Phase II Enterprise

Re: Phase II Enterprise Blueprints

Alright, so almost seven months after my last post, regrettably I haven't done anything more with the 1/537 TMP kit conversion :rolleyes Simply too much stuff to do around the house during the previous summer months, too many late days at work recently and not enough spare time to really do anything prop-wise in between.

Not only that, but I realized my initial plan on repurposing some of the Cut-away and TMP kit parts isn't as straight-forward as I thought. A lot more alterations required to actually get the different kit parts to fit. As such, I honestly can't afford the time to do all that right now, what with other projects needing work.

However, as I wait to get the measurements needed to scratch-build the half-scale TOS Enterprise shuttlebay to go with the in-scale Shuttlecraft I did up for Steve, I decided to tackle drafting the three-foot model. Just a simple matter of transferring my copies of Shaw's blueprints (don't want to ruin my original source) to some large-format printing paper I tend to use as drafting paper:

Phase II Enterprise BP -- My Revisions

As Shaw's blueprints are essentially an extrapolation of Jefferies' draft, I had to redraw it onto fresh paper so I could complete the rear portion of the nacelle(s), as on Jefferies' original they're not entirely drawn in. There are also some of the smaller details that had to be tweaked to better match what was done on the unfinished studio model (I'm going for an idealized version of the the blueprints and the physical model).

Having realized the same problems exist with my plan to repurpose some of the 1/350 PL Refit E kit parts as with the smaller 1/537 build, after following Steve's half-scale Enterprise thread almost religiously, I decided the best approach for the three-footer was to take a page from his book, so to speak, and employ the same basic techniques he used for forming the saucer and engineering hulls.

It will probably save me some time just doing things from scratch rather than trying to figure out how to modify existing kit parts to fit with this design.

Picked up some 1/8" thick foam sheet to use for the internal skeletal structure, and some 1/16" thick foam sheet for the skin. Already drew out, cut out and applied the template for the saucer profile, and will next cut out 28 of those to attach to a central "spool" as Steve did for his TOS Enterprise.

Pics to follow shortly. Don't know how much time I'll have to get working on this before I get to the half-scale Shuttlebay, but we'll see how far I can get before that project is upon me :cool

Re: Phase II Enterprise Blueprints

Keep at it. All this discussion of Enterprises has me rethinking my Phase 2 approach as well. I'll probably just press on with 1/537 parts modifications myself since it tends to be what I am most comfortable with. One thing that helped in my engine fabrication was I got ahold of a pair of vac engines from an SFSM Avenger class (Reliant essentially) and they seemed to work better then using TMP Enterprise engines since I didn't have to cut the mounts off the bottom, just fabricate new ones. An SFSM Soyuz class vac conversion kit will also be donating its bridge dome and B-C deck for the Enterprise bridge with two turbolifts.

Maybe I'll work up the nerve to get back to work on it soon, although right now I am into hacking up a 1966 vintage 18" E to turn it into a trashed Constellation.

Re: Phase II Enterprise Blueprints

Oh, I'm definitely going to be keeping at it. Trust me I just have to get a hot glue gun so I can actually put together all the cut foam bulkheads to frame the saucer as Steve did for his half-scale Enterprise. I'll be picking one up after work tomorrow.

As for modifying existing kit parts to fit, unlike you I don't have any prior experience and so am not comfortable with it. The more I looked at the parts I was going to kit-bash together, and the more I realized how much revisionary work would required, the more daunting it appeared.

Hence why I've decided to drop the 1/537th build and instead focus on the 1/350th. I find it much easier to simply scratch-build the parts I need than alter someone else's. Besides, I want to have one of these beauties to go alongside a PL Refit E and Round 2's TOS E (when it comes out) heh

I like your ideas for part substitution, though. Going with the vacu-formed parts certainly sounds like less work. Good call on the Soyuz class B/C deck too, btw. It's possible the one and only part subtitution I may use for the 1/350 build could be the PL Refit E nacelles, but we'll see how that goes.

And maybe I'll get back to the 1/537 build, but if so it won't be anytime soon.

In fact, I'm thinking of actually putting the majority of my other projects on hold and focus solely on this. That is, of course, only until I get the measurements needed to begin that half-scale Enterprise shuttlebay (really want to get that one done, too) :love

Re: Phase II Enterprise Blueprints

Well, whatever you decide, welcome to the club. In my own case, a 1/537 Phase 2 has been on and off again for the better part of 10 years. The main thing that put me off was sanding off that plated tile detail off the movie E parts. But I did obtain a built smoothie to use since then, I just haven't had the motivation to get back to it yet as I was kind of "treked out" for the longest time. I was getting sick of looking at variations of a saucer and nacelles on my workbench, be they TOS, NX, TNG, DS9 or Voyager.

The only thing that has really gotten me back into Trek modeling has been the re-release of a lot of old kits in addition to new stuff coming out from Round 2 and Revell of Germany. So, what is old is new again.

I was hoping to work out a few snags with the saucer's skeletal structure before posting, but here are some WiP pics of it so far:

Phase II Enterprise -- Pic 01
Phase II Enterprise -- Pic 02

I don't know if it's clearly noticeable in the above pics, but the following two show very well the "snags" I speak of:

Phase II Enterprise -- Pic 03
Phase II Enterprise -- Pic 04

I managed to attach all of the bulkheads (using this styrene template; it's the top one) to the center spool only a couple days after my last post in this thread, but after checking my work noticed that some of the bulkheads were out of alignment. Some of them sat too low.

Guess I was a little too excited to get this build started :rolleyes

I went back and corrected them, then rechecked my work. Although all the replaced bulkheads were now level, there were other ones out of alignment. Went back and fixed those ones. AGAIN, yet others out of alignment. After taking a close look at the template I cut out, it would appear the flat edge that attaches to the spool wasn't quite square, resulting in the uneven positioning.

I've taken care of the misscut template, but then realized I'd used up all of the sheet foam just making all those corrections. So, had to make a quick trip out to the hobby store yesterday. Now I have enough materials to keep me going for a while. Just have to replace another 5-10 bulkheads and it should be ready for the skin.

Not to get too ahead of myself or anything, but I decided to cut out the beginnings of the secondary hull, lol:

Phase II Enterprise -- Pic 05

It's just the midplate the bulkheads will attach to for both the right and left sides, but now I've got the placements marked out on it. Unlike Steve's TOS Enterprise, this one will clearly need a few more bulkheads to make up the shape of the hull as it has more complex contours. Not just a simple tapered cylinder.

The plan with this one is make styrene bulkheads (of which I have materials on hand) and skin it all in very thin styrene. Hopefully that will work out according to plan.

One last pic before I head off to work:

Phase II Enterprise -- Pic 06

I've decided to go with repurposing the nacelles from one of my trashed 1/350 PL Refit E's, and have already begun mapping out the areas on them that will need some revisions. I'm hoping that going this route will actually end up saving me some time and effort in the long run.

My days are pretty long, usually with me getting in the door around 8:00 in the evenings (doesn't help I have to endure a 1 1/2 hour bus ride home during the work week) so I don't know just how much I'll be able to get done, but will try to post what progress I can.

Oh, I went to Staples Business Depot and got them to enlarge my three-foot blueprint to four feet in preparation of following Steve Neill's example and doing up a studio half-scale Phase II Enterprise. It's amazing how much larger everything is, but of course that project won't be done until I wrap this one up, along with my studio-scale TOS Shuttlecraft.

Eric, did you finish your Phase II Enterprise?