Columbia & Challenger...the NX-Class Sisters UPDATE #8 FINAL REVEAL!!

Greetings!!

This has been a longer journey than expected...

SS Columbia NX-02

SS Challenger NX-03

COMPARISONS

These ships are of the same class and certainly sister ships, but like all siblings, I took effort to make NX-03 Challenger different from Columbia.  Columbia is different (subtly from NX-01 Enterprise which I won't get into here).

As I was painting Challenger, I noticed the window markings on the rim of the saucer were so soft compared to the original Polar Lights Kit released in 2005(?), I knew if I drew them in with a Sharpie, like I did Columbia, I would spend more time touching them off so I left them off. Down the road I might use a few TOS rim decals but I'm happy to leave it for now.

As I previously stated, the aft end along the center-line of the NX-Class houses the shuttle bay.  I just changed the launch doors on the Refit as the neck from the secondary hull connects where the launch doors are.  (note the same markings as seen on the TOS Enterprise...)

And how it looks untouched.

The big differences are cosmetic, though those differences are in attempt to match the NX-03 Refit with the TOS Enterprise.  If the NX-03 lit up, I would have cast a clear bridge dome (the 1/350 version it is clear).

On the lower side of the saucer on all TOS versions of the Enterprise, the registry is in opposite directions:

When the series went into production they decals were turned around as seen above on my model.  The reason was so the viewer could see 'NCC-1701' from the front as it was only ever photographed from the starboard side.  Originally it looked like this from my USS Farragut build:

For the NX Class, both registries faced forward.  For my NX-Refit, I chose to do them like the USS Farragut as model as seen above, which is the TV Pilot configuration.  Also note, the neck is 'duck egg blue', same colour I painted on the neck of the NX-Refit.

I also added some TOS windows as well to the NX-03.  

FLEET SHOT

Just an homage to a few classic Enterprise encounters:

(Doomsday Machine: Enterprise & Challenger under tow)

(Doomsday Machine: Challenger & Columbia under tow)

(The Wrath of...'Columbia') 

Here's my growing 1/1000 fleet of ships:

(Starships which pass in the night...)
L-R Excelsior, Columbia, Challenger, Enterprise

The USS Excelsior, is a reference to a ship named in the Starfleet Technical Manual which was released in 1975 by author Franz Joseph.  This ship and registry was listed as a Constitution Class.  I gave it a similar refit to what was seen in early publicity shots with a TOS bridge/B/C Deck and simple lower sensor dome.

With extra pin striping, and markings similar to the final version.  I digress on that but thought I'd explain why it doesn't look like a regular Refit Enterprise.

Clockwise from 12 o'clock:  USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Constitution Class, SS Challenger NX-03 NX Class Refit, SS Columbia NX-02 NX Class, USS Excelsior NCC-1718 Constitution Class Refit.

So there you have it!  All done and I still am working on more 1/1000 scale models.  I have to admit, its a fun scale to work in, Round 2 has done a very decent job with these models, and they are perfect for a bookshelf.  Personally I'd love to see a 1/1000 Galaxy Class or Sovereign Class (compared to the 1/1400 scale kits from AMT/ERTL originally).  I digress.

One lesson I learned with this project is not to repeat rushing it, and always use fresh rattle cans as when they sit, they glob up.  I pre-bought a lot of paint for future builds...oh well, I will probably be using my airbrush for the Enterprise/Brattain build.

Thank you for checking out my builds and stay tuned for my first official update for Enterprise-A/Brattain build.

Happy Model Building!!!

Columbia & Challenger...the NX-Class Sisters UPDATE #4

Greetings!

Boy that last post took a while to compose, it felt like a mini novel...lol.  I digress.

I've been busy with my USS Enterprise 1701-A wiring harnesses.  I was going to start the USS Brattain wiring harnesses

This post is all 'Challenger NX-03'.  Columbia is complete and on my desk!

To review, Challenger is several sub-assemblies.  Primary hull, Secondary Hull, Struts, Warp Core and Nacelles.  A conscious decision I made was to paint this like the original USS Enterprise from the pilot.

1/1600 USS Farragut based off the Enterprise from 

Star Trek: Where No Man Has Gone Before

NACELLES

As of the last update on this series, I had recently just assembled the warp nacelles.  I've started to pre-primer or even pre-paint certain parts.  Even though we have to often fill seams and joints with putty, it's easy enough to isolate using tape and blend a touch-up in, especially with panelling.  The fit on the nacelle halves are crappy.

Since I'm going for a TOS look on this model, I needed to paint the domes at the aft end of the nacelles.  To be accurate to the Pilot Version, it should have been flat...next time.  The dome appeared often as white or even illuminated in the original Star Trek series.

(USS Enterprise - 'Star Trek: The Immunity Syndrome')

Supposedly those domes are supposed to be hull coloured.  I usually do them that way.

This is my 1/1000 USS Enterprise from Space Seed.  

I can assure you the domes are the same colour as the hull.  The lightness of them is an optical illusion.  On this model, I decided to paint them Pearl White (Tamiya Spray Paint).

I never noticed this on the show, 'Enterprise', but this is actually a canon marking.  It was extremely subtle.  On my build, I'm making it pronounced.  This dark 'undercut' is on the original series Enterprise.

1/1000 USS Enterprise

Ready to paint more details.

The 'end caps' are getting the same tone of paint job present on the TOS Enterprise.

 The forward grey 'ring' corresponds to the series of rings on the TOS Enterprise.  The copper ring is canon to the NX Class.  There is a 'greebly' section behind the copper ring which I decided to paint aluminum.  It reminds a bit of an old WWII engine.  (Please note this is still raw and require touch-ups).

The 'Bussard Collectors' (forward facing domes) have a a hole in the centre to allow a golden spike just like the 'Pilot' Enterprise.

(from Star Trek: The Cage - unaired pilot)

note the blue neck

The finished nacelles

SHUTTLE BAY

Something occurred to me, the neck of the secondary hull connects exactly where the launch bay is on the NX-01.

Shuttle pods are the primary method of planetside travel during this era.

(Screen shots from 'Star Trek: Enterprise')

So I decided this ship needs a new shuttle bay.  And since I lost a part to the Columbia which I donated from this model from the shuttle section, I decided to scratch build my own.

First step was to remove material off the back of the ship.

I have sheet styrene with grooves cut about 1/16 of an inch lengthwise, so that will be my shuttle door.  The door is roughly the size of the TOS Enterprise clamshell doors.

Then I trimmed it out with styrene plastic on either side and blended the whole thing to the hull.

I also flattened out the rest of this section of the ship; there was a raised ridge.  I'm replacing it with two red pinstripes (decal) which will run straight back from the shuttle doors to the bridge, another homage to the TOS Enterprise.

On the underside I filled in the launch bay doors with red putty (3M Glazing Compound).

And I also added the 'triangular' markings on the lower section.  They are identical in size to the Enterprise 1701.

These are supposed to be landing legs.  In an emergency, the saucer can separate from the rest of the ship as it houses most of the living quarters with it's own engine.  This was a feature the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, first introduced in the pilot episode, 'Encounter At Farpoint', except this feature was more standard than it was during Kirk's time.  The landing legs hinted that the saucer could land on a planet.  The third leg was supposedly hidden in the neck.  On the Refit Enterprise (and Reliant, plus Excelsior/Ent-B) there are four grey rectangular sections which perform the same function.  I digress, back to this build...

I made a bit of a goof on this build, since I had to recast the Impulse Engines since I lost a set (which I donated to the Columbia build), I did them twice.  That was several months ago (I usually will cast multiple parts at a time so as not to waste resin).  When I went to glue them into the openings, I used CA (superglue).  There were noticeable gaps and looked like crap!  So I decided to sand them flat and fill them with Ever Coat.

Then I found these...

Far from perfect, but they would have worked dammit!

So my resolve is to fill them flush and use a TOS styled black rectangle to represent each engine.  I am trying to make this ship appear as more of a bridge between Enterprise NX-01 and Enterprise NCC-1701.

For the overall primary hull I've painted in the same colour as the Pilot version of the Enterprise which is a Krylon spray can and the paint is called 'pewter'.

For the saucer deflector dish housing, (resin re-cast) I painted it copper vs. illuminated blue.

WARP CORE

This is a simple four-piece part which attaches to the top of the secondary hull.  On the old version of the NX-01/02 release, this was molded as part of the upper main main hull.  This pod is a part of the 'governor wing' as it is referred to.  With this kit, the wing is a separate piece which only get used if you build the model as a regular NX-Class ship.

I decided to use the same paint scheme as I used on the Columbia NX-02.  In most renderings I've seen of the NX-Refit, most of the gold and copper colours are muted or hull coloured.  For me I figure the technology might dictate what materials are used.  So here it is.

Keen observers will note the gold section looks striking a lot like this:

It is one of many homages to other starships named Enterprise.

ADDITIONAL STRUTS

Since I'm not Aztecing this ship, I decided some accents would be appropriate.  These parts snap into both the primary and secondary hull.

SECONDARY HULL

This part of the ship had been complete for some time.  What I did was paint the additional details and repair some paint scrapes.

Here is the Secondary Hull Assembly, together (snap fit) so I can still do additional painting.

So here is Challenger as it stands right now.  (snap fit)

I figure there will be one more update prior to final reveal on this project.

BONUS

As I've been working on the wire harnesses for my 1/1000 USS Enterprise-A an Brattain build, I pushed forward with more work.  Here are some broad strokes:

That's it for now, happy model building my friends!!

Cheers!