Galactica length question...

Apolloisall · February 5th, 2011, 08:43 PM

Given that the Enterprise is roughly 1000 feet long, it seems to me that the Galactica would be some 3000 feet. But I've seen 4000 + feet assessed in some circles.

Opinions?

BST · February 5th, 2011, 09:48 PM

This has been a popular topic, for a long time. Here's some additional threads about it that you may find to be of interest.

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums...lactica+length

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums...lactica+length

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums...lactica+length

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums...lactica+length

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums...lactica+length

http://www.colonialfleets.com/forums...lactica+length

peter noble · February 6th, 2011, 12:04 AM

6080 ft.

gmd3d · February 6th, 2011, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter noble

6080 ft.

Yeah, it has to be that minimum I think.

Apolloisall · February 6th, 2011, 12:10 PM

Wow, ask a question around here- and you get fully answered RIGHT AWAY!!!

Thanks guys!

gmd3d · February 6th, 2011, 01:21 PM

no problem ....... it was one of the first questions I asked when I joined here some years ago now.

Apolloisall · February 6th, 2011, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taranis

no problem ....... it was one of the first questions I asked when I joined here some years ago now.

This gives me an idea for a cool graphic- I'll post it here when I finish it.

gmd3d · February 6th, 2011, 02:27 PM

cool ...... sounds interesting

Apolloisall · February 6th, 2011, 02:49 PM

monolith21 · February 6th, 2011, 05:34 PM

Wow...that sort of puts it in perspective doesn't it!

Apolloisall · February 6th, 2011, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monolith21

Wow...that sort of puts it in perspective doesn't it!

I believe that is the correct ratio, based upon the 6000+ foot number given to me on the highest authority.

Funny that I just *happen* to have an Enterprise that is precisely in scale with my Galactica (those models are actually in front of each other in the pic- I only added stars)!

gmd3d · February 7th, 2011, 01:07 AM

that is they way I always viewed it. nice one

Punisher454 · February 7th, 2011, 01:21 AM

6080 feet.

I have worked out the scale from the inside out, and 6080 works. anything less does not. at 4000 feet the shuttle will have a very small opening to enter the landing bay. and the launchtubes will not fit .

The method I used was to use the shuttle interior studio blueprints. Looking at the windows of the shuttle, the floorplan of the shuttle as well as the quoted shuttle length of 110feet, you come up with a shuttle that is about 110 feet long.
Next look at the shots of the shuttle taking off and landing in the landing bays. Adjusting the scale of a 3D battlestar model to get the proper shuttle to landing bay entrance proportion you end up with a battlestar in the neighborhood of 6000 feet long.

Things NOT to use for scale comparison;
1. scenes with vipers landing, Vipers WAY too large!
2. the "full size" shuttle prop/facade that was used. its about 1/3 scale
3. viper launchtube exit holes on studio model, drawings and many 3d models.

gmd3d · February 7th, 2011, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punisher454

6080 feet.

I have worked out the scale from the inside out, and 6080 works. anything less does not. at 4000 feet the shuttle will have a very small opening to enter the landing bay. and the launchtubes will not fit .

The method I used was to use the shuttle interior studio blueprints. Looking at the windows of the shuttle, the floorplan of the shuttle as well as the quoted shuttle length of 110feet, you come up with a shuttle that is about 110 feet long.
Next look at the shots of the shuttle taking off and landing in the landing bays. Adjusting the scale of a 3D battlestar model to get the proper shuttle to landing bay entrance proportion you end up with a battlestar in the neighborhood of 6000 feet long.

Things NOT to use for scale comparison;
1. scenes with vipers landing, Vipers WAY too large!
2. the "full size" shuttle prop/facade that was used. its about 1/3 scale
3. viper launchtube exit holes on studio model, drawings and many 3d models.

That was one of the ways that the production staff also scaled it as far as I remember . but I cannot find the link.

BST · February 7th, 2011, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apolloisall

By these appearances, a Cylon raider would look to be nearly as big as the saucer section of the Enterprise.

Considering the size that we know the Cylon raider to be, having seen footage of humans (Starbuck and Apollo) in proximity to and inside of a raider, AND considering that the saucer section is about half the length of the Enterprise (289m (original), 305m (refit)) , I can't quite wrap my head around this comparison.

jewels · February 7th, 2011, 08:27 AM

6080 feet or 1 nautical mile.

I never knew that that shuttles were 110 feet. that's about the length of 2 standard semi trailers. For a shuttle to be able to land on Colonial Movers' ship, those container pods would have been huge in comparison to our shipping containers.

Punisher454 · February 7th, 2011, 09:10 AM

The colonial shuttle is a rather large craft. IMHO its too big to be used for transporting 1-6 humans as is seen frequently on the show. Logically there would be an intermediate sized craft. A few 3d modelers have modeled nice concept models that would fill this role.

gmd3d · February 7th, 2011, 09:29 AM

I always thought given the size of the launch bays or pods, that many more vehicles are possible. emergency crews and such.

other shuttles for specific tasks are also possible, why not

Punisher454 · February 7th, 2011, 06:33 PM

No doubt there would be task specific shuttle variants.

Apolloisall · February 8th, 2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BST

By these appearances, a Cylon raider would look to be nearly as big as the saucer section of the Enterprise.

Uhhh, no, I think it would be more the size of the dome on top of the bridge of Enterprise...
Just sayin'.

BST · February 8th, 2011, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apolloisall

Uhhh, no, I think it would be more the size of the dome on top of the bridge of Enterprise...
Just sayin'.

To expand a bit on my remarks:

If you take the Enterprise, as it appears in the picture you posted, it appears miniscule when compared to the Galactica. Now if the Enterprise is approximately 900 feet long and the Galactica is approximately 6080 feet long then, one could line up 6-1/3 Enterprises, end to end, along the length of the Galactica.

The picture shows that you're already at about 2-1/2 Enterprise lengths by the time you're at amidships, the largest section on the Galactica and you still have the main engines to go, after that.

Bottom line is that, in my opinion, the scaling for the Enterprise and the scaling for the Galactica are out of sync. The Galactica should be about 6-1/3 times as big as the Enterprise but, the way the picture looks, it's probably about 10-12 times bigger.

Apolloisall · February 8th, 2011, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BST

The Galactica should be about 6-1/3 times as big as the Enterprise but, the way the picture looks, it's probably about 10-12 times bigger.

I just measured- my Galactica model is almost exactly six times the length of that Enterprise. Must be the way the picture came out...

jewels · February 9th, 2011, 04:57 AM

Starship Dimensions website:
http://www.merzo.net/ If you click on the -2x link you'll have a page with the original enterprise in the left column and the Galactica is way down in the column that starts with Farscape ships.

Interesting thing: he lists the Enterprise, constitution class as 285 m and the Galactica at 610 m which is far short of what the article he links to which discusses the sources of the size confusion for the Galactica. I think that one ends up assuming the 6080 feet as the source for that length was John Dykstra. The scale discussion linked under the image of the Galactica is worth a read.

The hard part about scaling the Galactica is that she was done in the optical printer era and scaling individual model shots together is an imprecise product.

gmd3d · February 9th, 2011, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewels

Starship Dimensions website:
http://www.merzo.net/ If you click on the -2x link you'll have a page with the original enterprise in the left column and the Galactica is way down in the column that starts with Farscape ships.

Interesting thing: he lists the Enterprise, constitution class as 285 m and the Galactica at 610 m which is far short of what the article he links to which discusses the sources of the size confusion for the Galactica. I think that one ends up assuming the 6080 feet as the source for that length was John Dykstra. The scale discussion linked under the image of the Galactica is worth a read.

The hard part about scaling the Galactica is that she was done in the optical printer era and scaling individual model shots together is an imprecise product.

Yes you have it right on jewels. I even sent him a message asking if he could make one with the alternative (and correct

scale. but never happened witch is sad really, as I really like the site). and your comment about John Dykstra for the Gs Scale

Apolloisall · February 9th, 2011, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewels

The scale discussion linked under the image of the Galactica is worth a read.

Wow, fascinating stuff! Personally, I assumed the Viper and the Gallileo to be roughly similar in size, I then compared landing bays- hence my own initial 3000' calculation.

So, as far as I'm concerned, it's precisely... BIG!

gmd3d · February 9th, 2011, 10:51 AM

Yes its Big that's for sure

sometime I try to get both the Enterprise and the Galactica into the same image and to scale and render of a top and side view

Apolloisall · February 9th, 2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taranis

sometime I try to get both the Enterprise and the Galactica into the same image and to scale and render of a top and side view

By my own crude estimation, these two pieces are *roughly* in scale to each other (NOT that my estimation is in any way correct, mind you).

gmd3d · February 9th, 2011, 11:10 AM

interesting none the less

Apolloisall · February 9th, 2011, 11:40 AM

I'm willing to believe that the launch tube exits are considerably wider-looking on the outside of Galactica then they are on the interior. Also, the Vipers & Raiders seen battling over Galactica were much closer to us (the camera) than it appears. The 6000' call seems perfectly fine to me, based on that.

gmd3d · February 9th, 2011, 11:44 AM

I am just working on a few renders of the Galactica and the Enterprise Side by Side . just need to add credits to the images.