What's the deal with cockpit size?

[Father Cool]

The console in between Han and Chewie is a little less cramped together than in the replica image. Harrison actually needs to reach over to get to a switch in the life size version of the cockpit whereas in that replica he wouldn't need to. In the second image the camera is placed exactly where the rear wall would be instead.

The Cobra cockpit is definitely wider but only slightly longer than the Falcon's. Those two "crates" you can see at either side in the back of the Cobra's cockpit can easily be replaced with 2 more chairs and you'll basically have a wider slightly more spacious version of the Falcon's pit.

These scale comparisons for example look quite bang on in my opinion if judging the two ships by cockpit size:

https://i.imgur.com/hjbWonp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8he9Ku6.jpg

Ok info on the Millenium Falcon.

Given the sizes 34m long x 26m wide for the falcon and 27m long x 44m wide for the cobra mk3 the comparison looks more like this;




The millenium falcons cockpit module was only 8'8" long x 8' diameter as shown on these set drawings.



This looks something like this in person;



As you can see here the Cobra cockpit is much much more spacious;



To be honest though I think that the Cobra cockpit is a nice size. It's the ones in the fighter type ships i.e the Vulture, Eagle, iCourier etc that seem a bit odd, like a tiny seat sat in a greenhouse at Kew Gardens.

The FDL is another example, although the 'bridge' looks good close up on that. From a distance it looks like a small fighter with an almost BSG style canopy. It's only as you draw in do you see the scale;

Distance


Cockpit Zoom

 

[OfftheRails]

Think of all the cargo that could be carried in the unused space on the average Imperial Cutter's flight deck, for instance, and compare it to the three-person (captain, first officer, flight engineer) flight decks of contemporary airliners.

You're thinking Boeing.
Gutamaya think Cunard.

The cockpits are massive because the ships are massive. This image sums it up for me: These ships are not the size of your house. They are the size of your street.

FD looked at cargo ships, not cargo planes, for their inspiration.

 

[Father Cool]

Ah that Asp is my picture! And my street!

 

[Polygonal Spaceship]

You're thinking Boeing.
Gutamaya think Cunard.

Funny, really - although they're spaceships, the visuals tend to invite comparisons to aircraft. But, true enough - ships do have more open deck space. (Granted, Cunard don't need to worry about explosive decompression...)

Ah that Asp is my picture! And my street!

That's actually a really helpful visual comparison. Kudos for creating it.

 

[Sebastian Rooks]

It would be cool to have a small ship with a really small cockpit for local business. Dunno what I'd use one for exactly but a nice, claustrophobic cockpit would be cool.
Reminds me of pretending I was flying a Battlestar Galactica fighter whilst under the duvet, back in the day (my early 20s )

Have you tried a Viper Mk4?

I built 2 Viper MKIs in 1979. I flew a Viper MKII, Viper MKIII and Viper MKVII from 2012-2013. *cough * ahem*

For the sake of topic, I just love my E: D Viper MKIII! Looks-wise, it's an ugly duckling. Seriously, it's just awful. I mean, it could really use a facelift. A paint kit just isn't enough help. But man it handles! Quick, agile, and after some engineering, a really good pest. And, it's snug in there. Haven't tried the MKIV yet myself. I'd fly a Hauler first. I...just can't get past the looks. A six pack doesn't even help. Though, I can't imagine the interior dimensions are too much different.

Rooks o7

 

[Martian Successor]

Ok info on the Millenium Falcon.

Given the sizes 34m long x 26m wide for the falcon and 27m long x 44m wide for the cobra mk3 the comparison looks more like this;


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4458/24194619128_2e56cdf502_b.jpg

The millenium falcons cockpit module was only 8'8" long x 8' diameter as shown on these set drawings.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4476/37992928126_03d6370f95_b.jpg

This looks something like this in person;

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4491/38015484992_6e668209a8_z.jpg

As you can see here the Cobra cockpit is much much more spacious;

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4292/36042680062_767b711c4c_o.png

To be honest though I think that the Cobra cockpit is a nice size. It's the ones in the fighter type ships i.e the Vulture, Eagle, iCourier etc that seem a bit odd, like a tiny seat sat in a greenhouse at Kew Gardens.

The FDL is another example, although the 'bridge' looks good close up on that. From a distance it looks like a small fighter with an almost BSG style canopy. It's only as you draw in do you see the scale;

Distance
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1605/26284307972_0a87181868_h.jpg

Cockpit Zoom
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/27865025740_991150e08c_o.png

I bow to superior knowledge. I'm also happy to see the Cobra is quite close in scale to the Falcon as that other image did seem to make the Cobra out as too small. I've always treated my in-game Cobra as if it were the Millenium Falcon

 

[Father Cool]

I bow to superior knowledge. I'm also happy to see the Cobra is quite close in scale to the Falcon as that other image did seem to make the Cobra out as too small. I've always treated my in-game Cobra as if it were the Millenium Falcon

Hey no worries. I'm a sci fi geek and model builder so this kind of thing is right up my street!!

 

[Uiros Ueramos]

Why do spaceships have windshields and not cameras/sensors?
Why our highly sophisticated spaceships don't have simple altitude acceleration indicators? Or basic velocity vectors?
Why does the entire ship power management being handled by a single window on the right screen with some ticks?
Why there's a self destruct procedure button right next to a basic reboot system?

Simple answer is because Elite is not a simulator, but a space game with hints here and there from other genres.

Absolutely. Despite what many people say and how FDev presents it (Space Sim), Elite 4 is NOT even close to a space simulator. The cockpit sizes (why should the ships have windows to the unforgiving void in the first place?) are just one of the things that throws the notion of space simulator out of the window...

 

[Bunkerkind Anni]

FDL, Asp, Viper, Cobra, Sidewinder, conda, corvette - those are all reasonable cockpits.
even the T9's bridge looks reasonable.

the only cockpits i can't stand, are T6, keelback, T7 and to some degree Vulture.
The amount of unused vertical space just triggers me...
no other ships give me the feeling that their hull got upscaled by a factor of 2

Absolutely. Despite what many people say and how FDev presents it (Space Sim), Elite 4 is NOT even close to a space simulator. The cockpit sizes (why should the ships have windows to the unforgiving void in the first place?) are just one of the things that throws the notion of space simulator out of the window...

ah, come on... even the space shuttles had windows.

 

[insanephoton]

FDL, Asp, Viper, Cobra, Sidewinder, conda, corvette - those are all reasonable cockpits.
even the T9's bridge looks reasonable.

the only cockpits i can't stand, are T6, keelback, T7 and to some degree Vulture.
The amount of unused vertical space just triggers me...
no other ships give me the feeling that their hull got upscaled by a factor of 2



ah, come on... even the space shuttles had windows.

Have you tried the Dolphin yet? It's just a big room with a single seat in it.

 

[babelfisch]

Absolutely. Despite what many people say and how FDev presents it (Space Sim), Elite 4 is NOT even close to a space simulator. The cockpit sizes (why should the ships have windows to the unforgiving void in the first place?) are just one of the things that throws the notion of space simulator out of the window...

While you are absolutely correct that ED is not a futuristic space simulator, cockpit sizes and windows are abolutely not an indication for it.

 

[JesusRocks1988]

But there is no artificial gravity. I remember that from before game launch. How can you live aboard a ship without your muscles weakening. You would nee a gym, at least. And there is no gym module.

Passenger transport means that passengers who aren't used to space flight will be kept in their cabins as they puke their guts out. Cruises are nonsense. What is the fun of floating around bumping into every other passenger because you didn't have flight training? All these people should be strapped in and are virtual prisoners.

So when you talk about immersive lore all that is stupid. If there were artifial gravity, there would be no rotating stations. And how people live aboard these space factories...that means they have to be transported to a gravity situation regularly, or they get muscle atrophy and organ failure and break all thheir bones after some months.

If ships are 'homes' what miner or trader would take his family along? You can't put a baby in zero gravity! It needs gravity to grow normally.

In books by Larry Niven you will encounter people who live in a low gravity situation. But they are tall and had a lot of death before they could adapt. Misformed limbs and all that.

I said before that no artificial gravity complicated game lore. It is just stupid.

What about toilets indeed. Or showers? Great cruise people. Have any of you seen a NASA ISS toilet? My god, you wanna make a space sim and be all techy but in fact have no more imagination than 1984 space toilet tech...

We haven't had much explanation for it, but I can only assume that we live in mag boots and our flight suits are some kind of super tech that negates every consequence of spending all our time in microgravity.

The flight suits do look disconcertingly tight... Almost as if they're designed to do more than just cover our bodies or keep us warm.

 

[777Driver]

Why do spaceships have windshields and not cameras/sensors?
Why our highly sophisticated spaceships don't have simple altitude acceleration indicators? Or basic velocity vectors?
Why does the entire ship power management being handled by a single window on the right screen with some ticks?
Why there's a self destruct procedure button right next to a basic reboot system?

Simple answer is because Elite is not a simulator, but a space game with hints here and there from other genres.

Q- Why do spaceships have windshields and not cameras/sensors?

Because it's a computer game? You could also ask why humans are allowed anywhere near the flight controls.

Why does the entire ship power management being handled by a single window on the right screen with some ticks?

Why is the entire electrical/pneumatic and hydraulic system on the MD11 and other modern jets automated with a small ECAM screen for monitoring status? I guess you are expecting to see a grey haired engineer pulling lots of levers and pushing random buttons

Why our highly sophisticated spaceships don't have simple altitude acceleration indicators? Or basic velocity vectors?

They do have a V/S indicator, next to the pitch ladder. And a pseudo FPV augmented into the visor. (although I'd be happy to see a true old fashioned FPV implemented)

Did I mention this is just a game?

 

[ArchEmperor]

In space, size doesn't matter much. Mass does.

 

[Cervantes01]

We haven't had much explanation for it, but I can only assume that we live in mag boots and our flight suits are some kind of super tech that negates every consequence of spending all our time in microgravity.

The flight suits do look disconcertingly tight... Almost as if they're designed to do more than just cover our bodies or keep us warm.

Apart from protecting you from high g acceleration, perhaps they augment your body with stuff that looks a lot like electro muscle, handy for zero g and cargo handling. Perhaps pilots are really weak without their flight suits, vulnerable in fact.

 

[Vin Cross]

Apart from protecting you from high g acceleration, perhaps they augment your body with stuff that looks a lot like electro muscle, handy for zero g and cargo handling. Perhaps pilots are really weak without their flight suits, vulnerable in fact.

Engineers are actually looking at skintight suits for more mundane reasons, even today. They can maintain internal pressure to prevent "the bends" (I forget the technical term) without a lot of bulk that restricts your movement, and in the event of a suit breach, the effect is localized, and is more like a bad hickey than some kind of serious decompression. They're not necessarily EVA-rated, but they're great in emergencies.

 

[LJITimate]

if you buy a car, a big selling point is a lot of space, its a bit like that, it would be cool however to see some ships with a more function focused approach with a smaller cockpit and more optional internal points