Missing 32" Enterprise finally found...

How much restoration should be done? Back to how the model looked when filmed?

 

it would make for an interesting “who done it”….

 

Agreed. They took the 11 foot model back to (better than) original filming condition , so, what's the difference with the 3 foot model?

 

Um... It's about 1/3 the size?

 

Errrrm actually; it's 1/4 the size

 

IIRC, there are differing schools of thought in art/artifact restoration -- whether one should try to recreate the original condition as closely as possible, or to preserve later deterioration, damage, and restorations as part of its total history and simply prevent it from getting any worse. They tried to split the difference with the 11-footer by leaving the original paint on the top of the saucer, but some might feel that it's a good idea to use different approaches with the two different miniatures.

 

I thought I read somewhere (maybe this was in reference to aircraft) that the Smithsonian always leaves at least one surface unrestored.

 

the 11 footer had previously gone through a botched "restoration" that destroyed much of the original paint job. Only the top of the saucer is still original. So nothing the recent restoration did removed original material (except light bulbs).

The 3 footer still has it's last production applied paint. So my preference would be to repair the structural damage, clean all the original paint, lightly touch up the missing spots, glue down the remaining decals and replace the missing ones with reproductions. Replacing the missing shuttlebay door is optional.

 

This might be an "out there" idea, and although I did re-read this entire Thread, it is possible that it has already been mentioned and I missed it;

Now that she has warped back into Sector 1, wonder if TPTB have ever considered giving all the Creators (!) of she and the other 1701 models a "piece of the action"?
Maybe R, Jr. would consider paying out a little from the money he is still making from the franchise?
I know they were paid at the time, but I submit this is a Special Circumstance with a very special object/objects of significance.
I get that Roddenberry the Junior should get it, as The Bird's heir, but he did not make it, and neither did Gene.

Come to think of it, neither did Desilu. But they paid for the materials and construction...ok, maybe sharing the wealth is a little unworkable, but still

…just some thoughts...

 

It was a commissioned work for hire, that's just the way rights work. Plus the people who built it are all dead, and their heirs didn't physically build it any more than Gene did.

 

Yeah. I prefer a minimal restoration. The decals are even still mostly intact.

 

Before the ship was first displayed at the Smithsonian in the mid-70s, the entire thing other than the saucer top was repainted a featureless primer gray.

 

The worst restoration that was done was on the Galileo. They replaced everything but the steel inner frame. I saw the so called resto on youtube. They could have salvaged a lot of the plywood that was still in good shape as well as the windows and other features. They should not have hired a ship building company to do it. A prop master should at least been their to supervise. All they did was make a new one. Big deal.

 

You are misinformed and I could not disagree with this comment more. The original skin of the Galileo was masonite; not plywood. After sitting outdoors for years there was no integrity left and most of the rotten masonite was replaced with plywood back in the 90's. Just a very few small bits of the original remained and none was usable. The restoration done on the Galileo just replaced the skin; the steel frame, wings, nacelles, landing gear, door mechanism are all the original so the shape of it is exactly the same because the frame is exactly the same. The research and workmanship done on restoring it rivals the best restorations possible. Sure, it would have been nice to have it preserved straight from the studio but that is impossible but now it has been restored to it's former glory. I have seen it in person many times and it looks amazing. Thank God someone purchased it and restored it for us instead of it sitting in a junkyard or dump someplace.




The Galileo in the 90's

 

I'm not sure that's true. I'm also not sure it's not true, but I can't find any reference that that is the case. I don't have the obsessive encyclopedic knowledge on the different epochs of the Enterprise's history that many of my friends do.

 

Oh I stand corrected. I didn't know they tore it apart in the 90s. So all of it was mostly not original anyway. Too bad.

 

It's a classic Ship of Theseus paradox. The restoration retained the Galileo's structural steel framework, pylons and engine nacelles, so it's probably at least 50 percent original by weight, if that means anything.

 

LOL, its actually probably 95% original by weight!!!! The two nacelles alone are probably 75% of the total weight.

 

Warp engines are heavy indeed.