Battlestar Galactica II (No Joke)

Baron Munchausen · #1 June 25th, 2002, 04:02 AM

Has anyone ever noticed that the "Battlestar" Galactica is really just an aircraft carrier under a thin veneer of SciFi gadgetry? I mean, the vipers defy space physics by banking and turning in curves as if they had atmosphere to lean on, and they have to 'land' on the decks as if there was gravity out there. Now even if you accept that there is internal artificial gravity how do they enter this 'artificial' gravity so abruptly as we see them do in the landing sequences? They just glide into this huge open hatch and land as if they were planes on a carrier deck. If there really was a gravity field inside the ship they'd hit it like a wall and suddenly bang down on the deck. It's downright bizarre if you care anything about scientific realism or even consistency.

As interesting as certain aspects of BSG were, it was pretty cheesy. But then BSG 1980 was too awful for words...

[ June 25, 2002, 03:03: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Puke · #2 June 25th, 2002, 05:03 AM

yeah, startrek always did it alot better.

...

ever notice how 95% of sci-fi tv/movies/games recreate WWII technology and tactics and throw it in space? speaking of which, the GNB mod looks pretty darn cool, and i cant wait to see it after mounts can be researched.

i cant imagine realistic superscience being that fun to play in a game. big red buttons, computers, long range weapons destroying planets from lightyears away. face it, as soon as we can travel at FTL speeds, we will be able to kill things over ridiculous distances at the same speed. these games are all anacronisim, but i like em anyway.

[ June 25, 2002, 04:16: Message edited by: Puke ]

Phoenix-D · #3 June 25th, 2002, 07:29 AM

It would depend how the FTL drive works Puke..Warp Points as described in SE4 wouldn't do anything of the sort.

Now, a large rock traveling at 500c.. THAT would maje an impact.

Phoenix-D

Atrocities · #4 June 25th, 2002, 02:43 PM

Baron Munchausen perhaps they operate by a set of phyics that we have not yet discovered? Their technology is based upon technology we do not understand. Perhaps that is why the Vipers can "bank." To give them a tatical advantage over the Cyclon fighters.

If you take our own history, and take an Aircraft carriar of today back to WWI era, they would not under stand the physics and technology of it or the aircraft that it carries.

Ever wonder how life could evolve on a planet with a metane atomosphere? The moment they created flame, kaboooooom!

geoschmo · #5 June 25th, 2002, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Has anyone ever noticed that the "Battlestar" Galactica is really just an aircraft carrier under a thin veneer of SciFi gadgetry? I mean, the vipers defy space physics by banking and turning in curves as if they had atmosphere to lean on, and they have to 'land' on the decks as if there was gravity out there.

Maybe they just bank cause if they didn't you would have colonial warrior puree all over the inside of the cowling. The vipers move similer to how an aircraft in an aptmosphere would because that lessens the impact of the G forces on the body of the pilot. Plus it looks really cool...

As far as travelling in curves and arcs, I am pretty sure that vectors of movement and inertia of mass apply in zero G as well as in aptmosphere and gravity. If an object is travelling in a straight line in space and then changes direction of thrust, it won't simply change direction of movement at sharp anlges. It's path will curve, will it not? Isn't that pretty much the whole reason calculus was invented?

That isn't defying physics, and aircraft don't change direction in curves because of "leaning" on atmosphere. They do it for the same reason ships in space do it, because it takes time to overcome inertia and change directions.

In fact, an aircraft in an atmosphere theoretically could turn at a sharper angle because it can change the angle of attack of it's wings and bank into the turn. This will add the wings lift to the thrust of the engines in changing vectors. It's not a big difference, and it takes a lot of skill and a really well designed aircraft. But a viper in a vacuum would have no such assistance. It would have only it's engines for forward thrust and some kind of reaction jets or moveable thrust cowling for direction changes.

(Btw, I am not an aeronautical engineer, but I play one on T.V.

)

Geo

[ June 25, 2002, 14:22: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Baron Munchausen · #6 June 25th, 2002, 05:36 PM

Well, if the thrust was not coming out of the back of the Viper that explanation might make some sense...

I guess 'realistic' space physics would be too boring for 'mass entertainment media', so we're doomed to stupid fantasy physics in any SciFi shows or movies...

geoschmo · #7 June 25th, 2002, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Now even if you accept that there is internal artificial gravity how do they enter this 'artificial' gravity so abruptly as we see them do in the landing sequences? They just glide into this huge open hatch and land as if they were planes on a carrier deck. If there really was a gravity field inside the ship they'd hit it like a wall and suddenly bang down on the deck. It's downright bizarre if you care anything about scientific realism or even consistency.

I don't see this as a problem either. Of course you have to assume they figured out some means of generating artificial gravity, cause otherwise it's a moot point. But you said as much yourself. Once you have that hurdle crossed then there are a couple things that could easily explain the rest of it and would be perfectly reasonable.

The artificial gravity fields could be areas on the hanger deck. Why do you assume the entire deck would have the same gravity field everywhere? You could have areas of little or no gravity for the ships to land and move about by thrusters, and then parking pads where the gravity is normal for walking in and out of the ship. And the gravity in the parking pads could be switched on and off when needed.

You could also assume that the gravity field IS uniform across the whole surface of the hanger deck, but that it only extends upwards a few feet. Things in contact with the deck, people walking around, etc. would stay in contact as they are under normal gravity. But a ship taliking off or landing would feel less and less gravity the farther it got from the surface. Similer to how it is on Earth, but the artificial gravity force would drop off much more rapidly. Instead of needing to travel a few miles to break free, you would only need to travel a few feet to break free from the artifical gravity field.

This would have some odd effects on the people walking around. They would have a slight but perceptable differance in the "weight" of their feet compared to their heads. But with time and training people would adapt and get their "Space legs" and it would not affect them. People watching them move about would not even be able to see a differance in their movements. Thrown objects would not travel in expected parabolic paths as you would see on a planet, but throwing things about a hanger deck isn't a good idea even in the surface Navy.

Geo