Still working, still here

Work life has kept me busy with the whole COVID19 situation.
But I am getting time to work on some of my own projects now.

Here are two panels I have completed for a home built bridge set someone is making.

Yes, I am aware this interface pre-dates the Nova Class by a good 100 years. But it is the interface the client wanted.

Akira Class, but not as you know it

OK, I have finished the overhaul of my Akira MSD to bring it up to date with my current abilities.
The eagle eyed among you will notice the lack of a through deck hanger. There is good reason for this.  Frankly, I found the idea of using fighters in Star Trek ridiculous. In an age where starship weapons can target anything up to 250 thousand KM away, what use is a fighter?  In the scenes we saw them used, they got popped with a single hit from Cardassian ship. Sending people to certain death for no real gain just doesn’t sound like Starfleet to me.
So, let’s imagine that during the Dominion war, Starfleet realised this futility and decided not to employ fighters, or to at least limit them to planet side combat. There is no need for dedicated carrier ships then.  Not when you have a dozen or more Galaxy class ships with their cavernous main shuttle bay.

With all this in mind, I present to you the USS Warspite. A refitted Akira that has had her through deck hanger removed and replaced with crew, guest and mission facilities so she can take on missions that the venerable Excelsior class would have done.  With the losses during the war, Excelsior class ships would undoubtedly start to be retired as new ships came on line and the newer classes that survived the war were refitted for peace time duties.  Being of similar size, I’d imagine the Akira, at least in part, replacing the Excelsior class in many missions.

This particular refit sees the torpedo launchers reduced to 3 forward facing and two rear facing.  Type IX phaser replaced with Type XI. A new warp core, enlarged rear shuttle bay and a small EVA hanger up front with workbees and sphinx-bees for repairs to space borne ships and facilities and on itself if need be.

The increased internal mass for facilities would probably make this a little more comfortable to live and work on.

Enjoy.

As I can’t get WordPress to show the full size of this image, you can find a copy here: CLICKY

Overhaul!

Giving my MSD of this fan favourite a much needed overhaul.
No prizes for guessing the class!

I have a name picked out too.

Polarising return

Aaaaaand, she is done.

Presenting the Apollo Class, USS Polaris. A custom request.
Exterior artwork apparently from BastardShipyards on DeviantArt (Client sourced).

She is to the Ambassador class what the Nebula is to the Galaxy. Obviously 😉

 

Finally, something new!

I’m back 🙂

And cooking up something new!

What I’ve been up to

So, it’s been a while since I posted. But I’ve been so busy with real life, the little free time I had left over was devoted to helping out getting the bridge set for the Fan Film Axanar ready for a small con they were holding in November. The con was small, but successful and the bridge set was well received 🙂

More info here: https://axanarproductions.com/captains-log/

 

Here are some examples of what I have been up to:

Still alive

I’n still about. Just been really, really, reeaaaalllly busy.

 

Lots of juicy graphics coming this way soon 🙂

Maxwell’s final command

Recently I was asked to make a Phoenix variant of my Nebula Class MSD.
Sure thing!

Larger version to be found here: Clicky

The face behind LCARSGFX

My “sorta” boss wrote up an interview with myself.  Looky looky!

http://www.axanarproductions.com/axanar-crew-interview-alexander-richardson/

Freedom Class

I was recently contacted by someone running an improvised comedy show. They wanted an MSD type image of a Freedom Class vessel for use as occasional set dressing and promo images. This is a class of ship that has not gotten much attention or love from official sources. Its exact size, purpose and just about everything about it is unknown. It was a kitbash made for the graveyard scenes from “The Best of Both Worlds” and comprised elements of a Galaxy Class and Constitution class model, with some Ambassador class thrown in. A real Frankenstein.  As a result, there are significant scaling issues on the model, with some windows suggesting a 30 deck ship, and other windows suggesting 8 to 12 decks.

What is generally agreed upon though, is that it is a scout type ship, it’s one nacelle limiting its warp stability and thus speed, so it is more suited for border patrol or inter system patrol.
DITL scaled it assuming the nacelle has the same dimension as those on the Galaxy Class. I think (note, I said “I THINK) this is incorrect.  The Type 7 shuttle features a scaled down version of the Galaxy Class nacelle that is outwardly identical. Kinda makes sense, take an established design and just scale the nacelle up and down depending on it’s use, right?

So… this is MY incarnation of the Freedom Class, with an interior that makes sense to me.
I built this using the premise of it being a short range scout as a guide. So, if you intend to rivet count, I’m not listening, there is no official information on this ship and I’m not going to debate opinions 😛

Note the horizontal warp core. In the event a breach is imminent; The core, nacelle and antimatter pod (and also the torpedo launcher) would detach as one unit. Note the double deck just above the core. This is the separation plane. After detaching, thrusters would speed the nacelle and small hull section away while the remaining ship would take the best escape vector possible at full impulse.
… at least, that is how I envision it.

I named this example after the HMS Antelope,  F170, lost during the Falklands Islands conflict.

As I am unable to get wordpress to let you see the full sized image, please go here to see it: Clicky