Subject:
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Re: Idea Crunching
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.space
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Date:
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Thu, 16 Dec 2004 22:59:44 GMT
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Viewed:
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2802 times
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In lugnet.space, Peter Roberts wrote:
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I had a design with directional flaps once. This meant that theoretically,
one engine could be use for all sorts of directions, or that was the idea.
Unfortunately, I made it shortly after the civilian MOC contest, and I’ve
scrapped it since... It was a bit weak. I feel very awkward making a
spaceship that can’t stop. Like the star destroyers coming out of
hyperspace... How did they slow down so fast?
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I always figured it was because they didn’t have “real” momentum to begin with.
I figured hyperspace was sort of “bending space” similar to “warp drive” in Star
Trek. So coming out of hyperspace probably puts you at a dead-stop. Or whatever
speed you were going at when you went INTO hyperspace.
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That’s always bugged me. The
other thing that makes me feel awkward is a spaceship that can’t turn, spin
etc. How do those Tie Fighters handle so well with only one engine and no
thrusters? Don’t ask me.
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Well, they do call them “Twin Ion Engine” fighters, so they’ve at least got TWO
engines-- but you’d really need 3 if they were fixed in place. But I always
figured they just angled their engines slightly to achieve turns.
To be honest, lately I’ve thought about spaceships with no external engines.
Essentially, having a big opening on the back of your ship means that you’re
using an engine in a conventional manner: you push out some form of matter in
the direction opposite from the one you want to go, and that gives you the
corresponding forward momentum.
But warp drive and the like doesn’t work like that. What if you could
effectively fold space to maneuver? You wouldn’t need big fat engines sticking
out one end. In fact, you’d probably want the engines to be a central to the
ship as possible.
But of course, a ship with no engines sticking out the back just doesn’t look as
cool. :) Engines are a great excuse to engreeble something extra. Real
spaceships probably would have as little engreebling as possible, sadly; on the
offchance that they really DO have to enter an atmosphere. Plus it exposes less
“critical bits” to damage. Stupid-uncool-looking realism.
DaveE
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Idea Crunching
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| (...) I had a design with directional flaps once. This meant that theoretically, one engine could be use for all sorts of directions, or that was the idea. Unfortunately, I made it shortly after the civilian MOC contest, and I've scrapped it (...) (20 years ago, 16-Dec-04, to lugnet.space, FTX)
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