And here we have my latest 1/1000 scale model. This design is based on early concept art for STAR TREK: PHASE II, before Matt Jefferies became more involved in redesigning the Enterprise, and before that second TV series morphed into STAR TREK- THE MOTION PICTURE. It was later reworked into a fanon design by Geoffrey Mandel, Todd Guenther and Aridas Sofia. The amazing SHIPS OF THE STAR FLEET book laid out the design’s fictional history as a transitional step between TOS and TMP, with new engines and other tech being tested in an old Constitution class-type starship.
I’ve had a fondness for this design for many years, but I was unable to find JT Graphics’ excellent conversion kit for the 1/1000 Enterprise model. However, G-Cals Decals came out with their own conversion kit, which I snapped up. I did, however, manage to acquire a separate JT Graphics Bridge and B/C deck part, for that Franz Joseph look.
That all being said, the detailing of the G-Cals kit was less accurate than TJ Graphics’, and so I set about making mods. I removed the nacelles’ trench detailing on all four sides, and 3D-modeled grilles and vents based on the fan blueprints and JT Graphics parts. I also modeled and printed new ribbed vent sections to sit behind the Bussard collectors, new half-sphere nacelle endecaps, and tiny phaser bumps for the saucer. I also modified the nacelles’ outboard reactor loops to remove their TOS detailing and make them look like the blueprint versions.
The deflector dish was made made by removing the detail from a TOS Enterprise kit’s dish, then gluing and blending it into the rings at the front of the secondary hull. It should be noted that the fan blueprints tend to feature that second step at the front of the secondary hull (as on the TMP refit, you have the main deflector housing, a step down with the “ring of lights”, and then another step down for the dish itself) but most CGI models and resin conversion kits only feature ONE step in front of the main dish housing, which gives it a different look.
I had that second step/dish 3D-printed, as well, but decided to stick with the one-step look, since it makes the dish look a little bigger and clunkier, as befitting prototype tech.
This model sat, built and primed, for about two years before I recently came back to it. The G-Cals nacelle pylons had never sat well with me, though, since they’re slimmer than the Mandel/Guenther/Sofia schematics. Probably a full 2-3mm thinner, from edge to edge. They look nice, and more in line with the proportions of the TOS pylons, but they didn’t look right for this design. Also, the angles that the pylons sat at was closer to the TOS pylons, as opposed to the less-steep pylons of the fan blueprints.
So, I decided to model and print new pylons based directly on the fan blueprints (with steel rods inserted for strength), and cut the model apart to install them and then blend them in with putty. I’m very happy with the results.
Meanwhile, Testors has long since discontinued its Model Master paint line, which has been my go-to for many years. So, with great hesistation, I plunked down for a variety of Tamiya acrylic paints. Changing paints after being used to Testors for decades is an intimidating prospect. It’s gonna be a learning curve, but I’m eager to see how it goes.
Which brings me to the present. After getting the seams puttied, I primed the model with Tamiya white fine primer. The big question now is how to proceed.
In terms of color, details, and livery, the Endeavor design was originally shown to look like the TOS Enterprise, but with new engines. SHIPS OF THE STAR FLEET, however, shows various ships of the class from different points in the fanon timeline, with more of a TOS look or more of a TMP look, depending on the year. I could go a few ways with this:
1) A purely TOS look, with the approprate hull lettering font, pennants, and the usual gray-green hull and medium gray accent colors;
2) A transitional TOS/TMP hybrid look, a la what the JT Graphics kit allows for. The conjectural, pre-TMP hull font (without the red outlines), a gray-ish hull with light blue accents, etc.
3) A TMP-ish look, with full TMP-era decals, Aztec hull paneling (…and I already have G-Cals’ Aztec decals on hand, with the TMP-style saucer gridlines, as opposed to TOS), and a white (or light gray) base hull color.
It’s been pretty hard to decide, because there are a lot of ways to go with this. On the one hand, skewing more toward TOS is faithful to the production artwork which led to this design, and also the fanon idea of it serving as a testbed for TMP tech. On the other hand, I like the idea of an older, TOS era ship refitted and reskinned to TMP-era standards. I have the necessary decals to go any direction.
Opinions would be appreciated!
Here's the original iteration of this model, with the slimmer, steeper nacelle pylons:
And its present form:
I’ve had a fondness for this design for many years, but I was unable to find JT Graphics’ excellent conversion kit for the 1/1000 Enterprise model. However, G-Cals Decals came out with their own conversion kit, which I snapped up. I did, however, manage to acquire a separate JT Graphics Bridge and B/C deck part, for that Franz Joseph look.
That all being said, the detailing of the G-Cals kit was less accurate than TJ Graphics’, and so I set about making mods. I removed the nacelles’ trench detailing on all four sides, and 3D-modeled grilles and vents based on the fan blueprints and JT Graphics parts. I also modeled and printed new ribbed vent sections to sit behind the Bussard collectors, new half-sphere nacelle endecaps, and tiny phaser bumps for the saucer. I also modified the nacelles’ outboard reactor loops to remove their TOS detailing and make them look like the blueprint versions.
The deflector dish was made made by removing the detail from a TOS Enterprise kit’s dish, then gluing and blending it into the rings at the front of the secondary hull. It should be noted that the fan blueprints tend to feature that second step at the front of the secondary hull (as on the TMP refit, you have the main deflector housing, a step down with the “ring of lights”, and then another step down for the dish itself) but most CGI models and resin conversion kits only feature ONE step in front of the main dish housing, which gives it a different look.
I had that second step/dish 3D-printed, as well, but decided to stick with the one-step look, since it makes the dish look a little bigger and clunkier, as befitting prototype tech.
This model sat, built and primed, for about two years before I recently came back to it. The G-Cals nacelle pylons had never sat well with me, though, since they’re slimmer than the Mandel/Guenther/Sofia schematics. Probably a full 2-3mm thinner, from edge to edge. They look nice, and more in line with the proportions of the TOS pylons, but they didn’t look right for this design. Also, the angles that the pylons sat at was closer to the TOS pylons, as opposed to the less-steep pylons of the fan blueprints.
So, I decided to model and print new pylons based directly on the fan blueprints (with steel rods inserted for strength), and cut the model apart to install them and then blend them in with putty. I’m very happy with the results.
Meanwhile, Testors has long since discontinued its Model Master paint line, which has been my go-to for many years. So, with great hesistation, I plunked down for a variety of Tamiya acrylic paints. Changing paints after being used to Testors for decades is an intimidating prospect. It’s gonna be a learning curve, but I’m eager to see how it goes.
Which brings me to the present. After getting the seams puttied, I primed the model with Tamiya white fine primer. The big question now is how to proceed.
In terms of color, details, and livery, the Endeavor design was originally shown to look like the TOS Enterprise, but with new engines. SHIPS OF THE STAR FLEET, however, shows various ships of the class from different points in the fanon timeline, with more of a TOS look or more of a TMP look, depending on the year. I could go a few ways with this:
1) A purely TOS look, with the approprate hull lettering font, pennants, and the usual gray-green hull and medium gray accent colors;
2) A transitional TOS/TMP hybrid look, a la what the JT Graphics kit allows for. The conjectural, pre-TMP hull font (without the red outlines), a gray-ish hull with light blue accents, etc.
3) A TMP-ish look, with full TMP-era decals, Aztec hull paneling (…and I already have G-Cals’ Aztec decals on hand, with the TMP-style saucer gridlines, as opposed to TOS), and a white (or light gray) base hull color.
It’s been pretty hard to decide, because there are a lot of ways to go with this. On the one hand, skewing more toward TOS is faithful to the production artwork which led to this design, and also the fanon idea of it serving as a testbed for TMP tech. On the other hand, I like the idea of an older, TOS era ship refitted and reskinned to TMP-era standards. I have the necessary decals to go any direction.
Opinions would be appreciated!
Here's the original iteration of this model, with the slimmer, steeper nacelle pylons:
And its present form:
