Estes Enterprise Build

[scigs30]

My Stiletto is primed and drying so I decided to start on another project. I have always liked the look of the Estes Enterprise, but knew it was going to take some time to build. I am not a big Star Trek fan, but I did go see the Star Trek exhibit 3 days ago in San Diego. That gave me the inspiration I needed to start on this project. I have about 5 of these kits and they are all in great shape. There is a lot of parts, but that is what makes it fun. The first step was to cut out all the plastic pieces. Estes does a wonderful job of describing how to do this. Next step is to begin gluing all the pieces together.
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[STRMan]

You're killing me. I've ALWAYS wanted one of those. I hate this economy!

[barone]

You're killing me. I've ALWAYS wanted one of those. I hate this economy!
PM me.....

[marslndr]

Hmm, Almost done my Hawk from Semroc and I have one waiting. Maybe. I'll follow your build on this!

Mark

By the way, your work area looks way to neat! :)

[Maniac BAR]

You're killing me. I've ALWAYS wanted one of those. I hate this economy!

PM me as well.

[scigs30]

This build is coming along but slow. It is like building a plastic model. The parts and directions are perfect, but still I have a lot of work to do to hide the seams. All parts have been glued together and I used Squadron putty to fill the seams. I have a coat of primer on the seams and I have to sand and do some touch up. Once I have the Enterprise primed I will post pictures. My next dilemma is what color to paint the Enterprise. The directions call for a light gray, but the picture on the 25th anniversary Enterprise box appears to be white. I think there were some pictures posted here of the Enterprise on display at an Estes booth so I will look them up.

[cas2047]

I had the same decision facing me when I built mine. The directions call for grey and the box art is white. If I remember correctly the Enterprise was white in all of the old Star Trek episodes I ever saw.

In the end I painted mine white and I'm very happy with the way it looks. I follwed the Enterprise build recently with the Klingon Battle Cruiser. That I painted grey. The two of them look great together.

[scigs30]

Thank you very much for your reply. I agree I think I will also paint mine white, right now it has primer gray on it and I don't really like it. The original might have been gray, but on TV it always looked white.

[rocketguy101]

I painted mine like the instructions--I seem to remember reading somewhere that the original TV model was light grey--would not swear to that. I think white would be better.

EDIT: you could go nuts and do one of the multi- toned paint schemes like rouguepink(?) showed on his Interceptor ;) There were pictures around here somewhere...

EDIT2: found the pics http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showpost.php?p=29555&postcount=41

Be sure to measure/document the length of the the tubes to build the "stick" used to fly the rocket. I flew mine at a cub scout launch, and an over-enthusiastic cubby stepped on mine, right in the middle-- :eek: I asked around on RMR and some kind soul provided the measurements to me. Its a real crowd pleaser, especially w/ scouts!

[barone]

I think the key here is the gray is light gray. It's a dirty white shade. I had a car that was dove gray. It looked like it needed to be cleaned all the time..... ;)

[marslndr]

As a builder of plastic models, mostly Sci Fi stuff, This is an age old discussion.

Do you paint it like the filming model, or how it appeared on screen? I posted some photos over on the TRF thread you have on the Aries SST of 2 of the filming models. I think the intent was for it to look white on screen, Thats the color it appears on screen, Thats the color most people THINK the Enterprise is, so it is a very safe color to paint it.

What ever color you paint it I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Mark

[Leo]

As a builder of plastic models, mostly Sci Fi stuff, This is an age old discussion.

Do you paint it like the filming model, or how it appeared on screen? I posted some photos over on the TRF thread you have on the Aries SST of 2 of the filming models. I think the intent was for it to look white on screen, Thats the color it appears on screen, Thats the color most people THINK the Enterprise is, so it is a very safe color to paint it.

What ever color you paint it I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Mark

Age old discussion??? The model should have the color how it appeared on the screen, anything else would be false.

Also, it would be awful to see all the models in purple or pink e.g. ;)

[cas2047]

Age old discussion??? The model should have the color how it appeared on the screen, anything else would be false.

Also, it would be awful to see all the models in purple or pink e.g. ;)

I did a build review on mine over on EMRR. Here's the link. The first builder used great and mine is the second one (Frank Casey) in white: http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/oop_est_star_trek_enterprise.shtml

I've got a few more on the shelf and I'm wondering if I could pull the trigger on a non traditional color. I have to agree though I don't think I could handle purple or pink! :eek: ;)

[Leo]

I did a build review on mine over on EMRR. Here's the link. The first builder used great and mine is the second one (Frank Casey) in white: http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/oop_est_star_trek_enterprise.shtml

I've got a few more on the shelf and I'm wondering if I could pull the trigger on a non traditional color. I have to agree though I don't think I could handle purple or pink! :eek: ;)

You white Enterprise looks great.

[marslndr]

Age old discussion??? The model should have the color how it appeared on the screen, anything else would be false.

Also, it would be awful to see all the models in purple or pink e.g. ;)

Yup many threads are devoted to this at Starhipmodeler, hobbytalk sci fi forums, Polar light forums, and many fan film sites.

Other than a few Space 1999 ships, I've never seen a filming model in purple or pink! ;)

The problem with the screen color is that it changes. It USUALLY appears white but sometimes it looks light gray, and other times it has a blueish tint (due to the blue screen). The only thing that matters is what does the builder like.

[cas2047]

You white Enterprise looks great.

Thanks Leo! :)

I wrestled with the color choice, but finally decided that if I erred it would be less of an issue if I went with white.

I do like the look of the Battle Cruiser in grey, and side by side the two of them contrast nicely.

[dwmzmm]

The USS Enterprise I built back in the late 1970's I used flat white spray paint, and it came
out ok. I still have that model today (not sure how it survived being put away in storage and
several moves over a 20+ year span), and flew it "recently" at JSC (December 2004 or 2005).

I also had the Klingon Battlecruiser model, but lost it somehow. I do have another Enterprise & Klingon model still "in-the-bag" that will be built (whenever).... :rolleyes:

[cas2047]

The USS Enterprise I built back in the late 1970's I used flat white spray paint, and it came out ok.


It looks great Dave and the flight pics are fantastic! :)

[dwmzmm]

It looks great Dave and the flight pics are fantastic! :)

Thanks, but I didn't take those in-flight pictures; Warren Benson (then president of the NASA/Houston Rocket Club; now secretary-treasurer) took those. I wish I could take pics
like those :( :o ......

[toejrb]

The parts in your picture opening this thread are remarkably clean! My thought was to wait 'til the various parts were mated to do more than a rough sanding, but you seem to have done a fine job of cleaning the parts up before assembly. How did you clear the excess plastic away from the vacuformed parts? Emery board and lots of patience, or is there a better way, particularly on the round parts like the nacelle caps?

[cas2047]

The parts in your picture opening this thread are remarkably clean! My thought was to wait 'til the various parts were mated to do more than a rough sanding, but you seem to have done a fine job of cleaning the parts up before assembly. How did you clear the excess plastic away from the vacuformed parts? Emery board and lots of patience, or is there a better way, particularly on the round parts like the nacelle caps?

While we're waiting for input from scigs30 I can tell you what my experience was when I built mine.

The way the instructions have you cut out the vacuform parts is to run a pen around the outline of each part and then cut the pieces out. It's a very good method and leaves just a small rough edge which believe it or not sands away very easily. I started the bigger pieces with a medium grit sandpaper and finished off with a fine grit. The smaller ones I stuck to the fine grit paper because they sanded out so quickly.

I've found that working with vacuform parts looks a lot more intimidating than it really is. So far I've built the Estes Enterprise, Estes Klingon Battle Cruiser and Estes Maxi Ho-Jo, all with vacuform parts, and all came out great. The plastic is a lot easier to work than you'd think.

Now where is scigs30 to tell us how he got his parts to look so nice. :)

[scigs30]

Sorry I was working on my Enterprise getting it ready for priming tomorrow. I cut the plastic parts out just like the plans call for. The ball point pen method works great. Also I taped flat sanding paper on my workbench and sanded each part smooth. The plans also say you will need putty to fill in the seams, and that is what I did. This is a fun build, but does take time. I will post pictures of my progress tomorrow.

[scigs30]

Well I thought I was going to finish this bird by tomorrow, but thanks to rain that is not going to happen. Now it will have to wait until next week. Maybe I will start on the Klingon rocket. This is a straight forward build and the directions are great. I built this rocket as per directions and filled the seams with model putty. There are small imperfections on the plastic but I was not going to fill and sand every glitch. I primed with light grey and shot a coat of flat white. I decided to go with white and not the light gray for overall color. I will try to finish this rocket next week. The wood has 3 coats of balsa sealer. The pod is longer than I thought it would be.
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[dwmzmm]

You've done a superb job! I don't see any imperfections at all.

The pod is a bit longer on the Klingon to improve on stability. I can say both the Enterprise &
Klingon flies really great and are real show stoppers.

Keep us posted on the finishing (and flight(s)).

[Leo]

Excellent job David! I'm especially impressed with the Saucer. Very clean work!

[ghrocketman]

WOW !
That looks great !
Almost TOO good to fly...one flight and it'll have hangar-rash.

Don't forget to try at LEEST one flight without the flight probe....the need for that thang has been VASTLY over-stated. :chuckle:

[pantherjon]

WOW! That looks spectacular SCIGS!:D I have 2 in their boxes waiting for me to 'get around to them'..Question: How difficult was it to get the warp nacelles on and lined up properly? If I recall I had a friend who built one in my first rocketry incarnation and he had a dickens of a time getting them to line up properly..


GHROCKETMAN: Ummm, doesn't the flight probe also include the motor mount?:confused::p;)

[scigs30]

Jon, Everything is slotted, so it lines up pretty easy. There is little room for adjustment so if they are crooked you can adjust before the glue dries.

[scigs30]

I have all the painting done except for some Copper paint on the sharp dowel up front. I used Testors spray can paint for most of the colors. I will put the decals on when I get back on Tuesday and the small pieces you see get glued over some of the decals.
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[dwmzmm]

Excellent job!!! You got the details that I forgot to include when I built mine way back in the
1970's (red/green "lights" and things like that). I'm feeling more and more "motivated" to
open the other package of the Estes Enterprise I have and get working on it (and the Klingon
Battlecruiser, too).

[scigs30]

Excellent job!!! You got the details that I forgot to include when I built mine way back in the
1970's (red/green "lights" and things like that). I'm feeling more and more "motivated" to
open the other package of the Estes Enterprise I have and get working on it (and the Klingon
Battlecruiser, too).

Those little details were a bit tricky. I used the little bottles of Testors Enamel and brushed them on. These kits are cheap on Ebay and definitely worth it. Some day they will be hard to come by and nearly impossible to clone.

[scigs30]

Well it is still raining so today I applied the decals to the Enterprise. The decals went on nice and easy, just had to be careful with lining things up. All and all this is a great kit. Estes did a nice job designing this rocket. I am not a big Star Trek fan so I apologize if the details are wrong on the model......I went off the box and directions. I am glad I went with the white, I think it looks the part. My Klingon Ship will be a light Testors Gray. The pod and rocket together weigh in at 3.9 oz. That is without the pod being painted. I may forgo painting the pod since the weight is were it should be and the balance point is right on. I can't wait to take here out flying. Now on to finishing the Klingon Ship.
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[Leo]

Nice work.

[Blushingmule]

Absolutely beautiful!

One hint for sanding vacuum - formed parts is to lay a sheet of 240 or similar wet or dry sandpaper, which is waterproof by the way, on a sheet of glass using water. After cutting around the marked edges, sand slowly over the WET sandpaper and check fit often.

The water provides lubrication and holds the dust down.

Bob

[toejrb]

I finally broke down and picked one of these up from ebay. I'm still on step one, and I've already got a couple questions about the build.

(1) What did you do to eliminate the "lip" where the top half of the saucer section overlaps the bottom half?

(2) What did you do to eliminate/prevent warping of the plywood parts? On this last question, I note that though my kit was NIB, the plywood was become badly warped. I've soaked the sheets and pressed them more or less flat, but they still have a pronounced bend to them.

[scigs30]

I finally broke down and picked one of these up from ebay. I'm still on step one, and I've already got a couple questions about the build.

(1) What did you do to eliminate the "lip" where the top half of the saucer section overlaps the bottom half?

(2) What did you do to eliminate/prevent warping of the plywood parts? On this last question, I note that though my kit was NIB, the plywood was become badly warped. I've soaked the sheets and pressed them more or less flat, but they still have a pronounced bend to them.
1. I glued the top and bottom just like the plans call for. Then when it was dry, I used plastic model putty to fill the gap where the over hand and bottom meet. Then sanded, primed, putty, sand prime until smooth.
2. My parts were not warped. If the water does not work try soaking in 50/50 water ammonia, and clamp until straight. If this does not work, cut your own parts from plywood. Also is this the new plywood or old wood supplied in the kit? The new stuff is thin and you have to laminate two pieces to make one piece.

[ghrocketman]

I wanna see this thing fly WITHOUT the silly "flight probe" attachment.

[Rocketflyer]

scigs, that is outstanding work!

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

I wanna see this thing fly WITHOUT the silly "flight probe" attachment.

I'd just like to see the flight probe attachment. Never seen one before and I'm curious. :confused:

[dwmzmm]

I'd just like to see the flight probe attachment. Never seen one before and I'm curious. :confused:

Here's how it looks on mine (an old one built back in the late 1970's, but still flyable. The launch pictured was in December 2004 @ JSC).

The in flight pics were taken by Warren Benson of the NASA/Houston Rocket Club (Section # 365).

[Royatl]

Age old discussion??? The model should have the color how it appeared on the screen, anything else would be false.

Also, it would be awful to see all the models in purple or pink e.g. ;)

As I recall, from the old color TV sets of the late 60's, white things often appeared purple, pink, or green. Kids these days just don't know how good they've got it.


I know this message is three months old, but I just now got interested in this thread!

[Bill]

As I recall, from the old color TV sets of the late 60's, white things often appeared purple, pink, or green. Kids these days just don't know how good they've got it.



That is why they call it NTSC (Never The Same Color). The next generation is going to wonder why we insist on calling it "the tube."

I had an Enterprise kit in my first life. Never got around to building it as I was trying to come up with a way to use the clear nose cone from a Phantom to make a transparent flight probe (which mandates packing the parachute somewhere under the saucer.)

Now, I think it would be better to just paint the probe blue-grey and add spots of yellow along its length to simulate photon torpedo fire...


Bill

[Phred]

Nice job!!

I have an original Enterprise somewhere in the pile oi' kits... I have never done well with vac kits... I think I will try the Klingoin D7 first.

Phred

[toejrb]

1. I glued the top and bottom just like the plans call for. Then when it was dry, I used plastic model putty to fill the gap where the over hand and bottom meet. Then sanded, primed, putty, sand prime until smooth.
2. My parts were not warped. If the water does not work try soaking in 50/50 water ammonia, and clamp until straight. If this does not work, cut your own parts from plywood. Also is this the new plywood or old wood supplied in the kit? The new stuff is thin and you have to laminate two pieces to make one piece.


(1) That's what I was afraid of -- hoped there was an easier way.

(2) My kit has two thin sheets that have to be doubled up. That may be a benefit if I can laminate two pieces with offsetting warpage. I'll see. Otherwise . . . Do you think laminated basswood would be an adequate substitute for the plywood? It's easier to come by for me.

[scigs30]

(1) That's what I was afraid of -- hoped there was an easier way.

(2) My kit has two thin sheets that have to be doubled up. That may be a benefit if I can laminate two pieces with offsetting warpage. I'll see. Otherwise . . . Do you think laminated basswood would be an adequate substitute for the plywood? It's easier to come by for me.

Mine was an older kit with one sheet of plywood that I think was 1/8th thick. I think Midwest sells plywood this thin.