Sapper's NX-01 Build - Time it with a slooow calendar!

[sapper36]

First off - This build would not be happening without the inspration of Steve Neill - Steve - I've enjoyed your build threads more that watching Episode 1 in 3D! Anything that comes out looking OK in this build is because I'm standing on the shoulders of a giant!

So what am I going to do different? Here goes:

Straighten out the nacelles (At least mine have a definate droop to them)
Add flashing navigation lights
Open up the Shuttle bay & have removable shuttles
Build an effects style support so I can support the model & provide power though either side with a cantilevered stand - just fore of the shuttle bay
Add a constant on red LED to the engine effect.

And maybe more!!!

So I've got lots of research done & laid out a work plan to track my hours worked.

As you can see I've started to attach the rim parts to the lower saucer. I also built a "Spacedock"tm to ensure the nacelles get straight. My first attempt to dry fit showed that there is a definate sag of 1-2 cm at the rear of the nacelles. I built the spacedock from foamcore using blown up plans from the directions in the box.

I'm also using Steve's patented parts box to organize my parts

and I'm going to preassemble a bit more that Steve before the paint hits anything. - I got the nacelles cut down like that from whoever bought the kit from - Looks smart to me though - Should be able to do a good job of fixing & hiding the seams this way.

So there's where I am - Hopefully a new update in a week or so.

 

[sapper36]

BTW - I'll have better pics coming - just shot those quick with my I-Phone this morning.

PS - Anybody got a file of the shuttlepods I could send to shapeways? It would save me a good bit of scratchbuilding.

 

[opal1970]

Hi Sapper,

Looking good, I bought a NX-01 also but I have a couple other projects that I will be doing first to get my skills up to speed. I will definatly be following your work.
How do you plan on making the shuttlepods removable? I was thinking about making the "pod-catcher-thingy" that telescopes down to catch the shuttlepods and put a magnet on the end and corrisponding metal on the pod... but I am not sure yet.

Jason

 

[sapper36]

Thanks Jason - Really appreciate thelink to Federation Models - Ordred 6 of the Shuttlepods - They look good & will save me a decent bit of work.

I intend to hang the shuttles from the umbilical tubes. I'm going to make the tubes out of telescoping aluminum with just a friction fit to hold them in - Then I can replace them as I like. I may make the doors replacable too.

So here's a pic showing the side view in my Spacedock next to a 1:1000 NX-01 I built up to warm up & practice on the decals:

Here you can clearly see the significant nacelle droop. Looks much more droopy than Steve's did - It looks like a flaw in the kit - I don't see any warping on the struts, no big gaps so this will require some surgery - My plan of attack is to try to rotate the struts at the base and do a bit of shimming and trimming where the nacelle joins the strut until they are straight & true. We'll see if I can acheive success here.

Other than some more dry fitting did a bit of drilling & opening up windows for lighting.

Upper obervation windows opened up & hull opened up behind them.

Lower shuttle operations windows & searchlights opened up.

http://s1096.photobucket.com/albums/g339/sapper361/?action=view&current=DSC03899.jpg

4 beacons added to the shuttle launch area. Not marked on the kit.

Hopefully more to come. Only got in a couple hours the last few days due to a Boy Scout camp this last weekend.

 

[sapper36]

Almost forgot - drilled out the fiberoptic routes for the cargo bay searchlights. because of the angle I drilled here the actual channel goes at a steep angle through the plastic so actually drilled throgh about 2 cm!

 

[opal1970]

Hey Sapper,
looking good. you are very welcome about the link.

I will be doing my TOS Galactica and then I will have to flip a coin as to whether i start the 350 NX-01 or the 350 Klingon Bird of Prey and then as a crown jewel I will do my 350 Big "E", all of which are patiently waiting their turn in my makeshift hobby room.

I have read alot about the drooping nacelles problem... I kinda like the idea of welding a metal skeleton for these types of models. I am not sure yet but after a first inspection of the parts I noticed that the connection to the main body is awfully thin on the NX... not sure if that is an option here.

I have already done quite a bit of research for the NX-01 if you want I can send you a whole truckload of high res blueprints etc. that I found. You were already following Steve's customer build, so you have the best material to work with. Hey Steve, if you are reading, I loved your color comparison with the unpainted B-17 and B-29s, I think that fits the mood/age perfectly.

How do the "ribbing" lines match up on the seam of your nacelles? I looked at mine and it did not look horribly bad, but still it is going to be a pain in the butt to line them up seamlessly.

Take care,
Jason

 

[sapper36]

I didn't really have much interest in this kit till Steve's thread got me obsessed! I'm kind of using this as a warm up for the 1:350 refit too. Now I'm really liking how its coming together.

My Nacelles themselves don't look bad at all & I owe a debt to he guy I bought the kit from who sawed off the front ends of the nacelles. It's going to make seaming them much easier.

I'd appreciate any & all reference & blueprints you'd care to share. I've got a binder filled with pics from Steve's build & Doug Drexler's website, but there's always room for more. Especially if you have any plan layouts for the shuttlebay.

I'll enjoy watching your Galactica build. That upgrade kit does look nice!

 

[opal1970]

ok, I will zip them up and see if they are email-able. I also have a very nice article from John Cook that goes into deep detail on his build, I think you will like that.

 

[opal1970]

just zipped them and they still ring in at a little under 100mb (well, I did say they were high resolution ). I will have to load it up to my web site and send you a link to download them.

you may already have this, but here is some nice closeups of the nx-01 and interesting facts. I believe the majority of the site is in German but this page was English...

Ex Astris Scientia - A Close Look at Enterprise NX-01

Another really good build in youtube is from Helipilot. He did a great job on his 350 Refit a while back and is currently in the middle of a NX-01, he saved me from making mistakes on more than one occasion and has alot of good ideas...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWs5n0js1B8&feature=related

 

[sapper36]

Thanks again Jason for the links - I'm putting the diagram of the NX-01 to good use!

I.m trying to decide exactly where to mount the model at this point. The mountingwill be stainless steel tubing with the power rinning through a coax connector at the end. I'll use brasstubing to build the interior structure so I can solder it all together for strength.

The dilemna is: Option A or B

Option A is to locate the interior tube as in the diagram at the rear aux thruster bodies. The advantage is an easy to open access point, but the tubing will run straight through the shuttle area - I want an open shuttle bay so I'd have to build a split into the middle of the tube. Also I'd only get about 3 or 4 inches of overlap between the brass & stainless tubing.

Option B locates the interior tube just forward of the aux thruster bodies and the forward wall of the shuttle bay. The only disadvantage I see there is trickier panel hiding for the access points.

For A and B it looks like I'll have to run extra LEDs for Aux Thruster windows bacause the tubing will block the ambient saucer lighting.

Anothe great update - The Federation Models Shuttlepods came today - They look pretty darn good & should fit the bays just right - Pics tonight!

 

[sapper36]

Ooops - forgot - The other disadvantage of B is it's slightly forward of the center of gravity so I need to include an anti-tipping mechanism ( I could probably extract one from a Canadian tourist - LOL!)

 

[sapper36]

So there are the Shuttlepods - I think they'll look pretty good - Don't know if I could make them any better.

 

[opal1970]

Hey Sapper,

you are welcome regarding the links, sorry havent gotten around to uploading all the HighRes pics yet.
yes PL does a really good job on his stuff. I already had the NX shuttlepods and I ordered a whole bunch of Star Trek stuff that just got here the other day, it is just amazing the amount of detail that is packed into them. Which reminds me, as you too will be doing a 350 refit, I definatly recommend ordering the travel pods, work bees, and shuttles.

Take Care,
Jason

 

[trekriffic]

Did the wings fold up on those shuttles in the series? They must or otherwise it looks like they wouldn't fit thru the doors.

 

[sapper36]

You are correct sir! If you look at the podsin the bay or launching the wings appear to be retracted - Where to I don't know - I guess right into the engines! Federation made these smartly beause I'll just file the launching & parked pods down to the correct retracted wing shape & mount a couple on acrylic rod for "in-flight"

 

[opal1970]

Never saw the pods in "storage-mode", but personally, I would store them with the wings in a "folded-up" position, similar to the planes on a aircraft carrier. I think the effect would look slightly more realistic.

 

[sapper36]

Anybody want to take a bet on if Doug Drexler suggested wings that fold upwards & producers shot it down? I'm going to build retracted though to keep it looking like the show.

 

[opal1970]

well didn't they always shoot down Doug's suggestions that made sense? :behave

just an afterthought... if you are going to build them retracted, you might want to make a slot and leave a tip of the wing sticking out or maybe the tip visible inside the slot... no idea but it might make it realistic or at least make it evident as to where the wings are.

 

[opal1970]

Speaking of Doug, here are some CG images of the shuttlepod...
https://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/starfleet-shuttlepod/

And some great hangerbay shots...
http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/nx-hangar-bay-2/

and as for retractable wings, looks like I am going to have to eat my hat... seems as if even the refit-era shuttle had retractable wings, that were lost in the evolution...

"The shuttles also had a small, stub wings on the craft's center line.... By the 2370s, two side windows had been added just forward of the side doors, and the wings had been removed." - Memory Alpha

 

[SteveNeill]

There's a building thread somewhere on this build I did for a customer. Doug who's an old friend of mine sent me all kinds of renders that are new of the ship since he still has the CGI model on hand. I posted many of them and the correct base color to use.

You might do a search on it. and the Acreation decals are exactly correct if not a bit trying to put on.

Enjoy the build. Doug bought me one and sent it to me I plan to build this year complete with a plague he signed as its designer.

Steve