Looking for the 41" Lunar Models USS Excelsior

[JPolacchi]

I'm looking for a difficult to find garage kit.I'm hoping to find the 41" Lunar Models USS Excelsior kit.I know of it's many inacuracies&indescrepencies,but I think with (alot) of work...it can be made into a really nice kit?I've seen the finished photos of the kit on the Thomas Models webpage&it looked pretty slick.I'm hoping to modify the kit to be as close to the studio model as possible.

Which brings me to my next question.Does anyone have,or have seen the Jackill's Blueprints of the USS Excelsior/Enterprise B?Are they worth getting,or are they a waste of money&not very acurate?They make a few other prints of some other ships of interest as well like the Klingon Bird of Prey&I think the Reliant.I could use any assistance in the reference dept.I have only a few,and really...a few is'nt enough.

I have the Cinefex issue of Star trek III,but it does'nt have any reference photos og the Excelsior,as well as the Cinefex issue for "Generations".I have two Star Trek books,and the photos are tiny.I could really used some good references for making the proper adjustments&modifications to the Lunar vacuform kit,as well as for final painting&detailing.That's all I really have,and if someone has more/other suggestions...by all means p.m me please.

Anyway,if anyone has the Lunar Excelsior kit,or knows someone,or where I can get it...please contact me.I am really only interested in a complete kit.I can pay cash outright for it,trade,or do a partial trade&cash.I'm flexible.I may/may not have a kit(s) you might want,just ask.Thanks for reading...hope to hear from someone soon-John

 

[JPolacchi]

I'm still looking for the 41-42" Lunar Excelsior kit...anyone?

 

[vaderman1701]

You may want to try these 2 boards. More people who are into model kit building are there and some may have that kit (though many call it a garbage scowl).

http://p220.ezboard.com/bculttvman

http://www.starshipmodeler.net/cgi-bin/phpBB2/index.php

Scott

 

[Studio Stasis]

It really is a piece of crap. I have one and I haven't had the time to complete my total reworking of the shape. My secondary hull is completely different now and I have scratch built a new neck so far. I really cant even imagine what kind of accuracy they thought they had when they completed the kit. Its better than nothing and can be modified into something nice, but building it as it comes was never an option for me. I just wanted to see the original model someday but that would be pointless now that its Enterprise B. I always felt they butchered such a beautiful design, especially the deflector area. I met Herman Zimmerman once and discussed the model. He made designed the alterations to convert it to Enterprise B and I always wished I had told him what I thought. I was in love with that ship design before his changes.

 

[JPolacchi]

Thanks for the additional info scott...yes I've already posted an add in star ship modeler&pc modeler....got some hits...nothing solid.A few people contacted me about some partially assembled kits.Yeah...I know of the "many" inacuraces of the Lunar Excelsior.Believe me...in comparrisson to the "Collective kit" the Lunar kit looks like a meuseum piece.

I ignorantly purchased a Collective kit from someone,and it is a bigger piece of S!&^#!@#$%^?*^$#! than the Lunar kit.I am hoping to acurize the Lunar kit as much as possible...initially with the obvious problems,and hopefully a little more.References are really hard to come by reguarding the Excelsior before it go A^%@$#! F!@#?(*^%#ED! into the Enterprise B.Actually,I have kinda grown to like the Enterprise B...but initially,I did'nt like it.It's screen time was so limited,you never really got a good look at it.

I still prefer the Excelsior design overall.Despite some of it's minor deign flaws,it is still one of the best Star Trek miniatures made of the star ship fleet I.M.O.I'd really like to make a studio scale of it,or close to it.I'm not sure I recal the studio scale's original demensions,or if any were acurate that were listed in books/magazines?I seem to remember it being around 8ft in length?Someone else out there might know?

I'm not a huge trekkie fan,but I have always liked the star trek ship designs.I think though...my least favorite star ship is the Enterprise D.That ship is FUGLY.I never liked it very much.Even an improved paint job could'nt help that miniature.It's mainly the "hull" shape/design,but the drab/dreary paint job did'nt help either.One of the ILM model builders actually intigrated the word "ugly" into the paint job somewhere on the original miniature...just a little trek/ILM trivia.

 

[Studio Stasis]

Herman Zimmerman told me that the Excelsior model is 10 feet long. I have no way to confirm that though.

 

[phase pistol]

Ten feet seems a little too big...

There's also a smaller version, used in the Voyager episode "Flashback"...

And I'm sure nobody cares about my opinion (

) but I never liked the Excelsior design... when I first saw it in Trek III I thought it looked like an awkward, muscle-bound, overengineered parody of the Enterprise. Which is the function it served to the plot (ie comic relief). It only exists for the joke that it doesn't work.

I guess I got used to Excelsior over the years, especially since we see so much of it in TNG, Trek 6, etc.

I actually prefer the "Enterprise-B" version better than the original; it seems more intentional and integrated.

The Enterprise-D I always liked... it's sculptural. HUGE too.. just unbelieveable interior space in that saucer. Crew of 1,000 you know.

But the pinnacle of starship design is of course the classic, inimitable, no-bloody-A-B-C-orrrrr-D.... TOS Enterprise.

-Karl

 

[Studio Stasis]

The interesting thing about the model used in Voyager is how incredibly inaccurate the secondary hull is compared to the real deal. Also, the nacelles were lit blue from inside and that was not the case on any of the footage from Star Trek 6, so intercutting the movie and the tv show was awfully strange. The models were so different to my eye. I dont understand the muscle-bound comment or the Enterprise B appearing more integrated. To me it looks like they took a great design and slapped additional nonsense on it, sometimes covering the best parts of the ship.

Edit, also I had seen that phoot with the saucer open, and I agreed it looked more like an 8 foot model. I just heard 10 from herman zimmerman and I have no idea why he would say that.

 

[ZOMBIEREPELLENT]

http://www.btinternet.com/~ady1971/hoodtng.jpg

I saw this picture in an old star trek magazine I got from my dad, Looks about 8 feet in it.
Pretty neat how they light the saucer.

 

[JPolacchi]

Wow..this is a really old thread.Thats a picture of Steve Gawley.He was the Model Shop forman and that's the oriibnal Excelsior model from STIII,but it might be a photo from STVI(not sure).The original miniature I think was 6ft long?I'm actually tring to sell my Lunar Excelsior kit.The guy who wanted it really bad and was suppose to buy it from me turned out to be a big flake.I'm not actually sure what happened/

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

Ah, the olden days, where everyone was free to ask for everything everywhere...



I´ll lock this thread, preserving it for eternity (well, almost).

Michael
RPF staff