Well, it’s been a long time since there was a Trek issue posted, so here are a couple of concepts from JJ’s Star Trek from a few years ago. These were some of the first ideas Scott Chambliss and I were working on. The Kelvin was still called the Iowa at this point, and trying to keep in the design aesthetics of the original show, we started out with very blocky forms with rounded corners being the difference between today’s Trek and that of the ideas of the 60’s. The profile was particularly thin, and the door way was about 3/4 of a full size door, making the interior squat with a low ceiling. Scott imagined that these shuttles were to be very utilitarian, and function over comfort was the way to go. This is very much what you would see in modern military design and carrying this point through to Trek was a great starting point.
The first pass of the craft has inset nacelles and is basically very rectangular in shape. As Ryan Church was fleshing out the USS Iowa, we thought it would be cool to try a version with a single nacelle on top of the ship to tie in the ship’s design to that of its assigned starship. This idea of architecture went for a while in various forms before we went in a whole different direction and more towards a Galileo style of ship.
Below are the two variations of the same ship and these were some very fun designs to flesh out.
evac concept one
evac concept two
Eavesdropping with Johnny 
Man, I like these little buggers! I really like the way the shuttles that were actually used really harken back to TOS, but these would have made a nice change with their curvy edges. The single nacelle looks a bit funky to me at first, but tying in to the affiliated Starship is always a good idea, and I think the look actually works for me!
Good job, as always.
Glad you got this one posted just before I jumped into the world of school for today. 🙂
HAAA! yeah I’m working on my calender piece for Drex today,,, Lot’s to do before the weekend due date hits!!
I wanna peek!! What’s it gonna have in it?!
inside of the e shuttle bay
Cool! That’ll rock! 😀
Nice! And in line with the subject of the day…shuttles. 🙂
BTW, was there a specific reason for designing two shuttlebays into the Enterprise-E (one in the saucer, one in the tail)? The Enterprise-D has three shuttlebays, but most of the other ships have only one, so I’m curious how the decision was made in this case.
there were two designed into the E because one will accommodate the saucer section when separated from the main ship and the second bay would take care of the needs of the main fuselage
Wow, I think I just realized why the Kelvin was originally called the Iowa: so that Kirk could still be born in “Iowa”! Makes sense to me!
that was JJ’s point,, made perfect sense!!!
I like the asymmetry and the functionality in these designs, though I don’t think the curvy nacelle really gels with the otherwise boxy ship. Making the shuttle flat and have a fairly large floorplan is a smart idea, as if it’s a flying hospital ward. The shuttles we ended up seeing were a lot more conventional, weren’t they?
we tried that upper nacelle thru every idea and really none of them looked right,,,
The first concept reminds me a bit of the Holoship from Insurrection. It’s pretty cool but, of the two, I definitely like the nacelle-on-top concept better. I tend to like funky designs and that’s definitely funky, so I really like it. I like your TOS meet STV shuttles that you finally wound up designing but I think it would have been really cool to see that 2nd concept on screen. 🙂
I used “funky” in a negative way in my post, but I sure get the “funky” that you mean and I like the look, too. 😉
Yeah, “funky” is kind a generic word that I use for different. I generally use it for stuff that I like that’s different. 🙂
Good morning 🙂
I am a fan of your work that also draw and paint… You do great things!
Have you ever thought about creating a tutorial or an essay about how you work and what tools you use. It would be of great help for people that is starting and doesn’t have a clue.
Thank you
I like the blocky design and the asymmetry. However, I am glad that the “single nacelle on top of the ship to tie in the ship’s design to that of its assigned starship” didn’t come to pass. I think it’s corny if shuttles look like the starship’s children instead of being standard designs.
HAAAAA!!! well said!!!! HAAAAAA!
Nice one, bro, as always. 😉 Ya know, I’m doin the interior of my TOS.5 G7 and you mention:
The thing about the TOS G7 is, it’s a TARDIS! The interior set is much larger than the full-scale exterior prop. So, to have it fit down and through the shuttlebay deck elevator opening, I went with Kirk’s on-screen mention of the 24 foot length, and it works fine, you just can’t stand up in her! At 6′ 1″ (the height of my standard use “scale dude” size reference model) you have to hunch down to walk around in it, and I thought that was kinda fitting actually. 😉
WIP pics are on my site under the “on the bench…” link, for any interested.
Again, sweet work, m’man. 😉
peace | deg
The Galieo isnt the only film set that is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside…alot of films and series suffer from this dilemma.
As far as the design I like it as a medevac, but as a Trek style medevac not so much.
But I realize you have to answer to art directors and production designers and producers.
Thanks for a look at more cool art.
well you work on ideas till thay look right and for this movie it was a long process and paid off in the end!
Thanks and I’ll check it out tomorrow,,, Nelson and I are going to the fest!!!!! getting in thursday night so we have to go back to the air museum on friday!!
Thanks and I’ll check it out tomorrow,,, Nelson and I are going to the fest!!!!! getting in thursday night so we have to go back to the air museum on friday!!
Oh yeah… the late-night movie/burger gang back together again, eh. 🙂
peace | deg
I wonder if the fifth musketeer will be there, Pat… 🙂
peace | deg
Just checked out your G7 interiors.
I really liked them especially the controls which looked a bit more like TMP style (is that what you’re going for?) than TOS.
You’re not kidding when you say it looks cramped and utilitarian, but to me, that just increases the realism of the craft. After all, they’re short range craft aren’t they (warp capable?) and comfort wouldn’t really be much of a concern for the designers.
I look forward to seeing the finished article.
Thanks, Barrie! 🙂
My TOS.5 universe is, yes, between TOS and TMP. A lot of those panel are also taken from the NX-01, as I thought they worked quite well for TOS.5.
And yes, the shuttles are warp capable.
peace | deg
VERY nice. I, too, like the asymmetrical approach. While I agree that shuttles shouldn’t look like mini versions of their mother-ship, your second version totally avoids that with its boxy take on the body. The single engine works for me. And if you had to have 2 engines, the upper-mounting is far more interesting to me than the standard low-slung pods.
all true and I love asymmetry, when I can use it!!
Lovely work as always, Mr Eaves.
Thanks Mark!!!
Beautiful work my friend! I really like concept 2 with the single engine on top and the off center command area.
Been really missing your Star Trek art – thanks for posting!
Bests,
Richard
Thanks and it has been a long time!!!
Wow those are really cool, especially the version with a nacelle. The unused 2009 trek stuff is so awesome, I find myself constantly doing it ! When you post something new from the new movie I will hopefully have everything finished (Kobayashi Maru is done, now I’m doing shuttles). Looking forward to new models ! Oh and by the way, it looks a bit like the holoship !
Cool!!! lets see, lets see!!!!!!! Yeah I guess it does have a halo ship look,, so do all the bricks in my house, HAAA!
Aha so that’s where you’re getting your inspiration from ! I will have to look closer at my house to get inspiration !
As for the images, here’s the Maru :
And a base model for the shuttle :
Hope you like it !
WOW those are awesome!!!! Love the underside detail you came up with and the heavy detailing on the cargo pods!!!! Well done ADAM!!!! thanks for sharing these!!!
Adam, you got skill bro!
Very nice! The nacelle version would have been interesting to see. They do sort of look like a futuristic ambulance! 😀
Have fun at Winterfest!!
Not a fan of the first desgin, but I do like that second one. It down to the single Necsell.
It feels a little bit to wide to me, but I love the assymetry to the design, I prefer the 1st one, without the nacelle, but I like the way the windows are placed on the 2nd one 🙂
Love the 1st one. I could imagine these piled in a stack in some shuttle bay waiting to be called into action.
http://cheezburger.com/View.aspx?aid=3099364864
It made me laugh.
HA! Good one, Barrie!
I quite like the simple, blocky feel to the shuttles. And that the cockpit is poking out of the end. It might not be the most glamerous design in the world, but things like this always seem the most down to earth.
The Offset Cockpit is interestind departure of the centralized designs of Trek. But actually makes sense with the Medical Shuttle, which needs room for the equipment.
They could also make for great lifeboats–the aft recessed into the flank of a larger station above a planet.