Thanks, I'm still experimenting with colors but I can't get them to look right. Oh well, at least they look like schematics like the ones in the "(Insert plane name) in Detail & Scale" books.
I was busy today but still got some stuff done. The pic is a quick one I did, it's the prototype/early production Mk VII. The major differences are the lack of wing chines and tail gun, and placement of the wing cannons. The text is a detailed run-down of the Viper Mk I production blocks. I think some of you will chuckle at some point when you read it. (Man, I need to add paragraph breaks. )
The production run of the Viper Mk I was divided up into many blocks. The initial production type, the Block 1, was very similar to the prototype. It featured the same forward fuselage as the prototype, sourced from the older Caprican Viper. The I-1, however, mounted a new generation of autocannons that were both larger in caliber and more accurate. The cockpit was also modified from the prototype with the framing removed from the canopy allowing much improved visibility. The Block 10 was the next production model. It had a new fuselage with improved internal layout and, again, a modified cockpit with a redesigned canopy giving the pilot more room inside. The shockcones that had been in the intakes of the engines since the early Caprican fighters, were removed beginning with this block, internal intake modifications accomplishing the same tasks. This is arguably the most famous of the Mark I models, due in no small part to its starring role in the popular show "Battlestar Atlantia," a heavily fictionalized account of the Cylon War shown from the viewpoint of the officers and crew of the battlestar Atlantia. In the show, the pilots flew unmodified Mk I-10s until the end of the war even though the same squadrons were in fact supplied with both Viper Mk IIs and Mk I-32s. Beginning with the I-10s, several standard modifications were produced. A new and more spacious high-visibilty canopy was installed on the Block 12 Vipers and all following production blocks were divided up in this way, the craft with the earlier canopy retained a block number ending with 0 while the Vipers with the new canopies were numbered with blocks ending in 2. A new nose design was also added on later in the war and was standardized beginning with Mk I-30/32. The Mark I-20/22 was the next major block produced and was equipped with uprated versions of the same engines as the Block 10/12 Vipers. A newer and more reliable autocannon also began to appear in both factory upgrades, on the assembly line, and in field retrofits. These cannons were also added to earlier blocks as well. A defensive ECM suite was also available and was mounted to the tail of the Viper. Unfortunately, the suite was expensive and delicate and was rarely seen but proved to be effective many times throughout the war. The next major model was the Mk I-30/32. The was the primary model in service at the end of the war and mounted the new engine model that was equipping the Pr.Mk I and other new craft. The I-30 was very rare, most of the Vipers being equipped with the new Mark II-style canopy, but some were produced. The I-30/32 was very similar to the twenty-series Vipers which allowed a quick entry into service, something that plagued its successor. The final major production model of the Mk I was the block 52. None of these craft had the earlier canopies installed. A larger cockpit was mounted in the fuselage with two windows on the canopy behind it being a distinguising feature. The I-52 differed from earlier models with its new angular wing design. Two different weapon schemes were designed with the craft. One had the cannons mounted in the same place as earlier blocks but the other mounted them farther out in the wing. Problems with the initial design delayed entry of the craft into service so much so that it didn't enter combat until a few weeks remained in the war. The few squadrons equipped with the I-52 by the end of the war preformed well, the I-52 easily equalling the newest production block of Viper Mk IIs. These new fighters saw heavy action during their very short wartime careers, participating in the remaining main fleet actions cumulating in the battle of Cimtar and the ensuring cease-fire negotiated there. After the war, the Colonial Fleet was concerned with the state of its fighter force. The Mk I still equipped many of the fleet fighter squadrons, as well as most of the militia squadrons. Many were worn out and maintenance costs were rising. At first the fleet desired a new fighter to supplement the Mark II and I-52. Post-war budget cutbacks prevented this so it was decided to keep the production lines of the Mk I open, continuing to produce it along side the smaller Mk II. The civilian government was cancelling almost all of the continuing production of wartime designs so it was decided to revert to buying a new design, officially. The Mk I-52 was renamed the Viper Mk IV and production of the craft, both newbuilds and modifications, began immediately. The Mark IV only had a short production life, production completing within six years of the war's end. The Mk IV was built in two variants, the models with cannons mounted near the cockpit were named Mk IVA while the spread, wing-mounted craft were called Mk IVBs. The Mk IV served the post-war fleet well, equipping squadrons both in ships and planetary bases. After several abortive designs, the fleet finally began to replace the Mk IV with the introduction of the Mk VII into general use. Militia squadrons continued to use Mk IVs for years afterwords, some were still in service at the time of the Cylon attack while the rest had been suplemented with the Viper Mk VII-derived Scorpion Mk IV. Postwar, the surviving block 5s were declared surplus and many were bought by civilians.
Here's something I was fiddling with today, the prototype of the new generation of Vipers undergoing testing at the time of the Cylon attack, the Viper Mk VIII. It's a descendant of the VII, the biggest differences being it's quad engines (mounted in X-wing fashion) and detachable forward-swept wings (replacable in the field with other wings).
Sure, go right ahead, I'd love to see them when you finish. I'm sure its a much better job then what I came up with. I'm still working on the side view, I'll hopefully get most of it done this weekend.
Okay, well it's not the greatest but here's one I did. First one I stupidly saved it as a JPG though so it's a little graded in some areas, and I noticed afterwards that I messed up the red on the wings a little, but ehn.
Great job on the Mk VIII, I love the quad engine design. The forward swept wings remind me a lot of the "Scarlett Viper" with a modern twist. I can't wait to see the side view.
P.S.
Did you get the Mk VII modifications that I sent out to you.
I haven't gotten them, VA. I just checked my e-mail.
With the Mk VIII, I wanted forward-swept wings but couldn't figure out a shape. Then I hit on the diamond shaped wings and liked them. The design has a vertical tail and I'm toying with a second one on the ventral side, folding to clear the ground. It would be a lot like the X-15.
Between college starting again and working on some non-BSG stuff (perish the thought ), I haven't been able to do much. I'm working a bit on the side view of the VII, waiting for VA to send the corrected side view before I do much. I'm also working on the side view of the VIII. It's coming together slowly but surely. The pic here is the production blocks for the T.Mk I, the two-seat base version of the Mk I, capable of trainer, ground attack, etc. The TI-10/20/30 are the equivelants of the Mk Is with the same block numbers. The TI-40 is a 30 refitted after the war with a new cockpit similar to the Mk II and IV canopy. The TI-45 is a -40 modified with a single seat cockpit, the former rear cockpit being used to carry equipment and electronics. It can be used as a strike craft or long-range patrol craft, as well as recon and command duties.
I'll post a background on the ships in a little bit, once I write it, of course.
EDIT: Here's a couple of pics to show the size these are when being used as markers/counters.
Hmmm Id personally modify the MK VIII a little. Prolly keep the VII "trust vectored" engine set up, utilize low profile intakes and make the wings a little "smoother" bringing it more in line with the design cues of the VII otherwise it looks a little retro to the VII.
Hmmm Id personally modify the MK VIII a little. Prolly keep the VII "trust vectored" engine set up, utilize low profile intakes and make the wings a little "smoother" bringing it more in line with the design cues of the VII otherwise it looks a little retro to the VII.
The exhaust nozzles on the VIII are faceted diamonds, sorta like a stretched-out four-sided pyramid with the top cut off. When I do the side view, you'll see that the intakes are pretty low profile and blend nicely into the fuselage. The wings could stand to be a little more smooth, the intent so far is for them to be removable and replacable with other wing designs, such as one one optimized for missile carriage and no guns, for example. I'm still tweaking the design and I think you'll enjoy the side view when I finish it, I'll try to get the basic shape hammered out tomorrow at least, plus work on the top view.
The two-seat trainer and multi-purpose version of the Viper Mk I was developed alongside its single-seat counterpart after its introduction early in the war. The original T.Mk I was mearly a Mk I with a stretched forward fuselage and a cramped cockpit inserted behind the forward cockpit. Most of the Mk I improvements were also applied to the T.Mk I, the only exemption being the I-12/22/32 cockpit canopy. The defensive ECM suite was very rarely fitted, but was capable of being mounted on the tailfin of all T.I models. The production model at the end of the war was the Viper T.Mk I block 30. The TI-30 featured the newest engines equipped to Mk Is, the extended nose, and new MEC-A6 autocannons. The T.Mk I was the mainstay of colonial trainer squadrons for decades after the war. They were occasionally refitted, mostly at depot levels, resulting in a multitude of minor variations between individual spaceframes. Most of the T.Mk I fleet was refitted with a new two-seat cockpit and canopy based on the Mk II/Mk IV design. These TI-40s equipped most trainer squadrons until they were slowly supplemented and replaced by new Viper T.Mk VIIs. The final model of this illustious family was the Viper T.Mk I block 45. This was a TI-40 modified back into a single seat design, equipment, electronics, and a small fuel tank filling the old cockpit. These were intended to be low-cost strike and patrol craft and they filled that role admirably, serving for decades on the front line for the first time.
Here's a block-up of the Mk VIII side view. I haven't had much time to work on it but it's coming together nicely. Remember, neither top or bottom has been cleaned up yet and will be modified by the time I finish. I'm going to replace the intakes and detail the guns, as well as lower the wing in relation to the LERX. he final design will have two tails like the Mk VII's, one on top and one on the bottom, hinged to clear room for landing.
Well, I didn't have power most of the day thanks to TS Ernesto (which is really bad when you really want to draw, thankfully, Sharpe's Rifles helped ). When the power came back on, I decided to draw this in preparation for September 16th. This is based on Sinclair's schematics and is pretty much finished but I'll probably fiddle with some parts later.
Here's a WIP of the side view for the TOS Constitution. I'll replace the image with the finished one which should be done tomorrow. I'm playing around with the registry. For now, it's the Constitution NCC-1700, but I'm not sure what I'll put on it when I'm finished. Maybe NCC-1017.
This is the result of my messing around with coloring in the Connie. It's still very much a WIP. I'm posting an imageshack link to conserve my space for pics.
Here's a side view of the Kongo, NCC-1710, a later TOS Constitution fitted with a neck-mounted torpedo launcher and angled nacelle pylons. Again, this is an imageshack link to conserve my space on this site.
Cool modified Constitution Class, it reminds me of the concept Enterprise for Star Trek: Phase II (The Lost Series), and an interm step before the Endevour Class.
Thanks VA. It's meant to be a step between the TOS Connies and the Phase II designs.
This is why there hasn't been any Vipers for a bit, I've been fiddling with the landing gear here. I haven't even started on the main gear yet.
I just got "The Cylon's Secret" and I think I'll try to design some of the ships and fighters from that, I'm going to modify my Civilian Viper into the Vipers used by the Lightning.
After reading the first few chapters of "The Cylon's Secret" I took a break and created what I think the Vipers that the Lightning salvage ship carried. It is a Cylon-war era surplus Viper Mk I that was subsequently rearmed for use by the free cruiser.
Here's an image of the shape of things to come. (loves using NuBSG quotes to talk about TOS BSG :cool: ) Its a WIP of the front view of the Viper Mk I, again an Imageshack link.
EDIT: Replaced the Connie links on the last page with imageshack thumbnails.
Bah, I haven't had any time to draw in the last few days so I thought I'd post a pic I did months ago, its an underground hanger housing militia Scorpion Mk IVs. The large squares near the top are twin elevators to the surface and the small one next to the Scorpion undergoing maintenance is a weapon's elevator that goes to a deeper magazine. Those pods carry several missiles in each one. The two-seater in the right corner is a Scarab, the F-15E Strike Eagle to the Scorpion's Eagle. It has larger fixed wings and wingtip mounting points and airbrakes.
Huzzah, I finally finished the Mk I front view. I'll start on the Mk II sometime soon, as well as some Mk I versions. The other pic is an updated version of the Lineage Chart. It features an updated Mk I and the finished Mk VII, the original had the 95% finished version accidentaly. It's at a bigger resolution to keep the details better.
The first pic here is a Block 32 Viper Mk I with the Scarlet Viper modification. I had the idea pop in my head and just had to see it. So, here it is. The other, the imageshack link, is the Scorpion Mk IV fighter that I described earlier in the thread. I'm cleaning it up and detailing it, starting from the nose. The side view is also a WIP and is coming along slowly but surely.
Posts
Frak it I think I asked that ones:rolleyes: Anyway, looks nice man... kinda cool seeing my viper up there:D
I was busy today but still got some stuff done. The pic is a quick one I did, it's the prototype/early production Mk VII. The major differences are the lack of wing chines and tail gun, and placement of the wing cannons. The text is a detailed run-down of the Viper Mk I production blocks. I think some of you will chuckle at some point when you read it.
The production run of the Viper Mk I was divided up into many blocks. The initial production type, the Block 1, was very similar to the prototype. It featured the same forward fuselage as the prototype, sourced from the older Caprican Viper. The I-1, however, mounted a new generation of autocannons that were both larger in caliber and more accurate. The cockpit was also modified from the prototype with the framing removed from the canopy allowing much improved visibility. The Block 10 was the next production model. It had a new fuselage with improved internal layout and, again, a modified cockpit with a redesigned canopy giving the pilot more room inside. The shockcones that had been in the intakes of the engines since the early Caprican fighters, were removed beginning with this block, internal intake modifications accomplishing the same tasks. This is arguably the most famous of the Mark I models, due in no small part to its starring role in the popular show "Battlestar Atlantia," a heavily fictionalized account of the Cylon War shown from the viewpoint of the officers and crew of the battlestar Atlantia. In the show, the pilots flew unmodified Mk I-10s until the end of the war even though the same squadrons were in fact supplied with both Viper Mk IIs and Mk I-32s. Beginning with the I-10s, several standard modifications were produced. A new and more spacious high-visibilty canopy was installed on the Block 12 Vipers and all following production blocks were divided up in this way, the craft with the earlier canopy retained a block number ending with 0 while the Vipers with the new canopies were numbered with blocks ending in 2. A new nose design was also added on later in the war and was standardized beginning with Mk I-30/32. The Mark I-20/22 was the next major block produced and was equipped with uprated versions of the same engines as the Block 10/12 Vipers. A newer and more reliable autocannon also began to appear in both factory upgrades, on the assembly line, and in field retrofits. These cannons were also added to earlier blocks as well. A defensive ECM suite was also available and was mounted to the tail of the Viper. Unfortunately, the suite was expensive and delicate and was rarely seen but proved to be effective many times throughout the war. The next major model was the Mk I-30/32. The was the primary model in service at the end of the war and mounted the new engine model that was equipping the Pr.Mk I and other new craft. The I-30 was very rare, most of the Vipers being equipped with the new Mark II-style canopy, but some were produced. The I-30/32 was very similar to the twenty-series Vipers which allowed a quick entry into service, something that plagued its successor. The final major production model of the Mk I was the block 52. None of these craft had the earlier canopies installed. A larger cockpit was mounted in the fuselage with two windows on the canopy behind it being a distinguising feature. The I-52 differed from earlier models with its new angular wing design. Two different weapon schemes were designed with the craft. One had the cannons mounted in the same place as earlier blocks but the other mounted them farther out in the wing. Problems with the initial design delayed entry of the craft into service so much so that it didn't enter combat until a few weeks remained in the war. The few squadrons equipped with the I-52 by the end of the war preformed well, the I-52 easily equalling the newest production block of Viper Mk IIs. These new fighters saw heavy action during their very short wartime careers, participating in the remaining main fleet actions cumulating in the battle of Cimtar and the ensuring cease-fire negotiated there. After the war, the Colonial Fleet was concerned with the state of its fighter force. The Mk I still equipped many of the fleet fighter squadrons, as well as most of the militia squadrons. Many were worn out and maintenance costs were rising. At first the fleet desired a new fighter to supplement the Mark II and I-52. Post-war budget cutbacks prevented this so it was decided to keep the production lines of the Mk I open, continuing to produce it along side the smaller Mk II. The civilian government was cancelling almost all of the continuing production of wartime designs so it was decided to revert to buying a new design, officially. The Mk I-52 was renamed the Viper Mk IV and production of the craft, both newbuilds and modifications, began immediately. The Mark IV only had a short production life, production completing within six years of the war's end. The Mk IV was built in two variants, the models with cannons mounted near the cockpit were named Mk IVA while the spread, wing-mounted craft were called Mk IVBs. The Mk IV served the post-war fleet well, equipping squadrons both in ships and planetary bases. After several abortive designs, the fleet finally began to replace the Mk IV with the introduction of the Mk VII into general use. Militia squadrons continued to use Mk IVs for years afterwords, some were still in service at the time of the Cylon attack while the rest had been suplemented with the Viper Mk VII-derived Scorpion Mk IV. Postwar, the surviving block 5s were declared surplus and many were bought by civilians.
Would you mind at all if I colored some of them? I did the Mk II already and was kinda hoping to do the MK VII once you've got the side view done.
Great job on the Mk VIII, I love the quad engine design. The forward swept wings remind me a lot of the "Scarlett Viper" with a modern twist. I can't wait to see the side view.
P.S.
Did you get the Mk VII modifications that I sent out to you.
Keep up the good work. :thumb:
I haven't gotten them, VA. I just checked my e-mail.
With the Mk VIII, I wanted forward-swept wings but couldn't figure out a shape. Then I hit on the diamond shaped wings and liked them. The design has a vertical tail and I'm toying with a second one on the ventral side, folding to clear the ground. It would be a lot like the X-15.
Between college starting again and working on some non-BSG stuff (perish the thought
I'll post a background on the ships in a little bit, once I write it, of course.
EDIT: Here's a couple of pics to show the size these are when being used as markers/counters.
The exhaust nozzles on the VIII are faceted diamonds, sorta like a stretched-out four-sided pyramid with the top cut off. When I do the side view, you'll see that the intakes are pretty low profile and blend nicely into the fuselage. The wings could stand to be a little more smooth, the intent so far is for them to be removable and replacable with other wing designs, such as one one optimized for missile carriage and no guns, for example. I'm still tweaking the design and I think you'll enjoy the side view when I finish it, I'll try to get the basic shape hammered out tomorrow at least, plus work on the top view.
Thanks SS, I always appreciate the comments.
The two-seat trainer and multi-purpose version of the Viper Mk I was developed alongside its single-seat counterpart after its introduction early in the war. The original T.Mk I was mearly a Mk I with a stretched forward fuselage and a cramped cockpit inserted behind the forward cockpit. Most of the Mk I improvements were also applied to the T.Mk I, the only exemption being the I-12/22/32 cockpit canopy. The defensive ECM suite was very rarely fitted, but was capable of being mounted on the tailfin of all T.I models. The production model at the end of the war was the Viper T.Mk I block 30. The TI-30 featured the newest engines equipped to Mk Is, the extended nose, and new MEC-A6 autocannons. The T.Mk I was the mainstay of colonial trainer squadrons for decades after the war. They were occasionally refitted, mostly at depot levels, resulting in a multitude of minor variations between individual spaceframes. Most of the T.Mk I fleet was refitted with a new two-seat cockpit and canopy based on the Mk II/Mk IV design. These TI-40s equipped most trainer squadrons until they were slowly supplemented and replaced by new Viper T.Mk VIIs. The final model of this illustious family was the Viper T.Mk I block 45. This was a TI-40 modified back into a single seat design, equipment, electronics, and a small fuel tank filling the old cockpit. These were intended to be low-cost strike and patrol craft and they filled that role admirably, serving for decades on the front line for the first time.
Here's the finished side-view of the TOS Constitution in the markings of Constellation, NCC-1017.
EDIT: I'm currently working on landing gear for the Viper Mk I/Mk IV, hopefully I'll get some stuff out later this evening.
Cool modified Constitution Class, it reminds me of the concept Enterprise for Star Trek: Phase II (The Lost Series), and an interm step before the Endevour Class.
Good Work.
This is why there hasn't been any Vipers for a bit, I've been fiddling with the landing gear here. I haven't even started on the main gear yet.
I just got "The Cylon's Secret" and I think I'll try to design some of the ships and fighters from that, I'm going to modify my Civilian Viper into the Vipers used by the Lightning.
EDIT: Replaced the Connie links on the last page with imageshack thumbnails.