The Iron Sky -team is looking for your ideas and comments.

Join and show your support for Iron Sky.

EARTH FLEET: EU

This task is closed
Created atNovember 13, 2008
Created byTimo Vuorensola
ClosedNovember 25, 2009
Shots given18
Reference media
Earth_fleet_moodboard01_thumb Earth_fleet_moodboard02_thumb

Thumbs ranking

Lars Vråle camouflaged as an space station?
Poll_bar
6/14%
Lasse Kleemola Sum of many parts
Poll_bar
5/12%
Petri Liuhto My take on the EU spacefleet
Poll_bar
5/12%
David Jansson Couldn't resist
Poll_bar
4/9%
BB2BB bureaucracy
Poll_bar
3/7%
Tino Van Horen Divided approach, or joint one?
Poll_bar
3/7%
Seydlitz Norman Germany's respond to the Nazi Invasion?
Poll_bar
3/7%

Closing Note

Thanks *everyone* for great shots and comments! We've had so far very good ideas, and will start designing the Earth Fleet ships based on your ideas.

We're going to need further assistance later on, and we'll put more specific tasks as we move along.

Great stuff!

Description

In Iron Sky, the Earth will stand up and defend itself against the Nazi enemy. In 2018, many of the countries have developed their space program - maybe in the shadows, maybe in open - to also be able to engage in a fight in the orbit or in deep space, if necessary.

In this task, we need ideas for what the space ship of the European Union would look like.

We'd request everything from descriptions to concept drawings, from crude ideas to finalized artwork - whatever is your game.

Few guidelines:

- The film is set in 2018 - so don't get over-excited on tech!
- There's no such thing as "interstellar travel" or "antigravity" invented.
- Be reasonable - try to be functional, and limit your ideas to feasible technologial advancements.
- For ideas, you can look for example the "Venture Star" -program: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_Star
- Also, the ideas can be pretty wacky ones - maybe some huge project a country has been working on is, instead of being what it looks like, a battleship?

We've already discussed the weapons technology in the previous task:

http://www.wreckamovie.com/tasks/show/52

Maybe reading through the thumbed-up -shots (you can sort them in the task) would give some ideas as well.

Included you'll find some concept art of stuff our concept artist Jussi has done. You may use them non-commercially and share them with others, but not claim them your own or charge money from them. Here's more info on the CC-license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/

As the licence in Iron Sky production requires, you need to give all the rights for derivative or original work you do for this task to the Iron Sky team for us being able to use them.

Go for it, people! Let's design the greatest space fleet in the history of film!


This task is closed.

Shots

Order by
Jaakko Kaleva November 24, 2009 21:50 1 Thumb-up
Add to Favorites

Modular

This is how I would see this. EU has underground silos where there is modules(pieces) that together can be united to create ships for their fleet, scattered around the continent, just in case. When the time comes, they can launch the modules, and individual smaller craft, to the orbit, where the modules join up to form proper battle craft. The smaller craft would protect this assembling. Of course as different modules are built in different member states, everything might not run entirely smoothly...
Just my 0.02$

Jump to comment form

Comments

Jaakko Kaleva November 25, 2009 00:15 Flag

Almost. The ships would be comprised of modules manufactured in separate locations. Everyone of them could function to some decree on their own. Every single module is launched to the orbit as an "individual" and attached to the other modules according to what kind of a bigger ship is wanted.

(null) November 24, 2009 21:58 Flag

Hmm... you mean sort of the way Airbus has parts manufactured all over Europe? But they don't put the parts together until the last minute?

No-user-picture-set
Matthew Wasley November 18, 2009 13:55 2 Thumb-ups
Add to Favorites

Metric / imperial and other differences

Further to the earlier shot about the fact that the EU wouldn't be in U about the ship, it would be worth exploring the outcome if it did get built by a committee of the 27 odd member states.

For example, by 2018 the British have become extremely EURO sceptic and have reversed the half-hearted attempts at metrication. Consequently, the GB boffins have used imperial measurements to build their portions of the ship and blame the other EU members when the ship fails to bolt together.

The final fleet eventually launches with extremely obvious patches and bodged repair jobs.

Also, all announcements take most of the day as they have to be in all languages - including Welsh, Gaelic and (as reintroduced in 2015) Cornish.

Jump to comment form

Comments

(null) November 19, 2009 15:40 Flag

"given the stating point is Nazis on the moon I would have though a big stretch is possible!"

That's true Matthew... :D

Matthew Wasley November 19, 2009 08:02 Flag

Ah, they're metric now, but in 2018 maybe a new government would have changed things to make a point. I suppose it depends on how far you want to stretch things, although given the stating point is Nazis on the moon I would have though a big stretch is possible!

(null) November 18, 2009 17:01 Flag

The British armed forces have been metric since the 1960s, they had to be in order to work with other NATO armies. The US armed forces took similar action for similar reasons I believe.

The language thing is a valid point though, there are SO many translators in European institutions, it's a wonder anything gets done. :)

No-user-picture-set
Tino Van Horen August 02, 2009 16:38 3 Thumb-ups
Add to Favorites

Divided approach, or joint one?

Typically EU would be that they all deny having made any kind of military space program, only admitting to it when the need emerges.
I can see the Brits and French especially doing something independently.

The EU has been thinking of a mission to Mars, so some groundwork can already have been done for that, including a few launch sites with launchbay and perhaps a platform in orbit. Defenses might be in place to deflect space debris that could be adapted into weapons.

Jump to comment form

Comments

Matthew Wasley November 18, 2009 13:48 Flag

Definitely agree that the Brits would not necessarily want to be involved in the EU ship. For that matter there would be a lot of amusing political shenanigans going on about who should be in charge and the corruption and inefficiencies in the build.

No-user-picture-set
Hetu November 13, 2009 17:42 1 Thumb-up
Add to Favorites

Norns Go To Waaar :)

After some small news in 1998 about norns (cute little cretures in Creatures game) trained to pilot eurofighters, there have been silence. When the nazies attack, these fierce warriors are ready to war behalf human race.

http://90.146.8.18/en/archives/festival_archive/festival_catalogs/festival_artikel.asp?iProjectID=8432

"Now, on commission from the British Ministry of Defense (Bedford, Dera Research Institute), the ”cute” little characters are being trained as Eurofighter pilots. The goal of this vision is ”to put human intelligence inside computers by the year 2020.” The concept of unmanned armed vehicles (UAV) is being tested with the Norns. The term ”unmanned" is not synonymous with ”not live”; it is just that, in this case, there are no human beings piloting the Eurofighter.This commercial application was selected because it contains the first artificial species capable of learning. Only the ”born” flyers are bred further; the genes of those who crash are eliminated. It is only after 400 generations that the Norns master aviation. The death of the virtual test pilots means nothing. They are immaterial victims of military progress. Artificial life (still) has no needs of its own; all it wants to do is to survive combat. Hunger and thirst are trained out of it. Furthermore, it is capable of tolerating stress, and can withstand tremendous acceleration without injury, since it possesses no body and its cyberlife-brain has been trained exclusively to carry out this task."

"The Norns keep the Eurofighter aloft in such an individualistic way that the programmers are now not even capable of explaining it any more on the basis of an analysis of the software."

AGENT PROJECTS

Norns go to war Agents from Albia [15] , is an article by Clive
Davidson in the May 9 issue of New Scientist [16]
[Image] which describes how Cyberlife [17] , the company
[Image] which created the popular creatures [18] alife
product, is working with the British government's
Defense Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) to
create agents to act as adversaries for pilots
flying missions in flight simulators.

"In their virtual world, norns live as cute,
clever pets that reason and learn. In the real
world, the military has enlisted the
technology behind norns to create top fighter
pilots. ... After running populations of 40
pilots through up to 400 generations of
evolution, CyberLife has software agents that
don't crash their planes and can keep targets
in their sights for a long time. On paper,
these synthetic pilots look as good as human
aces, but DERA has not yet put humans through
exactly the same test on a simulator. That
would be one of the next steps for DERA and
CyberLife to take."

In March CyberLife Technology signed an agreement
with the UK's Ministry of Defense research
organization to build a simulated military aircraft
controlled by a software agent. CyberLife will be
using real flight model data from the MOD to
simulate an aircraft akin to the Eurofighter. "This
intelligent plane, however, requires no human
intervention and will be capable of sustaining
flight, pursuing enemy vehicles, evading attack and
making reasoned decisions in order to complete its
mission requirements."

Jump to comment form

Comments

This shot doesn't have comments.

No-user-picture-set
Seydlitz Norman October 21, 2009 09:31 3 Thumb-ups
Add to Favorites

Germany's respond to the Nazi Invasion?

It has to be considered also instead of weapons...(I'm sorry because I do not know where to post this) the Federal Republic of Germany or the German parts of the EU regarding this Nazi invasion. Will they join the rest of the EU to kill their own countrymen? Stay neutral?

Jump to comment form

Comments

(null) November 04, 2009 03:37 Flag

Carl, thanks very very much for that response. :)

Carl L. November 03, 2009 21:19 Flag

I grew up in Austria, and lived in Germany for 5 years.
I can tell you that most Germans would side against the Nazis.
We have been so thoroughly taught about our role in WW2, that I sometimes feel bad for doing all those atrocities, though I wasn't alive then, and couldn't have commited them.
Added to that are the 'Wiederbetätigungs Gesetze' which forbid Swastikas, Nazi-Ideology, the sale of Mein Kampf, etc. That is where freedom of speech ends.
Germans are very aware of their part. Some of them can't even take a good Nazi-joke. (even Chaplin's 'Great Dictator' was forbidden for a while)
Though in recent years censors have relaxed a bit, to enhance the 'Vergangenheitsbewältigung' -dealing with the past- (as you can see with Helmut Qualtinger's reading of Mein Kampf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUmAXAC7qwM ) there is a continuous process of identifying discriminatory nazi-esque ideologies in our culture, and eliminating them.
(when I was in primary school we learned a song about dark skinned turks who drink too much coffee, which has been banned since)

Id say that for storyline purposes you could have a few powerhungry business people (bankers, industrialists) side with the Nazis (as they do at any war), and of course all the demented Neo-Nazis would join the cause. What is funny, is that the most die-hard Neo-Nazis I've met, are from ethnic groups the Nazis despised. Slavics, Turks, Mexicans, ... and not one of them fitting into that perfect arian mold. LOL!

I had my fair share of repeatedly killing Nazis in Wolfenstein and similar games. I would give that up for nothing!
So if the time should come, beware Raum-Nazi Abschaum! I will keep killing 'em to my dying breath. And so will most of the german speaking nations of the world!

Kari Pihkala October 21, 2009 12:59 Flag

Hehee, I think Finns could also, once again, join Nazis and try to get the lost Karelia back with the help of UFOs. A secret treaty ?? Hahaa!

There might also be other countries interested in this kind of help.. North-Korea??

Let the propaganda war begin!

(null) October 21, 2009 12:37 Flag

Very interesting and VERY sensitive point. If I was the writer I would be too scared to even mention it! :)

But maybe Johanna Sinisalo has come up with some way of resolving this situation?

N798560194_3145_thumb
Lars Vråle January 27, 2009 09:58 6 Thumb-ups
Add to Favorites

camouflaged as an space station?

Just an idea:
The EU claimes to have built an science station in space, but its acctually a battlestation..

Just imagine an ISS-lookalike, that transformes into a battleship..

Maybe even better if Russia has built it, as MIR II?

Jump to comment form

Comments

Carl L. November 03, 2009 21:25 Flag

Nice Idea!
However, I think it would be more likely that the EU has some sort of particle accelerator-station, that could be retrofitted into a space-weapon.
Orbital LHC firing miniature black holes or something.

Mathias Jürgens August 04, 2009 17:29 Flag

nice idea. it could be an homage to "saberrider and the starsherrifs". This spaceship called "Ramrod".

David Jansson August 04, 2009 15:08 Flag

Is it going to transform into a big robot?

Mr. Anonymous March 06, 2009 03:27 Flag

I like this, good idea!

Clive Burghard. January 27, 2009 23:57 Flag

This is a good idea, there are 'rumours' that there really are several 'secret' space stations up there, President Reagan's suggested 'Star Wars' defence platforms to be prescise.

Oskar Lönnberg January 27, 2009 11:54 Flag

This is really a great idea

Jani Salomaa January 27, 2009 10:39 Flag

Your idea is brilliant. It fits the EU ""feel" nicely. A transforming space station is just what we need!

Other people have been already working on a similar themes: http://www.wreckamovie.com/tasks/show/121

Le_voyage_dans_la_lune_thumb
Jack Malinowski November 03, 2009 19:12 2 Thumb-ups
Add to Favorites

Space Hotel

Reportedly, the first, Space Hotel, 'The Galactic Suite Space Resort,' is scheduled to open around 2012 - perhaps there might by Honey Moon resorts in orbit by 2018...

www.galacticsuite.com

Jump to comment form

Comments

Oskar Lönnberg November 03, 2009 20:25 Flag

Now I know where I want to spend my next holiday :)

Angela R. November 03, 2009 19:44 Flag

...space hotel?

You really gotta see this little teaser made by Kris:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTp0PeVXB3U

Oskar_thumb
Oskar Lönnberg November 15, 2008 18:26 2 Thumb-ups
Add to Favorites

Virgin Galactic

This is a suggestion for EU space fleet, but it is closely related to the discussion going on in USA fleet task about how realistic it is to build space fleet in 2018 time frame.

One idea is that the fleet will use and copy the basic spaceship technology from current commercial space programs like http://www.virgingalactic.com/ and install required weapons into them.

The commercial space programs try to make the space travel cheap and to start copying them is much cheaper and faster than current space shuttle technology. And to arm them it would be nice to see crude mounts of missiles and guns to the hull of these nice colorful and streamlined luxury spaceships.

See the attached pic where the actual spaceship is the one in middle and the airplane is used to get the spaceship of the ground.

In_air_banking_thumb

Jump to comment form

Comments

Johan Aleksis Wahlström August 07, 2009 23:00 Flag

Carried by a plane to high launching point could be valid approach. Slower than rocket carry - but more maneuverable and possibly a bit more "stealthy".

Re-entry for crew could be with a "capsule" rather than "shuttle" - if combat damage is expected full shuttle re-entry might not be expected to succeed anyway.

Airships would be cool too. Lift a scramjet plane (or simply the spaceship with disposable scramjet attached) with airship - drop/catapult/slingshot it so it can get enough speed for the scramjet to start. The scarmjet gets to near escape velocity and launches the final space fighter out.. - which operates with rockets - maybe carrying disposable fuel tanks/wings too..

Oskar Lönnberg November 20, 2008 09:16 Flag

Had to check the facts. Virgin Galactic is based in Mojave California.

Oskar Lönnberg November 20, 2008 08:57 Flag

True kamikaze style battle ship could be like this. Here I merely was thinking about practical ways how to get spaceships. And the idea is to take current space programs and their ships and modify them to suite for battle in space.

My understanding is that Virgin is EU/UK based company and that lead to the reason why to add this here. (haven't check my facts, lazy here ..)

And then the style and colors of the ship would be nice and flashy kind of fashion ship. The ships will get quite funny looking when there are attached gray/army colored weapons to the hull.

But the more interesting discussion is going on with the kamikaze ships.

http://www.wreckamovie.com/shots/show/1078

Jani Salomaa November 19, 2008 16:45 Flag

I think this design would be better for the Japanese Kamikaze fleet.. The airplane would take the shuttle to a high launchpoint, and the shuttle would have no landing gear, only enough rocket fuel to crash into an enemy craft in orbit..

Avatar_thumb
David Jansson July 10, 2009 22:04 4 Thumb-ups
Add to Favorites

Couldn't resist

SAAB is on it's third delta wing.

Based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAS_39_Gripen

Edit: The first drawing was a joke. But, uh, maybe not. Did a new, more serious design. Just a few changes.

Edit2: And I know I called it Vildvittran in the image. But could you please go with Enhörningen instead if you use it, out of respect for Astrid Lindgren. (It means Unicorn. Naming planes after mythical creatures is a Saab tradition. Draken - dragon, Viggen - uh, don't know what a Vigg is, Gripen - Gryphon.) (One visit to Wikipedia later: Vigg is a duck like bird it seems.... http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigg )

Edit3: I added a quick and dirty storyboard of the R-JAS in action. Uhm. Very quick and very dirty.

Starwreckjas_thumb
Starwreckjas2_thumb
Ironskyr-jas-storyboard_thumb

Jump to comment form

Comments

David Jansson August 04, 2009 12:51 Flag

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/LM_RCS.jpg

This is what I thought the RJAS would have at the tips of its wings.

David Jansson July 14, 2009 16:04 Flag

With my last comment in mind, see the story board I added.

David Jansson July 14, 2009 15:28 Flag

Well, the things out on the wings in the new version is supposed to look similar to the Eagles manouvering thrusters. (Both the moon lander and the ones from Space 1999.) They are just very dark and dominating in the design sketch because they are sloppily drawn...

The R-JAS would need a rocket to reach orbit, but maybe they can go down and land by themselves. When things start to burn they just jettison the thrusters. (And that is why they have missile ramps above the wings, so as to not have them explode during re-entry.)

NASA Starfury? Coooool. I want a link with pictures!

Stig-Magnus Gjerald July 12, 2009 18:32 Flag

For maneuvering i was thinking inertia(pulsing the rocket engines) combined with multiple maneuvering jets. Basically a swedish cooler looking version of the starfury(wich btw it seems nasa is going to actually build!)

Johan Aleksis Wahlström July 12, 2009 18:27 Flag

Yeah sure.

Something like the Energia rocket.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia
But instead of a buran space shutlle have one fighter on both sides of the rocket..

The thing is that once outside of the atmosphere -- all the advanced avionics anbd the jet engines of the fighter are just dead weight and the fighter is just a fancy looking barely manouverable satellite..

But sure it's possible - just not "viable"..

Well a bit of handvawium and assuming an engine that works both in space and in air -- (some sort of rocket/jet engine hybrid - well a rocket works but is wery fuel inefficient in atmosphere..) might be enough.

But yeah - It would look "mighty mighty"..

David Jansson July 12, 2009 18:01 Flag

Well, I thought the rocket with fighters attached was a good and nice way to overcome that. Not to mention that it would look mighty mighty. :)

Johan Aleksis Wahlström July 12, 2009 17:32 Flag

Harhar - Maybe Finland should have Swedish space fighters carried by Russian rockets..

Well if we're talking realistic a Swedish air&space fighter at 2018 - or indeed any air&space fighter at 2018 would be quite unlikely - but if it is going to be a comedy with some disbelief suspenders on - then no problem.

But one that does not actually get out of atmosphere - but can climb fairly high and shoot "air-to-space" missiles of some kind might be more believable and fun enough..

David Jansson July 12, 2009 11:18 Flag

Maybe not a space power on our own, but maybe we had better luck with selling the R-JAS 41 than we have been having with JAS 39...

I think SAAB is working on an unmanned stealth fighter thingy at the moment, but unmanned fighters just wouldn't be as fun in a comedy like Iron Sky...

Johan Aleksis Wahlström July 12, 2009 01:29 Flag

Yeah - there's no way a 2018 fighter could take of from common road - and reach orbit in single stage.
Some kind of to orbit rocket or something should be used to get to orbit.

And I really cant see sweden being a space power on it's own.

But advanced saab atmospheric fighters could see some action if the nazis decide to invade sweden..

David Jansson July 12, 2009 00:33 Flag

Enhörningen sounds very good. I'd rather want them to call it that than Vildvittran if they use it. Out of respect to Astrid Lindgren.

Stig-Magnus Gjerald July 11, 2009 23:33 Flag

The horror?! my first car was a saab 96, loved that thing:-)

Can imagine 3 R-JAS 41(mitt navneforslag er Enhörningen, om det er fullstendig feil svensk så beklager jeg,er norsk:-)
Attached to a Large missile, when they get beyond the atmosphere they get ejected as the transport missile gets scuttled

David Jansson July 11, 2009 22:12 Flag

"The looks of the SAAB space fighters could have close resemblance to the old SAAB 96 cars... That would be funny indeed... *grin*"

The horror! Please don't!

Timo-Heikki Mäkelä July 11, 2009 22:06 Flag

The looks of the SAAB space fighters could have close resemblance to the old SAAB 96 cars... That would be funny indeed... *grin*

Stig-Magnus Gjerald July 11, 2009 15:57 Flag

I like this idea, have always liked how swedens military forces plans for every eventuality.
And they can operate more or less nonstop, take off,do their thing, land at a resupply point by some road, then off again.

Its pure genius tbh, and would be a good way to counterattack the spacenazis when airports are FUBAR.

David Jansson July 11, 2009 15:43 Flag

Hehe. Yes, they can. There are strips of road strewn out in Sweden that is kind of long and straight where there aren't any highways. Intended to double as runways in times of, well, I don't know what times, but they were made for Gripen and Viggen.

My model should probably be called R-JAS, rather than JAS, in retrospect.
(JAS = Jakt Attack Spaning or Fighter Attack Surveillance. R-JAS, Rymd - Jakt Attack Spaning or Space - Fighter Attack Surveillance.)

Stig-Magnus Gjerald July 10, 2009 23:11 Flag

SAABs plane have a tendency to look badass:-)And if i remember correctly they are built being able to use a regular highway as a landing strip giving it an great advantage over other countries wich need regular airfields to operate their airforces. saab 35 draken is my fav though:-)

Gm_construct0004_thumb
killakan July 26, 2009 10:31 1 Thumb-up
Add to Favorites

Tactical attacks

I have an idea for EU fleet they should have a small T.A.F (Tactical Attack Fighter) what are one manned fighters able to do realy hard and cool evasive actions and it has 2 prototype plasma guns and 1 rocket pod and there should be a big station or ship what carries these fighters and it would have 10-12 automatic explosive ammo turrets and i don't have no pic's cause i think i can't write it so well so if someone want so write it then do it.

Jump to comment form

Comments

Yan Pagh July 26, 2009 11:11 Flag

Hm.

Feel free to check my designs for the stealth fighter "Raven III" on the EU fleet.