So I’ve mentioned once or twice here that I’ve been working on my own sci-fi setting for a while now (world-building really, though I keep intending to write a book or nine…), and have been messing around in SketchUp (a VERY simple & intuitive 3D modelling program - 3D Studio Max this ain’t!) a bit as well… and in short, I thought I’d post a few odds & ends and see what people think.
Standing almost 23 metres tall (or wide or whatever ), this is, I think, a fairly logical end point for a realistic space fighter. It’s “piloted” by an AI instead of a person, meaning those (rotating) nozzles on the ends of its arms can be used to pull absurd high-g manoeuvres. Its four-barrelled, continuous-beam rotating ball turrets (god that’s a mouthful…) give it complete coverage, and (though being lazy, I didn’t model it
) are designed such that the barrels can be angled slightly, allowing it to either focus on one point or spray all of circumambient space with cones of death.
On a separate note, I recall getting the angles right on this to be a real pain in the posterior .
The Sheridan Transport is actually attached to army units in spite of the fact that it’s a hyperspace-capable transport. Lightly armed (those double-barrelled guns are smaller versions of the Spitfire’s ones, only not ball-mounted), it’s designed to transport Sheridan mechs onto hostile worlds (think Exo-Squad mechs, slightly bigger though), although it can also be used for other vehicles & infantry. Instead of the Spitfire’s nozzles, it has two massive main engine nacelles, plus various circular retro thrusters scattered across the body to enable it to manoeuvre in space (the pale blue circles, basically). It’s about 55 metres long, considerably bigger than most real-life landing craft (it’s nearest equivalent I guess).
One of my earliest models, the Asgard is basically a flying box of missiles, with some impressive defensive firepower in the form of its 9 double-barrelled beam turrets. Unlike aerodynamic fighters or the Spitfire, it’s a ungainly thing, designed to hide beyond visual range (or obstacles, in space combat) and lob absurdly powerful missiles at enemies. More specialised versions, featuring two heavy forward-firing beams or multiple anti-tank beams also exist, but they are much rarer.
Sentinel drones are a quick and dirty way of establishing a perimeter on a newly-invaded world. Dropped in their angular drop pods from space, they unfold and the Sentinel deploys with a pair of what we’d consider heavy infantry weapons. Another early model of mine.
A more recent model of mine, Sirius class cruisers are the go-to warship for the Commonwealth Navy. This rear view shows off the stern hangar entrance, and you can just make out the battlecruiser-grade ball turret on the prow (larger than the regular turrets BTW, and the cause of the “Mod B” in the name). The “spines” along the ship mount the Spitfire’s ball turrets plus manoeuvring thrusters, but the main ones are like the Sheridan Transport’s nacelles, just buried in the hull with only their ends pointing out fore and aft. At about 750 metres long it’s noticeably bigger (and nastier) than the cruisers of almost any other galactic power. For those interested, the turrets can rotate up to 67 degrees, meaning a ship like this can always focus half its broadside turrets on an enemy.
Based on the cruiser model above, but with most of the ball turrets replaced with big hangars, mainly for Spitfires & Asgards (probably 5 parasite craft per hangar, for 30 total). Like the cruiser model above, the bulk of the hull is taken up with equipment - if the hangars were set into the hull you’d have to either drastically slash the number of parasite craft or the shields. To give you an idea of the scale, those hangar bay doors are about 60x45 metres.
That’ll do for now I think - might post some more pics later on if there’s interest .