Buildng the JJ 1701 Enterprise from Star Trek Into Darkness

Modeling Subjects Science Fiction
1

Hey everyone. Since I finally finished the “Real” USS Enterprise (CVN 65, see here: http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/148419.aspx?sort=ASC&pi240=1, I am finally starting to build the JJ 1701 Enterprise.

Not much has been done yet except sourcing all of the lights, controllers, Aztecs, and the kit which isn’t readily available here in Canada.

I’m using Evans Lighting JJ Ent kit with Revision A additions, OrbitalDrydock and Aztec Dummy vinyl Aztec templates, and a whole lotta patience.

I’ll post progress as I move along the build. Thus far I have blacked out the innards of the ship to inhibit light bleeding through the hull/saucer. Next will be weeks and weeks of electronics installations (pics will follow as I go).

Mr M

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I’m not sure which brand it was,but I saw a review where the vinyl Aztec masks failed miserably.Test 'em out first.

3

When you light block the interior, to you tape off areas to be joined or scrape the paint later? I always have a hard time with that. Scraping takes forever and it’s difficult in grooves but I often tape off too much and leak. What do you do for the areas to be joined?

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No disrespect to you or your abilities but I can’t stand the ship. It is a slap in the face to NCC-1701.

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TD4438: I saw a few mixed reviews about the aztecs, so I figured I’d grab both of the most common sets and try my luck out with them. NOT looking forward to that part of the build at the moment.

Gerry: I hit it all with my airbrush and scrape later. Usually after it gets the putty and paint treatment, light leaks are pretty minor. Fortunately the saucer literally “snaps” together with interior pegs, so a major seam is already taken care of with very little work.

Midnightprowler: At first I was a little iffy on the ship, but it grew on me. Nothing replaces the original 1701, but this one lets me add a lot more effects… and the wife likes it… which pretty much means “I like it” hahaha.

Mr.M

6

Is is possible to get Aztec pattern decals for this ship or do you prefer using masks? The new Enterprise has grown on me a bit also. I think they are just trying to capture a new generation of Trek fans by giving the ship a new design. I personally favor the 1701 refit from the films and the Enterprise E is an awesome looking ship as well.

Looking forward to seeing the progress on this build. I admire you for doing the lights.

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Looking forward to seeing the finished build! Personally, I think the JJ Abrams redsign is great. It’s still not the original, or the Enterprise 1701-A (my favorite Enterprise design), but I think it stayed true to the character of the original ship. It’s still the Enterprise, just updated. Don’t get me wrong, I love the original Enterprise, and I love TOS. But the reboot needed an updated model that didn’t look like a cheesy 50-year old, and (let’s face it) cheesy, sci-fi show.

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I’ve tried both the Aztek Dummy vinyl masks and Acreation aztek decals, and I have to say the decals are far superior to the vinyl masks. The masks take forever to apply, and even if everythink looks ok after you paint and then remove the masks, you have to tone the patterns down a bit with a thin layer of the lighter color. I did part of a Reliant with the vinyl masks as a test, then did an NX-01 with decals, and I’m glad I never took all the time and effort to do the entire Reliant. I ended up completing it with decals.

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I agree. I’m currently using the Acreation decals on the NX-01 as well and I am really impressed with the results so far.

I find it interesting that modelers have their own favorite Enterprise designs. I will always favor the Enterprise-A over the rest of them but even the Enterprise -D is now beginning to spark my interest when it has always been my least favorite design. The Enterprise-E comes second for me.

On the workbench: Enterprise NX-01, Star Wars B-Wing fighter

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A few updates. The interior blackout was lightened with a white overspray to aid in the diffusing the led lighting. I’m installing the saucer nav and window lights now, which simply involves drilling the pilot holes and sticking the LEDs in. I’m not a fan of the “rats nest” wiring even though it won’t be seen, so I’m trying to keep it as neat as possible.

And a short clip of the bench test: http://youtu.be/Yu5ap52fHhc

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That bloody -A appeared in the final scene of STIV, STV and was decommissioned at the end of STVI. The real refitted Enterprise was used in STTMP, STII & destroyed in STIII. In my opinion, the -A wasn’t an Enterprise, just another starship with a name change.

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I know. I grew up watching Star Trek, and own all 12 movies. Technically, you are correct. It’s just easier to say “Enterprise-A” than it is to say “the refit Enterprise from ST I, ST II, and ST III”. And yes, the -A was just a re-use of the studio model from the first 3 movies, and I see your point.

Now let’s dive into canon itself: The Enterprise A, while it is just a re-use of the studio model, is canon in the Trek universe. Gene Roddenberry actually addressed the relative short life of the Enterprise A. According to him, the -A was actually not a newly constructed starship, and was at one time the USS Yorktown (as a nod to the to the ship’s name in the original TV pitch for the original series). The ship was supposedly taken out of service, but because of the destruction of the original Enterprise, and that it is ridiculous to belive that Starfleet could build a ship in the short amount of time (ie Star Trek IV), the Yorktown was renamed and pressed back into service as the Enterprise-A. So, Rob, in a way, you are right. The short life-span of the Enterprise -A is due to the fact that the ship had been in service for several years prior to it’s re-name, and if you think about it, it’s assigned missions in the (terrible) ST V, and the (fantastic) ST VI, kind of reflect that it is not on front-line anymore. In ST V, it’s mission is to rescue diplomats from a renegade Vulcan. Not exactly a job for a ship-of-the-line, provided all goes as planned. And in ST VI, it’s job is to escort the Klingon representatives to a peace conference. Had all gone as planned, the mission is more ceremonial in nature. Being the most famous names in Starfleet, Kirk and the Enterprise were naturally selected, instead of the state-of-the-art Excelsior. The 1701-A is canon, and therefore it’s own separate starship. But your “rename” argument is totally valid.

“Mr. Scott’s Guide to the Enterprise”, published shortly after ST IV was released, suggests more-or-less, the same idea: it was a ship (USS Ti-Ho) used as a testbed for the traswarp project, alongside USS Excelsior, and was just renamed to Enterprise. But it can be easily argued that this is not canon, so take that as you will.

Sorry, but I love getting the opportunity to discuss Star Trek, and I totally nerd out a little…OK, maybe more than a little. lol. Not many people I know are that into Star Trek as I am.

13

You’re more correct than you think. I don’t remember where I read this so I can’t cite a source but according to Star Trek cannon the 1701-A was actually the USS Yorktown and it was renamed the Enterprise for Kirk. I have a Polar Lights Refit on the bench and I came across this tidbit when I was doing some research.

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I use “A” just to clarify which body style I’m referring to.

TOS , A, B, C, D, E

NX,

Even if I don’t use the “A” decal I still refer to the ship as A

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I understand why people refer to the -A as if it is the only movie Enterprise just to differentiate it from the TOS Enterprise. It’s just a pet peeve of mine when folks do it since the -A really didn’t do anything until STV (other than a few seconds at the end of IV).

I know I am correct; I’ve been a Trek fan since I was a kid (50 now) and I know the -A was a reflagged starship and not a new ship. Personally, I think they should have used the opportunity to create an entirely new class of starship as the -A.

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I’m sure they avoided making an entirely new class of starship as a money-saving measure. That was still the era of physical models vs. CGI. I would bet that CGI is the cheaper way to go now, so if they had it to do over, they may well have come up with something new. As much as I love most incarnations of the Enterprise, I have to say the Excelsior is the best-looking starship of them all, with just the right balance of grace and power.

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I rather like the A best, just a nose ahead of the TOS Enterprise.

I like the rectangular nacelles and the swept back wing-style struts leading to them.

But if I could live aboard one it would be the D - that looks the most comfy.

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I read somewhere that the look of the Enterprise bridge in various movies was often the decision of the director and how he wanted the film to look. Therefore, Nick Meyer chose more of a military look, but other directors went in different directions. I also recall reading in one of the manuals that the bridge module was supposed to be replaced as a single unit, so that upgrades could be made more quickly.

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I wasn’t too big a fan of the new design either, until I’d seen Into Darkness a few times. I think what pushed me over into the “approve” category was the massive amount of damage it sustained from the U.S.S. Vengeance, and the very well done special effects depicting debris floating in space as well as the realistic thrusters effects when they aligned the Enterprise with the Vengeance in order to do the space jump. Still on the fence about actually buying the kit of this ship though.

20

That’s a very good point. As I was working on my Enterprise -E it occurred to me that all other Enterprise ships went through a design change except the one designated Enterprise-A. Maybe the Excelsior should have been the Enterprise-A. Wouldn’t that have pissed Scotty off!