# ships that look like stuff



## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

we've all heard of the Enterprise-D looking like a flattened spoon and the Defiant looks like a turtle.

What about other ships in the science fiction universes?

To me, the Serenity looks like a fishing reel.


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## Old_McDonald (Jul 5, 2002)

Well, Voyager looked like an upside down spoon.

The E.T ship looked like a christmas ornament.

The Battlestars look like "gators".

the whitestars looked like plucked chickens

Minbari ships look like fish.

Shadows ships look like bugs

Then there was this ship from the movie "battle beyond the stars" when observed from the front looked like.. uh well...almost indecent


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## Steve Mavronis (Oct 14, 2001)

The Discovery from 2001 looks like a sperm cell. I've always wondered if that was intentional.


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## OneAM (Jul 9, 2008)

Given the "birth" of sorts at the end, I'd say it probably was intentional.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Of course, many science-fiction craft have an intentional resemblance to familiar objects or animals, e.g., the manta-ray shapes of the Martian ships from the 1953 _War of the Worlds_ and the Flying Sub. Uncle Martin's ship from _My Favorite Martian_ looks like a cross between a Jaguar E-type (which partially inspired the design) and a bedroom slipper.



Magesblood said:


> we've all heard of the Enterprise-D looking like a flattened spoon and the Defiant looks like a turtle.


Did someone say "turtle"?


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## CessnaDriver (Apr 27, 2005)

The "Battle Beyond the Stars" ship looks like a flying pair of breasts. LOL


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Slave One- Elephant Head
TIE Fighter- Screaming Eyeball

Mimbari Capital ships look like giant Angel Fish


.


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

Flesh Gordon had some interesting ships.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

Richard Baker said:


> Mimbari Capital ships look like giant Angel Fish.


I always thought that a Mi*n*bari Sharlin cruiser looked like a betta


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## Griffworks (Jun 24, 2002)

The Ancients ship in "Stargate: Universe" looks like some sort of Medieval weapon, some sort of glaive, I think it's called? Or a odd-shaped meat cleaver? 

The first Asgard ships we see in "Stargate:SG-1" sort of look like a boomarang.


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## Prince of Styrene II (Feb 28, 2000)

Magesblood said:


> To me, the Serenity looks like a fishing reel.


To me she looks like a horse.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

Griffworks said:


> The Ancients ship in "Stargate: Universe" looks like some sort of Medieval weapon, some sort of glaive, I think it's called? Or a odd-shaped meat cleaver?


Labrys?


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

The 'thermal pod' from Buckaroo Banzai was very much some kind of shellfish. The one from Lizardo's ship looked like a blending of a seashell and a hand.


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## BronzeGiant (Jun 8, 2007)

Old_McDonald said:


> Then there was this ship from the movie "battle beyond the stars" when observed from the front looked like.. uh well...almost indecent


Beat me to it......

Steve


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## Krel (Jun 7, 2000)

The Defiant is based on a shampoo bottle, a joke that backfired on the person that made the pitch model. He made the model using a shampoo bottle as a base as a joke, and those making the decision loved it, to his chagrin. 

The Flying Sub is based on a Stingray, not a Manta ray. I read once that the Spindrift is actually upside down from the way it was designed. The designer brought Irwin Allen the model, who took one look at it, and turned it over, saying this is how it will be.

David.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

The 1954 British talk-fest _Devil Girl From Mars_ had one of the silliest-looking flying saucers ever. It looked like a sink strainer combined with part of a water pump. Must have been designed by a plumber.











Richard Baker said:


> Slave One- Elephant Head


The Slave One design was inspired by the shape of a street lamp.


Krel said:


> The Flying Sub is based on a Stingray, not a Manta ray.


Well, one ray looks pretty much like another.


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## DarthForge (Feb 5, 2009)

Not this one. LOL


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## terryr (Feb 11, 2001)

Millennium Falcon- Hamburger or sunfish.
Klingons- Insects
Romulans- Birds.
Star Fleet- Kinda human, with a head, body and limbs. Except Reliant.
Secondary Ships in Star Wars were designed after things like an outboard motor or a pickle.
The Lexx- an insect mutated into a starship.


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

Killer Klowns From Outer Space had a pretty interesting ship.


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## Jim NCC1701A (Nov 6, 2000)

CessnaDriver said:


> The "Battle Beyond the Stars" ship looks like a flying pair of breasts. LOL


There is a photo of it with a bra. I'm serious. 
Lemme see if I can did it up from the depths of my hard drive...

And find it I did...
http://www.albumsnaps.com/photos/BattleBra-HT-253580.html?s=3


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## Jim NCC1701A (Nov 6, 2000)

Krel said:


> The Defiant is based on a shampoo bottle, a joke that backfired on the person that made the pitch model. He made the model using a shampoo bottle as a base as a joke, and those making the decision loved it, to his chagrin.


Always thought the _Defiant_ looked a little like it was based on the main body and engine pods of the _Leif Ericson_. Which woulda been a nice tip 'o the hat considering Matt Jeffries designed the _Ericson_.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

To me, Defiant looked like a waffle iron with handles.
Voyager looked like a humpback whale.


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## phicks (Nov 5, 2002)

The Voyager saucer actually reminds me of a toilet seat.


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## starseeker (Feb 1, 2006)

To me, the Seaview always looked like a bath back-scrubbing brush.
No one has mentioned Flesh Gordon yet? Those ships Really looked like stuff. Wasn't that where Greg Jein started his career? (Yeah, like it was the credits I payed attention to.)


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## Old_McDonald (Jul 5, 2002)

here's one.
Almost all of the Klingon and Romulan ships look like 
pterodactyls and other flying dinosaurs


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

The TOS Enterprise NCC-1701: A beautiful woman. Well, that's what I think of when I look her anyway! May not have the build, but the beauty of. Beautiful lines and curves that go alllll the way up to her, uh...._saucer_. And _OH _that saucer, big round luscious curves with sloping peakes that look like...think I better stop it here before I get in trouble with the Hankster.

hal9001-


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

hal9001: Have you been REALLY lonely lately? :lol:


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## Jim NCC1701A (Nov 6, 2000)

phicks said:


> The Voyager saucer actually reminds me of a toilet seat.


Side-view of the _Voyager_ was based on a F-16. For real - take a look at the way the air intake is positioned and tell me that isn't the nav deflector.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

scotpens said:


> hal9001: Have you been REALLY lonely lately? :lol:


Is it that obvious?  Hey, she's a looker, wouldn't you agree though? :thumbsup:

O.K.,O.K., I'll call 1-900-555-1234 at find a date! Wish me luck.

hal9001-


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Yes, the TOS _Enterprise_ is a classic design. Looks good from every angle.

One of Matt Jeffries' early sketches had a saucer in front, a cylindrical second hull, and two long cigar-shaped engine pods -- but with the cylinder on top and the engines underneath. It looked much more dynamic and powerful when turned upside-down. Voilà! The world's most famous fictional spaceship was born.


hal9001 said:


> O.K.,O.K., I'll call 1-900-555-1234 at find a date! Wish me luck.


Be careful -- the woman on the other end of the phone may not exactly be a beauty. In fact, she may not even be a woman! :freak:


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

From the side X-Wings look like a Corvette.
Greg Jein did work on Flesh Gordon along with a bunch of other premo SFX artists- they scrambled their mnames in the credits. It was not his first movie, but such a fun project he just had to do it.

.


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## bccanfield (Nov 17, 2002)

Here is my favorite-- the NSEA Protector. I loved the movie, but the resembalance just cracks me up.

"Never give up--- never surrender!"


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I read somewhere that Roddenberry wanted the Enterprise to evoke the feel of a majestic clipper ship under full sail. She does bear a certain resemblance when viewed at certain angles:


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

bccanfield said:


> Here is my favorite-- the NSEA Protector. I loved the movie, but the resembalance just cracks me up.
> 
> "Never give up--- never surrender!"


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

Well, the original sketch of the Enteprise-E was changed because someone stated it looked like a plucked chicken. Sorry for the small picture ...


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## Gemini1999 (Sep 25, 2008)

Opus Penguin said:


> Well, the original sketch of the Enteprise-E was changed because someone stated it looked like a plucked chicken. Sorry for the small picture ...


I was just looking at my Trek Sketchbook last night and I noted that too. Personally, I liked the pylon configuration better than the "flying buttress" version that harkened back to the TOS films for the refit. I thought that the "chicken wing" pylons were a closer evolution to those on the Ent-D.

Bryan


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> I read somewhere that Roddenberry wanted the Enterprise to look as majestic as a clipper ship under full sail. She does bear a certain resemblance when viewed at certain angles:


With a bit of imagination, the engine nacelles atop those tall, slender pylons do resemble sails and masts. And the aft end of the engineering hull almost looks as though it should have a rudder. All part of the "Hornblower Effect."

And don't forget this beauty:


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## cireskul (Jul 16, 2006)

Jewwwwws IIIIIIIINNNNNNNN Spaaaaaaaaaaace! What a great looking ship.:thumbsup:


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

scotpens said:


> Be careful -- the woman on the other end of the phone may not exactly be a beauty. In fact, she may not even be a woman! :freak:


*Yikes*!! Hadn't thought about that. Thanks for the warning. :thumbsup:

I suppose beyond the female anatomical description, there is really nothing to compare the TOS Enterprise (and the 'A') to other than it's self. It is it's own begining and it's own end.

hal9001-


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Trekkriffic said:


> I read somewhere that Roddenberry wanted the Enterprise to look as majestic as a clipper ship under full sail. She does bear a certain resemblance when viewed at certain angles:


Yes, I remember reading that too. I always thought it was the long, trailing nacelles that evoked the look of a sailing ship. Sadly, no other version but the original quite captures that feel...


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

bccanfield said:


> Here is my favorite-- the NSEA Protector. I loved the movie, but the resembalance just cracks me up.
> 
> "Never give up--- never surrender!"


Well gee, I really liked that ship until *now*! Thanks a lot!!:lol:


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## enterprise_fan (May 23, 2004)

The USS Swine Trek

PIIIIGGGGS INNNNN SPAAAACCCCEEE!


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

enterprise_fan said:


> The USS Swine Trek
> 
> PIIIIGGGGS INNNNN SPAAAACCCCEEE!


Definitely not kosher!


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## Old_McDonald (Jul 5, 2002)

Anyone else here think that Khan's first ship looked like a skipjack class nuclear submarine?


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Old_McDonald said:


> Anyone else here think that Khan's first ship looked like a skipjack class nuclear submarine?


I assume you mean the _Botany Bay_. I thought it looked like a cross between a nuclear sub and a pencil. Matt Jeffries did have a thing for submarine-style conning towers (or "sails" on modern subs).


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## compucrap (Dec 16, 2000)

I always thought this had a strange resemblance to something familiar!


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

a dog bone?


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

Steve244 said:


> Flesh Gordon had some interesting ships.


I hope you mean Flash. "Flesh Gordon" was a semi porn film. :dude:


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Antimatter said:


> I hope you mean Flash. "Flesh Gordon" was a semi porn film. :dude:


Flesh Gordon was a semi-porn film, but it did have mainstream SFX artists working on it and the ship designs were in the traditional Flash/Buck style with some 'distinctive' shapes.

.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Steve244 said:


> Flesh Gordon had some interesting ships.


Oh yeah? Why don't you post some pictures? :lol::lol::lol::lol::freak:


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Here's the hero's rocketship from _Flesh Gordon_:

http://talkkok.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/flesh-gordon-0022.jpg

Just to be safe, I made it a link. But, after all, it's only a spaceship . . .


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## Prince of Styrene II (Feb 28, 2000)

scotpens said:


> I assume you mean the _Botany Bay_. I thought it looked like a cross between a nuclear sub and a pencil.


Me too! I just aquired the OOP 1/1000 kit. I'll have to do it up with a big #2 on it! :lol:


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## Seadragon7 (Oct 28, 2009)

Everyone knows the Seaview was grown from a flatworm somewhere deep inside the Nelson Research Institute. LOL


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## Griffworks (Jun 24, 2002)

I'd argue that it was more likely a Manta Ray that was mounted on a stick....


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Griffworks said:


> I'd argue that it was more likely a Manta Ray that was mounted on a stick....


[Homer Simpson]Mmmm! . . . Manta ray on a stick . . . . [/Homer Simpson]


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## Jim NCC1701A (Nov 6, 2000)

scotpens said:


> Here's the hero's rocketship from _Flesh Gordon_:
> 
> http://talkkok.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/flesh-gordon-0022.jpg
> 
> Just to be safe, I made it a link. But, after all, it's only a spaceship . . .


Well it's not too risque... IIRC one of the Starlog "Spaceships of Science Fiction" books used that pic.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

In fact, the actual rocket from the 1936 _Flash Gordon_ serial (recycled from 1930's _Just Imagine_) wasn't much less phallic.



















And the Moon Shuttle from the UFO series looked like a cross between a catfish and a cockroach.


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