EchoVictor
09-19-2005, 10:46 PM
So, I'm looking through the old Estes catalogs trying to decide on something to clone. I get to the picture of the USS Atlantis, and probably like many others, admire the obvious homage to the lines of the original Star Trek USS Enterprise.
http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/78est034.html
Then I get to remembering Bill's thread of his BT-60 upscale Atlantis with the FlisKits Deuce's Wild canted engine mount.
http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=172&highlight=atlantis
Finally, I recalled my meeting with Dan and Dave of Sirius Rocketry at the WOOSH 2005 ECOF event. There I saw in person their beautiful USS Atalntis Refit kit. This is BT-55 based, and as you can read from their "back-story", it's a vision of how the Atlantis would look if it went into a full refit ala the transformation of TV Enterprise to Movie Enterprise.
http://www.siriusrocketry.com/Atlantis01.htm
I absolutely love this design, but my extreme-tight-wad-ness :p just can't justify spending 60 bucks on a single rocket kit. Besides, my preferences tend towards flying on engines from a Blast-Off Pack I can get at 40% discount with a Michael's coupon.
So, inspired by two different people's interpretations of the USS Atlantis, I give you my own, the USS Atlantis - Prototype Warp Drive, or "ProtoWarp" for short. My "back-story" goes like this;
When the USS Atlantis was brought into drydock, the original intent was only to upgrade to newer technology warp engines. While this prototype (what I'll decal my bird as the "SCC-7107X") was quite successful in proving the upgrade in performance of the new warp drive, it was decided by Fleet Command that the changing missions of the Atlantis warranted upgrades to the entire space frame of the ship, almost creating a new spacecraft entirely.
My model is based on the same length BT-50 as the original. In fact, to keep with my "back-story", the only thing that will be different than the original kit will be the engine nacelles, pylons, and the nose-cone.
Why change the cone you ask? I just think the pointed ogive looks better, and I can say that "the shape change was required by the changed warp field signature created by the new engines". :D
The engines themselves are two BT-5's, with the front bevel cut at 30 degrees and the rear at 45 degrees. I then took a 3/8" wide strip and bevel-sanded the back so that it would sit nicely in between the two tubes. The ends are just capped with a shaped piece of 1/16" balsa.
Oh yeah, I'll also do up the decals a little differently. As most automotive prototypes are devoid of exterior finishing and trim, I might just go with the minimalist treatment on the decals.
So, whatcha all think?
Later,
EV
http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/78est034.html
Then I get to remembering Bill's thread of his BT-60 upscale Atlantis with the FlisKits Deuce's Wild canted engine mount.
http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=172&highlight=atlantis
Finally, I recalled my meeting with Dan and Dave of Sirius Rocketry at the WOOSH 2005 ECOF event. There I saw in person their beautiful USS Atalntis Refit kit. This is BT-55 based, and as you can read from their "back-story", it's a vision of how the Atlantis would look if it went into a full refit ala the transformation of TV Enterprise to Movie Enterprise.
http://www.siriusrocketry.com/Atlantis01.htm
I absolutely love this design, but my extreme-tight-wad-ness :p just can't justify spending 60 bucks on a single rocket kit. Besides, my preferences tend towards flying on engines from a Blast-Off Pack I can get at 40% discount with a Michael's coupon.
So, inspired by two different people's interpretations of the USS Atlantis, I give you my own, the USS Atlantis - Prototype Warp Drive, or "ProtoWarp" for short. My "back-story" goes like this;
When the USS Atlantis was brought into drydock, the original intent was only to upgrade to newer technology warp engines. While this prototype (what I'll decal my bird as the "SCC-7107X") was quite successful in proving the upgrade in performance of the new warp drive, it was decided by Fleet Command that the changing missions of the Atlantis warranted upgrades to the entire space frame of the ship, almost creating a new spacecraft entirely.
My model is based on the same length BT-50 as the original. In fact, to keep with my "back-story", the only thing that will be different than the original kit will be the engine nacelles, pylons, and the nose-cone.
Why change the cone you ask? I just think the pointed ogive looks better, and I can say that "the shape change was required by the changed warp field signature created by the new engines". :D
The engines themselves are two BT-5's, with the front bevel cut at 30 degrees and the rear at 45 degrees. I then took a 3/8" wide strip and bevel-sanded the back so that it would sit nicely in between the two tubes. The ends are just capped with a shaped piece of 1/16" balsa.
Oh yeah, I'll also do up the decals a little differently. As most automotive prototypes are devoid of exterior finishing and trim, I might just go with the minimalist treatment on the decals.
So, whatcha all think?
Later,
EV