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 #7

Greetings!!

This is another Challenger NX-03 mini update and what a challenging one it has been.

This entire model I've had more paint problems for such a simple model I'm dumbstruck.  Partly I think I had a bad batch of Tamiya Tape.  But also the joys of having paint run and seep through the tape's edge makes it look like a 5 year old did this.  Oh well, I digress...

PRIMARY HULL

The secondary hull was finished in its entirety last entry.  This one has been all about fixing these mistakes in painting with lots of touch-ups.  What I tend to do with spray paint is spray it on card stock or even thick paper, and then use either a cotton swab or paint brush and touch up the area. The cotton swab works well, much like dabbing on stage make-up with a sponge.  I didn't take many photos during this process, really there's nothing to photograph.  I did however had to repaint the 'rust ring' and the bridge dome like the TOS Enterprise.  The yellow tape is a special kind of 'Frog Tape' for delicate surfaces.  It works really well.

These are the results of my second attempt of painting the rust ring and the bridge dome.  For the bridge dome I used silver paint, followed by Tamiya Pearlescent White.  It gives it an illuminated look.

For the rust ring I decided a 3rd go at it to tone it down and this came out perfect!!  A few light coats of base colour and it makes it very subtle, like the USS Enterprise's rust ring in TOS.  Unfortunately the paint on the bridge dome hadn't cured and the paint came off that when I removed the tape.

...And now finally the saucer has it's nacelles!!! yes guy!!

I then clear coated the model and...the gloss coat reacted with the paint again!!  It's not as bad, I'm leaving it.  When I seal the decals, I will weather it and it will look like space damage.  I also fixed the bridge dome once and for all.

DECALS

I've been waiting for this point patiently...

So this is a mix of NX-Refit decals and a few from the TOS Pilot Enterprise.

And with this, I will end this entry with namesake, SS Challenger NX-03 applied to the model.

Happy Modelling!!  Check out the last entry in this build coming very soon...

Cheers!!

Columbia & Challenger...the NX-Class Sisters UPDATE #6

Greetings!!

Well here's a mini-milestone, this my 50th blog entry since I started October 24, 2013.  Let's see if I can get to 100 in less time...I digress for now.

This is just a 'Challenger' update.

This is a mini-update...I've had to repaint parts of this ship more than once.  This model doesn't want to be finished it seems.  The build is simpler than the NX-02 in the sense there are no wallpaper decals.  But the paint and 'masking tape' has given me bigger grief.  Onto the model!

SECONDARY HULL

Ready for Decals.

I'm using a combination of a spare 1/1000 TOS USS Enterprise decal sheet and the kit decals.

...and of course custom decals...

Finally the ship has a name!

Now is that white and gold or black and blue??  Just kidding...it is one shade of grey, enhanced to reveal the name 'Challenger' on the fantail, like real ships.

USS Midway - source from a Google Image search.  

All rights belong to the author of the photographer, I only use this as a clear example of my point.  No copyright infringement is intended.

In 'Star Trek' (TOS) the fantail had a series of dashes which I always thought were certain colours...

...but it's been since revealed as markings for shuttlecraft to land.  Here's a clip from the pilot (markings unlit)...

...which is represented often as a decal for the TOS models these days or illuminated as it is the remastered version.

I will be using this decal on my shuttle deck.

The Refit USS Enterprise in Star Trek The Motion Picture brought in the nautical tradition of having the name of the ship on the rear which every Enterprise (except the 'D') has the name on the fantail.  The JJ-prise (as it's called) has NCC-1701 on the fantail.

 I digress...back to my build.

THE DEFLECTOR DISH

As previously mentioned, the spike was never included for this model - it was broken odd from the beginning.  Since I have lots of spare parts from 1/1000 TOS kits (I've bought 4 over the years), I'm using a spare TOS spike.  It's the right size, but too long.

SECONDARY HULL STRUTS

I made a decision to add a 'channel' that would be painted a different colour than the base colour to symbolize where the warp core shaft is on the pylon wing, much like the refit Enterprise has a 'hatch' pattern on the dorsal side.

This is a screen cap from Modeler Magic.  Note how this shot of the 'refit' 1701-A appears white with no aztecs.  

The use of way too much dulling spray on this model.

The more I look at the NX class or NX-Refit, it has many more similarities to the Constitution Refit...I digress there.   That's a discussion for a forum site, something I wouldn't want to open up.

I taped the toothpicks so I could paint both sides at once, then stick them into 'floral foam' - easy way of keeping track of small things, especially as they dry.

Secondary hull complete!

PRIMARY HULL

Last time we saw this, I just finished the gold paint and it ran beneath both the 'Frog Tape', 'Tamiya Tape' and even pulled some paint int 2 spots.  :(  Never the matter, it's only plastic.  I know I will be touching up and even repainting the hull colour in sections.  Thank goodness this ship has deep panel lines.  This will be my last model I will be using solely spray paints since I have an airbrush now.  I started the project with sprays and I will finish the same way.  Although I feel I may use traditional (for me) grease pencils for weathering, especially at this 1/1000 scale.  Onto the build!

Dorsal.  Everything here exposed will receive a dark grey, the same one I use as the accent colour for the TOS USS Enterprise.  I also included the turbolift (elevator) bump which is also dark grey in TOS.  It will be interesting to compare Columbia NX-02 and Challenger NX-03 refit when completed.

Ventral.  All of the exposed areas are equally dark on the NX-01 (except the rear dual impulse engines which are hull colour as well as the pylons are all hull colour).  When possible I use grocery bags for masking.  They're free in Ontario (with the exception of a few stores which charge five cents for them - big controversy a few years back, but this blog is about model building, not controversy).

The results after the dark grey pass...

Damned paints ran again.  I think my dark grey colour spray is getting old.  The first pass was way too thin, it ran beneath the Tamiya tape despite running my finger nail over it.  Isopropyl rubbing alcohol will remove most enamel (not latex) based paint with a cotton swab.  I will be doing this as I prepare to paint the only element to be airbrushed, the black arcs (painted in Testors Euro Gray).  Advice I heard in a model shop I frequently visit, and a recommended colour from the Trek Modeler Refit Paint Guide for 'black parts'.  I highly recommend purchasing it as it gives insight to Star Trek model building, and colour schemes, specifically for the Enterprise of the first six Star Trek films.

The final colour to be painted is a mixed colour of the blue-grey (Winter Gray) as seen earlier with a dusting of both metallic grey and pearl white.

I want to hint the Reaction Control Thrusters are there (in real life, this is what allows space vehicles to manoeuvre) and on the TOS Enterprise they are hidden (as well as on the JJ-prise - the Enterprise from the JJ Abrams universe as often referred to by fans. Myself, I don't mind it but the nacelles are a bit too much, I still prefer the 'Refit 1701' as my favourite design...I digress).

TOUCH-UPS

This model has really tested my nerves.  The paint job should be relatively easy but with paint running, a jammed airbrush and seeing hours of careful masking just to see the result look like a 12 year old free hand painted...where's that beer now!  After all it's only plastic.

A few decisions I have made are, the soft detail seen above means I'm using red putt to fill it in.

...this batch of Tamiya tape isn't sticky enough...

I've had to paint this section twice!

I will be working on this section for a long while before final assembly :/ (which is why I want to do an update now)

...and never underestimate the simplicity of any model.  That's when I find they take forever to complete.

NACELLE TIPS

Another valuable lesson I recently learned is to keep fragile parts in a safe space.  I had a 'light-bulb' go off moment when I realized I'm not using either 'NX-01' style deflector dish.  This means, I have two extra spikes which are a bit more in scale that the TOS spikes.

The Bussard domes are friction fitted together, so it was easy for me to remove them.  I had to enlarge the hole with a rat-tail file to accept the new spike.  (Right one is unaltered)

Now both spikes are installed, the whole nacelles are protected in a clear box.

SAUCER DEFELCTOR DISH

Like Columbia NX-02, I had to alter the dish to match the way it appears on screen.  That meant bevelling the inside thickness of the plastic so the edge appears razor thin.

I have since further cleaned it up after the initial grey primer coat as seen above.

DECALS

Oh man, I had all of the extra TOS decals laid out on my work bench when I had a liquid spill (oh great!)  So I'm going to save the decalling to next entry.  Also some decals started to peel off the secondary hull.  This is why I will scan in decals when I get them in case I have to re-print one.  Rarely does this happen but it's better to be prepared for accidents.

Thank you all for viewing this blog, the final reveal of both Challenger and Columbia is coming up.  Stay tuned and happy model building!!