Freedom

Early render. Feedback is best at the early stages. (That means please reply.)

I like, looking forward to more detail.

Sweet design. How many people are actually the crew? Looks like a small shuttle.

The interior will be a lot like the shuttles in Star Trek or the Jumpers in Stargate: Atlantis. Two seats in the front, and a couple bench seats in the back.

I have only started on the interior, since we plan to actually build the set. The model will be made to reflect that.

Now to decide on a color...

I would say, a red and black blend (like Darth Maul's face). I also like the blue like the first pic of it.

Okay, I haven't completely decided on the weapons for Freedom. Serenity has two magnetic grapplers similar to the ports that I added to the bottom front of Freedom (there's no grappler in it yet, just a launcher). But I'm also strongly considering the wing-mounted grapplers (also just a launcher at this point). They're much more aggressive looking.

I may also attach two gattling guns alongside the grapplers.

The wide port near the bottom is the EMP, and the two ports that face directly forward are reverse thrusters.

Any thoughts?

I'll take two.

Is it me or does the nose look dented like it hit something in space?

What about like some sort of flash grenades that just shoot out and do a big white flash near the ships their chasing as a scare tactic?

I was just thinking about that sort of thing, and I think I may have two types of EMPs. The first would be like the one we saw in Serenity, and the other would be a flash grenade style. I think bounty hunters would like to have their options open.

Yeah, trying think of non-lethal weapons and such as most bounties are higher when the person is alive so it's probably what they aim for.

This would be something Gale would insist on.

Yeah, maybe his next ship can have them... Thought we were looking into non-lethal weapons? Or is it for a last resort?

Yeah, this is as a last resort. There are lots of other non-lethal weapons on board too.

As much as I like the gatlings in the real world, I'd consider mimicking the large caliber MG's Mal used to shoot down the skiff in the Serenity TV pilot.
They were Browning M-2 .50 calibers modified to resemble the Russian 12.7mm DShKM.

Also, I'd think any barreled weapon on a spacecraft would have to be retractable or the heat of re-entry would melt or distort the barrel.
The act of weapons swinging into place, once in atmosphere, adds dramatic flair.

Mike

My other observation would be that the craft looks too small to be interplanetary.
In the Firefly 'verse spacecraft seem to be propelled by nuclear and/or chemical engines.
The smallest interplanetary craft seen in Firefly was the Fed ship seen in The Message, which looked to be about two or three times the size of an F-14 Tomcat.
And even at that, I had a sense that it had range limitations.

I gather you are looking to make a smaller craft so you can build one full-size?
If so, you could make the small part of the ship detachable from its interplanetary rig.
That is to say, there would be a larger section with a nuclear space engine and chemical fuel that the smaller craft would dock to for travel and leave behind in orbit once the bounty was engaged or a landing was called for.

If you are going to composite the ship into shots with your actors, and only want a single ship, I'd add a whole 'nother section to the ship for fuel and a space drive.

The small, limitless-range shuttles only worked in Star Trek because they had some mumbo-jumbo warp drive technology without real-world counterparts.
In the 'verse, technology isn't that far ahead of ours today.
Even the shiny, high-tech Alliance craft don't step outside our accepted understanding of technology in action.

Mike

I've considered the re-entry problem. The problem is that the ship just isn't big enough for retractable guns. But I think that 500 years from now, in a society that is constantly flying through atmo, someone would come up with a gun that could handle it. It certainly wouldn't be cheap, though.

That being said - No one likes my gattling guns? They're supposed to be overkill. That's how Gale works.

It's not an interplanetary craft. I refer to it as a "planet-hopper." To travel between systems, it has to hitch a ride on a cruise ship or something similar.

The hitching a ride on other craft is an interesting idea that also opens up story possibilities.
Who will your characters meet on the ships they hitch a ride on and what stories could spring from that?
Possibilities...

Nothing wrong with the gatlings
(although they create a lot of drag without an enclosing pod)
just liked the connection and look of the Russky guns!

Mike

My only problem with the guns is this. Always out. Always threatening. Like an ASREV. Like Jayne standing around holding a shotgun. Like River with a can of Peaches.

Yellowjacket wrote: Like River with a can of Peaches.

*snicker*

About the re-entry problem. Many of the ships in the 'verse have parts exposed that would, in our world, melt off. Even Serenity has its questionable items; solar panels and such. I don't think we should think too hard on it. After all this is fiction, not the NASA spacecraft design team. I think the look and feel of the ship is more important that the technical aspects of it. If it is too crazy I am sure it won't have the right feel to it.

I think the ship is looking great.

Added the bomb-bay doors that Ryan mentioned in the pilot script (they slide open instead of hinge). Cleaned up the mounting points under the wings. Next part to work on is the landing gear.

Nice. Looking good.

Looking sweet.