Mine came the other day. I decided I'd wait and open it on Christmas Eve, still I couldn't resist shaking it - the box is heavy!!!

That's because in every box, they include William Shatner.

Just kidding.  I love the Shat Man!

Eric

Arrrggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Don't tell me that!

I could use one of his topees though!  

Gamera

I could use one of his topees though!  

Sadly, so could I.  

You'll either love it or hate it!  And before you break the seal on the box, consider where you're gonna PUT the finished beast, and whether your significant other will allow it in the house!

I built the 1/350 NX-01 a few years ago- it's a nicely made kit.

Yeah, I've got the NX-01 kit plus the movie era Constitution class Enterprise and now the new TV series Connie.

Haven't started on any of them and have no idea where I'd put the finished models.

That's a good lookin' NX there, Chuck. Got any more pics?

No, sorry, I only shot that one just now, to post it.  I'll try to get more later.  Glad you like it!

Gamera

Mine came the other day. I decided I'd wait and open it on Christmas Eve, still I couldn't resist shaking it - the box is heavy!!!

I think I'll get two kits and make a dreadnaught, or maybe a CVL.

Re extras:  There are several lighting kits on the market, but consider carefully before buying one.  I bought one, and it cost $$$$ and was just a couple hundred loose leds, resistors, etc and a poorly written instruction sheet.  I sent it back for a refund.  While it is possible to effectively light these models up, installation of a decent system is complex and takes special skills.  It helps to be an electrical engineer!

I think they look just fine without lights!  They really don't need anything extra.

Watchmann

Gamera

Mine came the other day. I decided I'd wait and open it on Christmas Eve, still I couldn't resist shaking it - the box is heavy!!!

You better let him out before he suffocates!

 

Are you planning on getting any of the extras?

 

I think I'll get two kits and make a dreadnaught, or maybe a CVL.

'THERE'S A SHAT IN THE BOX!!!!!!!!!'

To misquote the old Twilight Zone episode- 'THERE'S A MAN ON THE WING!!!!'

I have to agree with Chuck, the lighting kits seem way overpriced, I can buy a pile of LEDs and parts and light the thing for $15-20 bucks or so. Only issue I have is the blinky navigation lights etc, which I can figure something out for.

And the 'weathering decals' - forty bucks for a set of decals!??!! Are you out of your Vulcan mind!?! Painted weathering  looks better than decals anyway.

I am tempted to spurge for the PE set though, probably be the only thing. 

Chuck: I too would love to see more photos of your NX-01 too. Please!!!

Blinking nav lights are easy.  I've got a circuit board plan if you want it; it only requires a few items.  It will do one set of lights, and you can change the timing with a potentiometer.  I think the hard lights would be the bussard collector lights.

Cool, I'd love the see the plans. Yeah the 'spinning' effect for the bussards would be harder to do, I'm sure someone has a set of schematics on the net to wire one up though.

Some time ago, I saw red led "Spinning bussards" for sale at www.cultTVman.com

They always have lots of lighting kits and other sci-fi kits there.  This is an honest and good site, I have bought from them many times. 

For blinking nav lights, check the model train scenery sites.  I have seen "lighthouse" effect led's that come on fast and ramp down to off, repetitively.  They are very realistic.

I'll check soon to see if maybe I have a few more photos of the NX-01 squirreled away somewhere- 

Weathering? How do spaceships get weathered?     They do have an "Aztec" pattern all over the hull, though, and I bought a set of Aztec masks from www.cultTVman.com  They are made of peel and stick vinyl.  Worked out very well.  I used two shades of Testor's buffing Metallizer, and had no problem of the masks pulling off the paint.  It is, however, a tedious process.  If I were to do it again, I would tone the contrast between the two colors way down.  You want a subtle effect here.  For the original Enterprise, I believe you would want two shades of white, and not NMF as on the NX-01.

The photos I had of the NX-01 WIP were lost in a computer crash.  I'll shoot  a few more of the finished model as soon as we get a nice sunny, windless day and I can take it out in the natural light, and I will post them as per popular request!

Cadet Chuck

For blinking nav lights, check the model train scenery sites.  I have seen "lighthouse" effect led's that come on fast and ramp down to off, repetitively.  They are very realistic.

but would that be 'technically' correct? i'd have thought a very brief flash would look better.

i'd recommend Don's website

http://www.dlmparts.com/

he has proper circuits and they are reasonably priced

By popular demand, I promised to post more pix of the 1/350 NX-01.  I used the aftermarket vinyl Aztec pattern mask all over the hull, from "Aztec Dummy" and they worked well.  You can see the pattern here.  As I said, I should have used less contrasting colors, but I'm happy with it.

Nice! Thanks for coming through, Chuck! I agree on the need for subtlety with the Aztecing, but yours still looks good. Photoshop it in a space background and it would look right at home.

Thanks!  Wish I could, but I am not adept at photo editing programs.

I asssume, from your name, you are a fan of Clive Cussler?  Me, too!

Yep. When I was a teen I read him quite a bit, but I think the last book of his I read was "Flood Tide" so I've been out of touch a while. My last helicopter build was a Hughes 500MD in NUMA livery as a tribute though. I'd post pics but I'm having pic issues also. You might find it a few pages back in the Helicopters subforum.