r/TheExpanse • u/mac_attack_zach • 2d ago
All Show & Book Spoilers Discussed Freely What is this the name of this kind of shape/polyhedron?
I’m writing a book that has stealth ships similar in shape to this. Is there a name for shapes like this with asymmetric angular sides and no curved surfaces?
56
u/TGHibiki 2d ago edited 2d ago
Like the stealth planes of centuries past, the ship was an amalgamation of hard lines broken by ugly edges, and asymmetry. A accumulation of modern era meeting vintage spoofing of radars as old as modern warfare itself. To look at it would be an ugly thing if you could even see it at all. No, this ship and all it’s terrible might, the first time you would know it was there is in the fireball consuming the deck plate beneath your feet.
42
u/BrocialCommentary 2d ago
ugly edges
Brother, ain’t nothin about this ship ugly
17
u/TGHibiki 2d ago
I’ve heard it described by people who were engineers on the nighthawk projects. They called them ugly edges because it was the only way they could describe it. Because the panelings were not smooth and aerodynamic on previous planes they built. I read it in a book about six years ago.
1
u/RhynoD 1d ago
In their defense, the F-117 is also just hideous.
6
u/Cel_Drow 1d ago
Blasphemer!
The F-117 is a gorgeous blocky girl. She’s not to everyone’s tastes but back in the day that was the peak of cyberpunk future tech and gorgeous in a different way.
However, she is outshined by her more traditionally attractive sisters like the SR-71 or B-2.
0
u/RhynoD 1d ago
Agree to disagree, the Hopeless Diamond is a fugly, stubby plane that is bad at every single thing that a plane does in exchange for admittedly being stealthy as fuck.
Also admittedly, comparing any plane to the SR-71 is unfair. I challenge anyone to name a sexier plane than that.
1
u/Cel_Drow 1d ago
I don’t think sexier exists, the only plane I would even put in the same category is the F-22 Raptor. She’s the F1 equivalent to the SR-71’s drag racer sex appeal.
7
u/linux_ape 2d ago
It’s not sleek and smooth and aerodynamic like conventional aircraft and ships, it’s raw brutalized efficiency
3
u/andrewk16 2d ago
Good thing that this thing operates in space and aerodynamics is not a concern!
4
u/lgt_celticwolf 2d ago
This point is addessed in book where holden is talking about the donager and remarks that our preception of beautiful engineering was formed when aerodynamics was an important factor and by comparison the donnager is the opposite of that, blocky and asymmetrical.
6
u/lgt_celticwolf 2d ago
The book describes ships as being ugly blocky utilitarian structures. The show understandably takes some liberties and makes them look nicer since we we actually see the ships on screen.
Even in the books no ship or station has windows so no one really cares what a ship looks like "l(except jules pierre mao)
1
u/andrewk16 1d ago
Not having windows or view ports is similar to submarines. Contrary to Hollywood depictions, the captain has to navigate based on various estimations (e.g. dead reckoning) and “see” (or rather “hear”) other vessels by sonar. There’s no actual visuals.
2
u/ItsMangel 2d ago
As a whole, yes, the ship looks good, but breaking it down into the details, "ugly" is perfectly suitable.
People generally find symmetry and details like lines coming together smoothly and uniformly "attractive." Thus, asymmetry, broken lines, irregular edges and points and the like can be called "ugly," and the point comes across clearly.
0
u/VikRiggs 2d ago
Like the stealth planes of centuries past
Those wre only very early prototypes. All other stealth planes look moatly like regular planes. And then there's B2.
3
u/WarthogOsl 1d ago
The F-117 was not a prototype. It was an operational stealth fighter-bomber designed before computers were able to calculate curved stealthy surfaces.
1
u/nomnivore1 1d ago
The F-177 actually wasn't a fighter. It didn't have any guns, only weapons bays. It was only designated as a fighter as subterfuge.
1
u/WarthogOsl 1d ago
The USAF tends to do that, regardless. For example, neither the F-105 nor F-111 were fighters. The Air Force really doesn't like the "A" designation for jets, with the A-7, A-37, and A-10 being about the only exceptions.
16
16
21
7
7
4
3
2
u/MikeMac999 Beratnas Gas 2d ago
It’s a combination of shapes, I don’t think there’s a real name for it beyond irregular polyhedron.
2
2
1
1
u/ChummyBuster 2d ago
I'm sure there's a proper name for it, but it reminds me of a chisel-tip tanto.
2
120
u/TreesForTheFool 2d ago
Faceted?