Tell me about the background to designing the Enterprise.

The question has been asked a number of times: why the network or the studio decided that I was qualified to do the show. Basically it was due to my aeronautical background, with four years as a flight test engineer, my combat time, plus my own private licence and me being an aviation illustrator, and I have to say a successful one because I sure as hell wasn�t starving at it. That�s what got me the thing and Gene and I hit it off right off the bat due to our mutual experience in the opposite ends of the world in World War Two.