Original Series Enterprise, AMT, 1:650

[opus999]

USS Enterprise | Constitution Class | 1:650

 

I built this as a Christmas present for my closest friend. We watched Star Trek together throughout college and I figured he'd like a nice presentation model of the original Enterprise.  I was building it to give it to him last Christmas, but ran out of time. Then had a cat knock it off the table after the decals were finished and bust it up pretty good.  I dug it out around Thanksgiving time to finish for this Christmas, which included a lot of repair work.

 

WIP (with the whole sordid story) is here.

 

The old AMT kit is not the best.  It is not accurate, and so I made some changes, and fabricated some of my own parts, notably the bridge and the connector pieces on the bottom of the nacelles behind the Bussard collectors.  I also bought some after market parts (navigation lights and planetary sensor). The AMT kit is also bad for fit, and there was a lot of sanding and filling to get it to look right.  The decals that came with this particular kit (a 2 in 1 kit along with the Polar Lights 1:1000 Enterprise) were accurate, unlike the old boxings of AMT's Enterprise.  They were, however, terrible:  stiff, easily broken and tons of silvering despite a glossy finish. 

 

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 Spray Lacquer Semi-Gloss clear coat (decanted)  

 

Some paint colors were modified at the end after I read the Cult TV Man painting guide, which is an article well worth reading.

 

The pictures are not the best; I'm set up for 1/72 scale WWII fighters, not large starships, so I don't have enough lights to take the pictures I want to of this model.  It will have to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking! Comments, questions or constructive criticism always welcome!

[The Chief Smeg]

I think it is stunning!

[opus999]

1 minute ago, The Chief Smeg said:

I think it is stunning!

Thank you!  I think I managed to pull it from the jaws of defeat...  

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

My favorite Enterprise ... I just cant stand the “Abrams” monstrosity.  

[opus999]

On 12/24/2019 at 8:12 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

My favorite Enterprise ... I just cant stand the “Abrams” monstrosity.  

Thank you sir!  I have to agree with you about the "JJ-prise". Not my favorite.  

 

I was just a little jealous when I gave this to my friend... it looked so good sitting on my shelf!  Over the last 5 or 6 years I've collected all the after market parts and decals to make my own accurate-as-possible 1:650 AMT Enterprise (the "Lexington", actually). When this was done, I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump right into it or swear I'd never do another AMT kit again... 🤣