USS Enterprise NCC-1701D - Utopia Planitia Refurbishment Program

[Peter2]

Perhaps "Utopia Planetia" in the title of the thread could be amended to the more accurate "Utopia Planitia"? 

[Andy T]

Hi,

I also went back and rebuilt the big D and big E. I was looking at getting them lit but the elder brother with the electronics knowledge decided to get himself sent to prison so had to change my approach (this was pre ready made lighting kits available now).

 

I have a dislike for the "blue" effect decals and panelling that current kits use, just because I like the idea of "realistic" metal finishes of which we see as grey tones. The blue finishes on the studio model were done for filming purposes which were intended to make the TNG ship appear similar to the OS 1701, but with camera equipment improvements the blue finish ended up washing out into the grey that we saw on screen Which, I think would be a more realistic finish.

 

So I found a good set of base colours under Testors paints (because the first model I ever did was the 1/677 Voyager and the paint guide artist used testors paints) for the different era of ships:

Original series - Camouflage grey

Early movies (1-6) - White

TNG movies/era - Light ghost grey

So my Big D and E were done in the Light Ghost Grey with Dark ghost grey highlights. I was also lucky enough to of done the rebuilds when the Acreation decal sets were available and these have given some beautiful details to the models, albeit not fully accurate grid lines which is annoying.

 

 

 

I still have a lot of the window work to go but don't use black and white, at this scale it doesn't quite look right. I used a 0.5mm pencil with a B lead for the dark ones and will be using slightly greyed white for the lit ones.

The Big E and D together

 

I need to find the Big C out of storage. all I need now are NX, 1701, A and B to complete the star ships and then the sailing ship, carrier and shuttle to round out the Enterprise name, all in 1400 scale though.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Andy T

[Thom216]

Great looking progress! Good idea about not using straight white or black, for better scale effect.

[Andy T]

Yep, thing is I now need to find colour matches to replace the Testors paints because they are next to impossible to get in the UK, even from Europe. Best available I have found are the Vallejo acrylics but that will be once I have a functioning workshop again.

Oh one more tip for scale are the finishes, I find Satin looks better than straight matte or gloss. That's for any scale model bar motor vehicles, a well polished auto finish still looks good even at small scales on cars and trucks.

[SallysDad]

Andy T, those decals look great.

 

I am sanding off the heavy lines before I do anything else. But before I do that, I will scribe most of the lines around the raised lines. 

 

I am in the process of doing this with an ancient Enterprise refit.

[Andy T]

Wow I need to get my workshop rebuilt, I don't check back as often since its demise.

Not sure what you mean the "raised lines". The studio model surface (and the on screen ship) was smooth.

A detail I missed when I redid mine, those deep channels were supposed to be filled in but I liked the idea of the grid and it adds a bit of scale.

 

The raised pin lines (difficult to see on the current kit) on the surface I found I had to chisel off first then sand/fill/sand to get rid of them. I wouldn't scribe along the pin lines as they are mostly inaccurate, but if you want to keep the grid then they do need evening out with scribing.

 

(images curtesy of other brit modellers)

[Andy T]

Personally, I'm trying to find a set of the 1:650 E and D models, because then they will be nearly in scale with my monogram Voyager and I can look at getting the other 650 scale ships.

 

The 650 "E" looks like a perfect coffee table project.

 

 

Ianlawrencemodels 650 E build:
http://www.ianlawrencemodels.com/wipsrent26.html

 

The 650 D over at modeller magic - https://modelermagic.com/1650-enterprise-1701-d-built-by-dan-grumeretz-for-the-kuhn-global-modeler-magic-collection/

[opus999]

This caught my eye because @Mikey-1980's original work looks so much like mine!  I bought the kit in 1989 and hand painted the aztek panels too.  The model is in a drawer in the family room, in one piece except for a detached engine.  I've thought off and on about re-working it.  My friend bought the kit with the fiber optics, but never finished it.  He recently called me to see if he could commission me to finish it, but that was a bit more than I wanted to take on!

 

All of these look terrific.  Maybe I'll have a look at mine again...

[Mikey-1980]

thanks @opus999

 

Sadly my efforts have been resigned to the scrap heap for the moment. Lack of space and time to do anything at the moment.