Tips and techniques for creating better models BUILD BETTER STAR TREK MODELS How to Add decal panels • Add color and camo • and more! www.finescale.com 1996 marked the 30th anniversary of both the acclaimed series "Star Trek'' and the maiden voyage of the United Space Ship Enterprise. e- - l :D erhaps no other vessel in cine- the ship would go to Art Director Pato matic history is as famous as the Guzman and his assistant, Matt Jeffries. P starship USS Enterprise. It is the Starting with space exploration infor- most-modeled "spaceship" of all time; the mation from NASA and major aerospace first in a line of popular AMT (Ertl) "Star · companies, the two quickly realized they Trek'' kits which collectively are the most would have to think far ahead of the most successful plastic kit license in history. advanced scientmc concepts then available. Not bad for a vehicle that was never The USS Enterprise would be a heavy more than a handcrafted miniature. cruiser designed for deep space exploration Because of this, questions on composi- and limited military duties. The second in tion, color, and scale have been hard to a series of 13 Constitution-class vessels, it answer. Despite the tremendous amount would bear the now-famous "Naval of"Star Trek'' reference material available, Construction Contract" number 1701. getting accurate information about Such ships would be the largest in the Paramount's original Enterprise is not Star Fleet, measuring 947' long. Their easy. Despite numerous articles about the saucer-shaped primary hulls would be model over the last three decades, there 417' in diameter, and the cigar-shaped has never been a definitive reference on secondary hulls 112' wide and 340' long. the subject. Each ship's two main engine nacelles A stanhip is bo.,n. When would be 504' long and 56.8' in diameter. Gene Roddenberry set out to make "Star With these figures in mind, Enterprises Trek'' in the early 1960s, his primary con- complement was estimated to be 203 cern was believability - every facet of the (this figure was later increased to 430). show had to be plausible. This was particu- n .. st Right. Starship models con- larly important in the design of the starship structed for the first episode of"Star which would be at the center of the drama. Trek" began to take shape in 1964. With "Star Trek'' still in its infancy, Working from blueprints drawn by Roddenberry called on technical experts to Jeffries, a small study model was built ensure his Enterprise concept would be sci- from cardboard and wood. entmcally valid. But the task of designing Mter approving this mockup, The la.. ge TV Ente.. p.,ise hanging f.,o:t:n the ceiling at the S:t:nithsonian. Wi.,ing fo .. the lights was cove.-ed with duct tape afte.. its 1974 .-esto..a· tion. Also note the lack of detail on the left side of the :t:nodel. Willia:t:n S. McCulla.-s photo. February 1998 nneScale Modelel' 63 Roddenberry commissioned a more- "The Trouble With Tribbles." ing filming. It was spray painted with detailed three-foot version created from Though a yard-long miniature would light gray automotive paint and had wood and plastic. be adequate for filming using today's numerous custom-made decals. Unfortunately, the three-foot motion-control cameras, the original With these miniatures completed, pro- Enterprise has since disappeared. The could be used only for long shots and fast duction of the pilot episode could begin. popular 1/635 scale AMT plastic fly-bys in the series. To make the starship In this historic first voyage ("The Cage," Enterprise kit, based on the three-foot look realistic in close-ups, a more detailed starring Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Christo- studio model, debuted in 1966. The miniature was required. Thus, an 11' 2"- pher Pike), the Enterprise was to make its dimensions and decals, however, were not long Enterprise was constructed of vacu- television debut. Both models were used, accurate. Nonetheless, AMT models were um-formed plastic, wood, and sheet but some details were difficult to spot used in the making of later "Star Trek'' metal. Weighing nearly 300 pounds, this since the ship appeared only briefly in the episodes, including "The Doomsday miniature was supported by a metal pipe opening and closing scenes of the episode. Machine," "The Ultimate Computer," and at the bottom of the secondary hull dur- On screen, the Enterprise appeared to 64 FineScale Modeler February 1998 Aft ends of the engine nacelles in "The Cage" (1) differed from the second pilot (2) and the regular series episodes (3) 1) Bridge dome as seen in "The Cage" 2) Bridge dome as seen in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" 3) Bridge dome as seen in the regular series episodes. The large bridge dome shown in both pilots (1-2) gave way to a smaller unit at the beginning of the first season (3) Spired nacelle domes and match- ing deflector (1) were replaced prior to the regular sea· son episodes (2) be white and most of its now-familiar markings were present. The fronts of the two engine nacelles, traditionally depicted as crimson, were actually metallic bronze. Each had a clear plastic dome with paint applied to the inner surface. They were intended to match the metallic finish of the antenna-like deflector dish on the secondary hull - all three had matching silver spires. The aft ends of the engine nacelles were smooth with painted markings to match the cove on the aft end of the sec- February 1998 FineScale Modelel' 65 Photos of the top of the are hard to find. This shot was taken hull. The large bridge dome lost some of after the 1984 restoration. Apart fro1n1 the lighted bridge the top its painted detail, but gained a lighted top surface of the saucer section was still in its original condition. and a forward-looking view port. S. McCullars photo. Go fo .. launch. The success of the second pilot led to production of the ondary hull. Up front, an oversize bridge T. Kirk, played by William Shatner. regular series in 1966. This time the dome sat atop the primary hull. No light- For this crucial second chance, many Enterprise received a more extensive over- ing effects were visible anywhere on the facets of the show received a new look, haul. The basic color of the ship remained ship, further distinguishing this Enterprise including the Enterprise. While the color light gray, but many details were added, from later versions. scheme remained the same, both minia- including a series of vents on the inboard Second chance. Network exec- tures were remodeled to incorporate addi- side of the nacelle struts. The large bridge utives found "The Cage" "too cerebral" ,tional exterior details, and the big dome was replaced with a shorter assem- and it was not broadcast. The series con- Enterprise was equipped with internal bly, the impulse engines were restored to cept, however, showed so much promise lighting. A pattern of vents was added to the twin-port configuration used in "The that, for the first time in television histo- dress up the aft ends of the main engine Cage," and the secondary hull featured a ry, a second pilot was produced. This nacellq, while eight simulated exhaust smaller, more detailed deflector dish. episode, "Where No Man Has Gone ports were painted over the two impulse On the big model, the entire lighting Before," marked the debut of Capt. James engine vents on the back of the primary scheme changed as well. Most notably, the 66 11neScale Modeler February 1998 fz 0 0 • the big Enterprise at several points. from one moment to the next . -.... Now the model could be filmed only The optical process used to film the 9 from its right side; therefore, many details model often caused inconsistencies in were simply omitted from the left side of color and detail as well. Unlike conven- the ship. If a scene called for the tional photos, fum footage had to be fil- Enterprise to be viewed from the left, the tered and copied many times while being shots were either flopped photographical- composited into a final shot. This reduced ly or fumed using the three-foot model. the quality of the finished scenes, obscur- In at least one instance, decals on the ing small details and causing the right engine nacelle of the large miniature Enterprise to appear white in some were put on backward so the fum footage episodes while in others it was seen as would appear correct when reversed. Later light gray or even light blue! in the first season, the starboard "NCC- Making histo.. y. In 1969, after 1701" marking on the underside of the the airing of 79 episodes, "Star Trek'' was primary hull was permanently rotated 180 canceled. But this would be only the degrees to make it readable when the beginning for the landmark series. In the model was photographed from the front. early 1970s the show's popularity explod- USS Chaaneleon. Though the ed through syndication. At about the studio model remained virtually same time, studio executives agreed to unchanged throughout the show's three donate the big model to the Smithsonian, seasons, certain details appeared to vary where it would be displayed as a piece of from one episode to the next. The show's television history. producers mixed stock footage from the When it arrived at the museum Feb. two pilots With scenes in the regular- 28, 1974, the model was in fair condition. series episodes.