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  1. Hi all! Here's my next project The Enterprise refit is one of my favourites. I'm not getting any of the after-market parts / no photo-etch parts, no aztecs decals etc and I'm not painting with pearlescent paints. But none of that really bother me. Sure it'd be nice but I'm on a budget and I plan to light it. I've had this model sitting in a pile in the corner of the room for years now, and I feel that I need to do one more big project like this, and possibly a few smaller ones before I tackle my price possession... the Polar Lights TOS Enterprise, 1:350 scale. So here we go! So, off to an interesting start. Getting the parts out of the box and looking at the saucer section, the window areas are completely cut out and need to be glued in and seams removed. Anyone know why this is the case? Seems a very odd decision to provide the kit like this. It's not even as if there are a choice of parts available for different configurations. Most odd. Still, getting them in and hiding the seams should be no problem, I hope!
  2. Hi all. I received the revell enterprise as a gift from family, in 1/400. If I was to order it myself I would have gone 1/350 which seems way more popular. Now my skills will get me nowhere near the levels seen on here and other sites, that much I accept. But I do want to add some extras, more planes and crew in particular. Search as I may though, I can only find extras for the 1/350 kits. Firstly, why do Revell have to be what seems the only ones doing the cvn65 in this scale? Secondly, if anyone can point me in the right direction for some 1/400 extras please do. As a last resort, is the difference tween 350 and 400 enough to make using 1/400 extras a no-go? Folks any and all input is really welcome.
  3. Last week my son pointed out the left hand warp nacelle had fallen off my Enterprise model onto one of my 1/32 Spitfires (don't be alarmed - it was fine!). Getting it out revealed the whole model was badly in need of a visit to spacedock. The fillers had cracked open and the varnish I used to use as a sealer had yellowed substantially. I subsequently pulled it apart a it more to bring it up to a more reasonable standard. I made this over 20 years ago and my skills have advanced a little since then. It is badly-fitting and will need some decent filling. I'll also need to work out a way to support the warp nacelles better as the tiny tabs used are plainly insufficient to support their weight for extended periods. I remember the kit decals were rubbish and I needed to bathe them in PVA glue to get them to adhere. I've ordered some nice but expensive replacements from JT-Graphics in the US (postage to Oz is almost as much as the decals themselves) and will attempt a better shading look to the overall appearance. Hopefully, she'll come out much nicer this time around. The Hasegawa Neptune under it is next on the shelf...
  4. Calling this one done..... You can see the build log by clicking here.......Space Seed Build Log A nice build to do, even though it was a snap fit, some of the fittings were very tricky and didn't quite sit right. You had 3 choices to build in the kit which was great. The decals were easy to soak and released very easily, though they were complex in their layout and did tend to break a lot as they slid off of the sheet. Esepecially the registration markings on the secondary hull and the nacelles. The Original pilot episode enterprise from the "The Cage". the Mirror universe Enterprise, which is basically the pilot episode Enterprise but with ISS markings, or the "Space Seed" episode whish is what you get to see here.... Had to use the flash as the pictures were coming our really dark. A nice side effect was the flash bouncing off of the navigation lights. All in all, a fun build to do and one I would recommend. Thoughts and comments all welcomed
  5. USS Enterprise CVN-65 Part 2 Eduard 1:350 With part 1 released last month and reviewed HERE, Eduard have now released Part 2. Flight Deck Equipment and Aircraft, (53-224). This single sheet set covers a lot of the deck equipment that comes with the kit, plus a lot of additional detail for each of the aircraft. Some of the deck equipment is completely replaced with PE vehicles, whilst others require quite a bit of surgery. The modeller is also required to provide plastic rod of varying thicknesses. The new equipment includes two gas bottle trolleys, two fire trucks and four fork lift trucks. The modified vehicles are the eight tow/starter/fire vehicles and the massively modified Jumbo crane of which only the rear box section and axles remain from the kit vehicle. Each of the fixed wing aircraft are provided with the very fine details that couldn’t realistically be done in plastic. These include undercarriage bay doors, arrester hooks, pylons, and replacement nose wheels. The S-3’s also receive a new sonar buoy panel, while the A-6’s get an extended aft electronic bay, plus a new ventral spine aerial for the F-18’s. Conclusion Since the ship is being given the Eduard treatment, then why can’t the air wing and deck equipment. This set, while being extremely fiddly will really add that pizzazz needed on the flight deck or hanger if you’re really going to town on the kit. Review sample courtesy of
  6. USS Enterprise CVN-65 Eduard 1:350 The Tamiya 1:350 CVN-65 USS Enterprise was released as far back as 1984. It was the first aircraft carrier in 1:350 I had seen, so had to buy it, only a week after it was released, the first model I used an airbrush, and I still have it, although in a rather poor condition, this was also the year I joined the Royal Navy, and it became the centrepiece for many a Captains rounds, distracting the inspecting party from doing any actual inspecting. For some reason it has been ignored by Eduard, but they have finally released the first of a number of sets for the venerable old kit. As usual, there are many small parts and a number of kit details that will need to be removed before the PE parts can be added. Ships Boats and Liferafts, (53-223). This single sheet set contains an awful lot of parts, but for only a couple of areas, namely all the emergency liferaft canisters that are hung around the edges of the flightdeck and the ships boats. The Liferafts in the kit come as runs of anything between two and five rafts, these will need to be separated and cleaned up of the joints. The racks are then folded to shape and glued to separate backing plates, before the liferafts can be added and the whole assembly attached to the model. The backing plates are joined together by a thin length of PE and come in sections of two, three, four and five plates. With the number of liferafts in the kit, this could get rather laborious, and certainly time consuming; but the effect will be worth it. The ships open boat will need to have its centre section hollowed out carefully before the new engine casing, control lectern and wheel can be added, as well as the waist thwart that goes around the inside of the boat, followed by the fore and aft decking, and gunwhales, which are as one piece, is attached. The pinnace is also modified, with eh removal of all the top hamper, then opened up, the new, carefully folded PE is then glued into place and additional details such as the railings, windshield, propeller skeg, propeller and rudder are attached. Conclusion It’s about time this fabulous kit got the Eduard treatment, I know other companies have released etch for it, mostly before I even knew PE existed, but I find some companies PE rather too fragile and thin. I look forward to the next releases as they might give me the impetuous to take my old kit and give it a good refurbishing, and hope the skills I have learnt in the intervening years will be put to good use. Review sample courtesy of
  7. This is my first model for 42 years. My son bought it for me and I had to relearn how to model. It is poor by comparison with most of the models on here but I am pleased with it as a first effort. It's important because it has got me back into tis excellent hobby (which might become an obsession) after four decades of doing 'sensible' things. Lots of errors on here the main one being I destroyed the NCC- 1701 decal and had to replace it with NCC - 1017 (really bad news for those Trekkies) :-(
  8. So finally, after many months of delay due to 'family things' I've found some time to post a few images of my finished Enterprise! You can see my 'work in progress' thread at Revell Enterprise NCC1701 (TOS) - My First Model, which includes lots of photos, some better than these tbh. As mentioned previously, this was my first model. I've learned a lot so far and enjoyed every minute of the build (apart maybe from masking the windows before paint spraying). I really need to get a decent camera and video camera. I used my phone and these are pretty poor quality, the video is pretty dark and shakey too so sorry about that I also need to create a work-in-progress post for my Revell Klingon D7 that I've started, but havent worked on for a while. Anyway, here they are.... I plan to add some weathering in future models and to be a bit more adventurous when it comes to correcting inaccuracies in the model compared to the TV/Movie models. But, for a first model I'm very happy with this
  9. This is how I added lights to my build of the Enterprise many moons ago. The lighting is quite basic and should be a fairly easy project to do for anyone wanting to get into lighting their kits. As the original series model of the ship was quite basic with its lighting effects, I used some poetic justice while still trying to keep some of the effects from the TV series. Thanks for viewing and I hope it encourages others to have a go. There is a video of the finished kit HERE
  10. Hi Everyone This is one of my earlier builds that I made years ago of the original Star Trek ship and added lights to. The electrics are quite basic but I achieved the effects that I wanted. I found it quite easy to do as there was plenty of space for the wiring, etc, and after looking on the Internet it seemed that strobe lighting had not been invented when they created the model for the series, so I just used basic Led's. There is a video that I made HERE and some pictures of how I added the lighting in the WIP forum. Thanks for viewing.
  11. I've started the Tamiya 1/350 USS Enterprise in 1/350th scale. Currently working on some of the air-wing and changes to the island structure as it is being backdated to how she was in 1976. Still have to put on the landing gear, gear doors, access steps, engines and pylons. The canopies were tinted and I am plucking up the courage to paint the canopy frame. It's a slow long-term project which I hope to finish by the time the telegram lands on the doorstep.
  12. Hello, guys. Soon I will start to work on Tamiya model of ship from title. I wa wondering if you could help me with some facts. I was wondering from what period is this model ? In the box, are this aircrafts - 2 x F-18 Hornets, 2 x A-6 Intruders, 2 x F-14 Tomcats, 2 x A-7 Corsairs and 2 - S-3 Vikings.
  13. USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Stardate 1601.28: After a year of extensive research, conservation work on the original studio model of the USS Enterprise is now underway in the Museum’s spacedock. Our goal is to stabilize the model and return it to its appearance from August of 1967, during the filming of the episode The Trouble with Tribbles, which marked the last known modification of the ship during the production of Star Trek. The model appeared in all 79 episodes of the original series, and was donated to the Smithsonian in 1974. It will go back on public display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall this year, in time for the Museum’s 40th birthday in July and the 50th anniversary of Star Trek in September. Visitors to our third annual Open House at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday, January 30 can catch a glimpse of the work in progress. .
  14. Hi Everyone, In memory of Leonard Nimoy, 1931 to 2015. Here is the 3rd of my 4 submissions for this group build, the Revell 1:500 scale USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from Star Trek Into Darkness. Here is the box art : Kit details : - Skill Level 3 - 91 parts - Newly developed construction kit - Large scale, two-piece Saucer Section - Separate command bridge - Multi-part deflector and sensor - Large-scale, two-piece secondary hull - Multi-part nacelles with separate pylons - Many transparent parts, including Bussard collectors and navigation lights - Display stand - Kit suitable for the addition of lighting (equipment not included) - Detailed instructions with tips for painting - Extensive set of decals for the Enterprise Sprue shots Before I stopped all work on this kit, I primed the entire kit, started the painting of it and completed the display stand including painting. Here is the picture f the completed display stand. Because of a mishap with the painting of the kit (see below), I will be stripping the kit back (fairy power spray) and starting all over again. Look for more when the build actually starts. Cheers, Rick
  15. Hi Everyone, In memory of Leonard Nimoy, 1931 to 2015. Here is the 2nd of my 4 submissions for this group build (3 of which are starships) : the Revell 1/600 USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from Star Trek The Original Series. Here is the boxart : Starship history : Due to remarkable technical advances, above all in transmission technology, the Starfleet decided on a comprehensive modernisation program across the entire fleet in the year 2236. On this new type of ship, the current technical developments were taken into account, and components such as warp nacelles and the primary hull were implemented into the standard series as the ships were built. The development of the Constitution Class began in 2236, the commissioning of the first models, amongst them the 288.6 m long U.S.S. Enterprise, took place in 2245. The new Class, consisting of 13 spaceships, was developed specifically for scientific investigations and research in unknown areas of the Galaxy. Diverse scientific laboratories were located in the saucer section which turned the Enterprise into a mobile research platform. In spite of this, the heavy cruiser was well-armed, as it and its crew of 430 people were alone way outside the Federation space during the missions - and in addition, as part of the United Federation of Planets, they were obliged to protect its sphere of influence against aggressors. During the 5-year mission starting in 2265 under the command of Captain James T. Kirk and First Officer Spock from the planet Vulcan, the Enterprise therefore explored strange new worlds , seeking out new life and new civilizations , and boldly going where no man has gone before . During this time they made many initial contacts, some involving armed conflict with alien species. Kit details : - Skill level 3- - 117 parts - Construction set in completely new form - Extensive, two-part saucer section - Separate command bridge - Multi-part deflector and sensor - Large, two-part secondary hull - Multi-part warp nacelles with separate pylons - Many transparent sections, including Bussard collectors and position lamps - Display stands - Clear building instructions with painting tips - Comprehensive transfers for the Enterprise, Potemkin and Constellation Sprue shots : Before I stopped all work on this kit, I did get as far as building and painting the display stand for the completed ship. Here is the photo. Cheers, Rick
  16. USS Enterprise "Star Trek Into Darkness" 1:500 Revell As a Star Trek Fan I think I am right in saying that in recent years the franchise as suffered a little bit. JJ Adams came in like a breath of fresh air to update things with the 2009 Star Trek, and this has now been followed up with Star Trek Into Darkness. Without wanting to give to much away the crew of the Enterprise must return home following an act of terrorism within its own ranks which destroys much of Starfleet leaving Earth in crisis. With a personal score to settle Capt James T Kirk will lead his crew on a mission to capture the one-man weapon of mass destruction responsible. The Kit With this kit of the latest film USS Enterprise Revell continue their tie in with the film & TV series, which seems to have generated them a lot of kit sales over the years. The scale on this kit is listed as 1:500 which seems to be big enough, the saucer section has a diameter of 280mm. The kit arrives in white plastic as two halves of the saucer, an additional six sprues of plastic; with two clear sprues (the large engine domes had broken off in our review sample, but with no bad effects). Construction starts with the bridge area. Two separate construction steps make up the bridge with a combination of clear and normal plastic. A further construction is the area on the lower saucer section directly below the bridge. The steps are well defined on the instructions. Once complete the bridge section can be added to the upper saucer section. A selection of clear parts are then added into the rim of the lower section, along with the section previously made. Once the parts have been added to both sections they can be joined together. I would advise caution if test fitting the sections before hand. The fit extremely well and I had difficulty getting them apart! Once these have been joined there are a few additional parts to fit to finish off the saucer. The next step is to move onto the main body of the Enterprise. Various clear parts must be added into both halves to start. Two internal bulkheads are added along with the hanger doors for the shuttle bay. If using the supplied stand then holes must also be added at this stage. The two halves can then be joined. A bottom insert is added, then a large U shaped insert, which completes the supports for the engine pods. The next is to complete the collector assembly for the front of the Enterprise. This is then attached (although you could do this later) .The main body can then be attached to the saucer. Following this its onto the engine nacelles. The fronts of the engines are complete using a white plastic bulkhead with an attached decal, and a large clear dome over the top. More clear inserts must be added to each engine pod half before they are joined together. Due to the shapes of these they are actually quite a few parts, which go onto & into the halves to complete the engine nacelles. Construction steps are the same but handed for both sides. A little time and care will be needed to ensure the correct parts are selected. Once the nacelles are completed they can be attached to the main body. The model is basically then finished. If you wish to use the supplied stand in the shape of the Starfleet badge then this will need to be assembled and attached to the model. Clear Parts As mentioned in the review the clear parts for this kit are extensive. Apart from the small issue of the larger parts coming adrift in the bag the parts are well moulded with no flaws, and are clear. Decals A large decal sheet is supplied with the kit which is up to Revells usually excellent standards, There are quite few large thin stripes which need to be applied around the saucer section and this might be better done when it is complete, but before it is attached to the main body. Overall the colour scheme of the kit is in blocks much akin to todays digital camo and I would imagine each part is best painted on its own before brining them all together. Conclusion Overall this looks to be an excellent kit from Revell to tie in with the latest Star Trek film. The kit features extensive clear areas and would benefit from the addition of a lighting kit (which I am told is being produced by Beacon Models). The kit should build up to make an impressive looking USS Enterprise. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit
  17. Hi Everyone, As I like to have a starship project on the go and my Enterprise E build is almost complete, so I am preparing to start a muiltibuild of federation starships - The Original Series USS Enterprise NCC-1701 and the Star Trek Into Darkness USS Enterprise NCC-1701. I will be using the same Revell 371 - Light Grey paint that I used on the E-E project for both of these starships. I used Enamel paint for the Enterprise E, but will probably use Acrylic paint to speed up the drying time on these two. Anyway onto the sprue photos and kit descriptions. 04882 - 1:500 USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from Star Trek Into Darkness This kit includes the following features - Newly developed construction kit - Large scale, two-piece Saucer Section - Separate command bridge - Multi-part deflector and sensor - Large-scale, two-piece secondary hull - Multi-part nacelles with separate pylons - Many transparent parts, including Bussard collectors and navigation lights - Display stand - Kit suitable for the addition of lighting (equipment not included) - Detailed instructions with tips for painting - Extensive set of decals for the Enterprise When completed this kit will be 588 mm from bow to stern. It comprises 91 individual parts. 04880 - 1:500 USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from The Original Series (TOS) This kit includes the following features - Construction set in completely new form - Extensive, two-part saucer section - Separate command bridge - Multi-part deflector and sensor - Large, two-part secondary hull - Multi-part warp nacelles with separate pylons - Many transparent sections, including Bussard collectors and position lamps - Display stands - Clear building instructions with painting tips - Comprehensive transfers for the Enterprise, Potemkin and Constellation When completed this kit will be 481 mm from bow to stern and comprises 117 parts. Anyway I am posting these now because I will be getting the paint for them over the next couple of days. If anyone has any idea how many tins of paint I will need please let me know ? Thanks for looking, hopefully someone can advise on the amount of paint. Rick
  18. My first ever starship. I am more into painting figures than building the kit but I absolutely love Star Trek and couldn't resist this kit. I lookf forward to your constructive criticism and comments. I painstakingly masked the kit for the aztec design. I think the shade of white used was too white, and the grey was too dark. It has made a strong contrast for the pattern which makes it quite interesting. I considered lighting the Enterprise but decided this was a little too ambitious for such an amature.
  19. Hi guys For those who have seen the pictures of my finished kit of the Enterprise and wondered how I managed to add the lighting, etc, I have shown a couple of the diagrams below which may be of help. For more diagrams, pictures and video just click HERE Kevin
  20. Hi This is the first model that I decided to add lighting to. It seemed so easy to do (as though it was built for it) and it didn't take many alterations to add the LED's and route the wiring. No drilling of the windows, etc, and minimal amount of cutting required. Though not detailed to an experts eye, when looking at it on the TV it seems that technology was not a priority with their model in the series, whereas cash flow was. I will try to upload a video as it shows the lights in more detail. More pictures can be found by clicking on this link: http://s29.photobucket.com/user/ukbandit1/slideshow/USS%20Enterprise Kevin
  21. Hey Guys, 'thought I'd cure my 'Modeling Mojo' by re-commencing a major re-build of the Tamya Enterprise. here's how she looked during the strippdown....... ......along with the new airwing I had modeled her in her 1982? refit (most commonly seen) but as a bit of a challange I decided to remodel her in her late 2000's configuration, with all the 'grey mushrooms' and Superbug's. *edit -this photo must be ~2007, due to the presence of S-3 Vikings on deck, and the last refitt of 'mushroom' radars* I have no perticular connection to the "Big E" other than being an ex-(RAN)sailor. And I did concider building afresh an HMS Ilustrious. Certainly, this would have cost a lot less than the $$$'s I have put into this project. I have aquired; Gold Medal models decals - 350-8d Tom's Modelworks carrier catwalks - 3518 Tom's Modelworks Enterprise Floatation baskets - 3569 Modelmaster brass whip aerials x6 Flyhawk grating mesh (for seasparow platform) White Ensign - 'The Ship' PE-3522 White Ensign - Modern USN 'carrier anchors Additional railing packs x2 Trumpeter's Carrier Deck Equipment x2 with Trumpeter aircraft, to do Carrier Air Wing One (2010 deployment) 06233 F/A-18C hornet (+ 8 Tamya hornet) 06221 F/A-18E hornet x 2 06235 F/A-18F hornet x 4 06222 E-2C hawkeye 06237 EA-6B Prowler 06239 Oceanhawk 06240 Seahawk I just couden't get away from the iconic presance of the "First and Finest" 'Nuke' carrier. The first step was to re configure the running gear, with support for the inner shafts. currently I am drilling out the catwalks to implace the perforated ones installed in 2009 ? -anyway, its a start. And I have a BIG project to re-inspire me.
  22. amt 763 star trek cadet the original series 3 ships scale 1:2500 The 3 ships comprise: USS Enterprise, Romulan bird of prey, Klingon D7 battle cruiser Scale The photos include that unit of measurement of miniatures: a one pound coin. Is there a "bottom" in space? anyway here is the underside view: Comments on the Kit: Cute little models. Comprehensive decals are included. Display stand(s) are NOT included. Problems Poor fit: the tightness of the "snap-fit" parts is very variable. The Enterprise pods were sloppy and very difficult to align, the "V" shaped support was a very poor fit and needed lots of filler. The Klingon upper wing surface needed so much force to "snap" it into position that I popped the seams on the "neck" of the ship. The decals "grabbed" and needed lots of micro-set to allow them to be manouvred into position. Some of them were slightly too large for the surfaces and needed to be trimmed to fit. My Build notes This is my first sci-fi kit and I (foolishly) rushed into the build. With the benefit of hindsight I should have test fit and measured everything and carefully worked out how to locate the parts and how to align them. In most cases I think it would be best to drill out the locating holes and glue the parts rather than "snap-fitting". The Enterprise pods are not properly aligned, do do so would have required me to trim the mating surfaces of the left pod and the "V" strut more than I did. I didn't follow the painting instructions exactly, in the case of the Klingon ship I used part join lines as my painting demarcation lines, rather than masking off as directed (so sue me!). Stands I bought a set of clear Airfix stands and bodged up little "Y" shaped holders on top to support the craft. Conclusion With care this can build to a nice model. If I could figure out how to do it a "tree" stand supporting all three models in formation would be nice. (However I seem to be in a junior league compared to most of the posts on this site, some sort of levitation device would be better?)
  23. My next project is going to be the AMT USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E from Star Trek Nemesis. I got this kit several years ago and assembled the kit without painting. It has been sat on the top of my bookcase gathering dust. As I have completed my Type 45 destroyer and Sea King helicopter, I am going to paint this kit. Luckily, I had not glued the engine nacelles and pylons into place, so I have been able to mask up all of the clear parts in preparation for painting. Photos will follow of this painting project as I go along.
  24. USS Enterprise, Star Trek Into Darkness 1:500 scale Revell In 2009, producer/director JJ Abrams released “Star Trek”, which was planned to be the first in a new series of films, designed to reboot the ailing franchise. The movie became a huge hit, pulling in over $385 million worldwide. Many fans of the franchise were less than pleased with the film, however, feeling that Abrams and the writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, had played fast and loose with established events from Trek’s history and had been disrespectful of Gene Rodenberry‘s original vision of the series. Fans of the new film would then counter with the fact that the Trek history and timeline had become so convoluted and full of inconsistencies, that the only way forward was to give the franchise a fresh start and free it from the shackles that had been set over the past 40 odd years. Many people were also less than impressed with the appearance of the new ‘old’ Enterprise, nick-naming it the JJ-Prise. It certainly has somewhat of an ungainly appearance, with overly large engines contrasting against a rather slim engineering hull, giving the ship a rather top heavy look. However, the ship does have plenty of fans who consider it a beautiful looking design. Abrams, although confessing that he wasn’t particularly a fan of Trek, did admit that his version of the ship has a little of the Refit Enterprise in it. Most notably the so-called Aztec paint pattern. He recalled watching “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and being struck by the look of the Enterprise, when she was first revealed in the famous space dock scene. In May this year, the sequel to the 2009 movie hit the screens. Named “Star Trek: Into Darkness”, the box office was once again set alight, with worldwide earnings (at the time of writing) totalling $328.5 million. Whether you love it or hate it, it seems that this new version of Star Trek is (for the foreseeable future, at least) here to stay. The Kit Revell’s new kit arrives in a large box, which for once is a conventional top-opener with a separate lid, as opposed to one of their more familiar end opening cartons. Inside we find 42 parts moulded in white plastic, 2 sprues of clear parts, holding 49 pieces and a large decal sheet. Overall quality of the plastic looks very high indeed. If you were expecting something along the lines of the original series Enterprise (which they released last year), then you’d be mistaken. There are no heavy trench-like panel lines here. The surface detail is excellent and much more refined. I do wonder if this is Revell responding to the criticism of that earlier kit and upping their game. The instructions are in Revell’s typical style, but this one is quite a book, being 24 pages long. The construction is covered in 51 steps, with paint and decaling taking up the remaining 6 steps, although Revell do include additional paint diagrams showing the Aztec pattern, during the build sequence. We begin at the same starting point at which most miniature Starfleet vessels begin with, the saucer. The bridge is a mutilayered assembly, with each deck level being a separate piece. I assume this has been done in this manner, rather than with just a single piece moulding, to avoid it suffering from soft edges and details. If that is the case, then it’s worked very well. There is some very fine surface detail on the exterior of the bridge, yet this multi-part approach hasn’t affected the fit. Sliding each piece within the next and then into the upper saucer, the join seams are nigh on impossible to make out. It’s very impressive, the fit really is that good . I would recommend holding the parts together and then applying liquid cement, from the inside, to avoid marring the exterior. There are some clear inserts to add from the inside, for the bridge dome and the 3 large windows which run around the forward edge. The planetary dome on the underside of the saucer is a similar multi-piece assembly, with more clear inserts to add. The saucer halves themselves are large, impressive looking parts, at just under 11” diameter. The grid patterns are represented by very fine recessed lines, while there are also numerous small raised panels and tiny little details dotted around the surfaces of both parts. Comparing it to screen shots found on the net, it appears to mimic the appearance of the digital model very faithfully. Before the 2 halves are joined, there are several clear inserts to be added, for the banks of windows that run around the rim of the saucer. At the rear, the impulse engine slots into place and I find it strange that Revell didn’t mould this in clear, also. They state on the side of the box that the “Kit (is) suitable for the addition of lighting” and the clear parts supplied actually outnumber the opaque pieces, so it is curious why it was done this way. It is another nicely moulded part, though and it features a fine rendition of the hexagonal grill pattern on the impulse exhausts. With all the internal pieces added, the 2 saucer halves can be brought together. There are 5 chunky locating posts which securely lock the 2 halves in place. So well in fact, that it’s actually quite tricky to get the 2 pieces apart again if you are just test fitting them, so care will be needed to avoid damaging the parts (more on this later). Unfortunately, an unwanted side effect of those thick internal posts, is that there are some slight sink marks on the exterior surface. Thankfully, they are quite shallow, so it shouldn’t be a major issue to rectify them, but some care will be required around some of the grid lines. At this point in the instructions, Revell have actually supplied the modeller with scaled down illustrations of the upper and lower saucer halves, showing the position and pattern of the Aztec paint job, which is a thoughtful touch. They also call out the paints at this point, too. They recommend a mixture of white, light grey and silver, mixed to 2 different ratios. There is a darker band on the underside of the saucer and they once again recommend 2 differing paint mixtures. The saucer is completed with the addition of the upper impulse deck and the raised structure which runs from the back of the bridge, down to the impulse deck. This part also has clear inserts for the row of windows at the rear and, what I presume to be, the impulse crystal. The engineering hull is moulded in left and right halves, and each half incorporates the neck pylon and outer halves of the warp pylons, which should ensure that there‘ll be no droopy warp engines here. Once again, the exterior surface is reproduced with a mixture of engraved panel lines and raised details, to the same level of finesse as witnessed on the saucer. I did notice, however, that the recessed panel lines do get a little shallow as they approach the underside join line. It’s not a major issue though and once you’ve cemented the 2 pieces together, a couple of light passes with a scriber will sharpen them up. As with the saucer, Revell once again include a paint diagram at this stage, featuring the distinctive panelling effect on the ship’s surface. They also recommend adding decals at this point, but it’s not something I’d be inclined to do, preferring to leave the decaling until the end. If you intend to use the kit supplied stand, then the instructions point out that the mounting holes will need to be opened up on the underside of the secondary hull and their positions are clearly marked on the inside surface. We have more clear window inserts to be added on the inside, plus 2 internal bulkheads, which are hollowed out to enable lighting and wiring to be routed through them. The shuttle bay doors are a single piece moulding and it simply slides into place at the rear of the hull. On the underside, there is a separate insert to be added, which forms the recessed area in the lower hull. It locates into to a series of moulded guides on the inside. Some test fitting showed that this works very well, although the tiniest amount of adjustment might be needed at the rear end, just to ensure a flush fit with the hull. A few swipes with a sanding stick should be more than sufficient. With that accomplished, the 2 hull halves can be brought together. Generally everything appears to line up pretty well, but there is a small amount of misalignment at the forward torpedo launcher. It might just be an issue with my copy of the kit, though. There is a locating pin right in this section and I think removing it and then tightly clamping the part together, should provide a more accurate fit. With the 2 hull halves together, the one piece inner pylon moulding can be inserted into place. It’s actually quite a tight fit and some pressure will be needed to get it fully in position, so make sure your hull halves have had plenty of time to set, otherwise you risk popping the hull seam back open again. Speaking of seams, once the inner piece is in place, it looks as if there will be some work needed where the inner pylon part meets the hull, at both the forward and rear edges. A little test fitting, along with some careful adjustment and shimming here and there, prior to assembly, should reduce the amount of filler work required, but I don‘t think it is entirely avoidable, unfortunately. It’s not a massive job, but it may prove a little tricky to clean up, just because you’ll be working in-between those 2 curvy pylons. Some thin sanding sticks may prove useful, at this point. The forward end of the engineering hull receives the deflector housing, at this stage of construction. It is a single piece and has plenty of detail moulded into it, providing a nice area of visual interest. The deflector itself, has 2 opaque plastic backing plates and the clear dish simply slots in place. If so desired, an LED could be placed behind the dish’s mounting peg, in order to replicate the on-screen appearance. I tried holding an LED in place and the dish does light up quite nicely. With a little experimentation (maybe sanding the rear surface of the dish, to help evenly transmit the light) and some selective painting, I think you will end up with a very acceptable result. Moving on to the warp engines and we begin with the Bussard collectors, at the front of each nacelle. These assemblies are dominated by the large clear domes. They feature some great detail, with fine incised grid patterns, combined with some chunky looking raised frames. They will be a real focal point on the finished model, so some careful masking is in order, here. A separate clear crystal is attached to the upper edge of each piece and an opaque plastic cradle locates on the bottom side. The whole thing is then fixed to a backing plate. Revell supply a circular decal to apply to each back plate, which represent the internal fan detail, although I’m not sure how convincing this will look. If you wish to light this area up, then the back plates have openings in the centre to place an LED or run wiring through. I know that at least one aftermarket lighting manufacturer has already released a light kit for this model, which reproduces the blue spinning light effect. As with the saucer and the secondary hull, Revell provide illustrations detailing the paint pattern to apply on the nacelles. It is largely made up of small blocks of square and rectangular panels. The nacelles are quite impressive looking chunks of plastic, with numerous cut-outs requiring the addition of clear inserts. If you do choose to light your kit, then the engines will look quite spectacular. Some of these clear pieces are quite delicate, however and in my review sample, one of them was, in fact, broken in half. I’m fairly confident that it will glue back together with no problems, though and that it wont even be noticeable, once completed. Once cemented together, with the external rear panels added, the nacelles can be attached to the pylons and here we have some rather novel, tongue and groove style joints. They hold the engines securely in place, very well indeed, with a lovely tight fit (mine was only taped together to check how well it would work). Very impressive. The instructions show adding the saucer now and it also locates very securely, using a series of long pins on the neck attachment point. Once again, it is a very tight fit, that requires a fair amount of pressure to get a flush finish. I think I would recommend giving the location holes in the lower saucer, a quick twist with a round file, just to open them up very slightly and to make it easier to connect the lower hull. If you’d tried pressing the completed saucer on, without doing this, I can just see the seam on the saucer edge cracking open under the pressure. In fact, it may be better to add the lower saucer to the completed secondary hull, and the cement the top half of the saucer in place. Another word of warning here. The kit isn’t really designed to keep adding and removing the saucer. There are 2 locking tabs on the forward edge of the neck, which click into place in the lower saucer half. When I tried to remove the saucer, after my dry fitting session, one of these tabs broke off, with part of the neck. If you want to test fit the parts, then I would suggest filing down these raised tabs. This will avoid damaging the plastic, but shouldn’t have an adverse affect on the fit of the parts. Once altogether, it really is a big impressive beastie. My pictures here, show the main parts taped together and onto the kit stand. The engines are mounted on to the pylons without the assistance of tape, though, as is the saucer, which is very impressive considering the size and weight of these pieces. The completed model measures out at just over 23 inches long. Revell have supplied a large decal sheet, containing the registry, names, pennants, hull striping and markings. It is printed in Italy, therefore I suspect it’s the work of Cartograf, which means the quality should be assured. The images are sharp and crisp, with bold colours and featuring some nice metallic effects, too. Excess carrier film is virtually non-existent on most of the decals, with only things like the NCC-1701 and USS Enterprise logos appearing to have a minimum amount. I will say that, running a finger over the sheet, they may be the tiniest amount thicker than usual, but I don’t foresee a problem with their use. Conclusion Well, disregarding whatever I may think about the design of the ship, I have to say that I am really rather impressed with this kit. It is a marked improvement over their previous TOS Enterprise model, in terms of detail and engineered fit. Even built straight from the box, you will end up with a large, impressive looking display piece. Add lighting and that complex Aztec paint job and the result should be stunning. We can only hope that this is a sign of things to come, regarding sci-fi subjects from this manufacturer. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit
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