Show me: The coolest concept/fictional air/spacecraft.

"TheOnelectronic" (theoneelectronic) 08/02/2013 at 23:57 • Filed to: concept art

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As some may remember, I've been toying with some designs for a... near-futuristic? VTOL type craft. Nothing functional, just design. I went through about a year and a half's-worth of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and pulled down just about anything and everything that appealed to me, in order to sort of build up a general image.

I'm not very good at creative stuff; never have been. I'm far, far better at looking at something and identifying what I like about it and why than I am at actually making something I like. That said, though, I feel like I still haven't found anything that really "clicked" for me, so let's see if the crowd has any better examples.

The composite nature means that just about anything mechanical goes. I've already isolated design cues from a Mining Truck concept.

Also, if someone would like to share this to Observation Deck, since I think they'd be more likely to have such things on hand, that would be grande grand

Lead Image: Omega Class Seeker by Bryan Flynn

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 00:01

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This is the Boeing Sonic Cruiser, perhaps one of the biggest pieces of vaporware ever. The program has been cancelled and revived many times over the years and now remains in limbo.

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 00:02

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As a fan of Mass Effect, I nominate the Normandy.

daender > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 00:03

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Ace Combat 5's Falken, the game-breaking bird. It opens its "beak" and fires lasers.

Also the cockpit is covered up, using a "COFFIN" system.

"The CO nnection F or F light IN terface system is a military weapon control system that works via neural synapses. After establishing neuron connections, the operator controls by lying down alone in the cockpit, completely isolated from the visual world. It is also called "COFFIN" because the situation of the cockpit is like that of a coffin - this system is quite unstable and dangerous since it requires complete concentration of the pilot."

But it had a prototype before the prototype, Ace Combat Zero's Morgan. Also equipped with a laser but in a more conventional (?) manner.

If you want more, just ask and I can dump more fictional planes from AC games.

daender > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 00:09

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Ace Combat 4's X-02 Wyvern or as many people nickname it, Switchblade. The nickname comes from the fact that its forward-swept wings fold into the body giving it more of a deltawing shape. Also, the rear stabalizers fold behind the wings to lower its drag co-efficient.

Anon > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 00:11

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Oh hells yes! Let me introduce you to the coolest aircraft ever conceived!

"The Gekko" from Eureka 7! Let me tell you what all this thing can do!

1) It normally flies like a normal airship however it is capable of sub-orbital flight!

2) Between it's rockets and lasers, it has enough power to destroy a third world nation if the crew so wished.

3) It's covered in a prototype film that allows it fly invisible to the enemy. (Hence the name "The Gekko")

4) It has enough room to carry 20 or so people, 4 giant robots, it even has a sauna!

5) It looks like a dragon!

In conclusion it kicks ass!

(Edit: It has a kick ass theme song! how many airships have theme songs?)

For Sweden > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/03/2013 at 00:12

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It won't ever be produced because physics.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 00:21

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Because so much childhood nostalgia.

Makoyouidiot > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 00:49

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Battletech JumpShip. Utilizes massive batteries charged by solar sails to bend spacetime and jump up to 30 lightyears in the blink of an eye, and then they have to recharge. They carry DropShips that deliver military forces (BATTLEMECHS!) to the surface of planets. More info here: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/JumpShip

My often hidden BattleTech nerd side was revealed this post. Damn.

TheOnelectronic > Makoyouidiot 08/03/2013 at 01:17

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One of my favorites is this, because it took me a few looks at it to realize those aren't people standing next to it, they're MECHS.

TheOnelectronic > For Sweden 08/03/2013 at 01:38

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We should make those illegal. They're standing in the way of the American Way!

TheOnelectronic > daender 08/03/2013 at 01:40

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Please do. I've seen these while playing the games, but you seem to have/be able to find much more extensive images of them.

Sun-Tzubaru - With Zoom-Zoom > Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS 08/03/2013 at 07:27

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I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite post on in the thread

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > For Sweden 08/03/2013 at 07:37

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Isn't in the human nature to build stuff that seems impossible ?

Makoyouidiot > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 08:24

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Dropship ftw

FrankN.Stein > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 09:06

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Star Wars Tie Interceptor

Babylon5 G'Quan cruiser

Star Trek Klingon Bird of Prey

f86sabre > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 09:13

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Shared to ODeck.

Project Orion nuclear bomb propelled spacecraft

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_O…

Eagle from Space 1999

The Leonov and Discovery from 2010

If you are looking at VTOL for cargo there is the sky crane and its design details.

Cool site with a bunch of NASA settlement concepts

http://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/index.html

Cosmo Tiger from Space Battleship Yamato

MasterChef_117 > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 09:29

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The Lewis & Clark!

You may have seen it on conceptship, though its pretty old... I just love the whole idea/styling behind it.

djublonskopf > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 09:38

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Not a vehicle, but I learned about the still-under-construction Namaste Tower (in Mumbai) yesterday, and my first thought was that it would have made a sweet spaceship.

Corpore Metal > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 09:44

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I guess that's one of the minor issues I have with the new film Elyisum's SSTO VTOL vehicles :

The movie's viral website suggests these things are propelled by nuclear propulsion or perhaps some conventional hybrid air breathing chemical jet and then nuclear in the upper atmosphere. I mean the radiation hazards would be very formidable and what is currently being seriously proposed looks nothing like the vehicles in the movie. Considering all the issues it looks like magic handwavium to me but, who knows what we'll invent in a 100 years time?

POD > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 10:14

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For the fictional VTOL ones, I tend to think these are interesting:

Reminds me a bit of a B-Wing from Star Wars.

A-10 VTOL, what's not to love?

And for non VTOL, I tend to like these two:

The Swordfish II for it's collapsible wings and thrust vectoring air brake.

The Fan Jet from Robotech because it was the first anime I watched and I've always thought it was cool

And for real world weirdness, I've always been a fan of Parasite Fighters. I just think they are a cool concept, even if not terribly practical.

The Great & Powerful Turtle > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 10:52

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So here's a few concept ships I've collected for story inspiration. I've no real details on these ships unfortunately, though that dieselpunk one at the top is clearly inspired by the P-38 Lightning.

UkuleleDan > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 12:02

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The future of F1 racing from Vincent Montreuil

A replacement for the Space Shuttle from Jonnathon

Coast Guard VTOL craft from Marrekie

TheOnelectronic > UkuleleDan 08/03/2013 at 15:08

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That replacement shuttle is ADORABLE.

I also REALLY like that Coast Guard VTOL. Thanks!

Vracktal > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 15:10

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The RDA Valkyrie. Still my favourite spacecraft, and the only reason I like the otherwise uninteresting movie Avatar. Shame one of them got blown up.

TheOnelectronic > Corpore Metal 08/03/2013 at 15:12

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That site has some cool info, thanks!

I generally don't hold movies to a strong standard of accuracy, but I definitely agree with you on the "handwavium."

TheOnelectronic > Vracktal 08/03/2013 at 15:30

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I considered using the Valkyrie for the lead shot. It's actually what inspired me to try this project, though its proportions are far too bulky for my immediate purposes.

The thing that amazed me about it was how well they managed the sense of scale. It always looked massive when it was in motion.

And I found plenty interesting in Avatar. :p

The Huey-esque ducted fan VTOLs were also quite cool, and got a good amount of screen time.

Sun-Tzubaru - With Zoom-Zoom > TheOnelectronic 08/03/2013 at 19:46

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My inner Gundam fan is a sucker for this particular design from one of the side-stories. Air/spacecraft ("Waverider") mode for one of the mobile suits.