The Next USS Enterprise?

[NCC-73515]

The Steamrunner and 2150s Intrepid had the nacelles connected or close to the saucer and looked fine

 

[scotpens]

It's the "Horatio Hornblower in space" thing. The nacelles atop those tall, skinny pylons create a subliminal impression of masts and sails. Well, if you squint really hard.

 

[Nerys Myk]

In other words, the Enterprise is a plausible design. And for the time, a rather revolutionary one. Up to then, the V-2 was still inspiring TV ship designs. It was rockets and flying saucers (Lost in Space; My Favorite Martian; Forbidden Planet).

And when you put them together, you get the Enterprise.

 

[publiusr]

And Boeing was going to do just that…

do you think that the design of a Starship from a 1960’s television show would be a suitable, practical and feasible example for the first actual Starship to be built by aerospace engineers in the near future?

Do a search for SHUTTLE VARIATIONS AND DERIVATIVES THAT NEVER HAPPENED: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW
—and look at Figure 12 and 13.

This launch vehicle would have been pretty much like the Enterprise for the first few minutes of life.

It wasn’t just for looks. Parallel staging and side-mount payloads eliminate fairings and shrouds, allow a shorter LV stack…wider payloads…move attachment points away from engines. No the aerodynamics isn’t great…but all engines are at ground level (well not really) and nothing is hidden.

Phil Bono had a Sea Dragon class HLLV saucer nearly the size of the TOS primary hull!

Lenticular designs were looked at. Do a search for lenticular designs at www.astronautix.com.

You’d be surprised. There was even a laser hypersonic test on a metal ERTL refit that showed it avoided “shock-shock” interactions.

A real warp drive is liable to be a ringship though…MJ’s first choice IIRC. The many’s ray and the cobra are seen in the D-7.

There is an old adage:

“Looks right—flies right.”

 

[Metryq]

The Overlords will shut down our space programs before we get that far.

 

[fireproof78]

The Steamrunner and 2150s Intrepid had the nacelles connected or close to the saucer and looked fine

And the Oberth class before that.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Because it doesn't look as cool that way.

There was a Starfleet ship in the comics that looked like that. Basically a Constitution hull, but the top two nacelles from a Constellation attached to the saucer. I think it was called USS Marco Polo.

 

[publiusr]

I’d have the nacelles farther up…and a rump secondary hull closer in.

 

[Neopeius]

I’d have the nacelles farther up…and a rump secondary hull closer in.

The engineering term is "badonkadonk secondary hull".

 

[Shawnster]

And there is no power to the saucer?

In the original concept by Matt Jeffries, power came from the nacelles. Just like power comes from the propellers on a WW II bomber

 

[Mister Spock]

Our contemporary world is one of pure science fiction to those of centuries, or even a few decades, past.

The Future is just Now, but with better gadgets.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

The Future is just Now, but with better gadgets.

But where's my starship?! What does a Trekkie need with a starship?!

 

[F. King Daniel]

But where's my starship?! What does a Trekkie need with a starship?!

The Earth is your starship. It's inhabitants, your crew.

Say it in Michael Burnham's voice.