For my next product that I will try to sell on Blender Market, I'm building a space vehicle from my Orbital Elements universe. This will be a Combat Patrol Vehicle called Jian de Shandian (Sword of Lightning).
Note: This is not a spaceship, a battleship, or a cruiser... In Orbital Elements, space vehicles don't use the ocean-going vessel analogy. Most space vehicles are known as "rigs", but this is too big to be a rig. A heavy rig is under 1000 displacement tons, I need a different name for this brute, which is 250m long.
"Defense platform" - no mobile
"Combat Patrol Vehicle"....better
"Heavy Attack Vehicle"...
I'll have this decided closer to building completion. I'll let the question rattle around the back of my head for a while.
Sketches
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| This sets the basic arrangement: Command module, Mission module (weapons), and at the back, the Engineering/Drives module. |
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| Wings/arms for carrying turrets. Maybe! |
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| I decided the vehicle's superstructure needs to be an open frame. |
Initial Modelling
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| Blocking out |
At the end of day one, I have a solid basis for the model. The weapons modules (wing things) are causing me the most problems. I've redone them a few times. They need to bristle with death-dealing weapons, but they never look right when I add surface systems and turrets. Another problem that kicked down the path was the fuel tankage. I would like to use inflated fuel bladders rather than solid tanks, but I've struggled to get the size right. I might extend the ship's length, which will help keep it balanced. I've added fuel tanks, which make it look bloated and too compact. It may end up looking more sword-like.
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