3DScreaming Eagles: Grandeur's MACO Squad

theCommander

This thread is going to be all about the USS Grandeur MACO squadron, the Screaming Eagles. Assisting us on this aspect of the Grandeur Project will mostly be accomplished CGI designer/artist Japme, who is already a close friend of the Grandeur Project, and of course myself. You are invited to watch as we show various elements of the design process, from sketch to CGI.

We want to start off with the MACO attack ships, which are single-man fighters stored in Grandeur's shuttle hanger. You are probably familiar with this shot previously shown in the USS Grandeur Bridge thread...



While we will develop that rather cool looking BattleStar-ship hangar at a future time in this thread, we want to start things off with the ships. The single lead ship, reserved solely for the MACO CAG, is a variant of the Banzai class fighter. Originally designed in 2-D by Paul S. Cargile, a friend of the project as well, and developed in 3D by various team members including myself, she was first purposed as the design we were going to use for the more prevailant gunship/assault ship, the USS Blackfoot. But as you know, that went another way entirely with our own design. Now, she needs some upgrading, smoothing, and other work, but she deserves the honor. We've dubbed her none other than the Screaming-eagle...










Now we introduce to you the main MACO fighter, which was created by Japme. She was originally something that Matt was working on while trying to get away from the tedious job of interior design for the Grandeur Project. One night he just sent me a preview of what he called the Trident class fighter and I immediately saw a gem in the rough. With just a few modifications, the Nighthawk class heavy interceptor was born...









:thumb: During the course of the project, these elements will be undergoing changes, upgrades, and modifications, which we will endeavour to share.

CaptainRoop

Wow is this ever going to be a cool thread.

colbmista

i still think you should model a federation version of the scorpion fighter a fighter small and compact like that is logical

japme

Once I have finished with the Bridge portion of the project, I will be focusing on the fighters and the hangar. The BLACKFOOT will be re-vamped, and the EAGLE will be completely redesigned, to bring it up to par with the rest of the project. The basic designs will remain, but they will fall into line with the styling of the NIGHTHAWK.

theCommander

Yes, we're going to be focusing on the shuttle-hangar (not shuttle-bay) and the ships that use her. The Banzai is being more integrated to show that it is a slightly more advanced variant of the Nighthawk class. But... we don't want to leave the Banzai design behind totally.

spacefighter

theCommander wrote: »

very nice fighters, i like the design of the dark one, the trident/nighthawk class, but think she could look slightly better with a tiny bit less sharp edges. if those rear wings are variable geometry even better, it reminds me of the talon jets from stealth. i want to see more of these. about this grandeur thing are you building an entire ship with all the details, if so well done. the images show that your models for these fighters are quite detailed which is nice, can't wait to see more.

theCommander

As requested (and planned) here's a few more shots of the Nighthawk Interceptor.
Notable progress since last post shown on the landing gear, canopy, and cockpit interior...

Klavs81

Fighters + Trek Tech = Subscribed. Great work!

Aresius

Wow, nice work there, I love it.

spacefighter

awesome, perhaps make the nose a little sharper so it does not obscure the pilot's forward view when the craft is landed.

japme

Doesn't matter, as the cockpit uses as the helmet to allow the pilot to see the external enviroment... kind of a holographic enviromental capability... where ever he looks, he is fed an external view of his enviroment, based off of his sensors.

I may come back at a later point and change it to a full holographic "coffin" enviroment, but for now, I as satisfied with the current design.

Knight26

I have a similar system written into my own craft, the cockpits are transparent, but everything is holographically projected and the visuals enhanced for better SA. But the canopy is clear just in case the holo systems fail.

spacefighter

Knight26 wrote: »

I have a similar system written into my own craft, the cockpits are transparent, but everything is holographically projected and the visuals enhanced for better SA. But the canopy is clear just in case the holo systems fail.

next ship i do ought to have something like that. can't wait to see more.

Knight26

While I do not love the first fighter, I can see the trek lineage, which is good.
The second fighter does have some features that kind of bug me though, might just be me though.
1: Do the outer wings move? It looks like there is a wing hinge at their roots, like they are supposed to fold back into a more traditional FSW planform. Is that the case, and if so can we see pictures?
2: Is the Nighthawk a human fighter, or was it made with alien tech/assistance? I ask because the orange bits do not seem federation standard.
3: Are either fighter warp capable? I do not see any warp drives.
4: While I like the synthetic displays on the canopy I do agree with SF that some actual forward visibility would be a good thing, even if just as a backup. As it stand right now, neither fighter appears to have any natural forward visibility.
5: Might want to trim some of the glowy bits on the NH, they really give it away, perhaps covers for them while in combat would work.

spacefighter

Knight26 wrote: »

1: Do the outer wings move? It looks like there is a wing hinge at their roots, like they are supposed to fold back into a more traditional FSW planform. Is that the case, and if so can we see pictures?
2: Is the Nighthawk a human fighter, or was it made with alien tech/assistance? I ask because the orange bits do not seem federation standard.
3: Are either fighter warp capable? I do not see any warp drives.

i would quite like to see those wings in a folded back position if they can do that, although i have only seen a few trek films it does look slightly alien some shadow(babylon 5) influences perhaps, the sharp angles also look familiar but i cannot tell where from exactly. it would be pretty cool if it was warp capable, most of the fighters i design for my own Sci fi are hyperspace capable(which is more or less equivalent) can the necessary equipment be squeezed into the night hawk.

theCommander

I'm feeling Bab5 and BSG for sure when I look at the Nighthawk!

japme

Glad everyone is liking the designs.

To answer the last couple of posts:

1: Do the outer wings move? It looks like there is a wing hinge at their roots, like they are supposed to
fold back into a more traditional FSW platform. Is that the case, and if so can we see pictures?

Here is a pic with one wing folded and the other not, just like what the F-14 can do. This is a dual-atmo fighter. It was designed to operate in space, but was actually designed to FLY in atmo, with out the use of the fancy "inertial compensators". Almost like the BSG Vipers...

2: Is the Nighthawk a human fighter, or was it made with alien tech/assistance? I ask because the
orange bits do not seem federation standard.
3: Are either fighter warp capable? I do not see any warp drives.

The fighter is a federation design... so to an extent, yes it is a human design.

Orginally, there were actual nacelles, but they were causing some issues, so I went an experimental, internalied nacelle design... the wings root area is an nacelle in and off itself. that is what the red on top of the wing, and the blue is. The red on the back is the impulse drive.

4: While I like the synthetic displays on the canopy I do agree with SF that some actual forward
visibility would be a good thing, even if just as a backup. As it stand right now, neither fighter
appears to have any natural forward visibility.
I thought about that, for the NIGHTHAWK, and the likelihood of a fighter survivng after losing shields, is almost nil. So the entire design was made to be as armored and protective of the pilot, thus the lack of an actual canopy or window. The BANZAI will be being rebuilt at a later date, so we'll just have to see what the geeks at the shipyards can do.

5: Might want to trim some of the glowy bits on the NH, they really give it away, perhaps covers for
them while in combat would work.
That is what actual is planned, once in the area of operation, the Warp-related portions would dim and allow all power to feed to shields, weapons, and impulse...

commandersozo

me likes the nighthawk fighter. but i hope, that the cockpit will become more star trek style consoles. this ones looks like the one in todays figthers.....

theCommander

I think of it as a cross between a BSG Viper and Federation tech, Chief. I'll see if Japme can send the screen configurations and then maybe you can help with the LCARS in the more than fantastic way you always do.

Now here's an interesting shot I found that you might like...

colbmista

he i was wondering could we get an ortho graphic shot of the valkyurie

theCommander

I don't have any... sorry

commandersozo

i'm always ready for mischief, commander!

theCommander

colbmista- I threw this schem together of the model I have, which is a game model I believe...

colbmista

awsome thank you

theCommander

Work has commensed on the shuttle-bay/fighter hanger. We start by establishing scale...



If the "math" is right, then this is what we are looking at with everything being in scale... the man is 5'-9" and the Nighthawk overlay is set at 49'...

colbmista

lil big isnt it

theCommander

More now on the inside as we scope out the fighter stalls and the utility craft storage lift...

spacefighter

interesting hangar bay design, is that a raisable floor platform like on american aircraft carriers connecting the flight deck to servicing decks below? really,really like that variable geometry wing fighter(the black one) and think that the render of the blocky shaped silver fighter/shuttle is nice aswell.

theCommander

spacefighter wrote: »

interesting hangar bay design, is that a raisable floor platform like on american aircraft carriers connecting the flight deck to servicing decks below? really,really like that variable geometry wing fighter(the black one) and think that the render of the blocky shaped silver fighter/shuttle is nice aswell.

Yes, you are mostly correct on the utility craft storage lift platform you see in that last pic. That goes to a sub-deck for the shuttles, work-bees, and the like to sit in while not in use or while being serviced.

The main use for the hanger bay is for fighters as much as for shuttles, but the shuttles are easier to manage and are not needed in a scramble like the MACO Nighthawks will be. So there will be two stalls p/s in the very back by the lift for type-11 or type-9 shuttles and the rest of the utility types will be in the sub-deck. There will be a container storage area and maybe even fuel tanks for the fighters down in the dungeon as well.

We are planning to build in a cargo area like the 1701A had too, but (colbmista) we are adjusting some of the ratios and tweaking the scale a bit, so that all depends on what the outcome leaves us.

From all the designers on the team, Thanks for the comments! I personally love the hanger bay type design that births from mashing together what the Trek universe lends us with my other favorite, Battlestar Galactica.

Knight26

so how many birds are you planning to have her carry? Looks like you have room for about 16-20 depending on how you park them between the standby craft in the launch/recovery deck, and those in storage/Maintenance below, mind you that doesn't account for your other auxiliary craft though.

Mikey-B

Is the Grandeur some type of Special Forces ship? The fighters remind me somewhat of those from the USS Hornet. Interesting idea, just wondering why your ship needs fighters. Reminds me of a WW II pocket carrier.

Nice artwork regardless, I like the attention to detail, such as making sure everything fits inside.