http://www.inpayne.com/models/kitbash/trekpage_chaffee.html Dark Star resin refit saucer over a Dark Star resin Grissom pod.
You do great work Forbin. Do you do any 3D Modelling? If so, you could design your own model kits or sell them as minis with the right rapid prototyping software at shapeways.com.
The silly thing is that I've been fiddling with 3D programs since my Amiga 500 in the late 1980s, but I've never managed to become GOOD at any of them. I know all the principles. We have 3DS Max at work, but never enough time to learn it. Sure as hell can't afford it for myself. I've been meaning to try Google Sketchup for a while. But does that export to any usable format? I love playing with Bryce for the atmospherics behind these images, but it's definitely not a program for modeling complex objects.
Much improved over the Oberth class. I'd still like to know how you get from the primary hull to the secondary hull, though. I'm picturing a complex network of Jeffries Tubes through you have to navigate through those pylons to get down there.
That much I knew. Guess you better just hope your sensor pod and transporters don't fail on the same day somewhere in deep space.
Then you head home for repair. I don't think a research ship is going to be on any life-or-death missions (fate of the Grissom notwithstanding).
What did you base the USS Raan on? Looks to be like the Challenger from the New Earth series of the mid 90s.
I based the Raan on the Raan . It's one of the Belknap class ships from the original Mastercom "Ships of the Star Fleet" book. The model is a resin conversion from Federation Models. 'tain't one of my designs.
You should check out Blender some time - it's free. The interface isn't intuitive (at least for me) but it's powerful, free, and you can make some complex designs, and with plugins you can export to most formats. I'm rather limited as an artist, I'd be very interested in seeing what someone with your talents could do with it. Of course, I have an ulterior motive - I do mini space combat wargames, and like to see new ships. Going to run a game at a con in Fredericksburg coming up that is based on Trek - multiple fleets are dealing with a massive migration of space born life forms. The Feds are trying to communicate and study, the Klingons are hunting, the Romulans are using the migration for cover for nefarious activities, the Tholians want to capture them, and the Cardassians want to keep them the hell out of their space. And of course, the space beasties aren't at all what they seem. Anyway, very impressed with your work and thanks for sharing your vision, very cool!
