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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!rayssd!m1b
From: m1b@rayssd.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: Stupid Viewscreens and Dumb Captains
Message-ID: <765@rayssd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-May-85 12:38:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: rayssd.765
Posted: Wed May 29 12:38:29 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 30-May-85 20:36:29 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Raytheon Co., Portsmouth RI
Lines: 19

Concerning the use of personnel to visually sight the Reliant, David
Smith writes in <1466@sdcc7.UUCP>:

> 	That would work great, against *OPTICAL* poor visibility.
> The poor visibility was supposed to be *ELECTRONIC*, i.e. radar,
> sub-space ranging, or whatever they use.  Remember, these battles,
> even at sub-light speeds, are being fought in a *LARGE* area.  Human
> eyesight is good to maybe twenty miles.  With a lot of dust and
> crapola in the way, maybe ten? ...

	They are, however, fighting in a rather small volume.  Kirk
drops the Enterprise "z minus 1000 meters" to finally nail Khan.  The
audience can see both ships near each other in many of the 'outside'
shots.  If the Reliant is ~250 meters long, anyone should be able to
spot it.  Also, in their first encounter, the Reliant nearly *rams*
the Enterprise!  Now that is close quarters to me.

Joe Barone,	{allegra, decvax!brunix, linus, ccice5}!rayssd!m1b
Raytheon Co,	Submarine Signal Div., Box 330, Portsmouth, RI  02871