[wade8069]

I haven't posted a thread here in a while (Even though I am always lurking here!) but I was wanting to know if any of you were curious about parts/areas of the NX-01 we never got to see on the show.

I am obsessed with this ship and over the years my own objectivity has been clouded by my own fixation of certain parts. I thought it would be nice to open up the floor and get a few different view points to what other fans were curious about.

For me it was the "back porch" or the docking/work are on the back of the saucer. I have sat for hours going over some of the large renders trying to work out what things were for and how they worked.

Anyone else... for old times sake? (I need to get in the mood again so humor me.

[horatio]

Check this out: http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/category/ent-tech

[Commodore]

For me, it's the little aft vent-like structures on either side of the saucer. At first guess, I thought they were impulse engines, but then the impulse engines are apparently farther back at the bottom of the pylons...

[NCC-73515]

Excellent link, horatio. I never realized all the nods to the TOS Connie...

[Thascales]

Originally Posted by Commodore

For me, it's the little aft vent-like structures on either side of the saucer. At first guess, I thought they were impulse engines, but then the impulse engines are apparently farther back at the bottom of the pylons...

Actually, they're impulse engines too. Backups, in case the primaries fail. I loved that about the design of the NX-01, it really felt like the designers carefully brainstormed things a pioneering, unsupported exploration ship would need, and put 'redundancy' high on that list. It's one of my favourite Trek ships for that reason.

[horatio]

Originally Posted by NCC-73515

Excellent link, horatio. I never realized all the nods to the TOS Connie...

Thanks. I liked the modularity ideas behind the design, e.g. hatches for the phase cannons. When you read through Drexler's experiences, no Berman bashing intended, it is sad to read that the creative team often felt blocked by the guy at the top.

[Commodore]

Originally Posted by Thascales

Actually, they're impulse engines too. Backups, in case the primaries fail.

I suspected that's what they were, but wasn't 100% sure. Maybe they would come into play if the main impulse engines had to be jettisoned...

I loved that about the design of the NX-01, it really felt like the designers carefully brainstormed things a pioneering, unsupported exploration ship would need, and put 'redundancy' high on that list. It's one of my favourite Trek ships for that reason.

One of the things most people criticize the TOS Enterprise for is a lack of surface detail, but Matt Jefferies aparently subscribed to the theory of things being embedded in the hull (such as the phaser banks being accessible through retractable hatches that were closed flush with the hull when not in use). There was also the possibility that--like real navy ships and aircraft--the Enterprise's hull was painted (with insulating thermocoat, perhaps?) which would render individual hull features impossible to see anyway.

In contrast, NX-01 had a bare-alloy look to its hull and you could see pretty much everything...