[WIP] Athos Class

[Majestic]

This is my latest WIP, and I must say this ship just doesn't want to get completed. I started this ship Yesterday and I've had nothing but trouble with Windows and MS3D, crashing on me more times that I can count, not operating right, at one point it deleted the entire model and I had to go back to my latest back-up. To be honest I can't wait till this ship is done and finished.

I still have a lot of work on the bottom hull and deflector dish area, I need to model in a bridge and the top torpedo launchers and pod. Plus some rear warp pylons and impulse engines.

This class is inspired by another ship I found on SFM's, it's a great place for inspiration and one of my main sources of inspiration when I've got none.

Basically she's around the size of the Nova class, built during the Dominion war as an alternative to the Sabre and Defiant classes when the war was starting to look real bad. They were simpler and quicker to build, a 4 month start to launch production time really made these a favourite by Starfleet.

Spoiler: Description

Athos Class
Classification: Frigate/Destroyer
Design and Production Facility: Utopia Planita, Mars
Commissioned: 2375
Crew: 65
Decks: 9
Mass: 325,000 metric tonnes
Dimensions: 173m(L) x 68m(W) x 34m(H)
Armament: 8 Type XI Phaser Arrays, 2 Pulse Phaser Emitters and 4 Photon/Quantum Torpedo Launchers
Defence Systems: Auto-Modulating Metaphasic Shielding system with a Duranium/Tritanium Double hull with 40mm of Ablative armour and a high level structural integrity field
Propulsion: 2 Impulse Engines and one matter-antimatter warp core feeding 2 warp nacelles.
Support Capacity: 2 Shuttles

Unit Run:
NX/NCC – 75723 USS Athos
NCC – 75921 USS Phorthos
NCC – 75922 USS Aramis
NCC – 75923 USS Louis
NCC – 75924 USS Dalton
NCC – 75925 USS Sutherland
NCC – 75926 USS Mornay
NCC – 75927 USS Delby
NCC – 75928 USS Sheen
NCC – 75929 USS Caprice
NCC – 75930 USS Genex

NCC – 76017 USS Gander
NCC – 76018 USS Miranda
NCC – 76019 USS Keyes
NCC – 76020 USS Juvat
NCC – 76021 USS Gibbs
NCC – 76022 USS Falcon
NCC – 76023 USS Pluto
NCC – 76024 USS Phobos
NCC – 76025 USS Hurricane
NCC – 76025 USS Oklahoma

Class Overview:
In the mid 2370's the Dominion war was raging, a quadrant engulfed conflict that for a time looked to be the ultimate demise for the Federation. The Federation shipyards were in full production, old mothballed designs were being reactivated but still it wasn't enough to keep up with the Dominion's fast paced construction of ships and growth of Jem'Hadar warriors.

Smaller ships were being favoured, Sabre and Defiant classes among the most popular, however Starfleet found both ships look more time to construct than the Dominion could construct a Attack ship. It was decided upon, in a risky gambit to produce a new small ship, one that was simple to construct but powerful enough to be worth the resources. Taking design elements from the Nova, Akira and Steamrunner classes the Athos was born out of necessity.

A mere 173 meters in length, the Athos was designed as a torpedo destroyer that could be a comparable combatant with the Sabre and Defiant classes but quick and easier to produce. The ship make the record books as not only a new design developed in a state of emergency but also the faster vessel ever constructed, with a total planning and construction phase of only 9 months. Providing to be a capable and successful design, they were massed produced (capable of one being built every 4 months) during the war and shortly afterwards, increasing starfleet's combat fleet considerably.

 

[Amateur]

Stop...teasing...with...nice...ships

Another fine model that I'm looking forward to slotting in. Looks a little like the Maelstrom from STO - which is no bad thing

I can see this with some form of Defiant-ish texture; all dark and menacing (sort of).

As for the crashes, I've had models do that before. Problem is, in 3ds max a lot more things can go wrong - and often by the time you realise it's too late. I remember trying to build the Arc-170; every time I'd apply the texture the mesh'd just shatter into smoothing groups. Had to restart in the end.

But that's off topic. You're turning into a model making machine - and I can't wait to find a place for 'em!

 

[Jetfreak]

Another WIP worth watching! I can already see her forming up with Sabres and Defiants.

 

[Terra_Inc]

Wow, looks really nice. Great work!

 

[Adm_Z]

Ooh, another one?!?! Awesome you know, these ships look alot like Future tense ships. I love that! Maybe, when they are finished, I could add a "Majestic yards" yard with all your cool ships in to that mod. I think they would all fit quite well.

 

[Knight]

looks cool so far Maj!

 

[CABAL]

Why are there so many awesome Fed ships?! It makes it too hard to choose which ones to put in my install! :grumble grumble:

 

[Majestic]

Stop...teasing...with...nice...ships

Another fine model that I'm looking forward to slotting in. Looks a little like the Maelstrom from STO - which is no bad thing

I can see this with some form of Defiant-ish texture; all dark and menacing (sort of).

As for the crashes, I've had models do that before. Problem is, in 3ds max a lot more things can go wrong - and often by the time you realise it's too late. I remember trying to build the Arc-170; every time I'd apply the texture the mesh'd just shatter into smoothing groups. Had to restart in the end.

But that's off topic. You're turning into a model making machine - and I can't wait to find a place for 'em!

MS3D can be very buggy and temperamental at times. Though until yesterday it had been behaving itself.

Funny about the Fleet Ops similarity, as I haven't looked there for inspiration, just SFM's to be honest.

Another WIP worth watching! I can already see her forming up with Sabres and Defiants.

Wow, looks really nice. Great work!

looks cool so far Maj!

That you guys, I felt another couple of small ships were in order so I have decided to deliver.

Ooh, another one?!?! Awesome you know, these ships look alot like Future tense ships. I love that! Maybe, when they are finished, I could add a "Majestic yards" yard with all your cool ships in to that mod. I think they would all fit quite well.

I'm glad you like them, I'm trying to do different designs that fit in with established Trek as well as my own Midway Universe.

Why are there so many awesome Fed ships?! It makes it too hard to choose which ones to put in my install! :grumble grumble:

I could always stop making them.

 

[Majestic]

I've done some more to the vessel, still a bit to do till I am complete, mainly the top torpedo launchers and some more fiddling with the deflector as I am still not happy with it.

 

[Jetfreak]

The more that I look at the design Maj, more and more do I get the feeling that this was inspired by the Zandura Class concept for First Contact.

 

[Majestic]

I have actually never seen the Zandura class until I looked it up just a minute ago.

Not something I would ever make personally, but an interesting design nonetheless.

 

[Majestic]

Well I have decided to do away with the bottom hull and start again. I have a few options here:

• Try it again, in keeping with the original WIP.
  
• A Defiant class bottom, indented.
  
• Keep it flat and have it that it can land.
  
• Do a new secondary hull but make it different.

I would like to hear peoples options on this as I am kind of stuck at the moment. I have also modelled in the top torpedo launchers now and finished the top hull with only the bottom left.

 

[dinosaurJR]

I would say Defiant style - definitely. Indented a little, with a central round bit...

Kinda in keeping with the utilitarian mono hull design.

This is really first rate work - I cant wait to see the textured model!!

 

[Amateur]

Yeah, I'd agree with that. However, rather than having the whole shape indented I'd suggest a more streamlined shape such as the top section of your Linerunner. Mainly as a comple shape like that can cause no end of problems when using mesh tools on it; but also because I like the bottom of the Defiant

 

[CptBenSisko]

actually...i would make it more saber styled than anything else...seeing that this ship is more related to the saber than anything else...maybe not the triangular shape of the Saber...but something similar...

 

[Majestic]

Thank you all for your suggestions, last night I came up with an idea for her that kind of blends the idea of what I originally was planning and the Defiant style. I'll do the modelling of it today if I get the chance and post screenshots of it.

 

[Majestic]

Here is the new bottom of the hull, which still needs work, especially in the smoothing area plus I need to add a deflector dish to the front dome.

 

[Sqweloookle]

Compact Nova-class, sorta.

I love it Majestic. Keep up the great work.

 

[Terra_Inc]

I really like the progress on this one. I would definitely take this with me when going to war!

 

[CptBenSisko]

I like it!!! Thats kinda what i envisioned when i said Saber-esque but not triangular likethe Saber!! A natural evolution from that design...very slick looking...

 

[Majestic]

Thank you all. Well I have modelled in a deflector dish to the ship.

I am considering putting a small deck on the front of the saucer where the shuttlebay is going to be much like the Linerunner. But other than that the model is essentially done modelling wise.

 

[dinosaurJR]

Hmmm - I see whut you did thar...

It looks good - keeping the indented Defiant style but adding an almost mini Excelsior type secondary hull - genius!

Looking good - I cant wait for the texture

On a side note - I would definitely use the method of texturing that Fahres described - it makes a far more clean and detailed tecture, also it uses more of the actual area of the tga...

Good luck bro!

 

[Terra_Inc]

Aw, a sweet little ship. She looks great!

 

[Majestic]

Ah thanks, well she is essentially finished I am still up in arms about whether to give her a shuttle-bay deck or not. But I have started another ship, surprise, surprise. I am not sure whether I like this one or not yet however.

 

[USS_Excalibur]

Thank you all. Well I have modelled in a deflector dish to the ship.

I am considering putting a small deck on the front of the saucer where the shuttlebay is going to be much like the Linerunner. But other than that the model is essentially done modelling wise.

I like it so far, just the idea of the look on the deflector looks too much like the Excelsior's. If it isn't to much to ask, could it be more... unique? I've seen so many ships with the classic round deflector either mounted on front or pressed in. The Voyager series and DS9 series helped with variety a little. Just that I think it would be a treat for a bit of a more different deflector type. I'm not picky just that I think that not all ships need to have a bunch of traditional traits.

 

[Majestic]

I already plan to change the deflector as I don't really like it, however I won't be changing these designs for others, they are ships I have created for my own projects and most are how I want them.

 

[Majestic]

Update

I finally came back to the Athos, wanting to do a bit of work on her. She how has a new engineering hull and deflector more in line with what I originally wanted.



As you'll know if you have been following the thread, the Athos is a small frigate/destroyer built during the Dominion war to boost fleet numbers, as Defiant class vessels were slow to produce due to the power the little ship had at it's disposal and Sabres while more expensive, were not as suited to combat. So Starfleet came up with the Athos while not as powerful as the Defiant, it was more suited to combat than the Sabre.

Well with the new engineering hull, the idea behind it was with the war, Starfleet chose not to continue production of the Nova class, not suited to combat and were sitting targets basically. So many of the resources for Nova's were diverted to the Athos class including the deflector and forward engineering hull.

Well it's basically done modelling wise now, I am however considering adding some small pylons as the nacelles look very unstable now with the engineering hull on.

 

[Starfox1701]

Nice would look good in galaxy or sovi type skins

 

[Majestic]

Thanks Starfox, I am planning on having her match the Dawnstar, with Intrepid like escape pod hatches.

 

[Starfox1701]

Cool