally, I'm biased in favor of it. And it also makes sense as a refit; it takes the existing design and adds to it.
Not every ship refit has to be a keel-up rebuild like TMP, y'know...
Not every ship refit has to be a keel-up rebuild like TMP, y'know...
Let's see he WORKED on TNG, DS9, a bit on Voy, the remastered TOS, and most of the movies, oh yeah and he DESIGNED the NX-01, I would not classify him as a fanboy.
He has said on his blog that they wanted a primary/secondary configuration from the get go, but TPTB wanted the Akira and we know who won that battle.
Terry
TMP's Enterprise was a keel-up build? I missed seeing or hearing that in cannon in my almost 30 years of Trek fandom... I heard it was over a refitting. Oh yeah- said in the motion picture.
Granted- the TMP refit makes this NX "refit" all the more plausible. Not that I like it any more.
And Enan, to be clear- calling it a fanboy design is not meant in a derogatory way.
No, he didn't say it hadn't been INVENTED yet. He specifically said "Nor was there ship-to-ship visual communication." He didn't say why, or how, this was so.
For all we know, it could have been because Romulans simply refused all attempts at a visual message. Which would make perfect sense, given how paranoid they are.
No, it's just evidence that Star Trek continuity is pretty loose.
It certainly does have its issues. But if it didn't, we would have nothing to argue about!
"Admiral, this is an almost totally new Enterprise! You don't know her a tenth as well as I do!"
I like the design, but I don't think it would work as a ''refit''. Maybe as the NX-03.
Key word: "Almost"
They also made direct reference that they spent x amount of time refitting and redisigning her. Can't refit, without a design in mind. And a refit, as you know, is a wee less then a keel-up scratch build.
It's like a kit car. The chassis may be old. But the engine, wheels, drive train, and skin are indeed brand new. Hence it being an "almost totally new Enterprise".
They could easily have said this space frame works bloody well. Can we engineer some upgrades with all the new technology we're developing? Sure! Strip off the skin. Gut the ship. Cut and weld on some new bits. Install the floors, plumbing and wiring, and guts. Add the skin, and away we go. No different then taking all those old ships prior to the second world war and refitting them, in some cases, quite drastically.
Now the 1701-A. That could be a completely scratch built ship. We'll never know.
So when you find a quote that states that it is not a REFIT. Then I'll gladly switch teams. Until then, good luck.
Well, in the canon continuity, she cannot be a refit of NX-01 - because "These Are the Voyages" showed&told that NX-01 was retired in the very same configuration she had held ever since "Broken Bow".
That is, unless Starfleet (UE or UFP) for some reason reversed the decision to retire NX-01, and instead refitted her. But I think it would be better for continuity if the UFP Starfleet never operated this ship in any configuration or capacity, and Kirk's ship thus really was the first starship Enterprise to serve in that organization.
I don't see any JJ influences on the design, personally. Using a full cylinder as the ventral pod would have been a mistake IMHO, as the ship would have looked unbalanced with such a heavy additional structure. Making use of the angled rims, as in the primary hull, creates a "lightening" effect that is very welcome here.
As for the role of this pod, the fact that it is connected to the rest of the ship via the former shuttlebays caters for two lines of reasoning (artist intent notwithstanding). It could be an additional logistics space for deeper-space exploration, since it connects to a former logistics node. Or it could be a new and improved power source, since it connects to a space that sits right beneath the former engine room, plus it connects rather directly to the warp engines as well. Certainly the original NX-01 had substandard warp propulsion in comparison with the local norm; a drive system or power system refit would be quite welcome, and indeed might be the very experiment at warp 7 Earthling ships that our heroes mention in "TAtV".
One wonders... Where did that blue dome thing go? The one that formerly sat between the booms, and supposedly was hugely important to this whole warp five thing? Does it now sit atop the new secondary hull or what? Or was it eliminated in a propulsive refit?
Somebody commented earlier that the ship used to have two engine rooms. It sounds that this was a misreading of Drexler's intention that the ship would have a swappable engine room; an earlier model could be pulled out through the prominent aft door at ship centerline, and a more advanced one inserted, to keep the still very experimental ship at the cutting edge. Apparently, this part of the ship wasn't modified here, so supposedly the main reactor would still be in its original location (although no doubt swapped for a more modern model). But the new hull could hold resources feeding into the main reactor, or could feature a new main reactor that merely pumps its energies through a node located in the former main reactor room. In the former case, the new structure could indeed be jettisonable (perhaps in emergencies, because the new resources might be more powerful and volatile than the old ones?). In the latter, it couldn't, not without loss of warp capacity.
The pylons that connect the new hull to the booms and then to the nacelles could also in theory channel power directly from the new hull to the engines. But in that case, wouldn't one wish to remove the dead weight of all those "plasma turbocharger" thingamabobs in the booms that supposedly formerly made warp five possible?
Timo Saloniemi
That is, unless Starfleet (UE or UFP) for some reason reversed the decision to retire NX-01, and instead refitted her. But I think it would be better for continuity if the UFP Starfleet never operated this ship in any configuration or capacity, and Kirk's ship thus really was the first starship Enterprise to serve in that organization.
I don't see any JJ influences on the design, personally. Using a full cylinder as the ventral pod would have been a mistake IMHO, as the ship would have looked unbalanced with such a heavy additional structure. Making use of the angled rims, as in the primary hull, creates a "lightening" effect that is very welcome here.
As for the role of this pod, the fact that it is connected to the rest of the ship via the former shuttlebays caters for two lines of reasoning (artist intent notwithstanding). It could be an additional logistics space for deeper-space exploration, since it connects to a former logistics node. Or it could be a new and improved power source, since it connects to a space that sits right beneath the former engine room, plus it connects rather directly to the warp engines as well. Certainly the original NX-01 had substandard warp propulsion in comparison with the local norm; a drive system or power system refit would be quite welcome, and indeed might be the very experiment at warp 7 Earthling ships that our heroes mention in "TAtV".
One wonders... Where did that blue dome thing go? The one that formerly sat between the booms, and supposedly was hugely important to this whole warp five thing? Does it now sit atop the new secondary hull or what? Or was it eliminated in a propulsive refit?
Somebody commented earlier that the ship used to have two engine rooms. It sounds that this was a misreading of Drexler's intention that the ship would have a swappable engine room; an earlier model could be pulled out through the prominent aft door at ship centerline, and a more advanced one inserted, to keep the still very experimental ship at the cutting edge. Apparently, this part of the ship wasn't modified here, so supposedly the main reactor would still be in its original location (although no doubt swapped for a more modern model). But the new hull could hold resources feeding into the main reactor, or could feature a new main reactor that merely pumps its energies through a node located in the former main reactor room. In the former case, the new structure could indeed be jettisonable (perhaps in emergencies, because the new resources might be more powerful and volatile than the old ones?). In the latter, it couldn't, not without loss of warp capacity.
The pylons that connect the new hull to the booms and then to the nacelles could also in theory channel power directly from the new hull to the engines. But in that case, wouldn't one wish to remove the dead weight of all those "plasma turbocharger" thingamabobs in the booms that supposedly formerly made warp five possible?
Timo Saloniemi
Yes, the warp governor (the blue dome thing) is indeed attached to the aft section of the new secondary hull. The pylons connecting it to the nacelle struts are different now, and longer.
Makes sense. Although it leaves one wondering how the new shuttlebay could fit beneath this supposedly bulky piece of equipment. It must be a much smaller facility than the original undersaucer bay...
OTOH, the ship has these prominent aft doors to both sides of the engine room extraction door. Originally, those served some sort of a utility function, right? But in the refitted ship, their approach paths are no longer blocked by the "warp governor" thing, and they might rather easily be adopted as shuttlebays if their innards were relocated to the new hull. Or something.
Dunno. It would have been interesting to see more changes to the original hull, rather than just this addition of new components.
Timo Saloniemi
OTOH, the ship has these prominent aft doors to both sides of the engine room extraction door. Originally, those served some sort of a utility function, right? But in the refitted ship, their approach paths are no longer blocked by the "warp governor" thing, and they might rather easily be adopted as shuttlebays if their innards were relocated to the new hull. Or something.
Dunno. It would have been interesting to see more changes to the original hull, rather than just this addition of new components.
Timo Saloniemi
