Exploring a 1950s space ship

[Shades of Eternity]

What would you expect if you were on a 1950's type space ship or flying saucer? I'm trying to design something.

 

[RealAlHazred]

What would you expect if you were on a 1950's type space ship or flying saucer? I'm trying to design something.

Some sort of place to attach the guide-wires...

Oh! You meant seriously! Things I think I remember seeing in old 50s sci-fi movies:

• Radar Screens
• Communicators
• Arms Storage Lockers
• Tool Chests
• Lots of pipes and gears; later on, lots of cables and tubes
• Controls for Defensive Screens and Force Fields

Things I don't remember ever seeing on ships in 50s sci-fi movies:

• Robot Brains or Calculating Machines

 

[John Dallman]

For a human-built space ship, I'd use interiors based on Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon. These are volumes of The Adventure of Tintin, produced in 1951-53, with a serious attempt at realism for the time.

The thing that is utterly different from actual spacecraft is their spaciousness, and the lack of concern about weight. All our portrayals of space travel were altered by the first space capsules in the early 1960s, making the older ideas seem quite alien.

 

[RealAlHazred]

For something more science-fictiony, you might get some reference from Flash Gordon's rocket ship, which showed up in 50s movies. Here are some interior shots. Here's a detailed cutaway.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Also, Winchell Chung over at Atomic Rockets has some ideas on interiors.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Yea, just do a search on spaceship blueprints or cut-aways Forbidden Planet

 

[aramis erak]

What would you expect if you were on a 1950's type space ship or flying saucer? I'm trying to design something.

Depends upon type...
Abbreviations: F Foreward, A Aftward, P Port, S Starboard, D Dorsal (top), V Ventral, I inboad (toward center), O outboard, C Center, M Midship, -R radially evenly distributed

Type	Deck:Thrust	Engines	Control room	Kitchenette	Weapons mounts	Quarters	head	Landing Gear	Special
Saucer A	Perpendicular	C or 3 or 4 OR	I/C	I	I or O	O	I	3-6 IDR
Saucer, B	Parallel	1 AC, 2 PO/SO, or 3 AC+PO/SO.	CD or FO	A	FO, PO+SO, DC, VC	I	A	2 PO/SO skids, or 2 PA/SA & landing ramp F
Saucer, C	Vertical 2 I, 1 O (split)	CV or 3-4 IRV	CD	I	CRV &/or OR	O	I	3-6 IDR	111 2222 2222 333
Vertical rocket	Perpendicular	V Deck 1 or 2	D	in front of engines	V & OR	M	near kitchen	VR 3-4 fins
Horizontal Rocket	Parallel	A	F	MO	MOR (D/V/P/S)	M	Just ahead of engines	2 (skids) or 3 (2 tail fins and a forward skid)	usually, central hall. Cargo subdeck

 

[aramis erak]

For something more science-fictiony, you might get some reference from Flash Gordon's rocket ship, which showed up in 50s movies. Here are some interior shots. Here's a detailed cutaway.

Note the two don't match... the movie serial was horizontal rocket, the cutaway is vertical....

 

[Ixal]

A large computer room with lines and lines of magnetic tapes.

 

[Sanguinarious]

Watch some 50s scifi movies. Angry red planet, forbidden planet, rocket ship xm, 12 to the moon, etc.

Also note that in the 50's most rocket ships weren't big on diverse Crews, don't know if you want that much authenticity tho.