The 11-foot TOS Enterprise model-

[Robert Comsol]

trevanian wrote:

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I suppose if we really wanted to stir up trouble,we'd have the 11'2" mounted in a half-shell cutaway of one of Franz Joseph's big dock spheres from the STARFLEET TECHNICAL MANUAL.

All I ask is a tall ship and some stars to steer her by. The ship would look best against a background of planets and/or our galaxy (and not against some merchandise shelves).

Bob

[Redfern]

Thanks, Trevanian! So, the drydock was meant to be old. Funny, though I was somehow reminded of a rusty iron bed-frame, it just never registered with me it that was the intent. Well, that explains a lot.

This line of thought does have me wondering, what could have Jefferies and the model crew accomplished for a late 60s TV production? I just recently learned that the K-7 was constructed from models originally used in an aerospace trade-show. I already knew the pods of the station were inspired by a proposed design for an "inflatable" habitat, but it was just a few months ago I learned they used the pods themselves from an exhibit. So i wonder what might they have repurposed for a spacedock?

Sincerely,

Bill

[ZapBrannigan]

Redfern wrote:

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I remember a painting that was printed in an early issue of StarLog, some time before TMP debuted. I think it was meant for the aborted "Phase II" project. It depicted the Enterprise still in her "series" configuration floating within a rather different dock. The frame used a series of girders that resembled that "tri-rung" ladder we saw at a corridor intersection. Was that drawn by Matt Jeffereies or Mike Minor? If either of those people, who both worked on the original series, drew that design, I'd say that might "meld" better with the Jefferies/Datun miniature.

Then again, I think some people might not like having the "Gray Lady" partially obscured by a some sort of frame.

Sincerely,

Bill

This was it, right here:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_of7mShM5N1...ase_2_pg01.jpg

[Robert Comsol]

Redfern wrote:

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Then again, I think some people might not like having the "Gray Lady" partially obscured by a some sort of frame.

A 3 dimensional representation of the Tholian web might be an option.

Update on the paint job issue:
I compared my personal pictures from the NASM taken in 1976 or 1980 with the (majority of the ones) taken after the second Smithsonian restoration effort, film grain resolution is not great but that much I could tell:

• the entire saucer hull was still lit (including the saucer domes), i.e. you had illuminated saucer windows!
• the neck still had the original two colors (bow part of neck different painting with more specularity)
• the bottom of the forward starboard nacelle still had this unique, darker shape (already then, the extra two rectangles below the forward cap had gone missing)

Apparently, during the second Smithsonian restoration the entire neck was repainted. As for the bottom of the starboard nacelle it's difficult to say. The area still looks darker but the unique "shape" has gone (possibly a result of wrong cleaning?).

Bob

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Here's an image of the model displayed in its custom-built plexiglass cradle:

[AshGL1914]

Ok, and so here's where I come in.
Hi everybody! My name is John Cooley and I'm the founder of The Enterprise Restoration Project.
Back on September 8th 2011 I was talking to Mike Okuda about the condition of the model and what happened during Ed's restoration. That night we discussed everything that needed to be done, and who precisely would need to do it. He asked who I would bring in to a project like this and I went away thinking about just what the next step would be. The next morning I called Steve Neill and laid the plans for The ERP. So far the ERP is a private group that has among its members people like Doug Drexler, Steve Neill, John Eaves, Ron Moore, James Cawley and about 30 others.

Our goal is to self fund (through donations and hopefully a single donor) a private restoration carried out ONLY by people who have worked directly for the STAR TREK art department.

The blurb on our Facebook Group masthead reads:
THE ENTERPRISE RESTORATION PROJECT is a group of lifelong STAR TREK production professionals and fans dedicated to the complete restoration of the original eleven foot model of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE as seen in STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES currently on display in The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

And so our goal is to see her restored physicaly (as she was never meant to sit under her own weight for so long, but was intended only to be assembled for filming and then disassembled and stored), and is now showing signs of cracking under her own weight. We want to correct some of the damage done durring the last restoration (like Ed taking a scribe to the underside of the saucer to scribe the grid lines into the plastic of the hull). We also want to fix/upgrade the lighing system, and of course correct the current paint deco. The hope is that our project will be compleated in time for the 50th anniversary of STAR TREK on September 8th 2016.

There are of course other plans that for now are only discussed among the members of the group, but when we're ready, I'll launch a public Facebook Page, a website, and you'll know more about the project and who'll be leading our physical restoration team.

John

p.s. Mike reached out to some friends at NASM reguarding the model and at his request they opened the case and inspected the model and found some of the damage that was concerning us. It's been added to a list of artifacts for curation, but that it's at the bottom of a very long list and not much of a prioity for the Smithsonian. If we want this done right, it'll have to be funded and carried out by us.

[MarsWeeps]

AshGL1914 wrote:

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The blurb on our Facebook Group masthead reads:
THE ENTERPRISE RESTORATION PROJECT

I did a search on Facebook and could not find your page. Do you have a direct link?

Glad to see that someone is going to do a proper job restoring the Enterprise!

[Robert Comsol]

AshGL1914 wrote:

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Our goal is to self fund (through donations and hopefully a single donor) a private restoration carried out ONLY by people who have worked directly for the STAR TREK art department.

The previous "restoration" was carried out by Ed Miarecki "who worked directly for the Star Trek art department" (other Starfleet ships in Wolf 359 graveyard scene in TNG's BoBW), so I fail to see how that could possibly qualify.

The other name that instantly comes to my mind is Mike Okuda. Sorry for being blunt, but I fail to see why Mike Okuda should qualify.

First, TOS has never been his strong suit, in my humble, personal and biased opinion.
Second, his time and competence is needed for the TNG restoration project.
Third, Mike was involved in the TOS-R project, whose CGI Enterprise was based entirely on the way she looked, after Ed was done with her. Apparently he didn't object according to the TOS-R documentaries, so I'm sorry to say but strongly feel Mike Okuda should not be put in charge of this project.

Seeing the name list, the one name that immediately caught my attention is Doug Drexler. Though I'm not a fan of his Enterprise cutaway he did for "In A Mirror, Darkly", he is the one who actually went to the NASM in December 1976, had access to the Smithsonian documentation and took several close-up pictures of the, then, original condition the Enterprise was still in.

Bob

[AshGL1914]

Good Morning!

Answering a few questions:

The reason no one would have found a Facebook Page at this moment is that for now it's a closed group, and so one would have to be sent an invitation to join the group in order to access the page.

As for Ed, he was working as a bit of a contractor when he built the Cardassian Galor Class ship, and was always an ILM'er rather than a Star Trek employee.

As for The team thus far, (and believe me NO ONE on this planet wants to see this model restored properly more than me) Doug and Mike have my compleat confidence as technical advisors. They may have started on Star Trek after TOS wrapped, but their research into TOS and their access to archival material relating to TOS is second to none. Additionally, we've spoken to Gary and while somewhat gun shy when it comes to the 11 footer, will be available with his research when we get off the ground. As for the physical resto team, we'll be looking to the incomparable Steve Neill (his scratch built six footer is the best existing model of the original series Enterprise is the best existing example of what that ship should look like on this planet) and hope to have Greg Jein work his magic. (His two week wonder T&T Enterprise is fondly remembered by everyone in the group). Rest assured the Enterprise will be in the very capable hands of people who love her and want to see her stabilized, and restored properly.

[Gary7]

^ Well, I'm very glad to hear that people involved with this project have the following in mind:

• The previous restoration, while professionally done, was a rather unwanted deviation from the original look of the NCC-1701 Enterprise and MUST be corrected.
• More than one person among the committee recognizes this above issue and so this point will not be lost in the shuffle of priorities over time.
• It's simply not feasible to "hang" the Enterprise freely for long periods as has been done, which contributed significantly to a rapid decay of the model. So some kind of support structure made of plexiglass will be conceived and implemented to allow the model to be displayed for far longer periods of time before restoration is needed again.

Thanks very much for taking the time to clue us in about this, John.

[TREK_GOD_1]

AshGL1914 wrote:

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As for Ed, he was working as a bit of a contractor when he built the Cardassian Galor Class ship, and was always an ILM'er rather than a Star Trek employee.

Interesting. Perhaps that had some bearing on the unnecessary details added to the 1701?

As for The team thus far, (and believe me NO ONE on this planet wants to see this model restored properly more than me) Doug and Mike have my compleat confidence as technical advisors. They may have started on Star Trek after TOS wrapped, but their research into TOS and their access to archival material relating to TOS is second to none. Additionally, we've spoken to Gary and while somewhat gun shy when it comes to the 11 footer, will be available with his research when we get off the ground. As for the physical resto team, we'll be looking to the incomparable Steve Neill (his scratch built six footer is the best existing model of the original series Enterprise is the best existing example of what that ship should look like on this planet) and hope to have Greg Jein work his magic. (His two week wonder T&T Enterprise is fondly remembered by everyone in the group). Rest assured the Enterprise will be in the very capable hands of people who love her and want to see her stabilized, and restored properly.

Good luck, and I hope you and team are successful in giving this artifact of culture the proper restoration to its 1960s state.

[MarsWeeps]

Robert Comsol wrote:

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Third, Mike was involved in the TOS-R project, whose CGI Enterprise was based entirely on the way she looked, after Ed was done with her.

I have to disagree. I watched a few of the TOS-R episodes on Netflix (The Doomsday Machine, The Ultimate Computer and some others) and thought they did an excellent job with the CGI effects. I never saw the God-awful gridlines which the original TOS model currently shows.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

In fact the CG model used in TOS-R was in no way based on the Miarecki restoration and did utilize quite a few authoritative references.

The presence of a couple of panel lines on the hull is not evidence to the contrary.

[plynch]

AshGL1914 wrote:

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(like Ed taking a scribe to the underside of the saucer to scribe the grid lines into the plastic of the hull)

[TREK_GOD_1]

plynch wrote:

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You are not kidding.