MovieChat Forums > This Island Earth (1955) Discussion > Dimensions of the Metaluna Saucer Ship?

Dimensions of the Metaluna Saucer Ship?

posted 16 years ago by larryman
5 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know the height, width, and length of Exeter's saucer ship?
Does anyone know of blueprints for that ship?

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"Welcome to Altair-4, gentlemen."

[–] Dejael 16 years ago

Yes. It was made of cast steel (the one that was on fire) and aluminum (the one we see flying through space and in the sky).
Both models were made from molds, and the dimensions were 18" long x 12" wide x 6-1/2" depth. The steel model was discarded after the film was completed. The aluminum model was taken home by special visual effects wizard David Stanley Horsley, packing it in a box, after he was unceremoniously fired. Horsley mounted it on a specially-built stand and kept it in his home office study for years. Horsley died in 1976. It might still exist in his family estate.

Dejael

[–] larryman 16 years ago

Dejael,

thanks for the minature ship dimensions - interesting trivia. But I was hoping for the 'fictional' ship dimensions. I wanted to compare it's overall size and interior volume to Lost In Space 'Jupiter 2' and Star Trek 'Enterprise'. I think the Metaluna saucer falls nicely in between - not too small, and not too large for a small group (30-member) 'colonizing / exploring' saucer.

There is a book pending that (hopefully) will be available soon, that the author states will have blueprints and info of the Metaluna saucer (and other sci-fi saucers) in it. In an e-mail the author told me the book will contain a cut-away diagram, showing the Metaluna saucer's interior. I anxiously await it. Here is a link to the book description, if you are interested:

http://www.arapress.com/saucer.html

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"Welcome to Altair-4, gentlemen". - Robby Robot: 1956 "Forbidden Planet" movie

[–] larryman 16 years ago

"Does anyone know the height, width, and length of Exeter's saucer ship?"

I have the dimensions now... length: 198 feet, width: 171 feet, height: 41 feet.
It contains 4 decks. The topside command deck is 38 feet wide, 56 feet long, 16 feet high, and teardrop shaped. The (way to big) cargo bay / hanger deck occupies about 1/2 of the lower structure interior volume.

Information source: the 2009 "The Saucer Fleet" book, by Jack Hagerty and Jon Rogers.

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"Welcome to Altair-4, gentlemen". - Robby Robot: 1956 "Forbidden Planet" movie

[–] scotbpens 16 years ago

Whatever size the thing is, it's obviously at least twice as big as it needs to be. Look at all the wasted interior volume on the ridiculously spacious control deck. And what the hell is that atom-sculpture-on-a-pole thing?

All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?

[–] larryman 16 years ago

The book refers to that "atom-sculpture-on-a-pole thing" as a Power Monitor.

When the saucer is retrieved from sea floor... we can make better use of "all the wasted interior volume" - by refitting it's interior with human technology. It can then serve as the first of 'our' civilian space exploring and colonizing starships.

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"Welcome to Altair-4, gentlemen". - Robby Robot: 1956 "Forbidden Planet" movie