Inverted Miranda

[NCC1966]

Just found this nice picture of the USS Yeager (don't know if it is canon or not). It looks like an "inverted" Miranda as it should be when the Reliant appeared for the first time... Very very elegant!

[el gato]

What's canon is the story of how the Miranda came to be. Originally the Reliant was supposed to be another Connie, but the concern was that audiences would be confused as to which ship was the "hero" when the E and the Reliant got into it in the Mutara Nebula. So drawings were mocked up for a simplified ship: saucer, two photon torpedo housings & nacelles, with the orientation of the nacelles up above the bridge and the photon torp housings underneath the saucer. Plans were sent to Harve Bennett for his approval. He approved, but his signature was upside down relative to the orientation of the page. So then there was confusion as to which "direction" of the ship he wanted. Playing it safe, ILM built the Reliant upside down, with nacelles underneath. The photon torp housings were changed to one housing with a roll bar. The rest is history.

[Max Nex]

and I noticed they have the photorp pod on backwards again

[el gato]

It was this painting that gave me the idea to put the torp housings facing the "opposite" (not "backwards" ) direction for my Redemption Class build:





NCC1966, if you're not familiar with the production sketch I mentioned above, this was the original idea for the Reliant. I had a "spare" kit, so I decided to build it based on the original idea

[Greyryder]

I've run across the production sketches, somewhere. There were originally no photorp pods. Basically, nothing under the hull. The rollbar got added, when they realized that the design had been signed off on, upside down. They felt they needed something above the ship.

Don't know if it's true or not, but I heard the arguement about people being confused about which ship was which came from ILM. They really hated the Enterprise model, and didn't want to have to deal with a second one.

[NCC1966]

Cool, I am always learning something new here and at the other sci-fi modeling forums!

[el gato]

I've run across the production sketches, somewhere. There were originally no photorp pods. Basically, nothing under the hull. The rollbar got added, when they realized that the design had been signed off on, upside down. They felt they needed something above the ship.

Interesting. The concept sketches I've run across for the first concept of the Reliant had photon torps underneath:

Don't know if it's true or not, but I heard the arguement about people being confused about which ship was which came from ILM. They really hated the Enterprise model, and didn't want to have to deal with a second one.

It's very possible. I only know that the original idea was for Khan to take over another Connie and have the Enterprise fight a sister ship. Who brought the "audiences will be confused by two similar ships" was unknown to me.

[patrickivan]

There's also that other concept of a reliant with the nacelles above (Oberth like nacelles) and the large pod hung (heh) below it. I rather like that one, with the exception of the oversized impulse engine. I seem to be having trouble finding a pic to share though.

But I really like this version of the Miranda. One thing I'd do differently though is move the built up aft hull section to the underside of the saucer. But that's just me. I really like the nacelles above, but they really wanted something to be visually distinct from the Enterprise, eh?

[NCC1966]

I may buy a second Reliant kit in the future to make this USS Yeager.

[Greyryder]

I've run across the production sketches, somewhere. There were originally no photorp pods. Basically, nothing under the hull. The rollbar got added, when they realized that the design had been signed off on, upside down. They felt they needed something above the ship.

Interesting. The concept sketches I've run across for the first concept of the Reliant had photon torps underneath:

Don't know if it's true or not, but I heard the arguement about people being confused about which ship was which came from ILM. They really hated the Enterprise model, and didn't want to have to deal with a second one.

It's very possible. I only know that the original idea was for Khan to take over another Connie and have the Enterprise fight a sister ship. Who brought the "audiences will be confused by two similar ships" was unknown to me.

I could be remembering wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. I swear I've seen production sketches without the under structure, but I also have distinct memories of a scene in Babylon 5, that never actually happened. *shrugs*