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Leif Ericsson Project Revisited

sabredog

sabredog

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I'm currently working on finishing a couple of commissions and the model I intend to enter in the IPMS show in September, but after that intend to start on my Leif Ericsson starship model. It's the same one I talked about on another thread I started and designed a CT ship around.

I'll be taking pics for an online article on a couple of websites but does anyone here want to see regular progress reports as I go along, too? I'll be doing plenty of scratchbuilding and approaching it from the concept that it will be a Traveller ship as I designed it. I have plenty of photo-etched things like gantry cranes, rails, ladders, and things to dress up the cargo bay. Plus I have resin engines and scoutship to detail.

If ya'll think it be interesting to see, and be able to add some ideas to the project I'll start it up after the show on the 18th of Sept.

Here's the link to the prior thread with pics of the model and other info:

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=21335&highlight=leif+ericsson
 
IPMS? God, that takes me back - my Dad was a member back in the '60s/'70s, and passed the gene onto me.

Can't wait to see the pics!
 
This is only the second IPMS thing I've entered- and last year I didn't win, but came close. I had a drip mark I hadn't noticed in the clear coat on a Ki-84 Frank that was otherwise flawless - I wanted to throw the plane into a wall, but it's still here.

This year it'll be vignette of a MiG-3 and it's pilot but the two planes I'm building for pay are eating up too much time to get started on the Lief Ericsson. As I do the build I'll post the pics.

I'm thinking I might wire the thing for lighting (dim) and randomly open some windows to let out the light with some Preiser 1/500 figures I have to act as crew. I'd like to build the bridge that way so you can see in....and I'll expand the docking bay with an observation/control room, lighting, stringers, and rool-up doors for an ATV garage. The scout will go on an extra catapult turntable I have from an Arizona photoetch set that will lead into an opening in the side of the hangar to a storage area for the scout.

I will also use fibre to make navigation lights and beacons in the hangar and the outside of the ship. Lots of scratchbuilding will be needed, though, since all the external and internal detail (roll-up doors, pipes, vents, etc., are just decals on a flat surface. But that's where the fun will come in - doing something the way I want it instead of sweating an exact copy of some 109 and worrying about if the RLM 02 has enough brown in it for that factory production.

The overall guide I'm using is the Traveller HG design I made for the ship assuming 5000 tons (based on the estimated dimensions of 1/500th):

5000 ton Protected Cruiser (Ericson Class) TL-13

Needle with scoops and purifiers
Computer Model 5fib (12/25)

Jump Drive -2
M-Drive -4 (Agility 2/ Emer 4)
Power Plant -6 (Energy Points = 300
Fuel – 1300 tons (1000 jump-2/ 300 power and maneuver)

Armor=5

Weapons= 2, 100-ton PAW Bays
2, 100-ton Missile Bays
6 Triple Beam Laser Turrets
4 Double Fusion Gun Turrets

Missile Magazine = 10 tons

Hangar Bay = Pinnace (armed w/ laser and 2 missile racks)
*******the "Pinnace" will be the "scoutship" in the model*********
Ship’s Boat (armed w/ laser)
Launch
Grav Carrier (w/ RP Fusion gun)
ATV (Tracked)

Assembly Deck = 120 tons (for vehicle assembly, docking of extra craft, training and assembly of crew)
Cargo = 500 tons (can be configured for extra fuel cells, lab modules, colony habitat modules, etc.)

Crew=
40 double occupancy staterooms
8 single occupancy staterooms (*)
2 double-sized staterooms (**)

Command Section
Captain **
XO/2nd Pilot *
Pilot *
Navigator *
Comms *
Computer *
Chief Medical **
Midshipmen (4)

Engineering
Chief Engineer *
14 engineering specialists and ratings

Gunnery Section
Chief Gunnery Officer *
PAW Section – 4 gunners
Missile Section – 4 gunners
Turrets – 10

Services
10 assorted medics, cooks, etc.

Marines
Captain *
Master Sgt*
First Squad – 1 Lt, 1 Sgt, 10 Marines
Second Squad – 1 Lt, 1 Sgt, 10 Marines

Marines are equipped with combat armor, shotguns, and gauss rifles for shipboard duty. 2nd Squad has battle Dress and FGMP-14’s for dirtside duties, while 1st Squad will use the Grav Carrier.
 
After looking over your (Mr. Boulton) 3-D model on a website about the model I figured I'll paint it something between white and light gray. Like a Light Gull Gray or RLM 02. The base coat will be aluminum with titanium, dark aluminum, and duralumin panels and doors for texture, then the white-gray will go on in a very thin coat so the metallic shhen underneath and color changes will be visible.

I'll engrave roll-back doors for the weapon bays on the nose shield, as well some kind of pop-up looking bays for the missiles on the main hull.

And since it'll be from MTU I'll have to come up with a suitable insignia for the Terran Empire but I'm tempted to use this:

412px-SealOfTheEmpireOfManavatar.jpg


...which I found on some website so long ago I can't remember who made it, but it's an imagined rendition of the Empire in Mote in God's Eye.
 
Andrew Boulton said:
IPMS? God, that takes me back - my Dad was a member back in the '60s/'70s, and passed the gene onto me.

Can't wait to see the pics!
Click to expand...

So what do you build? Or is it all virtual now in the 21st century, while I still hack at plastic and wood while splattering paint everywhere?
 
I built a bit of everything when I was a kid. Gaming took over in my teens, so still a bit figure painting. Got the Dex of a turnip now, so yeah, it's all virtual. Not picked up a brush in over 10yrs.
 
Rigel Stardin said:
If you don't mind sabre, I'd like to use my drawing program to build a pproper sest of deck plans?
Click to expand...

Absolutely, I haven't made any of my own other than planning out what the hangar/vehicle deck will look like for the model.

But a working set of plans for the whole ship would be awesome.
Here is a link to a top down photo of the ship with one of the scouts inside, need anything else?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v304/civildog/topparts1.jpg
 
I read the Original Leif Post, I'll start there and work my way through. Any questions, I'll post here. I'll post first drafts and elements of the floorplan in the CotI Member Section just like I did for the Coti Build, any changes you see necessary can be posted there...
 
No guarantee on size since 5000 tons would be the largest build I've ever done. Weapons are another issue. I'll be using the photo (the one with United States on the side) as my design template.
 
That works for me, the largest floor plan I ever did was for a 5000 ton "Darwin" class exploration ship. And that beast was done on graph paper and had some reaaalllllly long corridors in it. I decided the workaround would be that the corridor gravity was light enough you could launch yourself down the 200 yard thing using grab handles.

The longer central corridor was double wide so you could use scooters...nowadays they'd be called Segways.

Someday I might try that again, but it'll require software.
 
I need CotI member input.

In about 5 minutes, I'll be starting the Leif Ericsson Build in the CotI Member Section under Deckplans.

My drawing skill are majorily flawed so the design will be missing the front cowling. The issue here is whether or not I should put fixed weapons in the nose or run straight avionics?
I'll be posting the types of noses I have on hand.

Second, I want to give the ship a 60's -70's era feel, which if you look at the old TV series the space ships of that era had a submarine feel. They were also aerodynamic (Star Trek was the exception).

So please select the nose you want on the ship.
 
Last edited:
The way I envision it is that the front shield has two roll away doors. One for the port and one for the starboard sides which have the PAW bays behind them. The missile bays are also behind doors in the "shoulders of the main hull behind the gooseneck.

Unlike the original artwork in the model when it first came out I don't consider the ship to be something that can land. At least not IMTU where I have a 2000 ton limit on landing a ship. But the streamlining and design of the engine nacelles indicate the scoops and refining gear for skimming.

And that's what the small craft are for anyway.
 
In fact, the original design had this spinal super-laser shown in the short story that came with the original kit. The emitter was a chrome dish that attached to the tip of the shield. Fortunately this one doesn't have it, but you could put the avionics in the nose, then about 1/3rd of the way from the trailing edge of the shield have the PAW bays.

Bay weapons IMTU are either just really big turrets that can be swapped out as needed, or sponson mounted weapons behind armored doors. I think in this case, to get the proper angle for a frontal arc sponson behind the shield should work for the PAWs and then the armored door would be in the shield itself.

The door slides back and the PAW slides out.
 
The turrets are locally controlled and independent - I don't use batteries for ships this small. Especially since the lasers on MTU's warships are considered anti-missile and small craft defensive weapons. They should be turrets, but an argument can be made that they are barbette type weapons mounted behind doors like the PAW bays since the ship doesn't have them visible.

But, lasers don't need a long barrel so the turrets would only need to be a smooth dome with the emitters flush. They can rotate at any angle that way and not ruin the lines of the ship.

The PAW bays I figure look like this:
Picture001.jpg


The nose shield slides out and forward, then the PAW emitter can fire. The fire control room or targeting avionics would be in the nose forward and between the two bays.

The missile bays are large box launchers that would fire after being raised from the "shoulders " of the main hull. Similar to the bays on an SBD.

Hope all that makes sense?
 
4 for for the main hull sounds right, 3-4 for the gooseneck as it tapers.

2 additional for the "conning tower"?

Some liberties might have to be taken in the actual blueprint dimensions for a Traveller ship vs. the model itself, but I'm good at fudging that sort of thing. I build my models not only for historical accuracy (you wouldn't believe how hard it is to track down the right shdae of RLM 02 or figure out if the inside of a wing was yellow or green zinc chromate...and don't get started on Soviet WW2 colors - I have to take valium because of those now), but also for "what looks right depending on what the viewer is expecting to see".

I really appreciate the efforts you are making - can't wait to see the end product.
 
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