Phase II Enterprise Study Model

[BillJ]

kit of this model

Yes, please.

I'll take two!

 

[cardinal biggles]

I think the biggest revelation here has been that the front caps of the nacelles were light-up Bussard collectors like on the TOS Enterprise. I had always assumed because they went with the grilles in TMP, and also because of this artist's rendering of what is clearly the Phase II Enterprise in this TMP teaser poster, that they were supposed to be grilles.

 

[BillJ]

I think the biggest revelation here has been that the front caps of the nacelles were light-up Bussard collectors like on the TOS Enterprise. I had always assumed because they went with the grilles in TMP, and also because of this artist's rendering of what is clearly the Phase II Enterprise in this TMP teaser poster, that they were supposed to be grilles.

I use to have that poster many moons ago.

 

[Shaw]

Thanks guys!

This may be a really dumb question, i'm not too familiar with the process of putting models such as these together, but do you intend to do any electronics on it? Any of the lighting that is?

This model was always intended to be a static build so I could concentrate on learning the geometry and intricacies of Jefferies' design, and reverse engineer how Jefferies' intended the design to look. And all of this is for a set of plans of the Phase II Enterprise I'll be putting together (which will include information on the intended lighting of the studio model even though my model doesn't have any).

As for a lit version, I wanted to wait until I could do a second (larger) attempt to worry about that type of technical challenge. I didn't want to have something like that distract me from the main purpose of this build (researching and learning the design). I figured I'd save learning more about model building for a later project (I don't actually build many models, so I sorta learn all this stuff as I go).

1. That pair of ribbed trapazoidal details, above and on the impulse engine, were they drawn on the plans that way? When I saw them on the Loos model it always looked weird. On that model the lower one looks narrower than the upper one, or at least it's taller and thus has a narrower top end, while yours appear to be the roughly the same size.

The lower one is narrower than the top one... but not by as much as on the original studio model.

When I first started this project it was going to be plans of the Phase II Enterprise... but I started to find a number of differences between the Price/Loos studio model and Jefferies' designs. At about the time I started building this model I decided that it would be better to divide the project into two parts... one cover Jefferies' design intent and the second the unique characteristics of the studio model as it would have been finished.

So when it came to the impulse engines, I had a good reference for the geometry of the housing, but it didn't include some of the details. We have a good shot of the studio model's impulse engine housing with the details in place, only the geometry of the housing itself is different than Jefferies' plans. I decided to go with Jefferies' housing, and adjusted the studio model's details to work with it (which is why the lower trapazoidal vent is wider than the one on the studio model).

2. Any idea why the Sept. 5, 1977 plans have X's on the nacelle cap chin guards? Usually that means "omit", right?

Maybe... at this point I'm not sure.

I know that when I was putting together the details needed to make the master for the nacelles, I dropped it as a detail for the master... and it looks like Price/Loos had done the same (those are in a bad spot for building a single piece that needs to be divided later on).

I've left this as an open ended question that I plan to follow up on when I start to document the actual studio model that was under construction. As a feature, Jefferies had it on every major iteration of the final design, so it'll be part of the Jefferies' plans I'll be drawing up... but I'm not sure if it'll be part of the Price/Loos studio model plans I'll be doing next.

But yeah, it is a good question.

I think the biggest revelation here has been that the front caps of the nacelles were light-up Bussard collectors like on the TOS Enterprise. I had always assumed because they went with the grilles in TMP, and also because of this artist's rendering of what is clearly the Phase II Enterprise in this TMP teaser poster, that they were supposed to be grilles.

Most of the paintings were based on either early sketches by Jefferies or the small study model Price originally put together based on an AMT model kit (hence the inclusion of the dimples on the underside of the primary hull in all the paintings).

That early model was just rough parts, with no painting or detailing. And with Jefferies away most of the time working on Little House on the Prairie and Price and Loos working on their model off site, the artists didn't have anyone to ask about the details.

Also, when studying that painting I noticed that the windows weren't part of the original painting. This is closer to how the original painting would have looked...

 

[spockboy]

Beautiful work!
Can't wait to see the lit version.
I am confused by the few pics I have of what I thought was the actual Phase 2 model, especially the completed version.

 

[BillJ]

This one just looks like the refit model with some tweaks.

 

[Shaw]

I am confused by the few pics I have of what I thought was the actual Phase 2 model, especially the completed version.

The first five photos are of the studio model under construction (mostly test assemblies of unfinished masters to show how the model would generally look when completed), the last one is of one of the Planet Hollywood display models (there were five built) that Paramount commissioned Price to build after the release of TMP. Price used modified parts from the Phase II Enterprise molds (which he still has) to construct these, but was instructed to make them look like the TMP Enterprise.

Here is a quick comparison between my model and one of those Planet Hollywood models...

So the nacelles, secondary hull and primary hull are modified parts from the Phase II molds, the dorsal and nacelle support pylons are unique to the Planet Hollywood models.

Of note on the Planet Hollywood models is the place where the opening for the hangar doors should be. Price/Loos made their molds out of fiberglass (which is part of the reason why they have survived to today), which means you need to avoid over hangs on the master. The opening was filled in with a bulge that was supposed to be removed... but was left there on the Planet Hollywood model (with some lines painted on it).

These models were made quick-n-dirty so they could be donated, and Paramount wanted to keep their production as cheep as possible... again, we are talking about five models (all about 5 feet long). They are great for getting a feel for the overall geometry of some of the main parts, but otherwise they are a mess of post-Phase II details slapped onto Phase II parts thrown together to be hung from the ceilings in restaurants.


And for the fun of it, here is a quick comparison between an early test assembly of my model and the test assembly of the studio model...

 

[BillJ]

So was the Phase II model meant to have the gridlines on the saucer?

 

[Shaw]

So was the Phase II model meant to have the gridlines on the saucer?

Yes.

In fact it was the engraved gridlines on the Phase II model that was used to justify having engraved gridlines on the 1/350 TOS Enterprise model kit.

I don't have them on my model because it would have been a real pain to get right at one-third studio scale, and I was already doing a ton of stuff I'd never done before while building this model. But the weathering on the model hints to the gridlines placement (which is actually pretty much the same as on the 11 foot model).

Part of the reason for including the "rust ring" to the model was to show where the gridlines should have been. But because Phase II didn't have access to the 11 foot model and were instead using the 33 inch model as a reference, the weathering would have actually looked more like the 33 inch model's than my model does. The 33 inch model had no gridlines at all, so the weathering on that model didn't acknowledge them, which is why I decided on using the 11 foot model's weathering as a reference.

On a version with physical gridlines (and panel lines on other parts of the model), I'd stick more to copying the 33 inch model's look instead.

 

[BillJ]

So was the Phase II model meant to have the gridlines on the saucer?

Yes.

In fact it was the engraved gridlines on the Phase II model that was used to justify having engraved gridlines on the 1/350 TOS Enterprise model kit.

I don't have them on my model because it would have been a real pain to get right at one-third studio scale, and I was already doing a ton of stuff I'd never done before while building this model. But the weathering on the model hints to the gridlines placement (which is actually pretty much the same as on the 11 foot model).

Part of the reason for including the "rust ring" to the model was to show where the gridlines should have been. But because Phase II didn't have access to the 11 foot model and were instead using the 33 inch model as a reference, the weathering would have actually looked more like the 33 inch model's than my model does. The 33 inch model had no gridlines at all, so the weathering on that model didn't acknowledge them, which is why I decided on using the 11 foot model's weathering as a reference.

On a version with physical gridlines (and panel lines on other parts of the model), I'd stick more to copying the 33 inch model's look instead.

I've never liked the gridlines so I'm cool with your version of it!

 

[spockboy]

"Here is a quick comparison between my model and one of those Planet Hollywood models..."

Great!
Thanks for the fascinating information Shaw, and thanks for taking the time to build it

Still love your work on this one...

 

[Shaw]

Thanks!

I still have to use my revised plans to make a one-to-one scale replica of the 33 inch studio model, but at least the two-thirds scale one gives me something to look at in the mean time. And it is in about the same scale as the Phase II Enterprise model...

It is hard to believe that I finished that model four years ago this month.

 

[spockboy]

That's an amazing pic!
Seriously!
Would love to see more pics. If you make them hi rez enough I will gladly put them in space for you.

Thanks!
Spockboy

I mostly do animation kinda stuff. I can sculpt figures but not ships. I respect the ability to be so detailed and precise.
https://vimeo.com/7952618

https://vimeo.com/86646518

Spockboy

 

[Sarvek]

Awesome work Shaw!!!! I am in awe of your accomplishments. Great work!!!!

 

[MarsWeeps]

Here is a quick comparison between my model and one of those Planet Hollywood models...

Your model is gorgeous! I would have loved to see this in TMP or at the very least, I can imagine that it was a refit after the 3rd season and before TMP refit.

 

[BillJ]

...I can imagine that it was a refit after the 3rd season and before TMP refit.

In universe, you could probably say it was a testbed of refit technologies. The major refit took 18 months and Kirk hadn't been in command for two-and-a-half years.

So there's a year, at least, where this version could've existed.

 

[Shaw]

Yeah, specially if you overlook where Jefferies took artistic license to change the primary and secondary hull shapes, most of the new technology was stuff that could have been (more or less) bolted into place. The interiors weren't even supposed to be a radical change (other than the bridge, which was to be bigger... but is also close to the outside of the ship).

So yeah, I think most people wouldn't see this Enterprise going into dry dock and coming out looking like the TMP Enterprise as being that much of a stretch.

I really do like the P2/NV Enterprise that tobiasrichter has put together for the new episodes. It is along the lines of what was supposed to have happened to the Enterprise. I wish they would have gone with Jefferies' nacelle design rather than Dochterman's, but I imagine it cut down on the time needed to get the model to screen.

... and it looks great in action!

 

[Mytran]

I've not seen that Tobiasrichter Enterprise before - it's great to see what such a "engines only" refit might have looked like, had they gone with the original premise!

 

[Shaw]

I threw together a few more shots of the model...

​

 

[cardinal biggles]

"Guess who's coming to dinner..."