The 11-foot TOS Enterprise model-

[feek61]

Oh, it certainly goes both ways and I'm not saying I'm right and you are wrong; simply a discussion.

I thought it was common knowledge that the entire miniature WAS painted between the pilot and series. Did it not go from white to gray/green? Also, the blue dorsal disappeared at some point between the pilot episodes and the series. I will have to pull out the Datin interview but I swear I remember him saying that it was repainted before the series started (but then again I may be wrong, lol).

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Speaking of the 3-footer, an amateur (but master) modeler from somewhere recently posted pics of his 22-inch long replica. He built it from scratch.

He carefully shot these pics to compare with the original model as seen in "Methuselah."

Apart from being a little smaller, it's a terrific match:

Nice, but I would love to see someone make the same comparions using the Round 2 three foot model, since it is alleged to be the most screen accurate mold ever produced.

 

[MarsWeeps]

Since the original was never intended to be displayed for this long, would it not make more sense to build a new display model that's true to the original Matt Jeffries/Richard Datin effort (updated to the series production version, of course) and could last longer than the original????

No, it would make absolutely no sense at all! This is the ORIGINAL ship and that's the whole point of people wanting to see it!

 

[Maurice]

Speaking of the 3-footer, an amateur (but master) modeler from somewhere recently posted pics of his 22-inch long replica. He built it from scratch.

He carefully shot these pics to compare with the original model as seen in "Methuselah."

Apart from being a little smaller, it's a terrific match:

Nice, but I would love to see someone make the same comparions using the Round 2 three foot model, since it is alleged to be the most screen accurate mold ever produced.

Comparing the Round 2 model to the original 3-footer would make no sense because the 3-footer differs in many ways from the 11-footer upon which the Round 2 kit is based.

And is that 22 inch model Shaw's?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

The thing about the 22-inch fan replica seen above is that it was built from scratch. No kit involved. That's a major achievement.

The modeler's name is David Shaw, and his intent was to match the shape of 33-inch studio model.

 

[Maurice]

I just noticed that the 3-footer doesn't appear to feature the hangar doors.

 

[M'Sharak]

And is that 22 inch model Shaw's?

It is.

 

[mach7]

I just noticed that the 3-footer doesn't appear to feature the hangar doors.

Nope, nor did The Cage version of the 11ft model.

I'm not sure if WNMHGB has the doors. I'll look

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Since the original was never intended to be displayed for this long, would it not make more sense to build a new display model that's true to the original Matt Jeffries/Richard Datin effort (updated to the series production version, of course) and could last longer than the original????

No, it would make absolutely no sense at all! This is the ORIGINAL ship and that's the whole point of people wanting to see it!

If NASM considered it an historic artifact of real importance, like an Apollo capsule, their primary concern would be with its preservation. In fact it's just a gimmick to draw traffic, which is how it wound up in the gift shop and why there's no pressing concern there about restoring it again.

 

[Maurice]

And not such a big draw, apparently, since they stuck it in the easy-to-miss lower level of the gift shop.

 

[Warped9]

I just noticed that the 3-footer doesn't appear to feature the hangar doors.

Nope, nor did The Cage version of the 11ft model.

I'm not sure if WNMHGB has the doors. I'll look

The hangar door piece went missing from the 3-footer at some point. The 11-footer did not have a missing piece at the aft end of the secondary hull. It simply didn't have the door detail lines added yet.

 

[mach7]

I did not know the 3 footer ever had the detail, Thanks.

I guess it makes sense though, they did update the 3 footer.

 

[davejames]

It's funny, I never noticed before just how many lights were missing from the other side of the 11-footer. Even the lights around the saucer rim are missing, which you'd think they would have put in at some point with all the front and rear angles we saw of the ship.

And yeah, it is a travesty what they did with that paint job. I don't know WHAT the reasoning could be for doing such a thing. Even if they wanted to put in some gridlines, there's no reason for them to be that thick and dark.

 

[Warped9]

Slightly off-topic, but this could be interesting for those interested in the 11-footer Enterprise. The first few minutes of the video are what's relevant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Oro-oASrYmg

 

[Robert Comsol]

^^ Interesting video. According to the eye witness the saucer's underside gridlines were only in the area I mentioned and illustrated in post # 100. I presume they didn't finish the job doing all the saucer's underside as what we mostly saw (or would have seen) was the starboard side. (I love those 2001 screen savers in the second part ).

Bob

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

You may call the original painting a "myth" but I was there when it was originally unveiled at the Smithsonian in (I think) 1976 and studied it extensively. To me it appeared freshly painted and I believe one or more of the windows were painted over. Believe what you want but the color that was used to repaint it did not even match the original color; it was slightly more blue as compared to the more greenish original color.

If you compare photos from that time that have both the top of the saucer and the rest of the ship it seems pretty obvious that it was repainted (a different color no less).

This is entirely true. The model was repainted, save for the top of the saucer, prior to its first public exhibition at NASM.

 

[Robert Comsol]

This is entirely true. The model was repainted, save for the top of the saucer, prior to its first public exhibition at NASM.

Nope, that's an assumption (> post # 100). Doug Drexler got exclusive access to the Smithsonian in early 1977 and published job descriptions for restoration according to which no major paint job was involved.

Just because the saucer top side was repainted after the original pilots (possibly different color than the rest of the model) is definitely not a base to arrive at the odd conclusion that it was the engineering hull that got a paint job "prior to its first public exhibition at NASM"...

Bob

 

[22 Stars]

Are there really no restoration records in the Smithsonian Archives? Where is the guy who did the horrible restoration to interview? When can we get Doug, Mike and Steve Neil in there to fix this thing!

 

[davejames]

Considering the complete lack of any weathering like we see on the top of the saucer (and in the episodes), it sure looks like it got repainted to me. It's doubtful they could just sand or wash away the weathering that was there, especially after all that time.

 

[Robert Comsol]

Considering the complete lack of any weathering like we see on the top of the saucer (and in the episodes), it sure looks like it got repainted to me.

Yes, the top of the saucer - after the filming of "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

Bob