Firefly Class Transport by rallem

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Firefly Class Transport

POSTED BY: RALLEM
UPDATED: Thursday, November 8, 2007 04:14
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 11:31 AM

I went ot a web site for a space ship models and they had a model at 1/288th scale which was 9" long after construction so that means the Firefly class ship is 216 feet long. Does anybody have the other pertinent details for this type of ship?

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 1:07 PM

RALLEM

In doing some research I found out that a firefly class transport is a part of the Battle Star Galactica fleet as the USS Enterprise.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 1:12 PM

FARFLY

Here's some stuff I found somewhere..

The, “Serenity” is a Firefly Class interplanetary ship. Originally conceived and built as a medium range cargo ship.

Dimensions and Weights:
She is comparable to that of Boeing 747. She is 63 meters long, 40 meters wide and 18 meters tall. Her gross empty weight is 575,000 lbs and her maximum takeoff weight is 945,000 lbs.

Performance and Powerplants:
Primarily powered by 2 wing mounted Smith & Davis SD-2595 (95,000 lb) turbofan and solar induction engines, she can achieve a maximum airspeed of mach 2 (1484 mph) at 1000 Meters EBSL (Earth Based Sea Level,) and mach 30 (22270 mph) at 100,000 Meters (62 miles) EBSL. During the transitional phase from atmospheric to orbital flight the fan blades rotate to collect photons emitted by a solar source to feed the engines keeping the relative thrust ratio comparable to it's atmospheric rating.
The “Firefly” engine, a Smith & Davis SD-4631 photon reaction drive, was developed on the same principles that drive fusion in a star, (4 1H + 2 e --> 4He + 2 neutrinos + 6 photons.) The reaction produces enough thrust to propel the ship to 643,738 kph (400,000 mph) taking it approximately 16 days to travel 1 AU. (The Astronomical Unit is the distance from the Earth to the Sun, 149,597,871 kilometers.) Although very reliable, this reaction produces large volumes of plasma as hot as the surface of a star. Thermal panels on the outside of the engine dissipate the plasma and heat that builds up during the process typically glowing in a yellowish hue as they cool down.

Handling:
The maneuvering of the ship is handled in two different ways. In atmosphere she has flaps and ailerons that in conjunction with the pitch of the side engines control her direction. In space she uses an RCS, (Reaction Control System,) consisting of Hydrazine fueled thrusters that work in a countered measure. For example if she were to turn nose up, thrusters on the back rear of the ship would fire upwards and thrusters of the front nose would fire downwards pushing the tail down and the nose up. Variations on this, tied into the side engines pitch, produce all her movement in space.
For landing her side engines rotate vertical and vents on the front of the engine open to allow the engine the “breathe” as she hovers.

Gravity:
The Firefly class ships gravity comes from a rotating ring just aft of the ships midsection. It produces a gravity field using the "Peristere Principal," that also acts as an momentum dampener to allow passengers more freedom of movement during all aspects of flight.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 1:24 PM

RALLEM

Thank you farfly. I got this information from wikipedia but something doesn't make sense to me. It says the ship can only accelerate a 4g, but doesn't a space craft have to accelerate a lot faster than that to leave a gravitational pull equivilant to Earth's?

Serenity (Firefly vessel)
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This television-related article or section describes an aspect of the series in a primarily in-universe style.
Please rewrite this article to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective.
Serenity

Serenity in orbit
First appearance "The Train Job"[1] (2002-09-20)
Last appearance Serenity (2005 film)
Affiliation Independent
Launched Keel laid: August 2459
References Official Blueprint Set[2]
General Characteristics
Class 03-K64-Firefly
Registry 404-E-132-4FE274A
Maximum speed (Acceleration) 4.2 g
Auxiliary craft 2 Endo/Exo-Atmospheric Shuttles
1 MF-813 Flying Mule
Armaments 2 Magnetic Grappler Launchers
Defences 6 Self-Powered Transmitter Buoys (aka the “Crybabys”)
Propulsion 2 Blue Sun 6V4-178-B31 Trace Compression Blocks
36 RCS Thrusters
Mass 282,500 lbs (128,140 kg)
Length 269 ft. 3 in. (82.06 m)
Width 170 ft. 0 in. (51.82 m)
Height 78 ft. 8 in. (23.98 m)
(Landing Gear Extended)
For other uses, see Serenity
Serenity is a fictional spaceship originally featured in the science fiction television series Firefly. It has also appeared in the comic book series Serenity: Those Left Behind and the film Serenity.

The ship, which is designated a 03 Firefly-class, fits the profile of a light freighter, having a cargo area equivalent to about six or nine semis. The photon-reaction drive in the bulbous rear section of the ship lights up when accelerating, resembling a firefly, hence the class moniker. The engine nacelles can rotate down like a VTOL aircraft. Whenever the ship lands, her wings fold down like the wings of a bird coming to rest. The aft of the ship is outfitted with extenders beside and below the photon-reaction drive to ease the turbulence of lift-off and atmospheric reentry. As she is a run-of-the-mill civilian cargo vessel, Serenity has no weapons or defenses beyond the guile and skill of her crew.

Contents [hide]
1 Ship layout
1.1 Alterations for the film
2 Speed
3 History
4 Trivia
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Ship layout
Serenity is a 03-K64 Firefly-class mid-bulk transport with a standard radion accelerator core. Its layout is triple-tiered. The upper deck houses the cockpit at the front, in the "head". Moving aft from the cockpit leads into a corridor through Serenity's "neck", in which the crew quarters are housed. The starboard quarters house the rooms of ship's mechanic Kaylee Frye (which stands out from the other bunks because of the strings of Christmas lights over the hatch) and captain Malcolm Reynolds, and the port quarters house the rooms for mercenary Jayne Cobb and married couple Zoe and Hoban "Wash" Washburne, the first mate and pilot, respectively, of Serenity. All of the crew quarters are positioned at a lower level than the corridor connecting them. Some are built such that after opening the hatch someone entering them must climb facing backwards down a ladder in order to access the room. Additionally the captain's quarters has a sink and toilet which fold into the wall, conserving space on the small vessel.

There is a passage in this corridor leading down to the upper cargo bay catwalk. The middle of the top deck, in Serenity's "thorax", is the galley and kitchen, hued in a gentle yellow and decorated in part by Kaylee's stencils of flowers. Aftwards of the galley, deep in Serenity's "abdomen" and accessible through the back of the galley, is the engine room, housing the Firefly drive and a great deal of mechanical interfaces. It also houses Kaylee's hammock.

Serenity's layout, as sketched by Joss Whedon and Carey MeyerThe flight of stairs attached to the aft corridor leads down to the ship's common area, part of which is taken up by an enclosed medical bay. The common area is spacious, and furnished with settees and sofas; the medical bay is (usually) kept clinically clean. Aft of the common area and medbay are the passenger quarters, perhaps higher-quality than that of the crew's. They are heavily influenced by traditional Japanese design, with simulated-rice-paper, sliding doors made of light diffusing plastic. Regular occupants of these quarters include doctor Simon Tam and his sister River, as well as Shepherd Derrial Book.

Forward of the common area is the cargo bay. An open space, two decks tall, it is the largest single room on the ship. Its upper catwalk is accessible via two flights of stairs. The front of the bay houses an airlock; the two inner lock doors slide in from either side, whilst the outer lock door rotates down and out, forming a convenient ramp when lowered. There are controls to operate the airlock both within the lock itself, and on the inside of the cargo bay. The outer lock door also has a door-like component in its center, allowing personnel to enter and exit the ship without needing to open the ramp fully; however, for vehicular access or access for large cargo, the ramp must be lowered. There is a second airlock / cargo ramp directly in the center of the cargo area. It is used for a disposal / drop bay, but can be used to lower a small cargo elevator while the ship is hovering.

In "Bushwhacked", we learn through dialog that the Firefly transport has "troublesome little nooks," that are favored by smugglers. In that respect, the Firefly is not unlike the Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars films; both are aging transport models pressed into service as smuggling vessels for anti-hero captains. In the episode "Serenity", cargo 'liberated' from a derelict transport is hidden in these nooks, to avoid awkward questions from the passengers the crew was about to take on.

The cargo bay also houses the "mule", a small local-transport vehicle. In the television series, this was effectively a yellow ATV modified for cargo hauling. This was destroyed in the episode "War Stories" after being set on fire, and was replaced by a hovering vehicle sometime before the main events in the film Serenity.

The upper catwalk also provides access to the ship's two shuttles. The port shuttle is general-purpose, and used for hauling cargo, escape purposes, or as an alternative means of transportation. The starboard shuttle was rented out to Companion Inara Serra during the television series. Both shuttles are extended out of the ship before launch, and drawn in when docked.

The main defensive device is called the "crybaby". Housed in a Blue Sun coffee can[3], the crybaby gives off a radio signal and electromagnetic signature that mimics a spacecraft in distress, requiring scanning pursuers to visually inspect the device to uncover the deception. The crybaby can also be outfitted with small, one-shot thrusters to give it the appearance of being a ship in flight. The crew uses crybabies to get out of trouble with the Alliance on more than one occasion.

In terms of set construction, the ship's three decks were constructed across three separate soundstages; constructing the sets in this manner allowed for a more efficient shooting schedule, since the main cast and crew could film as much as they wanted on one 'deck' without having to work 'around' the second unit (since both production units would have an entire soundstage to themselves).

[edit] Alterations for the film
The ship Serenity underwent some changes for the film Serenity, most obviously in the internal arrangement of the cargo bay. The entire rear wall has been replaced by a large, circular-patterned construct, presumably a structural link to the large rear engine in the "abdomen". A great deal of bracing has been added to the side walls, which themselves seem to be more circular than the angular walls seen in the series. The bomb bay airlock has been altered, in that the two inner lock doors have been replaced—they no longer rotate into the cargo bay, but instead lower slightly, then retract sideways into the floor. Finally, the forward airlock has also been replaced. The forward door no longer rotates outward into a ramp; rather, it is brought down and into the ship, sliding neatly underneath the airlock floor. This is said to have the advantage of allowing the airlock to open fully in more constrained conditions.

The common area of the ship has seen few changes. The only major differences are that the circular structural construct in the cargo bay is mirrored on the forward wall of the common area; additionally, the portside wall is now effectively made out of storage spaces. The medical bay is also retrofitted and painted in a darker color.

On the upper deck, the engine room is now home to a great deal more of piping, tubing, and other mechanical interfaces. The rear corridor is now lower than it was in the series as the stairs in and out of the galley to the rear corridor now lead down into the corridor, rather than up to it, as they did in the series. The galley's octagonal sitting area now has extra bracing, as well as seats with security straps to deal quickly with turbulence and rapid acceleration or deceleration of the ship. The forward corridor, again, has been braced more securely, with heftier-looking support struts. The ladder-doors now open more gently, seemingly outfitted with hydraulics or a cushioning mechanism. The bridge has seen few changes, but the forward flooring section has been entirely removed, exposing an extra cargo-storage section in the nose of the ship, and one of the access doors at the rear of the bridge has vanished.

The exterior of the vessel is also visually different. It has a new paint job, decked out in grayer and bluer colors than the bronzed Firefly of the series (many believe this to be deliberate on Joss and Zoic's part, as Serenity's interior and exterior color schemes change throughout the film to reflect the characters and the story). The jet engine cowling has apparently fallen off, or been lost in some other way (dialogue suggests that the ship is in a state of disrepair as of Serenity, due to the crew's difficult financial situation). Also, the extending rods attached to the engines are shown retracting when the engines turn, whereas in the show they do not. Finally, the strut-like landing legs of the series have been replaced by legs of a more organic design, with better cushioning and claw-like 'toes'.

[edit] Speed
In the series, it was not made completely clear if the method of propulsion used by Serenity and other ships was sub-light or faster-than-light. The film Serenity implies that all the planets and moons are in one large system, and production documents related to the film indicate that there is no faster-than-light travel in the Firefly/Serenity universe. The official blueprints, describe the ship as having a maximum acceleration of 4.2 g, and a maximum range (unloaded) of 400 AU.[2]

[edit] History
Serenity is an 03-K64-Firefly class Mid-Bulk Transport, whose keel was laid in August 2459.[2] (This is origin of the "Nought-Three" class Shepherd Derrial Book mentions in the pilot episode.) She was acquired by Mal in 2512, shortly after the end of the Unification War. She is 58 years old at the time of the series. Her name comes from one of the most decisive battles of the war between the Alliance and the Independents, which took place in Serenity Valley on the planet Hera. Mal and his first officer, Zoe, both veterans of the Battle of Serenity Valley, wanted to be free of Alliance control and having a ship seemed their best chance. Despite the fact that he lost everything in the Battle of Serenity Valley, Mal named the ship Serenity because (as revealed in a deleted scene on the DVD), "Once you enter Serenity, you can never leave". At the time it was purchased, Serenity was little more than a planet-bound derelict. She was still intact, still space-worthy, but her engines were broken and most of her equipment was in sore need of repair. Mal's plan was to acquire a pilot, mechanic, and cook (The last of which was apparently never acquired), and start taking jobs immediately. It took them almost a month to get Serenity off the ground, as her first mechanic, Bester, was not as skilled as advertised. Mal was quick to realize how hard it was to find work in an Alliance-controlled solar system, and is not above using Serenity for ill-gotten gain if the gain is high enough.

In the film, the crew disguise Serenity as a Reaver ship (in order to sneak through Reaver space) by strapping corpses to the bow, causing the reactor core to leak, adding a weapon and pieces of an Alliance ship, and tearing holes in the hull. Zoe expresses extreme disgust when Mal orders the modifications; the ship is their home, and Zoe feels the modifications to be a violation. Later in the film, Wash is maneuvering Serenity through an air battle between the Alliance and the Reavers when the ship is struck by a Reaver's EMP weapon. With main power down, Wash is barely able to glide her into a controlled crash landing on the landing strip of Mr. Universe's complex; the landing gear is crushed, an engine pod is severed, and part of the main engine is destroyed before the ship comes to a complete stop.

The crew conduct major repairs and are able to fix the ship, however at the end a piece of the ship flies off as it leaves the atmosphere, echoing the first time the ship is shown in the film.

[edit] Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

The Serenity sets contain many components from modern day airliners:
Pilots' chairs on the bridge and in shuttles, with Boeing's signature sheepskin covering.
Boeing-style throttle quadrants in the engine rooms and shuttles.
Boeing-style control yokes.
What appear to be pilots' oxygen masks are dotted around the ship - most rooms have at least one.
Airliner galley-style cubbyholes and trolleys at the back of the galley.
On the exterior, each engine of Serenity is fitted with navigation indicator lights (green on the starboard side, red on the port side).
Serenity can briefly be seen passing a window during an early scene from the Battlestar Galactica miniseries. Zoic Studios were responsible for the CGI effects on both shows. [4]
The Mule used in Serenity can be seen, along with other vehicles from different films, on the Universal Studios Backlot Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. Because of the size of the Mule, it has to be tilted on its side in order to fit both next to the other vehicles and so there would be enough room for the tram to pass by.

In the first episode, during the 'Battle of Serenity Valley' scenes, Malcolm is seen operating an anti-aircraft weapon which incorporates a visual display unit for aiming and targeting. In the screen shots of the display can be seen (at top centre) the maker's logo of 'Weyland Yutani Corp.' from the 'Alien' movie series.

[edit] References
Firefly — The Complete Series DVD set ASIN B0000AQS0F
DeCandido, Keith R.A. Serenity. August 30, 2005. ISBN 1-4165-0755-8.
Serenity Movie Official Website - [1]
^ This is by air date. In the intended series order (as well as the DVD presentation order) the first appearance would have been in Serenity, while the first appearance in the series' internal chronology is during a flashback in Out of Gas.
^ a b c Official Serenity Blueprint Set. QMx SER-004. ©2007, Quantum Mechanix, Inc. By Geoffrey Mandel (Graphic Designer, Serenity) and Timothy M. Earls (Illustrator, Firefly, Set Designer, Serenity)
^ Whedon, Joss (Producer), & Whedon, Joss (Director). (2004) Firefly "Serenity" chapter 2 "Vultures" commentary [DVD].
^ Image:SerenityBSGMini.JPG. Battlestar wiki (19 May 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-16.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 2:28 PM

FARFLY

The great thing about sci-fi is the endless possibilities regarding the subject of space travel. Some years back, if anyone remembers, there was a TV series named Salvage 1. Here is a little squib of info regarding their mode of travel.

"The flight plan was based on an idea called the Trans-Linear Vector Principle, as put forth by ex-astronaut Addison Carmichael. Under this principle, the Vulture rocket lifted off for the moon under slow but constant acceleration. Although the initial velocity seemed much too slow to ever reach the moon, the steady acceleration soon brought the Vulture to great speeds once in space. Acceleration continued until they reached the halfway point between the Earth and Moon, at which time the ship began to decelerate ending in a smooth touchdown on the lunar surface. Total time to reach the moon was a mere 24 hours compared to three days for the Apollo missions. The trip back home followed the same procedure. The advantages of the Trans-Linear Vector Principle were many-fold:"

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 2:37 PM

RALLEM

I do remember the show about a space junk man, and for the life of me I can only remember one episode where they had to bring a glacier to the middle east. That is all I remember of the show.

Maybe you can help me. In the 1970s there was a television show where one of the crew members was a plant. Does that ring any bells for you?

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:26 PM

MACBAKER

Quote:
Originally posted by rallem:
I do remember the show about a space junk man, and for the life of me I can only remember one episode where they had to bring a glacier to the middle east. That is all I remember of the show.

Maybe you can help me. In the 1970s there was a television show where one of the crew members was a plant. Does that ring any bells for you?

I think the show you are talking about, was a short lived comedy series called "Quark" (no relation to DS-9's bartender). It starred Richard Benjamin (West World) as Captain Quark. He piloted a salvage ship. I vaguely remember one of the crew being a plant. Maybe a ficus!

Quark was the original "Galaxy Quest". A comedy spoof of Star Trek!

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:31 PM

MACBAKER

Okay! I was kidding about the Ficus character, but after doing a little research, I found out that's exactly what the plant character's name was! Ficus Pandorata!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_%28TV_series%29

Ficus Pandorata (Richard Kelton) is a Vegeton, a member of a race of sentient plant life. He is of human appearance. While he is extremely intelligent and observant, he is incapable of any sort of human emotion, including tact. He frequently finds the behavior of the rest of the crew difficult to understand. Given that Ficus lacks emotion and understanding of emotions, frequently mentions logic and often explains scientific facts to the commander, he plays Spock to Quark's Kirk ("Quark" even sounds like "Kirk").

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:41 PM

FARFLY

Don't remember a TV series about that but I used to play a computer game called Starflight, by Electronic Arts and one of the races usually selected to handle certain crew positions was the the Elowans, who were plants.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:47 PM

RALLEM

I found it, the show was called quark.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:48 PM

MACBAKER

Here's more "Quark" info, and the site has low res episodes available for download.

http://quark.name/

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 9:05 AM

MICJWELCH

You should check out this yahoo group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Modelling_Serenity/

Also, QMX is coming out with a book of blueprints of Serenity, which also includes the other versions of the Firefly. I'm totally geeking out about them.

http://www.quantummechanix.com/IN%20THE%20WORKS/0CFE9A03-634C-40A5-ABA
A-438B4150BAF0.html

"We may experience some slight turbulence, and then... explode."

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 2:58 PM

RALLEM

The Firefly Class Transport has been shown in Star Wars and in Battlestar Galactica, have any ships crossed over into the 'verse? I would think it cool if Starbug were to make a cameo in Serenity since they are somewhat similar ships.

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 4:11 PM

CRUITHNE3753

Quote:
Originally posted by farfly:
She is comparable to that of Boeing 747. She is 63 meters long, 40 meters wide and 18 meters tall. Her gross empty weight is 575,000 lbs and her maximum takeoff weight is 945,000 lbs.

Length in metric, weight in imperial... that's nice and consistent...

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 4:33 PM

RALLEM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cruithne3753:
Quote:
Originally posted by farfly:
She is comparable to that of Boeing 747. She is 63 meters long, 40 meters wide and 18 meters tall. Her gross empty weight is 575,000 lbs and her maximum takeoff weight is 945,000 lbs.

Length in metric, weight in imperial... that's nice and consistent... ]

They speak english and chinese in the 'verse, and now we learn that they also use metric and imperial there too.

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 6:05 PM

FARFLY

Yeah, mph, kph, mach, meters, miles, days, AU's,... something for everyone. At least it's not STNG techno babble..

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Thursday, November 1, 2007 12:29 AM

RALLEM

I don't have a problem with technobabble, because when it is done right it often gets placed into the english vocabulary. My problem with the Star Trek premise was that it set itself in an ideal world where there was no poverty and people did what ever they did out of personal enrichment.