The Enterprise Restoration Project

you can do anything if you put your mind to it, rebuild it and they will come!
there couldnt be a better team for the job, easy to be negitive just sitting on the couch in a world of negitivity, there are people that do and people that do not, I see some people that do right here.
 
Is there thought yet to how to display the model once refurbed? I'd hate to see it go back in that case, I wish it was in someway perhaps hanging like it used to be but lower than when I saw it in the late 80s. I don't recall one could even see the top of the saucer the way it was when I saw it.

I'd like to even see it on a post, perhaps some way disguising the post with something that looked like was emerging from a nebula cloud skimming the top. I wonder if that could be made of some sort of spun something or other like that areo-gel stuff sculpted in a cloud-like shape so there was light inside of that giving a glow?

Something, anything to give the illusion like the model was magically floating there instead of on a post or visible wires. Perhaps with a railing around it that looked like the TOS bridge rail, but a closed loop to keep people from reaching out and touching it.

I know the restore will be awesome I just think back in that plexi-case would be a shame.
 
It may well indeed be one of their most popular items... but its not treated the same as the real planes and rockets thats for sure. The Air and space museum in the business of restore actual aircraft, and the people in charge have that as their passion. The Star trek stuff coming through there was a publicity stunt originally, and noe that they have the TOS E they really son't know what to do with it... Modeling is not their thing :D. they deal in real space ships :)

that being said if the money was there, and you catch the right person after work and 5 martini's its possible :D.. heck most anything is at that point ;)

I hope it comes through...

Jedi Dade
 
It may well indeed be one of their most popular items... but its not treated the same as the real planes and rockets thats for sure. The Air and space museum in the business of restore actual aircraft, and the people in charge have that as their passion. The Star trek stuff coming through there was a publicity stunt originally, and noe that they have the TOS E they really son't know what to do with it... Modeling is not their thing :D. they deal in real space ships :)

that being said if the money was there, and you catch the right person after work and 5 martini's its possible :D.. heck most anything is at that point ;)

I hope it comes through...

Jedi Dade


One of the primary considerations of a museum is to inform and inspire their visitors. The display and restoration of artifacts that impacted our culture, our way of exploring and thus seeing our world requires a lot of dedication, money and skill, it’s a serious business. To stay in business however, the museum will need to tweak their visitors’ imagination. A real space ship or air craft on display means little if it fails to inform and inspire the viewer. The Star Ship Enterprise model is indeed no “real space ship”, it may even have been considered a publicity stunt at one time, but if so it was because that model and the TV show it served was a vehicle of shear inspiration and imagination. Even those “real historical” artifacts dangling from the ceiling or stationed on the floor had their humble beginnings in the human imagination. These things issued forth from the hearts and minds of those inspired and set to work creating them. Aviation and indeed our forays into space are a shinning example of what the human imagination can do when we are determined to bring it into reality.

That model represents a dream, and served as grist for the human imagination. Think of it as a dry run, a simulation if you will, for the day when we set our hands to the task of building a “real Star Ship”. It will take more than money and brains to make it happen, it will take the support and imagination of millions of people and the talented inspired imagination of those dedicated to make it so.

RW.
 
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How much money are we talking to accomplish the job itself?

Does anyone know how much the last time cost?

This is a critical question to answer.

In my mind a 100 year restoration should be the goal. Good for 100 years.

I would stress, that any effort should not berate the last restoration and keep
eyes focused going forward from now on.



I think fans can raise a substantial amount of funds, but it has to pass a certain
threshold to be taken serious.

And someone reasonably high profile present the offer.

These things can take time, and it could be years, raise money, make a pitch or pitches, get the go ahead, schedule the removal, transport, work, etc.

Might even take the eventual 50th anniversary hype to get things going.
 
About that....(not having ever been to see her in person) why is the Enterprise in the gift shop anyway???
I wonder about that as well, when I was at the Cape(NASA) I saw things there that surprised me. But it shows how the government treats stuff. Parts of the original tower for the Saturn 5 were left there to rust in the Florida environment. They would be better off scrapped, and if the space program ever saw any real action again. None of those parts will be used.
I can't help but think of the E the same way. Someone thought/paid to put it in the gift shop, and there it will stay regardless of condition. This is part of my pessimism that this will get done. There are a bunch of other factors in my thinking. I can hear the museum saying something about valuable space, even if the political and financial hurdles could be met. There is one other argument against it, and it's a very big shame to say. But they would argue who would want to see a Star Trek exhibit? Yes you could argue this community, but this community doesn't have the numbers to justify the space and time to the museum. As far as the market is concerned Star Trek is very dead, especially when compared to the 90's when it was so hot that it was everywhere(Abram's can make as many ST movies as he likes, he will never have the numbers of the old stuff). Quite frankly the Star Trek props would be far better off released from the museum, and placed into private hands.

I'm sorry to have to talk like this, I too would like to see the E restored. And presented properly in context with other artifacts from the show(that are still locked up). I'm pessimistic because I've heard all of this talk countless times before.
 
Damn it Artman, I can almost hear Captain Kirk making an impassioned plea to the curator at the Smithsonian using your words.

Thanks trekriffic.

Buy the way, Steve is right, Star Trek actually has affected the future. That show stretched the imaginations of a host of future scientist, engineers, inventors and artists. The cell phone with the flip-up top, injection through the skin devices being developed, and teleportation theorized by present day physicists to name but a few.

A TV show about a fabled future has left its mark upon us our present and the future to come. Not bad for something like $200,000.00 per episode . . . which brings us back down to earth :lol

CessnaDriver, good question, how much is it going to cost fixing up the Enterprise?

RW.
 
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If you want the right guy to make the pitch to the Smithsonian, you gotta go with Tom Hanks

A) avid Trekker
B) Big fan of NASA and the space program
C) Has connections with Paramount

D) how can you say no to Forrest Gump?
 
I think this project should really happen. I will do what I can to reach out to people in the Trek world to see what can be done.
 
I'd bet if a permanent home for it was found, the Smith would put it on "permanent loan" and get it out of the gift shop. They don't care about it all. It should be in the American History museum, not Air/Space. That's where the cultural stuff belongs.

Yes it was inspiration, but the Space Program was around long before Trek.
 
Good luck.
I really hope you guys get this done.
It is an American and global icon.
Imagine all the disappointed people who went to see this only to see the current monstrocity.
 
22 Stars,
There is a kind of order to the way we're going about attracting members to our group before opening it up to 100% public knowledge. The RpF is one thing, Steve and I decided to let the board know as 1: we're both fairly excited about what we've started, and 2: who better to be the first group of people (apart from the physical restoration team) to know about this than the very people who enjoyed watching Steve's Enterprise come togeather. With all of that said however, please contact me or Steve via pm or I suppose in the thread if you've any contacts or resources in the Trekkie, financing, or curating communities before taking any actions on our behalf. I'm quickly learning that there are indeed political, financial, and personal obstacles to our mission.

However, we are committed and we'll not rest till the old girl is in our drydock.
She's inspired countless doctors, and scientists, pilots, and astronauts, engineers, and philosophers, artists, and inventors.
The Enterprise is ultimately a very real vessel from our past that carries our hopes and dreams for the future, and we'll not leave her to rot.
 
If you want the right guy to make the pitch to the Smithsonian, you gotta go with Tom Hanks

A) avid Trekker
B) Big fan of NASA and the space program
C) Has connections with Paramount

D) how can you say no to Forrest Gump?

But he's not readily accessable. Why not go with someone involved with the show to make the pitch? Someone who is fan frinedly? I'm thinking along the lines of George Takei.

You MIGHT could try to get Shatner interested, but I don't really think he would want to get behind a "pitch" to the Smithsonian, unless it were somehow all about him.:rolleyes
 
I don't believe that one necessarily has to go with a big name star to pitch the project, more like a murmur of support. Many of the Trek art department guys (such as Drexler and Okuda) already have some good contacts within the aerospace community as it is. Okuda has done artwork that has both flown in space and been considered for future projects (he designed the Constellation, Ares, Orion and Altair program patches for NASA).

Right now, NASM is kind of up to its eyeballs in getting ready to transfer shuttle Enterprise to New York while shuttle Discovery is prepared for its trip to Udvar Hazy sometime next year (likely early spring is when both transfers will take place). As such, there might not be much time for the currators to devote time to drawing up plans for restoration of the TOS Enterprise as their plates would be full. But, once Discovery does arrive, then that might be the perfect time as Udvar Hazy would likely become the big draw for the next few months and NASM in DC would probably use that time to do a little exhibit tweaking as the crowds might be lighter.

There is one advantage I see with the timing of Discovery coming to Udvar Hazy as well though and that would be related to whatever public or private celebrations NASM plans to have to welcome its display. I imagine many dignitaries, both NASA and hollywood supporters of the space program would be present to welcome it. As such, if the direct pitch were made then by whomever was invited, the timing might be perfect.

Of course, if one planned to move on the project sooner, than a pitch might be made to have the TOS Enterprise restored and ready for display when Discovery is. But I don't like that firm a time table since it potentially means rushed work. Still, anyone who has worked in art departments or the effects industry knows all too well what it means to work on a deadline.
 
But he's not readily accessable. Why not go with someone involved with the show to make the pitch? Someone who is fan frinedly? I'm thinking along the lines of George Takei.

You MIGHT could try to get Shatner interested, but I don't really think he would want to get behind a "pitch" to the Smithsonian, unless it were somehow all about him.:rolleyes

My post was made half in jest. but If I'm to think about it seriously, then the reason you go with Hanks over Takei and Shatner is you have to make the argument that Trek intrest extends BEYOND just the actors who were in the show, or the stereotypical "basement dwelling" fans.

And Hanks is plenty "fan-friendly"

At least I didn't suggest Ben Stiller ..who also is a massive Trekker and has contacts at Paramount.

It's a lovely dream, but lets not get caught up with what font the invitations should be in just yet ( oh it's "horizon italic", BTW) :)
 
We've surely seen things restored like the Nostromo or the Galactica before.

Aircraft, trains, etc get restored at museums all the time from private donations.
Takes years, lots of volunteers.

My entirely uneducated gut guess......

IF it were privately owned I would say many tens of thousands of dollars and there would be plenty of volunteers capable of the job over time.


Given this is a NASM artifact and all the complexities of that, I would venture costs to be at several hundred thousand dollars, and should bring some more visitors in once complete.

They have a full on Jules Verne display with a mock up of the Columbiad so they do recognize the importance of speculative fiction in a museum pressed for space......

Jules Verne Craft - Image Detail


Just thinking out loud....

Might be worth a public "fan letter" to the Trek community AND to ask people like Tom Hanks, Paul Allen, known big name Trekkies, sure like Stiller if he is big on Trek, to add their names to some kind of public request.
Obviously folks like that have deep pockets, they could cover the cost entirely on their own if they so choosed, but I would prefer that fans also have a chance to prove they will put up some cash and be part of of it.

Again, just thinking out loud, if folks like that are truly Trek types, I can't imagine them not wanting to support a fan birthed restoration request. With the internets seems easier to wave flags and get attention.
 
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