Leif Ericson Scoutship

[Patron Zero]

Product Placement

AMT models was hoping to cash in on the Star Trek craze with their own line of Trek-like models set in a Trek-like universe that was hopefully different enough to avoid a lawsuit from Paramount Pictures.

Sadly Matt Jefferies didn't wrangle one of the LE models to appear on-screen somewhere in an episode Star Trek (TOS), that brief appearance would have pretty much cemented the kit's 'immortality' to legions of loyal fans as much all other aspects of the Trek 'verse has.

My wistful dream would have been to have seen the LE's Scoutship land in the hanger bay of the U.S.S. Enterprise after the Leif Ericson itself had hailed said vessel.

What a missed opportunity of presenting the LE and the SSC if only being given it's "15 minutes" of televised fame as a glimpse into an 'alternate' universe parallel to Star Trek's UFP.

 

[nyrath]

Sadly Matt Jefferies didn't wrangle one of the LE models to appear on-screen somewhere in an episode Star Trek (TOS), that brief appearance would have pretty much cemented the kit's 'immortality' to legions of loyal fans as much all other aspects of the Trek 'verse has.

My wistful dream would have been to have seen the LE's Scoutship land in the hanger bay of the U.S.S. Enterprise after the Leif Ericson itself had hailed said vessel.

What a missed opportunity of presenting the LE and the SSC if only being given it's "15 minutes" of televised fame as a glimpse into an 'alternate' universe parallel to Star Trek's UFP.

You do know, do you not, that the Leif Ericson was almost in it's own TV series?
http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_of_the_worlds_tv_pal.htm
http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/leif_ericson_model.htm

 

[nyrath]

I'll try to get some decent renders done today or tomorrow. Feel free to use them on your site.

I have them up here:
http://www.projectrho.com/SSC/model.html#boulton
Let me know if you need me to edit the blurb.

 

[nyrath]

By the way, my real name is Winchell Chung.
Way back in the dawn of history I did some drawings for GDW, like the Annic Nova.

 

[mmbutter]

By the way, my real name is Winchell Chung.
Way back in the dawn of history I did some drawings for GDW, like the Annic Nova.

I think I have some of your original artwork.

 

[The Oz]

That is just lovely, Andrew!

 

[aramis]

By the way, my real name is Winchell Chung.
Way back in the dawn of history I did some drawings for GDW, like the Annic Nova.

And some of the most iconic gaming art ever: Metagaming (and later SJG's) Ogre cover.

You are legend... and surprisingly down to earth.

Nice to see you hanging out around here again!

 

[nyrath]

I think I have some of your original artwork.

Great! I hope you like them, whatever they are.

 

[nyrath]

And some of the most iconic gaming art ever: Metagaming (and later SJG's) Ogre cover.

You are legend... and surprisingly down to earth.

{blush} Thanks!

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Nice one, Solomani dude.

Nice work there Andrew, very nice work, am waiting for the final render...

 

[Patron Zero]

Lost Legend

You do know, do you not, that the Leif Ericson was almost in it's own TV series?

Yes, I've seen the pre-production art before, actually ages back when such was presented in Starlog Magazine concerning said series.

I do think though even the briefest of mentions in Star Trek-TOS would have mustered more 'support' for the proposed model line seeing the diversity *winces using that term* and sheer volume of fan-driven post-series props, models and technical reference materials.

Sadly none (to my knowing) of Mr.Jefferies' designs made an appearance in the late-lamented Mr.Roddenberry's other period non-Trek television projects, Genesis II, Planet Earth, Strange New World or The Questor Tapes.

 

[Starviking]

And some of the most iconic gaming art ever: Metagaming (and later SJG's) Ogre cover.

You are legend... and surprisingly down to earth.

Nice to see you hanging out around here again!

Seconded! I love the Warpwar stuff myself.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

By the way, my real name is Winchell Chung.
Way back in the dawn of history I did some drawings for GDW, like the Annic Nova.

Heh, it's a funny old world. You try to leave Traveller, but it just keeps pulling you back!

BTW, I use Cinema 4D, not 3DS Max.

 

[savage]

LE uncovered

Winchell (Nyrath).. great site. I visit often. According to your calcs the LE would come in at about 5k dt... yet the poster described enters into the 1.6kto 2k dt range. Where do you think the disconnect is based on your analysis?


Andrew. Each version keeps getting better, excellent work. I always thought the nose cannon would make a fine spinal mount but did it as a bay weapon. Unless I leave cannon behind (everyone knows I do that regularly) a spinal mount would not work very well due to Traveller sizing which I always thought was mass production. Either way it looks great. As Wichell describes there are many alternatives to the design.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

I'd roughly guesstimate it to be 5-6kdt.

 

[Jeffr0]

By the way, my real name is Winchell Chung.
Way back in the dawn of history I did some drawings for GDW, like the Annic Nova.

You are right up there with Erol Otus, Denis Loubet, and George "Speed" Webber in my book. You guys were there at one of the best times... when gaming had a respectably-sized audience, but was not yet overrun with the marketing gimmicks of the 90's. Ah... so much ground to be broken....

(Is it nostalgia or is there something inherently cool to gaming art from the late seventies to the mid-eighties that is just plain cool-- that hasn't been surpassed since...?)

Those little Ogre sillouettes marked a major turning point in wargaming history, IMO...

 

[nyrath]

According to your calcs the LE would come in at about 5k dt... yet the poster described enters into the 1.6kto 2k dt range. Where do you think the disconnect is based on your analysis?

The graphics of the poster are top notch. He went over the plastic model with a micrometer. It is exceedingly accurate.

However, the figures listed on the poster he sort of just made up.
I'd go with 5K myself.

 

[nyrath]

BTW, I use Cinema 4D, not 3DS Max.

Whups, sorry. I fixed it.

 

[nyrath]

You are right up there with Erol Otus, Denis Loubet, and George "Speed" Webber in my book. You guys were there at one of the best times... when gaming had a respectably-sized audience, but was not yet overrun with the marketing gimmicks of the 90's. Ah... so much ground to be broken....

(Is it nostalgia or is there something inherently cool to gaming art from the late seventies to the mid-eighties that is just plain cool-- that hasn't been surpassed since...?)

Those little Ogre sillouettes marked a major turning point in wargaming history, IMO...

Thanks! You made my day.

I too think there was something inherently cool about the gaming art from that bygone era. Alas, nowadays it is all about computer gaming. I've toyed around with writing computer programs to play hex-grid games, but all the young whipper-snappers I know just sniff at it and say "how quaint!". Then they go back to playing Halo 3 or Bioshock.

 

[Patron Zero]

Tech Reference

The graphics of the poster are top notch. He went over the plastic model with a micrometer. It is exceedingly accurate.

Just curious if any sort of depository has been considered to 'preserve' and make ready reference available to such detailed information ?

I do paper models as a hobby and given access to such data might try my hand at a larger scale (say 15-25mm) Scoutship, mind better would be seeing such done in plastic or resins but sadly not my area of expertise.

One other thought is if such specs were used to do a 3D model for CADS or other like program, a fabricator could really produce something incredible.


(Credit and respect for the wireframe images seen at projectrho.com a given)