How Many Phaser Arrays

[James Wright]

I'm hoping that someone actually knows the answer to this question, it concern two starships the Akira and Cheyenne classes.
How many phaser strips do each ship actually have?

James

 

[Vance]

I'm hoping that someone actually knows the answer to this question, it concern two starships the Akira and Cheyenne classes.
How many phaser strips do each ship actually have?

There is no definitive answer on either one. Sorries.

 

[James Wright]

And I'll bet there aren't any CG images or actual models that were used in the production of either TNG or DS9 to look at and get answer!


James

 

[Vance]

And I'll bet there aren't any CG images or actual models that were used in the production of either TNG or DS9 to look at and get answer!

Well, there is some information out there on the models used. The Cheyenne is a kit-bashed model, not meant for scrutiny, but it's more passable than most. A good reconstruction of her is at:
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/cheyenne.htm

The Akira class first appeared in First Contact and was only a CG model, with its appearance (and scale) varying quite a bit from view to view. Specifics of the class vary insanely widely as well. As everyone knows, the Akira would be repurposed, with very little modification, to be the Enterprise NX-01.
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/akira-size.htm

 

[nx1701g]

I think that the Akira only had five phaser arrays on the model of the ship. One dorsal, two ventral forward, two on the nacelle pylons.

 

[JNG]

I'm hoping that someone actually knows the answer to this question, it concern two starships the Akira and Cheyenne classes.
How many phaser strips do each ship actually have?

There is no definitive answer on either one. Sorries.

Well, I have the Akira model, so it doesn't get much more definitive than the following: there are three phaser strips on it. There's some odd detailing on the nacelle pylons, but nothing resembling the phaser strips.

As for the Cheyenne, it's almost certainly six phaser arrays. Top and bottom of the saucer, and one per pylon.

 

[Vance]

You have the actual CG model used for First Contact? Skeptical of that...

But, as we know, what the model has on them, and what the official numbers are, can be entirely different things.

 

[JNG]

^I don't particularly appreciate the implication, and am happy to send any grabs of it to OP for him to look at and count all three himself. I also don't know what you mean that there could be some count more "official" than what is actually on the model. Phaser strips are a clearly recognizable piece of detailing.

 

[Vance]

JNG, the 'canon' values of any given ship's capabilities have sod all to do with what's on the model. It's been true of the hero ships since TOS ... you really think that the values are going to match up on the background vessels?

Also, if you have the original CG mesh of the Akira, then you have it illegally and someone needs to be fired. It was never released for public dissemination.

 

[JNG]

JNG, the 'canon' values of any given ship's capabilities have sod all to do with what's on the model. It's been true of the hero ships since TOS ... you really think that the values are going to match up on the background vessels?

The model represents the onscreen appearance of the ship, so if a secondary source claims capabilities that don't match up to the model, I would argue that onscreen appearances cannot be overwritten by background information or fan speculation or whatever. Now in cases where something nearly nonsensical happens on screen, a certain amount of reinterpretation takes place, but I see nothing nonsensical about the number of phasers on the Akira model. Are you claiming that some onscreen appearance specifically notes that there are a different number of phasers on the Akira-class starship than there are on the model? I know of no such reference, and think you're merely trying to drag the thread off track because you're embarrassed; your sig claims a "PHD in Star Trek Technology" and yet you gave OP a wrong answer to his question. The canonical number of phaser arrays on the model is three. By the way, it's correctly abbreviated Ph.D. or PhD.

Also, if you have the original CG mesh of the Akira, then you have it illegally and someone needs to be fired. It was never released for public dissemination.

So after all but calling me a liar earlier in the thread, you're now calling me, and/or someone else, a criminal. Does this make you feel better about the fact you didn't have the information to contribute to the thread and lacked the resources to get it? I can see why you're so unpopular in the fandom that you get run off other message boards by 13-year-old boys and feel the need to close your site.

1. It is purely your supposition that I have the model illegally. You have no idea if this is the case. Don't publicly call me a criminal again.

2. Stop dragging the thread off track if you are unwilling or unable to answer the simple question the OP posed. If you're going to be like this, finish the job and leave the fandom entirely. Go jerk off to your Transformers collection.

 

[Falconfire]

JNG, the 'canon' values of any given ship's capabilities have sod all to do with what's on the model. It's been true of the hero ships since TOS ... you really think that the values are going to match up on the background vessels?

Also, if you have the original CG mesh of the Akira, then you have it illegally and someone needs to be fired. It was never released for public dissemination.

Vance, you do realize how many people who work for the shows post here right?

So knock it off. It is not hard to imagine at all that the model would have made its way around, especially since it was being used recently for producing a currently on hold plastic model from Round 2.

 

[Vance]

Whatever you guys say, he's always free to explain his credentials (it's not like anyone else here feels the need to hide them) and how he legally obtained Paramount's property and how he also has the legal right to distribute it.

Considering the nature of his responses, however...

 

[Plecostomus]

Or you could stop with the implications and accusations. It's that simple.

Jealousy is unbecoming, this person may or may not have access to a privileged piece of art and in no way is he required to answer how he got it where he got it or disclose any sort of information.

Now, he could be a liar yes. But then again he could be working on a legit project for all we know and could be bound by NDAs and other contractual obligation not to disclose the "who what when where why" with us on here.

In other words cool it or I will flag this thread.

 

[Vance]

Or you could stop with the implications and accusations. It's that simple.

As soon as he stops with the flames, sure.

Now, he could be a liar yes. But then again he could be working on a legit project for all we know and could be bound by NDAs and other contractual obligation not to disclose the "who what when where why" with us on here.

I know who he is, and he's not in the industry. The issue is that he showed up after my comment, and claimed '100 percent authenticity' on a claim of a stolen piece of IP from Paramount, which he offered to give to another user which would be a violation of his NDA even if he did have it legitimately.

In other words cool it or I will flag this thread.

Flag the hell out of it, then. But for God's sake, try actually enforcing the rules that are actually being violated here. We have an illegal distribution of IP going on, as well as several blatant flames, and I'm the bad guy here?

And the idea that I'm upset out of jealousy for a 3-D model of the Akira is laughable on its face. Tell you what, I'll call Paramount/CBS on Monday and see if anyone's free to give out the 3-D materials used in the movie on this web board. That should settle things, nae?

 

[Vance]

For the OP, some more information on the Akira, from the somewhat 'canon-anal' Memory Alpha site:

Specifications
In parts of his Nemecek interview that were published in Star Trek: The Magazine, designer Alex Jaeger stated that he created the Akira as a sort of "carrier/gunship," armed with fifteen torpedo launchers. Visual inspection of the hull and design drawings show at least eleven.
He further stated in his July 1999 "Designing the Akira-class" interview, appearing on page 48 of the Star Trek: The Magazine, Issue 2, "This was my gunship/battlecruiser/aircraft carrier. It has 15 torpedo launchers and two shuttlebays - one in front, with three doors, and one in the back. I really got into it with this one, with the whole idea that the front bay would be the launching bay, and then to return they'd come into the back, because they'd be protected by the rest of the ship."
The scale of the CGI mesh, according to a January 20, 1998 post in the newsgroup alt.tv.star-trek.ds9, by DS9 Visual Effects Supervisor David Stipes, was 860 feet or 262.13 meters, the length used when he blocked shots in DS9. [3] However, the measurement used by Visual Effects Supervisor Gary Hutzel, according to an in-house chart dated 5/15/98, was 840 feet.
[edit] Technical Manual

The following information of specifications and defenses comes exclusively from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual:

• Production Base: ASDB Integration Facility, Antares Fleet Yards, Antares IV.
• Type: Heavy Cruiser.
• Accommodation: 500 officers and crew; 4,500 personal evacuation limit.
• Power Plant: One 1,500 plus Cochrane warp core feeding two nacelles; one impulse system.
• Dimensions: Length, 646.43 meters; beam, 316.67 meters; height, 87.43 meters.
• Mass: 3,055,000 metric tonnes.
• Performance: Warp 9.8 for 12 hours.
• Armament: Six type-10 phaser emitters; two photon torpedo launchers.

Note, the original FC model has been redone a few times (not the least of which into the Enterprise NX-01 ). It was tweaked for apperances in both DS9 and VOY for various episodes. A further tweak was then made for the USS Rabin for the Star Trek:Fact Files. The original version of the model, as it appears in First Contact, was apparenly lost along with numerous other starship CGI models, shortly after the movie was made.

There are also at least two other 'wholly remade' official CGI models of the Akira. The first is from Starship Spotter, which remade all the ships in that book. The second is from Activision for their series of games.

Hope this helps.

 

[Manticore]

Um, just so you know, the NX-01 design is based on the Akira. The model is totally new though. It's significantly more detailed--the Akira is rather segmented if you look at it closely and without motion blur--and the proportions and design features are different enough that it'd just be easier to make a new model rather than adapting an old one.

Plus, Doug Drexler said outright that it was a new model.

 

[Vance]

Plus, Doug Drexler said outright that it was a new model.

I said that, but it was a little conflation on my part there. As I said, the original models were pretty much lost, and everything made since then was redone and/or tweaked (either from what was left or just redone outright) because the design was popular in house.

 

[JNG]

I know who he is, and he's not in the industry. The issue is that he showed up after my comment, and claimed '100 percent authenticity' on a claim of a stolen piece of IP from Paramount, which he offered to give to another user which would be a violation of his NDA even if he did have it legitimately.

You have no idea who I am. And if you think you do, I'll offer you a challenge: you post my dox and I'll post yours. Accepted?

Gotcha!

I never offered to redistribute the model. I offered to post some pics of the relevant areas. There is an area frequently mistaken for phasers which does not match the detailing on the other phaser arrays. No other phasers were ever added to the model. To clarify, I don't know if people made models for other media that include more phasers, and I had assumed that OP was asking about what actually appeared onscreen in Star Trek.

You're kind of a sick fuck for hoping someone gets fired so you could feel better about not knowing the answer on a TrekBBS thread.

This thread is now about Vance and his reasons for being butthurt instead of about Star Trek.

 

[James Wright]

Does anyone have any pictures of the Cheyenne class starship, (Top, Bottom View)?
I can find plenty of side view pictures easily!

James

 

[James Wright]

The best pictures I can find from The Neutral Zone website of the Akira shows only 3 phaser arrays on the primary hull, 1 long curved array on the dorsal side and 2 smaller arrays on the ventral side.

James