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.
Actually, the lines of the TMP "K'T'inga" battlecruiser are definitely different than the original TOS ship. The proportions are different and some lines are more sharply angled. The TOS ship was supposed to be about 228 meters long and the TMP ship was supposed to be about 214 meters long. I'm not sure which Round 2 kit you are referring to as to the detail errors. The new larger TMP 1/350 kit is extremely nice (no, not perfect) but the ancient AMT kit is extremely wrong - in so many ways. The old AMT TOS Klingon ship (larger kit) is actually very accurate to the second filming model since that one is believed to have been used as the panto-graph master for that kit. While there are a few questions on the exact details, the basic shapes and proportions are pretty dead on.
I've been comparing the kit to the photos of the 2nd model and since the kit is not assembled there are some things I can't tell, but so far it looks exact. The 1/1000 Polar Lights D-7 is the one in question that has errors. And from the video on YouTube of the pre-painted D-7 that Round 2 took out, they haven't fixed anything. The hanger deck is too long and the two grilled fins on either side are too angled. And the aft details don't seem to be quite right. I haven't taken the time to check the rest of it, but I will have to fix them when I get to it. I might have to built the AMT kit first. The TMP AMT Battlecruiser is very off. But the photos of the TMP model next to the TOS model show near identical lines. Reportedly this is because it was scaled up to be twice the size of the TOS filming model (which was the size of the Phase II shooting model). The details are not identical obviously, but the underlying shape is the same.
I suspected you were talking about the 1/1000 kit. Yep - it's a disaster. Basically, it's built to several DIFFERENT scales at the same time. Some measurements come out around 1/880 - some close to 1/1000 and some...something else that I can't remember. PL (at the time part of the original Playing Mantis) had serious communications issues with the Chinese factory doing the tooling and Tom Sasser didn't spot the errors (oh so many) until it was far too late to fix them... The basic form of both the TOS and TMP Klingon ships are very similar and yes, that's because they started from the TOS design and went in stages. Really, I don't know why you WOULDN'T use the old design as a starting point as it's a very good looking "bad guy" ship. Would even make a good hero ship (as it did during the opening scene of TMP).
It’s interesting that the battlecruiser is 1000’ long on the DS9 VFX scale shirt (which looks like something originally created for the Season 4 premiere).
Well, that isn't even remotely correct. But then some people want to scale up every single TOS and TMP era ship. So I supposed if you scale them all up, you could come up with that, but the original is about 250 m long and the TMP battlecruiser is the same size. And the more I study the different models the more I am convinced that the TMP Battlecruiser is composed of the exact same base pieces, just with different details on them. The engines and bridge are totally different, but the rest bears the same shapes and parts. Even down to the lines on the stern. And further examination of the Phase II D-7 indicates that it, like the TMP model, was twice the size. That does beg the question if it is the same model with a lot of changes to it. We know they dumped the Phase II Enterprise model, but did they dump the D-7 or did they refit it into the TMP ship? And speaking of that, evidently Magicam borrowed the Smithsonian D-7 model (in one piece at the time it was loaned) and returned it in pieces after using it to cast duplicates. But evidently there is a serious question whether what Magicam returned was the original model or not. I would think it is, but that is a question to answer. It is easy to do by comparing that model to the 2nd studio model (in terms of materials and construction methods.
I just found a detail that really shows how the TMP ship is really a revamped TOS ship. The stern view and top views show two inserts placed on either side of the Hanger island that change the shape of it. The original TOS design slanted inward under the radiator fins. The TMP design slants outward, but not the original shape of the parts. The change in angle is accomplished by these two parts. I'm also working on the paint schemes for the TOS designs. I have four so far. M1 as it was during the 80's, M2 as it is now, the AMT kit based on the chrome parts with the M1 paint layout, and the DS9 model. I'm not sure I'll do a phase II as it was never finished and is basically the same paint as M1 is today (repainted by Ed Miarecki to match AMT delivery photo). I might do the model that Matt Jefferies is holding in a B&W photo. It has some minor differences from M1 in the 80's.
The traditional 214.3 meters (converted from precisely 703 feet?) in Kimble’s TMP blueprints should be correct if the bridge set fits as intended, but I don’t recall seeing this tested.
Andrew Probert made it fit pretty well. https://forgottentrek.com/wp-conten...battle-cruiser-bridge-concept-art-600x506.jpg
I don’t think that was the intention of the VFX people who built the model for TMP. Based on this screencap, the bridge is in the upper tower (if that little red light is where the bridge is located) which would make the entire ship considerably larger. http://www.ditl.org/ship-pictures.php?ClassID=kliktinga&ImageNo=2&ListID=Ships&ListReset=Yes
That red light is on the upper deck. The bridge is the center section of the front dome. Remember, the bridge set had 2 levels which we see again when the set was redressed as the Enterprise torpedo room for the next film. https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/m...dth-down/900?cb=20110831133616&path-prefix=en
According to Memory Alpha, which quotes a Cinefex article (Cinefex, issue 2, pp. 50-72), the TMP model IS the Phase II model redressed extensively by Apogee. The scale is right and the details are right. The Phase II model was virtually identical to the TOS model except for the back edge where two new impulse engines were added. The originally painted on panels were redone as raised panels and the engines were extensively reworked. Otherwise it was just adding greebles all over.
And here is an interesting article. Though his paint scheme is wrong. I have found 2 photos of the original screen used model, on in Jeffery's hands and the other at the Smithsonian before it was loaned to Magicam, that clearly show 3 colors. There are some differences between the two photos, but between the markings and the engine details, it is clear they are both of the original model and not the 2nd model. Color one is the boom and head. Color two is the base of the boom and the underside of the back and color 3 is the top of the back. http://www.smallartworks.ca/Articles/Klingon/Klingon.html
And the classic TOS Klingon insignia were not in the bright shiny colors most people think. The "sun" in the center is more of an ivory color, the left lower "leg" is a very dark blue and the opposite leg is a pastel green tone. Only the red arm is fairly bright... All of the "hull number" style markings appeared to be the same tone as the sun in the insignia.
As I have looked at it I do not think that is accurate. I think the yellow faded and the white yellowed making them appear to be a similar color. Newer uses are definitely brighter, but the TOS ones still are fairly bright colors.
And the emblem is oriented to the left: https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x13hd/elaanoftroyiushd1293.jpg https://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/3x13/Elaan_of_Troyius_309.JPG
One of the things I’d like to see Shaw do is draw the other TMP era models. Now, over at Memory Alpha, there are some exploding Phase II models that have a slightly different manta. I have often wanted to greeble up an old D-7 kit as a K’tinga. No skills.
Shaw hasn't release anything in ages. I'm not even sure if he is interested in the TMP era. I am. But my interest is Federation ships. I'm working on the refit. Having an issue with the pylons. They don't seem to be looking right.
I wish I had money to get you one of those new hand held 3D scanners to look at the Bezos model before some clerk staggers into it. Creaform3d has a nice hand held scanner