Semi OT: Spaceship Cockpits?

[Taera]

Hello all, i was sketching a few spaceships today and realized something - all the spaceships (or most of them) that we see in SE have extensive cockpit-like "windows" on their front, sides, etc.

Now the question is, whats the use of those? Wouldn't a ship just need one (pretty small one, comparatively, if talking about big ships) for visual, and THATS IT?

[Ed Kolis]

Most aliens are giants!

[PvK]

They're for the entertainment of the crew.

PvK

[Taera]

no, seriously?

[Slick]

All great craft in history have needed the ability to see for navigation and the equivalent of "parking" for whatever craft you are talking about. Even submarines, which have no windows, must surface and put people up on the sail (bridge) for maneuvering in and out of port. Apollo 13, in which the movie was very accurate, used visual navigation to make it back to Earth. I would think that, since humans rely on vision for so much, the ability to see out of a craft for navigation, combat, maneuvering, etc., would be absolutely necessary.

Slick.

[Taera]

But what about futuristic massive spaceships, manned with hundreds of people and equipped with the most precise sensors and computers?

[David E. Gervais]

Originally posted by Taera:
But what about futuristic massive spaceships, manned with hundreds of people and equipped with the most precise sensors and computers?

There would still be windows simply because people have a inner need to look out onto (into) wide open spaces. It goes a long way to curbing claustiphobia. Besides, looking at the stars has always had a soothing effect on the souls of mankind.

Cheers!

[Ragnarok-X]

of course fighters or other small vehicles NEED cockpits or else the human would not feel very good inside and therefor wouldnt be concentrated at combat thats the nature of us humans

[PvK]

How about the retardo-big window-like things all over the outside of the ST:TNG Enterprise in all sorts of improbable directions - are they for something besides to make it look more like a fake computer animation and to indicate that sensible people should watch something else?

BTW:

http://www.guaibaOnline.hpg.ig.com.b...rprise-a15.jpg

PvK

[Ed Kolis]

Foolish photoshopper! Everyone knows the Enterprise was built in an ORBITAL SHIPYARD!

And you're right, I never noticed that... why didn't they ever show an interior shot of any of the "floor windows" on the lower half of the primary hull...

edit: though it would have been one impressive shot

[ June 01, 2004, 19:29: Message edited by: Ed Kolis ]