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U.S.S. Courageous - Miranda Class Starship / 1:2500 (Star Trek)


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USS Courageous | NCC-1861 | Miranda Class | 1/2500

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This is a resin kit, by Accurate Miniatures of a "Surya Class" starship. It didn't look too much like Surya class starships I found on the internet, but with a little tweaking it looked very much like a Miranda class might look like in the Original Series timeframe.

 

I completed this kit on October 21st, 2018. The work in progress is here. Not much to say about this because it is a "non-canon" design.  The USS Reliant in Star Trek II was always one of my favorite starship designs and the idea of an Original Series Miranda class intrigues me (I've seen some great art of Original Series Miranda class starships on the internet -- I really want to try to kitbash a 1/1000 scale one sometime).

 

Finishing: Completely sanded with 1500 grit sandpaper (see notes below the pictures)

Paints: (applied from base coat to surface): Mr Surfacer 1500 black as a primer  > Testors Enamel FS36440 (Flat Gull Gray) marble coat > Testors Enamel Black preshading > Testors Enamel FS36440 top coat > Testors Enamel Dark Ghost Gray (FS36320) / Testors Enamel Gunship Gray (FS36118) / Testors Enamel Chrome Silver for details > Alclad Aqua Gloss (3 coats) > Decals > Testors Acryl Semi-Gloss clear coat

Decals: JT Graphics Surya Class Decals / PNT Models 1:2500 scale hull details

 

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Building Notes:

  • The resin was so slick that my first coat of Mr Surfacer 1500 peeled right off.  Once I sanded the entire surface with a fine grit sandpaper (1500), the paint stuck well enough to resist being scratched with a fingernail.
  • The JT Graphics decals worked very well, but the PNT Models decals silvered once the clear coat was applied.  Also the PNT Models decals were packed so closely together that it was very challenging to cut them out.
  • The Testors Acryl semi-gloss should've been called "mostly flat". I haven't been really happy with the Acryl clear coats.

 

In all, this was a pretty fun build and looks great with my 1/2500 starship collection. Thanks for looking. Comments, constructive criticism, questions and tips always welcome! Hope you enjoy.

 

 

Edited by opus999
Forgot something.
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  • 1 month later...

Looks great!

 

You probably know that the Reliant was originally designed with the warp nacelles on top, but when the drawings went for approval they were viewed upside down! They were approved upside down with the nacelles on the bottom and that's how it stayed! A lucky mistake that made the Reliant a stand-out ship and one of my favourites :) I only say this because it's interesting to wonder if the ship had been in the original series, which way up would it have been!?

 

Great work, and great photos!

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11 hours ago, SteveR said:

Looks great!

 

You probably know that the Reliant was originally designed with the warp nacelles on top, but when the drawings went for approval they were viewed upside down! They were approved upside down with the nacelles on the bottom and that's how it stayed! A lucky mistake that made the Reliant a stand-out ship and one of my favourites :) I only say this because it's interesting to wonder if the ship had been in the original series, which way up would it have been!?

 

Great work, and great photos!

Yeah, the Reliant has always been one of my favorites too... When I first saw it as a kid, it was the first starfleet ship that wasn't the Enterprise and I thought it was magnificent! ;)

 

I've got a 1:650 scale Reliant around in the stash, but never quite get around to working on it... mainly because I don't know where to display it!

 

Thanks for the kind words...

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1 hour ago, opus999 said:

I've got a 1:650 scale Reliant around in the stash, but never quite get around to working on it... mainly because I don't know where to display it!

Now that would be really interesting to see!

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