Pilot Enterprise (rebuild)

[Shaw]

 

Backstory
In 2007 I drafted my first plans of the 33 inch Enterprise model. I knew that they had errors and that the only way to find them was to build a model based on the plans and compare it to existing photos of the original model. Not being much of a model maker, I had hoped that by making the plans available that someone with real talent might take a stab at it.

In 2009 I decided I may as well give it a try, and I built my first two-thirds scale study model. Because it was a daunting project and I really hadn't built any models since the mid 1990s, it was made with a lot of compromises to ensure that I could finish it. The secondary hull and nacelles would be surgically altered parts from the AMT Cutaway Enterprise kit, some detail parts were from Don's Light & Magic, and I would use generic third party decals. This meant that the primary hull and dorsal would be the main scratch built elements (these were the areas most different between the 33 inch and 11 foot models).

Here are some shots of the model taken back in 2009/2010...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The model served its purpose and I was able to address a lot of errors in my plans. In 2010 I took another shot at a two-thirds scale study model (with fewer compromises after my experience with the 2009 model) and felt like I had refined my plans enough to invest the time and resources in building a studio scale replica. I started building that model in 2015 and finished in 2019.

When I finished the studio scale model, I realized I had three models of essentially the same Enterprise, so I decided to rework my 2009 study model. The goal was to fix many of its issues, but also to have the model reflect the pilot configuration (I had, to that point, aimed at replicating the series configuration in all my builds, the studio model is detailed as the original looked in December 1968).

 

The Model Today
Some issues were always going to remain. For example, the contours of the primary hull are slightly off. It would have been easier to scratch build a new hull rather than correct the original... but my goal was to rebuild the model, and that big a change would have been more like using the model as donor parts.

I re-sculpted the front and rear of the secondary hull, replaced third party parts with new parts based on my final plans (I made two of everything as I'll be doing something like this to my 2010 study model), and made all new decals (I started with my studio model's decals, reduced them in size and replaced the series graphics with pilot graphics).

I tend to work rather slowly, but after five years I have a rebuilt model.

This shot sorta gives an idea of what I was aiming for in matching details of the original model.

 

 

Here are some shots of the model...

 

 

 

 

 

 

The model with the energy barrier (second pilot)...

 

 

My re-creation of one of Jefferies' paintings of the Enterprise...

 

 

And some test shots of the model using a fish-eye lens I had gotten recently.

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2024 by Shaw

[ExchefAndy]

I'm not a fan of the original, more of the refit version...

but that is some beautiful work, absolutely stunning!

Andy

[phantom]

Excellent work.

[Phillip1]

Shaw-Very nice!

 

Phillip1

[Shaw]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, I know that the refit is a lot of people's favorite... I haven't gotten around to finishing mine yet. But here is my unfinished pre-TMP refit with my pilot model...

 

 

And here is a couple group shots of some of them.

 

 

In these shots we have the starships Columbia, my pilot Enterprise and my pre-TMP Enterprise. And below them is my shuttlecraft Columbus and a test assembly of the masters of my scratch built space shuttle Enterprise.

I had made molds of all the space shuttle parts, but I'm no where near getting the resin I need so I decided to test how the parts worked together by assembling the masters.

[Trojan Thunder]

Thanks again for sharing, this one and the Phase II Enterprise look excellent