corvette (spacecraft) original designs

[p.s. Cargile]

New designs and ideas are becoming few and far between--I don't draw and model everyday like I used to. This is an idea that was prompted from several sources: Aliens, the new BSG, and the topology of firearms in general. But it was playing Enigma: Rising Tide and using a corvette to sink subs that gave final form to the idea.





This is the CERES class corvette, as classified under the United States Space Fleet, or cutter under the United States Orbit Guard. The vessel has two main thrusters and two retro-thrusters, which remove the need to face backward to brake and thus enhances combat manuevering. Had it not been for the new BSG, I would have remained in the spaceships-need-lasers paradigm. This ship uses projectile weapons, which cuts down on the size (the AF Airborne Laser is put in a 747 for comparison) and mass. Since there are no particle beam or laser systems onboard, this too iliminates the need and mass of high energy reactors or transformers. The mass of ammunition is considerably less. None-the-less, using projectiles weapons is not new to me, as I have ventured into this idea in the past with the idea of pnematic cannons, which didn't go over well with a few people.




The Close-In Weapon System is effective against fighters, drones, and missiles. Target and tracking data is pooled from electro-optic sensors in the face of the dome, and the phased array radar antenna below the gun.


Five inch deck guns provide firepower to engage other spacecraft.


Defenses include Anti-missile Shot Canisters and Anti-Pursuit Shot Canisters. Both AMSC and APSC are called "paintcans" or buckets" and are about the size of 5 gallon buckets. Shot canisters contain a fuse sensors, a shaped charge, and many units of shot, which are metalic spheres of varing size. Shot is used to impact the target at speeds and frequency that fail ablative armour. Shaped charges usually disperse the shot in a conic projection. Shot canisters can be disabled by electromagnetic pulses. APSC are designed to impede the pursuit of another vessel. These canisters are simular to the other except that they are meant to mimic natural space debris. As a result that are of non-uniform shape with nickel-iron shells. Proximity fuses detonate them. Not only does the canister expell the shot, but also has a low magnitude flash charge that indicates that it has gone off. This tells the fleeing vessel the position of the enemy. Ships attempting to operate stealthly use low power active sensors which have a difficult time determing the natue of the debris they encounter until its too late. EMP will defeat the APSC, however it will also give away position. A commanding officers options when encountering this canister are few. Detection and denotation outside its operating range gives its use away, leaving the option to take the brunt of the blast then make repairs and take a defensive posture. Low yield EMP are another option, but they must be attempted by EVA, and the likely-hood of being detected by the canister is high. APSCs have a role simular to mines and depth charges. Shot canisters are deployed from the boxed on the lower fuselage.

The ship is hight automated and computerized, requiring a rather small crew, which in turn lowers the overall mass, which makes the ship more effiencient.

wow, great work as always Paul.

Awesome work!
MORE

[skyhawk223]

Slick looking design. I understand what you are saying about projectile weapons, but my concerns are about range and speed. Beam weapons operate at light speed, so tracking a distant target is less of a concern. That aside, I think you've done a great job so far. I like the design. What would really complete it would be a nice set of textures and a big old fleet number on the side.

[Thomas P]

Always appreciate a design from Paul! As always, the details in design methodology are astounding!

[p.s. Cargile]

In space combat the name of the game is "See first, shoot first, leave first--and don't get seen." At least it is from a realistic point of view. The best comparison is to think about modern day naval ships. They travel slow--around 20 knots--and they see with radar out to the horizon. Radar, like all electromagnetic radiation gets weaker as it travels, as its energy gets spread over a greater area. Once a navy ship detects a radar target, the commander has plenty of time to initiate the offensive or defensive postures available. Given spacecraft, with their much greater speed, the closing rate on the target is far greater and the reaction time far less. More powerful radars require more power, which means high energy reactors. Since I'm avoiding sci-fantasy cold fusion and/or vacuum energy, I'm playing it real by assumming that high energy reactors are massive. Therefore there would be spacecraft AWACS that are less nimble. I'm giving them variable specific impulse engines so that the craft will thrust and manuever in familar ways.

Tracking targets is no problem. The phased array radar system is like a flashlight and several lasers. The flashlight aspect can search in a broad scope, while the laser aspect can pinpoint discovered targets. However, stealth will play a role from hull geometry to radar absorbing material. Given this, even a laser or particle beam weapon wont do you any good if you can't find your target. The only thing higher mass will afford you is lower acceleration rates which will give the advantage to the lower mass ship with greater agility.

APSC would also have radar receivers and software that could determine if it was being tracked based on the radar wavelength, and calculate when the purser would come in closest proximity by doppler shift and set its timer. I feel a little guilty about creating a perfect stand-off weapon, yet the APSC can be destroyed. The hard part is doing so without setting it off or being seen.

[p.s. Cargile]

[Elowan]

Gorgeous - as always.

Beautiful!

[skyhawk223]

You make an interesting argument saying that a ship of that size relies somewhat on stealth but I guess when you are comparing the size the the volume of space to be scanned you might have a point

Overall, I like the design. It looks tough and like something one would see on the cover of a sci-fi novel. Do you have any more similar designs?

[p.s. Cargile]

The lettering is modeled, extracted surfaces from a boolean intersection solids and pulled slightly away from the surface they are over, an easy cheat if I deside not to tackle texturing. In this early version of Rhino texture maps are applied to all surfaces of a solid and thus get distorted to fit the area of the surface. That would mean an extensive surface extraction and making individual maps for each one. Not impossible, but time consuming. Non-rectangular surfaces pose a challedge when creating a map, but I just had the idea of doing a screen capture of the surface and use that as a template.
I'm not done with this one yet, I still have been tinkering with small details and panels. I should do some renders soon of the canister launcher because all the doors open up, kind of like battleships of yesteryear opening the cannon ports. In the above pic, there is a tiny black shiny thing beside the launcher, that is a shot canister. Once I'm completely done I'll import it to Moray/POVRay to get better lighting and texturing done.

This shape is something that has cropped up in sketched (especially the upper and lower fuselage sections) and influenced by the USS Saluco in "ALIENS". This particular design was done on the fly, and I like bridge. I like how low it sits and I like the angle of the the radar globes. It gives the ship a compact shape from just about all angles. The docking airlock is behind the crew deck, simply because there was no where else to but it.

I am thinking about doing a whole fleet, but if I do is another story. I have thought about doing a colonial cruiser that would be a larger passenger and cargo ship, more streamlined (aesthetics) and white in the same overall design structure. I haven't given much thought to the universe such ships would inhabit, but I have thought that the FTL travel would be done through wormhole gateships. I haven't worked out how they would operate.

[skyhawk223]

You are still using MORAY/POV RAY? That's what I started out with 6 years ago.
Good luck with the textures.

I was just about to comment about how much this looked like it should be paired with the Sulaco

She's a great looking ship


Ryoken

I like your design very much and it would translate easily into a physical scratchbuilt hobby model.

Woul you care to give us a set of ortho views in a good size?

[p.s. Cargile]

This beast will be fully presented once I'm done with it.

[p.s. Cargile]

Made some changes. Thought the bridge would make an acceptable lifeboat so I changed the hull detail immediately forward of it. Also made changes to the foreward sensor module, eliminating the sensor boom philosophy I got from "ALIENS Technical Manual." Although the idea of sensors on booms ahead of the ship to avoid interferance from shipbaord sources is a good idea, its not exactly neccesary. Electrical wiring, electronics, and avionic components and computers can all be shielded by lightweight, cheap materials. Plus the near future use of optic circuitry should further eliminate electromagnetic interference. As it is, space probes have the bulk of their sensors close to the body of the craft.







Sensor details aren't complete yet. Added a large reflection and two refraction telescopes and sensor pack module. Don't know if I'll put a cap over the reflector or not. It would seem a good idea.



A good look at the side phased radar array which the 5 inch guns use. I'm thinking a pneumatic/vacuum system is used to launch shells. I'm trying to go with the simplest, cheapest, and lowest mass way of doing things.



Top of the bridge. Could use a little more detail.





The shot canister launcher with astronaught for scale reference. Canisters are spring launched with hydralics locking and releasing a high tension spring.

Nice.

What is the interesting structure under the main body of the ship? A super cannon of some sort? Massive particle /ion / blaster gun to cripple capital ships?

[p.s. Cargile]

No. I didn't really have a specific function for the cylinder object foward on the lower fuselage. I'm not using advanced weapons on this, (see my first post). The lower fuselage is primarily for logistics and magazine rooms. As it is the best thing this little corvette can do when faced with a larger arsenal craft is flee. It's no match against missile cruisers.

I won't be doing much of late as we had a medical emergency concerning my wife preganency. All is okay now, but she is one bed rest at the hospital. That is where I'll be for most of my evenings until she is allowed to come home.

[skyhawk223]

Glad to hear that everything is ok with your wife. I bet it was scary. Is this your first baby?

[p.s. Cargile]

He's my second child. I have a 9 yr old daughter from a previous marriage.
Nathan was born Thursday, Apr 7, about three months premature, at 26 weeks. He weighed 2 lbs and an ounce and a half, but has since lost a few ounces as premies are prone to do. He's 13.5 inches long. To get a better idea of his size, a dime would cover his hand excepting his fingers and thumb. He's head is about the size of an adult fist. He's tiny.

He may be very early, but he's trucking right along and is as healthy as he can be concidering. So far his outlook is good. Problem is he 40 miles away and visiting him will get expensive in the gas tank. He may have to stay in the hosipital up to his original due date of July.

This means the corvette is on the shelf until further notice.

[Elowan]

Best wishes to your wife and little one. May they both thrive.

[skyhawk223]

Wow, so tiny. My prayers are with you and your family.

nice looking ship, but the name looks crooked... or is that just a optical illusion

Hi Paul,

Congratulations! I'm glad to hear everything is ok with your wife and child. Nathan looks cute (and wow 13inches IS small), and I'm sure will be just fine. Best wishes

Jason

[p.s. Cargile]

The letteing looks crooked because of the surface angle it's on.