Author Topic: My Sci-Fi Collection  (Read 8660 times)

aeroplaneDriver

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My Sci-Fi Collection
« on: March 10, 2012, 08:42:19 AM »
OK, since I posted my old aircraft collection I thought I'd throw my Sci-Fi stuff out too for consideration.

All of these ships exist in the same timeline, a little more than 100 years in the future where Mars is colonized and mining operations thrive in the asteroid belt.  Smaller scientific outposts are scattered throughout the rest of the solar system, and exploration both for scientific and commercial reasons is ongoing.  Several small colonial wars have been fought on Mars, and piracy and privateering is fairly common along the trade lanes. 

I'll copy and paste the more detailed backstories of the individual ships, and here is the general timeline of Martian colonization that goes with the first build:

A Brief History of the Mars Settlements
(abridged from "I Hate It Here, I Want To Go Home", by Dr. Cecil Homebody)

2017-The first manned mission from Earth lands on Mars.  After a 6 month stay the joint US-European-Chinese mission returns.  The resounding success of the mission fuels excitement at home and provides the impetus for further exploration.

2020-Finally a breakthrough in Unified Field Theory at Cambridge University paves the way for many technological advancements, including Gravity Manipulators, and Warp Drive.  Though a practical Warp Drive still remains decades away, gravity and interial manipulation becomes commonplace in spacecraft by 2070.

2023-A meteor impact kills 3.6 million people in central asia.  This disaster is a wakeup call to the human race that long term survival depends on finding a foothold away from mother Earth.

2027-A European Mars expedition lands in the Cydonia region of Mars and is tasked with a secret mission to explore the famous "Face" and "Pyramids".  The mission finds remnants of a massive city and alien artifacts which are dated to be over 2 million years old.

2029-The first of 38 robotic"terraforming" stations begins operating on Mars, pumping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere to raise the surface temperature to melt ice in the ground.

2035-News of the alien discoveries on Mars is leaked to a CNN reporter.  Man is finally forced to accept his position in a larger universe, knowing that he is no longer alone.

2039-The first permanent colony of 48 humans is founded on Mars.  The predominantly US colony is named Port Percival Lowell. 

2041-The first human child is born on Mars.  This first Martian is named Virgina Dare O'Reilly.  She goes on to be elected governonr of the Cydonia Territory in 2079.

2043-Violence comes to Mars.  A small group of colonists have become fanatical followers of a cult dedicated to the alien city.  They plant excavation explosives in a habitat at Port Lowell, killing six.  Virginia O'Reilly loses and eye in the explosion.

2047-The second colony is founded at Port H.G. Wells.  This colony is founded by the British, in a mission sponsored by Virgin Galactic Airways.  Commercial flights to Mars landing at Port Wells begin within two years.

2052-After increased terrorist attacks, a permanent military presence is established on Mars.  The US establishes three orbital support stations and bases 400 Colonial Marines on Mars.

2070-Over 15,000 humans now call Mars home in 14 major colonies and over 50 smaller settlements.  The radical extremist element is all but eliminated from Martian culture, but tensions are growing with the Chinese over water deposits in contested territories.  Over 1000 troops from five countries are now based on Mars.

2090-The first Water War is fought between the US and China.  China loses 775 troops, the US loses 590.  Over 300 civilians die in the fighting.

2095-Terraforming engineers predict a breathable atmosphere on Mars by 2175.

2101-The population of Mars has balloned to over 40,000.  The largest city is Port Ray Bradbury, a US colony with a population of 10,500.

2114-The Second Water War.  This war is bloodier than the first with US, British, and French forces fighting the Chinese and Brazillians.  Over 1,000 civilians are killed and more than 3,000 troops die.  The first use of a Matter/Anti-Matter Annihilation warhead results in a 400 megaton explosion, wiping out not only a major water processing station, but the water source itself.  The remote location of the station prevents massive casualties.

2119-Tensions remain over the Second Water war.  In April an outpost in hte neutral territory is wiped out by an advanced weapon.  Both sides deny responsibility...






Now for the first ship, a kitbash of A-10, F-15E and SR-71 parts built back in 2005. 

Port H.G. Wells, Cydonia, April 09, 2119

After a grueling 14 day patrol in the contested territories, the United States Colonial Marines crew of Talon Assault Craft 102 enjoy a 36 hour R3 (Refuel, Rearm, Refresh) break at Port Wells.  Located near the center of the allied territory, Port Wells is a change from the hell-holes the crew have seen over the past few weeks.  Wells is a British station, and the crew have enjoyed more than a few pints with their Royal Marine cohorts during their brief time off.

All too soon the break is over and they prepare their ship for another patrol.  Since the uneasy ceasefire with the China territories three years ago there has been little real combat, but plenty of tense standoffs when the railguns were charged, and missiles readied for launch. 

Since this break was not at a USCMC station the ship is still dirty from its last patrol.  After two more weeks in the outback, the crew are scheduled to rotate back into orbit to their base ship, the USS John Glenn.  There the ship will undergo more thorough servicing, and a well deserved cleaning by the ground techs of Colonial Marine Patrol Squadron 42 (The Hellbirds).

Little does the crew know that during their next patrol they will come to miss the skirmishes with the Chinese.  During hteir next patrol they will encounter a force not from Earth.  Something much older.  Something that has waited a long, long time to begin its conquest.  Something that will wait no more...







Tech Specs of the TALON:

Boeing-BAE Systems TAL-18A Talon II Multi-Purpose Assault Lander

Propulsion
2 Westinghouse NI-218C-2 Nuclear Ion Drive Units-Space
2  Rolls-Royce MRB-688A Methane Turbines-Atmosperic
3  General Physics Corp GA31-1P2 Gravity Attenuators
    Triple redundant system, one required for lift in Mars gravity, all 3 required in Earth gravity.
2   McDonalds/Thiokol O4A Orbital docking thrust unit with 1 fixed nozzle and four rotating nozzles.

Shielding
2 BAE Systems “Vulcan” aerostatic generators for reentry shielding
2 Lockheed Electric electromagnetic shield generators, providing protection from laser and particle beam weapons up to 15 megawatts.

Weaponry
2 GE M99 50mm electromagnetic railguns mounted midwing, with 3,000 rounds of ammunition per gun.  Rate of fire up to 400 rounds per second

2 GE M114 30mm EM railguns, collocated with M99 guns.  4,000 rounds per gun carried, with 500 round per second maximum rate of fire

1 Teledyne 728 COIL laser cannon (18 megawatt), with reactant for op to 25 firings at full power

Fuselage hardpoints for up to to 8 tactical missiles.  Normal loading includes EADS “Striker III” or Raytheon TAM-9 “Saber” missiles with HE, Fusion, or Antimatter warheads.

Crew-Pilot, Flight Systems Officer, and Mission Officer minimum crew

Onboard accommodation for up to 20 combat troops

External couplings to carry one “Mongoose” class tactical vehicle, Mk 14 Research Module, or MedMod 4 emergency medical module

Performance

Atmospheric-Mars:  1,600 knots max
Atmospheric-Earth:  Maneuvering thrusters + gravity manipulators only-340 knots max

Exo-atmospheric:  .14c

Expendables for 45 days with nominal crew of 6.


Next up is a Vampire Heavy Escort Fighter.  In the timeline these ships are used by the US Navy aboard carriers that escort large cargo and passenger vessels between Earth and the Mars Colonies and the outer belt minin outposts.

Not much backstory on this as it is still unfinished even though I started it in '06.  It still needs landing gear and windshield transparencies installed, but it's close enough to include in the collection. 








Next is probably my most ambitious kitbash to date.  It's a Broadsword Class Royal Navy Fast Patrol Frigate.  The Combined Commonwealth Fleet operates 15 Broadsword Class ships in the first half of the 22nd century, mostly operating between Mars and the outer settlements, though several home defense ships are normally kept closer to Earth. 

HMS Scimitar  F728

Type:  Broadsword Class Fast Patrol Frigate
Builder:  BVT Space Systems
Length:  195m
Mass:  19,000 tons
Launch Date:  March 29, 2117
Crew:  22 permanent crew (7 Officers, 15 Ratings)
           10 Fleet Air Arm Personnel
           12 Royal Marines (Embarked Military Force)

Propulsion:
2 x Rolls Royce IA.501 Nuclear-Ion Drives
2 x Rolls Royce /BMW BR2003-4 Orbital Plasma Thrusters
4 x P&W Space Chemical Maneuvering Thrusters
1 x United Technologies G3B-1 1.0g Gravity Warp Drive
1 x United Technologies Spiral Accelerator/Collider for onboard anti-matter & dark matter production
1 x General Physics Artificial Gravity/Inertial Manipulation system

Power Generation:
4 x GE Casimir Batteries
1 x Rolls Royce MCF.101 Fusion Reactor (ejectable)

Shielding:
2 x Lockheed Electric 404 Electromagnetic Shield Generators

Armament:
2 x Teledyne 1099 Heavy Laser Cannons, 360 degree lateral transverse mounting
4 x BAES Mk199 General Purpose Laser Turrets
4 x GE M203 90mm Railguns in Quad Turret
2 x Torpedo/Smart Mine Tubes (normal loading of 36 Torpedoes with Fusion, EMP, or Anti-Matter warheads, + 88 BAES Mk11 Smart Mines)
7 x GE M455 Laser CIWS Turrets

Air Group:
1 x Airbus Military A1200 ‘Shrike’ Heavy Assault Shuttle
3 x BAES Wyvern F.3 Light Fighters

Egress Systems:
Jettisonable Command Bridge
2 x Martin-Baker Mk40 Escape Pods (max capacity 14)
1 x Martin-Baker Mk33 Jettisonable Emergency Airlock (max capacity 18)
4 x Martin-Baker Mk99 Escape Pods (max capacity 4)

Endurance:
Propulsion and Power Systems Unlimited
Normal Crew Expendables for 180 days

Onboard Facilities:
Single-Berth Officer Accommodations for 14 Officers, with private bathroom facilities
Single-Berth Accommodation for 34 Enlisted Personnel with 2/1 shares bathroom facilities
Emergency Accommodations for up to 100
Full Gymnasium Facilities
Virtual Reality Training Suite for Embarked Military Force
28-seat Mess Hall with full entertainment suite
8-bed Hospital with full Trauma suite
Automated Hangar and Armament Tending Systems
Fully Automated Propulsion Module














And finally...

This BBES (Boeing/BAES/Embraer Space Systems) XFA-77A Falcon is serving as a Falcon SF.1 with the Royal Navy as part of the ship's flight aboard HMS Scimitar as it patrols the outer space lanes between the Asteroid Belt and Mars in May 2121. 

This Falcon is historically significant in that it is the ship flown by Princess Victoria during her tour about HMS Scimitar.  In addition to the standard RN markings on the shield emitters, this Falcon carries the Union Flag instead of the Black Ensign, and oversized nose-art on the right nacelle.  This "Regal Eagle" nose-art is one of two times that Princess Victoria used Royal Privilege during her time as a Royal Navy Pilot.  The other involved a bar-fight between RN Pilots and a US Colonial Marine Tank crew.  Obviously Victoria was popular among the Sailors she served with, and many looked forward to the reign of Queen Victoria II.

Victoria's ship is a BAES Falcon, a short range, agile fighter designed around the limited hangar facilities aboard Frigates in the early 22nd Century.  Victoria's Mother Ship, the Frigate HMS Scimitar carries 4 Falcons, each armed with a GE M67 Laser Cannon below the main fuselage, a particle cannon in the left nacelle, and a micro-torpedo launcher in the right nacelle. Powered by twin Rolls Royce Nuclear-Ion Drives and a pair of PWSS F544 Plasma Thrusters, the Falcon is fast and maneuverable.  Though its firepower is somewhat limited, its heavy shielding and high performance made it a vital asset in the fight against Pirates along the space lanes in teh early 22nd Century, though in late 2121 the Falcon would become a stalwart fighter in the battle for the survival of the Human race....










Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2012, 09:03:32 AM »
It's great seeing these again, AD! Builds of this magnitude are bound to cause excitement!

Brian da Basher

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2012, 09:33:21 AM »
Outstanding!
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Doom!

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2012, 11:32:28 AM »
I was hoping the Sci-fi stuff would show up soon! I love this stuff   The Scimitar still just blows me away!
Doom!
Jeff G.

Offline sotoolslinger

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2012, 11:06:29 PM »
Just as cool the second time around. 8) Thanks very much for posting these. :-* :-* :-* :-*

Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2012, 11:40:25 PM »
OMG!!!!!!!!! Great work.

Offline AXOR

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2012, 03:46:15 AM »
Ahaaaaaaa....so,these beauties are yours !!! Excellent work !!!   :-* :-* :-*

Alex
Alex

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2012, 05:01:06 AM »
Really fun seeing these again... reminds me to steal those cool engine exhausts on the Scimitar  :icon_ninja:
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Offline ChrisF

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2012, 10:12:53 PM »
LOVE these !!

Offline Diavel

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #9 on: December 19, 2012, 08:30:19 AM »
Only just seen these, and have to say they are very inspiring builds, I will certainly be looking at these for inspiration for my next sci-fi build
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Offline Cliffy B

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #10 on: December 19, 2012, 08:35:32 AM »
I still love this man, please make more!!!
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Offline Dr. YoKai

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2012, 06:30:53 AM »
 Some lovely stuff there, colleague.

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #12 on: December 20, 2012, 07:57:20 AM »
In space no one can hear you drool.

Awesome builds.
Work in progress ::

I am giving up listing them. They all end up on the shelf of procrastination anyways.

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Offline apophenia

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2012, 01:31:34 PM »
And your Falcon is the cleverist bit of P-38 recycling ever!  :)
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Offline Weaver

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2012, 11:26:50 PM »
Yes, it is indeed great to see these again - the Talon and the Scimitar are my favorites. :)
"I have described nothing but what I saw myself, or learned from others" - Thucydides

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Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: My Sci-Fi Collection
« Reply #15 on: December 24, 2012, 07:23:18 PM »
great builds all around