How Big is a Battlestar?

[bionicbob]

Hope this is the right area to post this....

What are your thoughts to the actual size of the Galactica? How long is it? How many stories high is it? How large is its crew? How many fighter squadrons does it have? Heck, how many vipers make up a squadron?

When viewed by itself, the Galactica appears to be HUGE, but othertimes when it is scene with the Fleet or a Viper or Raider flys over it, its size seems to shift? I know it is suppose to be like an Aircraft Carrier in space, but it appears to be much, much larger (unlike the current remake series in which the Galactica appears to be quite abit smaller that the original series) than any vessel on Earth.

Also, (just to start up some sci-fi fan rivalary), is the Galactica the largest Ship in Sci-fi TV series history. Obviously way larger than the Enterprise. But is it bigger than the Andromeda Accendant? It is suppose to be 50 stories tall with a crew of 5000.

So what are your thoughts? :...:

[Dawg]

The Galactica, by most accepted accounts, is approximately one nautical mile long - something over 6,000 feet. As for the other dimensions - proportional. I'd suggest it might give the Andromeda Ascendant a run for its tonnage.

I am
Dawg
:warrior:

[gmd3d]

There are a few intresting threads on that subject in CF ....
Here is one link out side CF that has gone to question that very thing ..

Personaly I like the 6,000FT SCALE .
http://ravensbranch.allen.com/galacticasize.html

[bionicbob]

Thanks for the interesting article Taranis.

The 6,000 ft would make the most sense. But the 8 year old in me always viewed it as being much bigger... mythic, almost cosmic in scale.... easily 2-3 miles long. It would have been interesting if the series had explored the Galactica more. And is it just me, but did one get the sense from HOG that since the Galactica is so large and old, that many parts of it are abandoned or seldom used?

But as the article stated, it size did vary depending on the F/X shot. For example the landing bay entry, looks just large enough for Vipers and Shuttlecraft and yet in EIT and BE, there was a Terran Battleship parked inside.


So if it is 6,000 ft long, any ideas how large the crew would be (must be in the thousands one would think) and of that, how many viper pilots and squadrons would a battlestar have???

And Dawg, though I am a huge BSG fan, to be fair, I think a fully crewed Andromeda Accendant could probably kick a battlestar into the next quadrant. Bwah HA HA HA! :rotf:

[gmd3d]

:) .. the way I look at it is .. the average US Aircraft carrier carries over 5000 + crew and BIG G at 6000ft + mark .. I all way like the number of 12.000.. most are there to RUN it ....... caombat could be extra .... but thats just me ....

Have a look for the thread "Galactica Landing Bay interior" by SilentBob .. HE IS BUILDING IT in 3d .. its very cool

[Sarika]

I think it would be just so marvelous if a Battlestar landed in your backyard,,of course the rest of the neighbourhood would be wiped out...but wouldn't it be fantastic??? :D :colonial: :viper: :viper2: :colonial:

[gmd3d]

Whole neighbourhood Nothing .... Id have to clear out of the city ........:)

[Apollo9]

Does not have to crush could just hover over. I don't think i ever seen an episode with the battlestar going in to an atmosphere.

[Dr. C]

Hi everyone

Tonight I must be bored or something .... but has any one ever mapped out the Galactica to see just where certain individuals quarters were on the ship?

Example where is Adama's chambers, the kitchen, how many bathrooms and so forth? :rolleyes:

[jewels]

Re: nautical mile, I think it's 6,080 feet. It's the size I like best too.

[gmd3d]

Does not have to crush could just hover over. I don't think i ever seen an episode with the battlestar going in to an atmosphere.
thats true :) I don't thank they can !! or even shoud land. the tech is not seen to be availible to the colonials ?? at least for a Battlestar. I don't know about a Cylon basestar, one got very close to the surface of Carillon :) so perhaps there drive system are capible entering a planets gravity

[gmd3d]

Hi everyone

Tonight I must be bored or something .... but has any one ever mapped out the Galactica to see just where certain individuals quarters were on the ship?

Example where is Adama's chambers, the kitchen, how many bathrooms and so forth? :rolleyes:

Hi Dr. C .. I did try to map the landing bays ... the pic can been seen in the <Art in Progress>. thread areas .. and Silentbob is building a 3d model of the landing bay..

have a look .. :)

and welcome to CF ..

[Sarika]

I think just getting a Battlestar off the ground in the first place would require a tremedous amount of power.

What I'd love to see indeed ,is a"you are here" map of the Galactica...kind of like when you get lost in a huge shopping plaza.... :LOL: but I don't do things like that at all...I just lose family members...for millecentons...

[Wildcard]

the three most common lengths mentioned are:

2000 feet: this figure is based on a number of sources. An article from the August 1978 issue of Starlog, which quotes a unnamed member of the production staff. the British BsG Annual also contains this figure(this was an un-official publication). this figure is also used on Battlestar Galactica model by Revel, and was an officialy licenced product.

1,265 meters: this figure comes from measurments done by Todd Boyce, primarily using the known length of a Viper at 28.5 feet. you can see his detailed research at:
http://ravensbranch.allen.com/galacticasize.html .
for what it is worth this is also the accepted figure at Battlestar Wiki(sortof)

1,853 meters: this figure comes from several sources as well. John Dykstra's staff at Apogee Studios stated in a issue of British Modeler that the original 76" model of the Battlestar was to a scale of 1/960 which equals 6,080 feet or 1,853 meters. Both John Dykstra and Glen Larson have stated that the Battlestar was a mile long(1853 meters is exactly one nautical mile. The one mile figure is repeated in the extras section of Universals DVD release of the BsG series.

[gmd3d]

1,853 meters: this figure comes from several sources as well. John Dykstra's staff at Apogee Studios stated in a issue of British Modeler that the original 76" model of the Battlestar was to a scale of 1/960 which equals 6,080 feet or 1,853 meters. Both John Dykstra and Glen Larson have stated that the Battlestar was a mile long(1853 meters is exactly one nautical mile. The one mile figure is repeated in the extras section of Universals DVD release of the BsG series.

That the scale we should see as canon. :)

and Welcome Wildcard :thumbsup:

[Wildcard]

That the scale we should see as canon. :)

and Welcome Wildcard :thumbsup:


thanks for the kind welcome.

my heart leans towards that figure as well given the statements by Mr's Larson and Dykstra, however Todd Boyce's work is real compelling given that its basis is from on-screen evidence which according to some is the first level of canon. The 2,000 foot figure should be thrown out as a sick joke :salute:

[gmd3d]

The 2,000 foot figure should be thrown out as a sick joke

That would make it smaller than the Uss Enterprise 1701 D TNG .. so your right :)

[KJ]

Hope this is the right area to post this....

What are your thoughts to the actual size of the Galactica? How long is it? How many stories high is it? How large is its crew? How many fighter squadrons does it have? Heck, how many vipers make up a squadron?

When viewed by itself, the Galactica appears to be HUGE, but othertimes when it is scene with the Fleet or a Viper or Raider flys over it, its size seems to shift? I know it is suppose to be like an Aircraft Carrier in space, but it appears to be much, much larger (unlike the current remake series in which the Galactica appears to be quite abit smaller that the original series) than any vessel on Earth.

Also, (just to start up some sci-fi fan rivalary), is the Galactica the largest Ship in Sci-fi TV series history. Obviously way larger than the Enterprise. But is it bigger than the Andromeda Accendant? It is suppose to be 50 stories tall with a crew of 5000.

So what are your thoughts?


Galactica is one mile long. She probably rivals the Stardestroyer from Star Wars in terms of 'Length' although the Stardestroyer seems more bulkier in it size appearence mind you.

Far as the original Galactica being the biggest ship in Sci-Fi TV history goes?

Nope, the mining ship "Red Dwarf" from its namesake TV show, is over 5 miles long. Babylon 4 from the TV series "Babylon 5" was a Spacestation with engines and a drive system (unlike B5 which is always stationary?) making it a 6 mile plus ship and mobile base for when it was taken back in time during the great Shadow War and was certainly able to avoid detection from its enemies during its great war in the past with this function (see the series and comic book "In Valen's Name").

Even 'The Visitor' Saucer dish ship from the TV mini series 'V' was a massive ship that was many times larger and covered a distance moreso than 1 mile in diamiter.

KJ

[WarMachine]

...Even 'The Visitor' Saucer dish ship from the TV mini series 'V' was a massive ship that was many times larger and covered a distance moreso than 1 mile in diamiter.

KJ

...Then there's "Independence Day", where the "dropships" were c.15mi/dia, IIRC

[gmd3d]

Well you can chack out Jeff Russells site .. the Galactica is there but a a scale that way to small .. I once sent him a email asking if he could do a version the Larson and the Fan see as the canon size of the BIG G ...

but a well layed out site

http://www.merzo.net

[KJ]

...Then there's "Independence Day", where the "dropships" were c.15mi/dia, IIRC

But bionicbob talking about mainly sci-fi fantasy ships from television. So i kinda avoided movie ones except for a minor Star Wars comparsion though.

But yeah point taken though, the ID4 mother ship was the carrier of those smaller invading scaucer ships around the world. And they themselves were over 7 miles long each?

KJ

[gmd3d]

Big Bastards anyway :) ..

[Damocles]

Size of a battlestar assuming the canon nautical mile length based on observed characteristics.

Using the Mike Wong method;

Estimated total volume is based on the 1800x700x500 cubic meter rhomboid estimated 40% occupied by the battlestar actual;

250,000,000 cubic meters.

Based on 400 kg per cubic meter structure modality(steel)

Mass equals about 100,000,000 tonnes metric

90/10 rocket rule. 25,000,000 cubic meters habitation and pressurized cargo volume usable.

Each human being with his life support requirements, living/working spaces and consumables requires a minimum of 1000 cubic meters available dedicated space in the spacecraft for endurance cruises of up to a year.

Maximum battlestar crew size can be no greater than 25,000 personnel. Given modern warship manning requirements of 1 sailor per 5000 cubic meters in an automated surface vessel as planned (DDX), the logical conclusion is that the crew is more likely to be 5000 personnel. If I follow the logic of automation to its ultimate conclusion, then the crew could be as small as 2000 personnel. If we assume the logical 96 Vipers and 16 landrarms flight group, then a 2000 personnel crew is the absolute minimum that you could logically extrapolate.

As always;

[gmd3d]

:...: :...: :...: :eek: URGG .. Check please .. :rotf:

25,000 personnel works for me :)

Going
GOING
GONE 25.000 it is :)