Help name my new plane?

[dialNforNinja]

With my computer still down for the count, what do I do? Get my P&P on! These are scans of preliminary pencil sketches (hence the poor quality) for mm latest brainstorm, the Motodyne Type 26. However, I'm still lacking a common name for it - current ideas are on the larger image, with tpo contenders starred. Splinter wpould be an engrish pun on its speed, Kaross on deliberate adherence to NeoverseOmega's ode to the VF-4 and its "I have defeated a plane in personal combat and skinned it, now I wear it as a pelt" design aesthetic, and Kestrel just because it's a carnivorous bird that sounds cool. I'm open to other suggestions, but since the Skate I've tried to use S, K, SK, and/or or SH names in honor of The Master (Skate, Skorpion, Kite, Kyrie, some less successful designs.)

Transformation is not really anything like the canon variable devices, though there's a bit of VF-4 and VF-11 in the torso, and the secondary engines/wings fold over like the SW-XA II or VF-2SS. Exact arrangement of the upper arms/legs and hence underside is waiting on making a 3d model, but of the visible panels on the back, starting from the tail, the two on either side of the main engines/lower legs (and yes, all engines have a stealth trench - I've got a way to turn those into robot feet that should be awesome) are lower arm shield parts (and may be narrowed in the final version) while the jagged little panels forward of them are what the secondary engines hinge to and end up mostly vertical inside the back. The wide panel across the front is the main shoulder area and will be tipped forward at a low angle, with the cockpit mostly horizontal under it. The center part is the flat form of a transforming head. The two sort of triangular side pieces connecting to the nose are the VF-11 influenced part, and the nosecone folds down like the VF-4 to keep from being a huge uniboob ala VF-19. As with the Skate (the white/blue/gold 3d model I posted a link to in the gallery not long ago) the entire "snake head" cockpit/nose can detatch as an escape pod with limited thruster ability for orbital transfer or powered flight/independent atmospheric reentry as a lifting body, though it's dependent on attitude thrusters rather than canards for steering because I couldn't fit them into this transformation.

Those butterfly-vectored thrust verniers would probably be the death of any pretence to stealth in reality, but I reject that reality, this is MECHA! Rule of Cool prevails over mere pedestrian physics!

Anyway, pretties.

The three quarter view is nicer, but has some innacuracies in angle and proportion compared to the top-down version, thoguh that also some some bits already planned for change - like I said these are just preliminary sketches. The whole thing, while sleek, will be quite bulky through the body; it's a cross between an lifting body and blended wing design. I'm actually more concerned about what I'm going to do with all the volume than how to fit all the parts inside it for once

I should be able to fit the trademark Barrier Sword at least in for integrated carriage, maybe a gunpod or two as well, and a VF-27 style mega-gun can mount to one or both of the visible forearm panels, swinging around like the VF-171EX's when it transforms. Full Variable Armor is also in the works, of course.

(3/4 sketch fixed, see below)

Edited September 6, 2012 by dialNforNinja

[dialNforNinja]

(Elseforum suiggestions: Diamondback, Skylancer) Pilots should love how survivable this thing is - you can blow all the arms and legs and head off, and still fly, fight, and even land normally in F, since the main gear are located in the secondary nacelles. If that fails, you can eject the nose pod (including out of the chest of B mode) and fly home in that, or if all else fails you still have the EXGear-style slave-controls powered armor if you have to bail the old fashioned way. That's three different ways to survive major damage to your airframe, after stealth, dodging and armor already failed.

[dialNforNinja]

A little more info - the fusilage section between the cockpit & hips can hold one of several internal modules: a fold drive unit, two ultraheavy MDE or Reflex missiles or large numbers of smaller missiles, photo and signal interception recon equipment, a heavy duty SES system, or simply extra fuel and cargo space. As a colonial design, the plans also include the option of a lower cost aluminum skin rather than low observable materials, which raises the radar profile but still to far less than a VF-25

Edited September 5, 2012 by dialNforNinja

[Raptor One]

Can't think of anything new but "Diamondback" is badass and "Splinter" is pretty good too

[paramat]

Wow, beautiful.

[dialNforNinja]

Thanks - I'm afraid I kind of half-assed the 'shop to fix the too short rear end when I look at it more - they're a dozen pixels or more too high, making the legs and far arm shield all warped to one side. D'oh. I'll have to fix that when I get back to a real machine instead of my potato. Thanks though, I'm pretty happy with it in general myself!

[VF-15 Banshee]

How about the Albion?

[dialNforNinja]

Erm... why Albion? Isn't that just forn for 'white?' (As in, that language they speak in fornparts )

ETA: Fixed the 3/4 view, also did a super-rough underside after concluding it would need fairing panels like the YF-21 (these fold flat to the outside of the leg, though, rather than dangling off it like hip-wings - that's for the barrier sword scabbard to do!) to keep the arms from gribbling up the radar profile and airflow, and a scribble of some super parts. Highly derivataive super parts, at that, but perhaps I'll be more creative when I eventually do a 3d model.

Edited September 6, 2012 by dialNforNinja

[dialNforNinja]

Obviously - the bottom view is not in the least proportionate, it's barely even coherent, but it's got enough visual cues to keep me from forgetting how the furshlugginer thing is suppoed to work, and hence probably for other people to figure that out, so you get it. Don't you feel special now?

In addition to the visible super parts in that image, there'd be a big bay with a crapton of missiles on that leg/fairing panel, and some armor over the front of the legs as well. The inner bottom quartrer of each nacelle is left bare by the wing thruster/missile pack, to let the main gear door pop open and the wheels extend, but it's doubtful there'd be a lot of clearance for the thruster bells back there so it's propably a case for landing in GERWALK or launch via one of those docking clamp arms. Or, or course, if you're in zero gee, just puff all the underside verniers and VTOL it.

Edited September 6, 2012 by dialNforNinja

[Old_Nash]

Firefox^^

(I like the name)

[VF-15 Banshee]

Erm... why Albion? Isn't that just forn for 'white?' (As in, that language they speak in fornparts )

It's also a name for a son of Poseidon and the name of a sword and the oldest name for Great Britain. Personally, I just think it sounds cool.

[GU-11]

Wow, awesome looking design. Love the spear-like shape of it.

Given the penchant of Japanese anime for ridiculous names, I suggest...Schlongzigger. Just kidding.

How about Samael? It's the Hebrew name for the angel of death. Or Longinus, as in the spear of Longinus.

Edited September 6, 2012 by GU-11

[Zinjo]

Why not just "Arrow"?

It is simple, the fighter resembles an arrow and it's easily remembered...

[mechaninac]

Given the aesthetics of your design, how about: Razorback, Arrowhead, Spear Head, Flechette, Sabertooth, Tory (Spartan Spear), Xiphos (Spartan Short Sword), Kopis (Spartan Curved Hacking Sword), Rapier; anything pointy, edged, or barbed could lend it's name to your creation and be highly appropriate.

[VF-15 Banshee]

Ooh, Xiphos. I'm liking that one.

[EXO]

Doritos.

[dialNforNinja]

Xiphos leaps out at me, too. I think we may have a winner, pending a Google check for existing properties or unfortunate slang uses...

Hm, as a prize, pick out a color scheme and I'll make an attempt at cleaning up that hairy 3/4 view and dressing it up in it. No guarantees, but it shouldn't be too hard to ink a blued version like I drew the FAST parts on.

Edit - Ugh, it's already the name for a recent (worse, supposedly-transforming, in typically halfassed fashion) Gundam. Disqualified!

Edited September 7, 2012 by dialNforNinja

[EXO]

btw, awesome screen name!

[dialNforNinja]

Thanks, I couldn't believe no one had previously used it, esp. given the 'Dial ___ For (murder method)' book series, but vanity searching it still only turns up me...

Anyway, this leaves Diamondback in the lead, currently, as the only other suggestion to be seconded.

[dialNforNinja]

A couple hours' investigation of other pokeysticks has led to the possibility of Katar, Assegai, or Partizan (the latter having been suggested by Bluemage elseforum) as similarly shaped bladed weapons with a more distinctive name than 'bronze age dagger' or 'Medean Type B.' Naue II aka Griffzungenschwert has some appeal - an 800 year service lifetime for the design would certainly bode well for its marketability!

Xyphos really does have a cool sound to it too, though I REALLY dislike gundams.

[VF-15 Banshee]

Some other suggestions:

Wraith

Specter

Flamberge

Loke

Odin

Seraph

Banshee

[mechaninac]

Technically, Xyphos is the name of a Bronze Age, Greek (Spartan) short sword, but I can uderstand that having a Gundam share the same name can make it less appealing.

In keeping with the bladed weapon theme, how about:

• Scythe
  
• Sickel
  
• Scimitar
  
• Shamshir - I'm partial to this one (Persian saber) as the word kind of rolls off the tongue and is very unique.
  
• Aikuchi
  
• Tantō
  
• Kodachi
  
• Wakizashi
  
• Khanda
  
• Khopesh
  

Here is a link to a pretty comprehensive list of ancient weapons that may prove an asset in finding a fitting name to your craft.

Edited September 8, 2012 by mechaninac

[EXO]

Raptor... is that one taken by a VF already?

[dialNforNinja]

The RL F-22 has it... Iiked the YF-23 Black Widow II better, so it's another name I avoid. I've already used Sickle, Discus, & Plumbata for mecha names, and considered Shamshire for the sound but ultimately eliminated curvy weapons for my angular plane.

I suppose I could combine two of them, like Naue Xyphos, but ... eh. Really, I was more looking help deciding between candidates than a ton of suggestions - I do appreciate them but I was havering already over three or four!

[Lobizon]

Gladius!

[charger69]

This thing exactly looks like a Khatar (Indian Dagger)!

[dialNforNinja]

It's pretty much down to ten candidates -

Weapons -

Khatar, Naue II, Partizan, Xyphos

Birds -

Kingfisher, Kestrel, Shrike

Misc -

Splinter, Diamondback, Mongoose

Call it round two perhaps, but if people could indicate their favorite among these, or even rate the list by order of preference, that would really help my indeciscive space hamster brain.

Edited September 13, 2012 by dialNforNinja

[Kelsain]

I like Khatar or Diamondback.

[charger69]

I'm for Khatar or Kestrel.

[Raptor One]

Khatar or Kestrel. (Diamondback gets honourable mention)

[Rodavan]

You didn't think about snake names - Mamba , Cobra , Night adder , maybe some other the Afrikaans name for a Cape Cobra - Rinkhals ...

[PetarB]

HaveBlue II