U.S.S. Enterprise, an on-screen reference

No need at all, we're cool. I'm just not as caught up on this stuff as I once was, and it is a bit of a shock is all.

 

Just wondering, for the sake of argument. Why the doubt about the 4 inch size, when 3 inch ones were made for on-screen use? Also how does the size of paper a design is drawn on lead you to assume the size of any model when there are no size specs indicated? If the 4 inch balsa and cardboard was made on the fly one day just to see what it looked like, why not make a little one from scraps of whatever lying around?

Just wondering.

 

Because it is always easier to build from plans.

If you could just freehand a model like that, why did Jefferies take the time to draw up detailed plans for the 3 inch model (which was that size for a specific reason), when there were plenty of plans of the Enterprise at difference sizes already drawn up?

Even when I did a throw-away demo model to illustrate a technique for scratch building, I had plans that I went off of to make the model. It didn't need to be perfect, and I sure wasn't attempting to do what Jefferies was (sell a design to the producers of a show), but it made building easier.

I figure it was something closer to the size of the 1/1000 model we have today (around 7 to 10 inches in length).

Sadly, a lot of people's memories of those times have grown faulty. Howard A. Anderson believes that the 33 inch model was only 4 inches long (which, anyone who has seen a 1/350 scale version of the Enterprise can tell you would be hard to mistake for only 4 inches in length). In my research almost all the references for a 4 inch model lead back to him, which is why I now discount there ever having been one to begin with. He is just not a good source for usable data. Which isn't anything personal about him, but when doing data collection you have to apply weights to the data, and his data scores very low.


But remember... nobody ever has to listen to me on this stuff. My research (and the conclusions I draw from it) is really meant for my entertainment. If others find my research useful or entertaining as well, that is a nice plus... but not a requirement.

So please feel free to disagree or disregard anything I put forward. I cheer on those who are willing to look at the data and see if they can see something different with fresh eyes.

 

A common affliction of many of us entering the twilight years.

Wow, mistaking 33 inches for 4? Sounds like my wife trying to park.

 

I sense a need for a drumroll...

 

I'd give you one, but I don't know how to spell it. I'm sure an expert will soon chime in.

 

Hi All. FalTorPan has made good on his promise. This entire work (now organized by shot rather than by episode) is posted at Trekplace. I have a couple of additions I'll be making in the near future (Tallguys' Total List of Planet Shots and re-formating this list by Episode as well as a couple of other data sets) but for now this looks terrific at its new digs. Thanks so much, FalTorPan. It's terrific that this has a permanent home.

 

It would be interesting if someone built a similar database of "establishment shot" bumper music as we heard throughout TOS.

 

I think the closest thing you'll find would be The Music of Star Trek by Jeff Bond.

 

Awesome work, guys!

It's amazing how much they were able to do with so few shots of the Enterprise.

 

Whoa. Thank you Tallguy and FalTorPan