My Top 10 Capital Ship’s

What are my top designs ?

This is something I have asked and been asked a number of times, my answer has always been conditional, “I have to place them into difference classes, capital ships, fighter ship and freighter ships and so on”. I will share what my top 10 designs are and I have picked the designs based on how they look, how versatile they are so some designs that I like just did not make it into my top 10 designs. I won’t say what ones they are, some mystery in life is good for you. 🙂

I will also be using film or TV screen-caps where possible, instead of using fan made designs

These are my choice’s of capital ship designs that have Long Range abilities and that can transport a large crews over great distances, Interstellar or better, having hyper-light speeds or warp speeds and large cargo carrying abilities.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

01 .USS Enterprise

Original and Refit

Star Trek

TOS USS Enterprise as originally designed and screened in the 1960s, The Enterprise was designed by Walter “Matt” Jefferies for Star Trek, and become an Icon from the moment it appeared changing how science fiction was perceived and is still as popular as ever.

The new USS Enterprise Refit for its transition to the big screen,in 1979 giving a new glorious look by Mike Minor, Joe Jennings, Douglas Trumbull, Harold Michaelson, Richard Taylor and  Andrew Probert. One of my favourite Star Trek films to this day.

Both these ship share my 1st place in my list due to design legacy.

02. Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica

Colonial Battlestar Galactica designed by Ralph McQuarrie and built by John Dykstra and his team at Apogee Inc.

Over 1 nautical mile long or 1852 meters  and for those who like it in feet (6076.1 ft) (its a scale supported by John Dykstra) and I found via my own work in cgi anything smaller does not work, as the launch tubes are to small for the Vipers to fit!. Containing at least 150 Vipers in my estimation when at peak fighting condition and a large number of  colonial shuttle-craft  which are between 85 ft and 110 ft long, and a unknown number of ground support units called Landrams.

As a battleship it is the equal of Star Wars Imperial Star-destroyers in my view, but perhaps having no where near the same crew compliment as the ISDs or the range, but in a toe to toe battle more or less equal. Ion Cannons and Tie Bombers could give the IMPs the advantage if the Viper screen fell.

but it does have more of a predator look than the ISD, always a fan favourite

2nd place on my list down to the design.

03. Imperial Star Destroyer

Star Wars

The Imperial Star-destroyer, One of the most imposing designs to appear on screen, designed by Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston among other ships for Star Wars. just under 1 terrestrial mile long 1,600 meters (5,200 ft) and has an impressive crew compliment Imperial-class Star Destroyers had over 37,000 crew on board— 9,253 officers and 27,850 enlisted personnel. The complement of 9,700 Storm-troopers added to a total of 46,803 crew and passengers.

While shorter in length than the Colonial Battlestar’s, The ISD is wider and taller and its over all design giving it more internal volume,

I think it should also be around 1 Nautical mile long like the Galactica, I know fans will disagree with my ideas here, but that’s all they are and I like both BSG and Star Wars with equal measure.

The ISD makes it to 3rd place in my list.

04: DSV Liberator

Blakes7

The DSV Liberator was an abandoned spacecraft found drifting in the second episode of Blakes7 TV series, The Liberator (originally called simply DSV 2) was created by the “System” an alien race that look very like young women in very tight outfits, so no complaint there. The design I estimate to be around 780 meters or 2559.06 feet long

The Liberator was not designed by a model or special effects unit but by the set designer Roger Murray-Leach, due to poor funding the effects where never stellar but the design is interesting and in my mind worthy of inclusion in my top 10 / 12 but never fully explored or as I think the show if redone should, its one of the few shows that should be remade and by the BBC.

 4th place in my list

05: USS Cygnus

The Black Hole

The Star of Disney’s The Black Hole has to be the USS Cygnus designed by Peter Ellenshaw

This is a stunning design and beautifully presented design from the film and I look forward to its appearance each time I watch it. I have no idea what its scale is.

5TH on my list

06: Odyssey

Ulysses 31

Ulysses 31 cartoon from the 1980s has a massive space craft Odyssey, controlled by a ship’s computer “Shyrka” and commanded by Ulysses. Ulysses is accompanied by his son “Telemachus” and his robot toy “Nono”, they are joined later by Yumi a blue-skinned girl and her brother Numinor. All the other crew and later Numinor are kept in suspended animation for much of the adventures, a curse by the Greek god Zeus and the crew only appearing from time to time under the control or others, a very good soundtrack by Denny Crockett and Ike Egan

Scale length 1224 m, width: 3125 m, height: 2005 m

6th on my list

07: Klingon D7 and Film upgrade

Star Trek

Designed by the renowned Walter “Matt” Jefferies for Star Trek and is a fantastic design, more visually interesting than the season one Romulan Bird of Prey, The Klingon D7 was an instant hit and in my mind was not seen enough in Star Trek. . another Icon.

A remake of the classic, the D7, making it a K’t’inga class.  and like the D7 not seen enough.

7th on my list

08: Roger Young

Starship Troopers

ROGER YOUNG Impressive battle design in my view, At this time I have very little information about the design and who worked on the models and props..  I will fix this once I do have the info.

8th on my list

09: IAS Excalibur

Crusade

IAS Excalibur, The Excalibur is a big ship, a mile and a quarter long 2012 meters or 6,600 ft, powerful but with some limitations, when it fires itsbig guns they ship is powered down, power depleted unable to manoeuvre or fire back relaying on its resistant hull design to keep them safe.

I think it was based on the Liberator from Blake’s 7 and its a very elegant design and its a pity the series never reached its potential,

9th on my list

10: Cylon BaseStar

Battlestar Galactica

Cylon Basestar, is the main adversary for the Colonial Battlestars, in the Battlestar Galactica universe,

“Col Tigh: [Pointing at the model of a Cylon basestar] She has 300 fighters, carries two long-range megapulsars, here and here, and over a hundred defensive laser turrets. She’s an orbiting killer, capable of destroying every ship we have, including the Galactica”.

from the episode “The Hand of God”  I cannot see Colonial Battlestar commanders going against Basestars with anything less than 150 vipers to fight those odds (2 to 1)

10th on my list

Do they make your list?

Check Out
My Top 10 Enemy Fighters

Note: I have removed the Event Horizon in favour of the Excalibur for the
9th position.