TOS/TAS Shuttlecraft....

[Warped9]

I've been absent from this for awhile, but I'm trying to get back into it.

I'd like to tackle some TOS, TAS and maybe even some movie era shuttlecraft again, tweaking them to be a little more "real" as it were.

First up is one I've done more than once before: a more realistic version of the shuttlecraft seen in TAS' "Slaver Weapon."

This time around I've set aside the idea of trying to make it more compact to allow it to fit (at least temporarily) inside a starship hangar bay. As such it isn't as stubby as prious efforts and I've tried to retain the sleekness. Even so I've still downsized it from its absurdly oversized girth as seen onscreen. It is still a work-in-progress, but here is the first glimpse.

I've tried something a little different than previous efforts by making the sides of the craft a bit more rounded and aircraft like rather than the angular design seen onscreen. I've also made the landing skids more in line with what is suggested onscreen.

My general thinking of this design is as a TOS era runabout posted to starbases given is is much too large to be accommodated regularly aboard a starship.

 

[Lord Other]

I've been absent from this for awhile, but I'm trying to get back into it.

Welcome back.

First up is one I've done more than once before: a more realistic version of the shuttlecraft seen in TAS' "Slaver Weapon."

This time around I've set aside the idea of trying to make it more compact to allow it to fit (at least temporarily) inside a starship hangar bay. As such it isn't as stubby as prious efforts and I've tried to retain the sleekness. Even so I've still downsized it from its absurdly oversized girth as seen onscreen. It is still a work-in-progress, but here is the first glimpse.

I've tried something a little different than previous efforts by making the sides of the craft a bit more rounded and aircraft like rather than the angular design seen onscreen. I've also made the landing skids more in line with what is suggested onscreen.

My general thinking of this design is as a TOS era runabout posted to starbases given is is much too large to be accommodated regularly aboard a starship.

I like your take on this, and it makes sense. I like the more compact rounded styling vs the original- it "feels" more in keeping with the design aesthetic shown in TOS IMHO. It does remind me of the Seeker from Space Academy / shuttle from V- I don't know if that was intentional or not, and that's not a criticism, so please don't view it as such.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Looks nice. Maybe not a series of them, but I think one of your spacecrafts could be inside a Starship along with regular shuttlecrafts. Have you seen Matt Jefferies concept shuttlecraft and the phase II idea? There should be at least one prototype shuttlecraft on board for an Engineer to test and tinker with on a 5 year mission.

 

[Warped9]

I have worked up some conjectural designs that would fit aboard ship, and I can repost them here. Indeed I will be trying my hand at more conjectural designs here. I am no longer using Photobucket because they want an absurd amount of money to allow for third party hosting. I am starting to use Imgur.

 

[Atolm]

Stellar work and skill mate!

 

[Warped9]

One design I’m contemplating is working off Matt Jefferies’ original shuttlecraft concept. I’m not talking about recreating that design as is, but using that overall idea as a starting point for something that actually could have been seen on TOS.

 

[Warped9]

This pretty much does it.

 

[uniderth]

Do the rear doors disappear into the hull like what was seen on screen?

 

[Warped9]

Do the rear doors disappear into the hull like what was seen on screen?

Yes the upper parts of the rear access hatch do while the lower part swings down as a gangway of steps. It’s very similar to how the access hatch on the TOS shuttlecraft works only here the gangway swings lower all the way to the ground.

 

[Michael]

I think your model looks awesome. Always loved those funky TAS designs. I do wonder, though, how the shuttle would look with the landing struts retracted into the hull during flight. I imagine it would look even more aerodynamic (astrodynamic?).

 

[Warped9]

Aerodynamics isn’t something Trek designs (as well as SF in general) pay much attention to.

 

[Michael]

Yes, I know. This was more tongue-in-cheek, really. What I meant is that the original TAS shuttle is obviously designed to look fast and “aerodynamic”. And that speedboat characteristic might come across even more without the landing struts.

 

[Warped9]

Ironically the TOS shuttlecraft did have small forward landing pads that were supposed to retract into the nacelles for flight, but still had that rear landing strut hanging out the back. Matt Jefferies somehow felt the bulk of the craft should be off the ground when landed even though the ship could just as eadily have rested on its nacelles like every subsequent shuttlecraft design since in Trek.

 

[Praetor]

This looks really great! For some reason I particularly love the little forward landing skid in this version, whereas on TAS it seemed silly.

Splendid work as always, sir.

 

[Warped9]

This looks really great! For some reason I particularly love the little forward landing skid in this version, whereas on TAS it seemed silly.

Splendid work as always, sir.

Thanks. The onscreen version of the forward landing skid was way oversized.

 

[Atolm]

Awesome work on this mate!

 

[Warped9]

Some more complete views.

Some dimensions:

Length = 40'-4.0"
Width = 20'-1.8"
Height = 10'-3.6"

 

[Kaiser]

Coolies

 

[Warped9]

What came before the familiar TOS Class F shuttlecraft?

We will never really know, of course, because Matt Jefferies never designed one. But there were early sketches and we needn't be too concerned about whether it could have been built or not. We simply need something that could plausibly have preceded the familiar Class F design.

At some point I will attempt some design inspired by MJ's original idea for the TOS shuttlecraft, but presently I am preceded from something else. When I have something to post I will share it, but suffice to say it is essentially a clean sheet idea loosely inpred by one of MJ's sketches.

Please stand by.

 

[fireproof78]

Some more complete views.

Some dimensions:

Length = 40'-4.0"
Width = 20'-1.8"
Height = 10'-3.6"

Oohh...nice, very nice. You can sit by me

Really like the sleek design, it has a bit of a sport's car look to it. That is a compliment, and hopefully the look is intentional.

At some point I will attempt some design inspired by MJ's original idea for the TOS shuttlecraft, but presently I am preceded from something else. When I have something to post I will share it, but suffice to say it is essentially a clean sheet idea loosely inpred by one of MJ's sketches.

Those are the best kinds of works, in my opinion.