This just in original Melbourne and Buran pics :)

[CharlieZardoz]

Hi all! Mr Sternbach just posted a few pics of the original models used for Best of Both Worlds. See what you think.

https://www.facebook.com/rick.sternbach/posts/10153826135793398

 

[John Clark]

I think I prefer the later Nebula variants to the Melbourne but it's nice to see these

 

[137th Gebirg]

Love 'em!

Don't know why, but I'm positively giddy over these things finally getting made. Guess my 2016 Geek Membership Card is safe and in the mail, to arrive shortly.

 

[Timo]

The "variant" of the Nebula class seems very close to the final product, closer than some of the speculation so far (especially on the nature of the secondary hull). Basically, the only "difference" is that the Melbourne carries a rarely seen type of dorsal module.

...Perhaps indeed a separable auxiliary vessel of some sort?

Also, the stern of the Buran was pretty thoroughly wrecked for the onscreen appearance. Now it can be seen that the top and the bottom are quite symmetric up to both having what might be an aft torpedo tube...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[CharlieZardoz]

https://www.facebook.com/rick.sternbach/posts/10153820415288398 Here's the Chekov, Ahwahnee and Kyushu as well.

 

[Timo]

...What is that piece that makes up the top of the Chekov stern and supports the Melbourne midget nacelles? With obvious hinges in front? Somebody once suggested it came from a Star Wars toy, but I've never heard anything definite.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[137th Gebirg]

Been wondering that myself. Ex Astris states (erroneously, IMO) that it's a "Custom-Made Part" but it looks way too pre-fabricated (at least to me) to be something that someone whipped up with some spare styrene lying about. It definitely appears like it's something that came before. I'm going to have to do some digging. Pinterest's image searching capability may be useful here.

 

[CharlieZardoz]

The Melbourne pod and Chekov pod look like they were made from a similar piece. That front piece is definitely a hinge of some kind maybe a piece to a hoover, toy or something that pops off of something else.

 

[Unicron]

...What is that piece that makes up the top of the Chekov stern and supports the Melbourne midget nacelles? With obvious hinges in front? Somebody once suggested it came from a Star Wars toy, but I've never heard anything definite.

Timo Saloniemi

That's a good question. One suggestion was that it was a cockpit module from the Lambda class shuttle (Tydirium), which certainly seems possible to me. The shape and dimensions seem right. But I'm not sure off the top of my head what that component is and maybe Rick can shed some light on it for us.

 

[Albertese]

It's certainly not a part from the Tydirium kit. In the comments associated with one of the images, there's a response by Okuda:

Michael Okuda If I recall correctly, it was a windshield from a lego-like building blocks toy set called Robotix. I glued a few bits of sheet styrene, then painted it and added some tape detail.

So I'm willing to bet it was that.

Also, is it just me or does the Chekov (for example) look to use the saucer form the 1:2400 three-ship Enterprise kit? The shield grid lines appear raised to me and none of the molded in aztek lines of the 1:1400 kit are in evidence... I would think guesses as to the nature of that part in question would be thrown off if we're assuming this model to be twice the size it actually was...

--Alex

 

[F. King Daniel]

Love these ship designs. Curious why they were never anything more than wreckage. Would those models really have been noticeably inferior to the endlessly reused STII/III ships?

 

[Timo]

They'd have lacked built-in lighting, but I doubt this would have been much of an issue. More probably, there's something about the photography techniques used that requires a fairly large model to create the right sort of surface reflection.

maybe Rick can shed some light on it for us.

The piece is clearly something Rick and Mike added to the Melbourne after Ed delivered it in a simpler form, so they probably added the one on the Chekov as well (but in that case before taking the photos). They did say they modded the ships to some degree. Other obvious mods include the Buran getting the bigger nacelles, and the Red October pylon for the upper one (see the pic of the original Buran at the comments to Rick's FB entry). But what else? Did the Kyushu always have those "weapons pods", say?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Dukhat]

Also, is it just me or does the Chekov (for example) look to use the saucer form the 1:2400 three-ship Enterprise kit? The shield grid lines appear raised to me and none of the molded in aztek lines of the 1:1400 kit are in evidence... I would think guesses as to the nature of that part in question would be thrown off if we're assuming this model to be twice the size it actually was...

The Chekov, Buran, and Ahwahnee were made from the smaller 1/2500 Ent-D kits, while the Melbourne and Kyushu were built from the larger 1/1400 kit (with the small 1/2500 nacelles for the Melbourne and the highliter pods for the Kyushu added later; see next post.)

 

[Dukhat]

Did the Kyushu always have those "weapons pods", say?

No, Okuda added them later.

 

[Forbin]

I like the slap-dash, unmasked, airbrushed aztecking. just enough to give the impression when seen poorly lit and tiny on screen.

 

[CharlieZardoz]

Yes it's nice to see even at this level attention to detail was done with aztecing etc. Dukhat I thought Kyushu saucer was from a 1/2500 D model since the bridge pod is from the 1/1400 no?

 

[Dukhat]

^Nope, the Kyushu was made from the same larger 1/1400 kit as the Melbourne was. However, because in-universe it's supposed to be in scale with the smaller ships like the Buran, Chekov and Ahwahnee, Miarecki made a large scratch-built bridge module, sanded down the saucer, and made large windows and escape pod hatches to suggest a smaller ship.

 

[Timo]

...This question is conclusively settled by the image of the Kyushu sitting atop that coffee mug, I guess.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Dukhat]

And also the pic of the original Miarecki-configured models, where the saucer edge of the Kyushu can be seen to be much larger than the saucers of the Buran and Ahwahnee.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Fantastic new pics of these models found here!