Various things have led me to turn my attention to the versions of the Klingon Battlecruiser. I'm not differentiating from the TOS and TMP versions in this because of the design history.
The design of the Battlecruiser came from the mind of Matt Jefferies. So the first design belongs to him. His drawings are remarkably close to the final version. He included two diagonal grilles in the groves on the top of the rear hull and did not indicate any grilles on the lower front sides.
Then AMT took those drawings and built 2 shooting miniatures. There are minor differences between the two. Only one physical difference. On each side of the aft end of the engines the model used in the series has two ribbed panels and the other model has a single half barrel. They were also painted differently. The screen used one had no paint detailing on the outer pylon or the aft end of the neck. The 2nd model had silver pylon grilles with a light gold lozenge and some chrome on the top aft end of the neck to either side. The filming model at the Smithsonian before 1991 (when it was painted gray) and the 2nd model otherwise have identical paint schemes - 3 tones of gray. A somewhat neutral gray for most of the neck and head, a blue gray for the sides and underside of the rear hull and nacelles, and a purplish gray on top of the head deck and the aft hull. The 2nd filming model also has an extra character to the markings.
AMT proceeded to make their kit. On their kit they included the grilles in Jefferies drawings as well as grille inserts on either side of the rear hull. Both the full size (1/2 the scale of the filming miniature) and the mini (1/5 the scale of the miniature) share the same features. They have the same half barrel as the 2nd filming model. They have decals matching the screen used filming model.
For Phase II, the filming model was copied. It was an exact replica of the 2nd studio model. It featured a Klingon version of aztecing that was later incorporated in the movie model as built up plates instead of just painted on. It also had impulse engines like the TMP
Then we skip forward to DS9 and Trials and Tribbleations. They crafted a new Klingon model. It is a copy of the first filming miniature and about the same size. Like the Phase II model, it features painted on Klingon aztecting. It is solid gray with gold detailing instead of silver and has unique markings. This design is actually supposed to be identical to the TOS so it predates the Phase II, but when they built it they utilized several things that originally appeared on the Phase II model.
Then we have the TMP Klingon ship. it was scaled up from the Phase II model and is twice the size. A close comparison shows that the design is virtually unchanged. The bridge and the warp nacelles are different and the surface is not smooth. The level of detail is much higher and the model is twice the size of the TOS model. The model was painted in several gray to green colors. It does have the grilles to either side that had previously only appeared on the AMT kits.
The TMP model was revamped for ST:VI. It was repainted in several grays with some reddish gray panels as well as a lot of coppery details making it a much fancier design.
And as a final note, the Round 2 kit is intended to be the main shooting model, but they made several goofs. The angle of the top grilles and the size of the hanger roof are completely wrong.
The design of the Battlecruiser came from the mind of Matt Jefferies. So the first design belongs to him. His drawings are remarkably close to the final version. He included two diagonal grilles in the groves on the top of the rear hull and did not indicate any grilles on the lower front sides.
Then AMT took those drawings and built 2 shooting miniatures. There are minor differences between the two. Only one physical difference. On each side of the aft end of the engines the model used in the series has two ribbed panels and the other model has a single half barrel. They were also painted differently. The screen used one had no paint detailing on the outer pylon or the aft end of the neck. The 2nd model had silver pylon grilles with a light gold lozenge and some chrome on the top aft end of the neck to either side. The filming model at the Smithsonian before 1991 (when it was painted gray) and the 2nd model otherwise have identical paint schemes - 3 tones of gray. A somewhat neutral gray for most of the neck and head, a blue gray for the sides and underside of the rear hull and nacelles, and a purplish gray on top of the head deck and the aft hull. The 2nd filming model also has an extra character to the markings.
AMT proceeded to make their kit. On their kit they included the grilles in Jefferies drawings as well as grille inserts on either side of the rear hull. Both the full size (1/2 the scale of the filming miniature) and the mini (1/5 the scale of the miniature) share the same features. They have the same half barrel as the 2nd filming model. They have decals matching the screen used filming model.
For Phase II, the filming model was copied. It was an exact replica of the 2nd studio model. It featured a Klingon version of aztecing that was later incorporated in the movie model as built up plates instead of just painted on. It also had impulse engines like the TMP
Then we skip forward to DS9 and Trials and Tribbleations. They crafted a new Klingon model. It is a copy of the first filming miniature and about the same size. Like the Phase II model, it features painted on Klingon aztecting. It is solid gray with gold detailing instead of silver and has unique markings. This design is actually supposed to be identical to the TOS so it predates the Phase II, but when they built it they utilized several things that originally appeared on the Phase II model.
Then we have the TMP Klingon ship. it was scaled up from the Phase II model and is twice the size. A close comparison shows that the design is virtually unchanged. The bridge and the warp nacelles are different and the surface is not smooth. The level of detail is much higher and the model is twice the size of the TOS model. The model was painted in several gray to green colors. It does have the grilles to either side that had previously only appeared on the AMT kits.
The TMP model was revamped for ST:VI. It was repainted in several grays with some reddish gray panels as well as a lot of coppery details making it a much fancier design.
And as a final note, the Round 2 kit is intended to be the main shooting model, but they made several goofs. The angle of the top grilles and the size of the hanger roof are completely wrong.
