DSNG'S SCI FI MEGAVERSE: SPACECRAFTS, SPACESHIPS AND STEAMPUNK CRUISERS

The notions of riding amongst the stars and traveling at hyper velocities have always intrigued sci fi fans. And whether its spacecrafts like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars or the various models of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek, fanboys and fangirls that enjoy mental odysseys through distant worlds and alternate galaxies will always have a keen appreciation for those sorts of aerial transports; ultramodern convoys that shoot across the spotted expanse of the heavens, while they approach [and in some cases supersede] the speed of light.

The possibility of FTL travel will always be an issue of arduous debate, because even if such crafts could be created, there is no guarantee that the human body will be able to survive constant journeys that engage in velocities that surpass the speed of light. However, we will boycott that discussion, since this blog article is a showcase of sci fi wallpapers and posters.

Presented here is a compilation of spacecrafts and battle cruisers that are featured in the DSNG Sci Fi Series. And I'll also include fascinating works by other digital artists that I respect.

The top image is an Armada [a battle cruiser] departing from a space station in high orbit. The next poster shows two Raptor S-III Fighter jets [from planet Taran]. The third image presents two Advantor X-50 hyper jets that are utilized by the heroes from planet Avera. And the last craft is the Black Dagger, an armada belonging to a notorious space pirate named Margitar. All of these vessels are featured in the storyline between DSNG Chronicles Book 1 and Book 5.

[These two spaceship images above are by pro concept artist, Scott Robertson]

Most space-faring vessels capable of breaching the limits of a planet's exosphere can be placed into a host of categories. And these spacecraft groups will depend upon the structure of the sci fi universe being considered. For example, in the futuristic DSNG Universe, there are a host of dropships that fall into categories such as Class1 [Hovercopters], Class2 and Class3 vessels. There are also hyper jets employed by military factions, which serve as high-speed warfare hovercrafts. And there are armadas [battle cruisers] designed to dominate the skies with their hefty arsenal. There are much larger warfare crafts than these, but the presented listing will suffice for now.

Hyper jets are roughly between 150 to 250 feet in length, from one end to the other. The Class3 dropships [colloquially called Destroyers] are about 550 to 650 feet in length. And the Armadas range from 1,000 feet to about 1,500 feet. The armada battle-cruiser shown below was done by concept artist Maxim Revin.

Steampunk Spaceships and Cruisers!

I did a lengthy article on the Steampunk Sci Fi Genre last year and it was posted over Here.
Often showcased in Retro / Classical environments or even Fantasy worlds, Steampunk vessels are actually visual contradictions, per the fusion of ancient and modern technologies utilized in their contrivance. Those familiar with cartoon shows like One Piece or even He-Man will probably be more familiar with Steampunk-styled vessels than they realize.

[From top to bottom: Concept art by Janditlev, Alfonso De La Torre, Matt Gaser and Slawomir Maniak]

And here are two peculiar Steampunk themed vehicles, designed with mobility / terrain adaptability in mind; they almost look like "mobile yacht homes" or "walking boat houses". They were designed by artist Oscar Cafaro and they appear to be very... unique. And the third image of a mechanical centipede mech is by Nikolay Yeliseyev:

The factory-styled housing structure [the leftward concept design] appears to showcase excessive steam generation, as would be generated by a powerful classic locomotive. And in the middle, the mechanical boat-walker has twin turbines near its top deck, which are probably installed for acquiring high velocities while out at sea.

Most Steampunk crafts are rather open [similar to convertible cars, in that regard] and that permits aeration and rapid ventilation. Beyond the utilization of modified steam and hydro engines for propulsion, Steampunk battle cruisers are also often designed as boats and ships with sails and wings-like appendages, or blimps with extra rotors and wings. One of the most obvious anomalies about Steampunk spaceships is that they seem so advanced in their inherent technologies and yet so limited in their presented maneuverability.

For instance, if one could design a cruise-ship that could function with VTOL technology [Vertical Take-Off and Landing] then that engineer has virtually created a hovercraft. But if the Steampunk cruise ship is a hovercraft, why is it often seen riding on the waves like a classic boat, risking the influx of damaging moisture into the engine compartments? In our modern world, F22 Raptors and other 5th generation fighter jets like the EuroFighter Typhoon are parked on top of Navy aircraft carriers for a reason; and one of those reasons is so that their advanced avionics don't get wet...

[Image by Daniel Luvisi]

I included the pic above as a model of Steampunk technology, because of the dichotomy it shows. Those look like futuristic speedboats, with jet turbines on their ventral sides [their stomach/base region]. Jet engines that produce sufficient thrust will result in flight, as long as the engine's propulsion output is large enough to lift the fuselage of the vessel. But if those are jet engines, then why the hell are two of the hovercrafts sailing and riding the waves instead of completely flying above them? - That's the contradiction that I noticed, on closer observation.
The three wallpapers below show a Steampunk robot steamengine / mecha-train, an aquatic craft and an aerial craft, which are all designed with Steampunk themes:

Note that the last pic above has a driver with goggles seated in an "open" cockpit.
The most recent movie that I saw which showcased Steampunk styled-technologies was Captain America: The First Avenger. And the two vehicles which fell into the current category we're discussing were

The Valkyrie jet with giant rotors, roughly shaped in the boomerang-style of the classic B2 bomber
And the six-wheeled classic hot-rod [owned by the Red Skull, similar to the vehicle used in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]

This isn't an act of blatant criticism; it's more of an observation. The Red Skull's vehicle is shown below...

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**EDIT ON NOV 17TH, 2010 - NEW SCI FI SPACESHIP WALLPAPERS!:

Here are some more sci fi concept space ships / hovercrafts presented as wallpapers. The first two were done by Josh Nizzi [for Paramount & Transformers 3: DOTM] and some other four concept designs [illustrating hyper jets, dropships & space cruisers] were done by Scott Robertson for his BLAST art book, coming soon to retailers in the USA and online.