TOS Enterpirse at Smithsonian

My favorite ship of all time. would love to see it myself! Thanks for posting the pics.

Lots of details can be seen are differant from the model kits and the paint job! I wonder if that is really studio accurate or what the restorers thought was correct? Sort of a bluish grid paint jobl.

Accept for the top of the saucer that was left untouched the entire paint job is bogus and has really ticked off all the hard core fans.

I asked a question while I was there, (they get this a lot) but because the lights were so bright at the studio, they opted to paint her a darker shade and the lights washed it out a bit so it would look more light grey.

Division 6

Accept for the top of the saucer that was left untouched the entire paint job is bogus and has really ticked off all the hard core fans.

Actually, as Big Jake has pointed out, the paint job is about right. It was darkened, due to the studio lighting during filming. As the seasons progressed, the paint and weathering were continually tinkered with by the studio. This info comes from the crew who did the latest resto on it (we share a shop with them). Great pains were taken to match the original Enterprise color for our 66" T.O.S. Enterprise models. It truly is a greenish gray color (sorry, hard core fans!).

I'm personally not a hard core fan but I did grow up watching the show when it originally aired.

I know Steve H from HMS had done some work on it, last time I visited the shop was when Scott B was molding his 66" Nautilus.(it's been a while and I know HMS has moved)

Here's an interesting discussion on the referb and poor choice in over weathering it.

I have some late breaking information! I spoke with another fellow at the shop today about the paint job, to check my first set of facts. I got a slightly different story(!) Apparently, the most recent resto was close to twenty years ago now, and was carried out by both Ed Miarecki and Steve from HMS (Steve actually passed away recently, sadly). And as Division 6 pointed out, it is in fact not 100% correct. Also as Division 6 said, the top saucer is apparently the only basically untouched part. Sorry for my prior inaccuracies, gang! I only have a passing interest in Star Trek lore, and am no expert.

Division 6, I work with Scott B. daily, he is certainly the de facto expert on the Nautilus! And a very talented mold maker, too.

I met one of the restorers at the big Star Trek convention in Las Vegas a few years ago.  He produced many photos of the restoration and told me the Smithsonian couldn't care less about the prop or the fans- considering them "nuts."  The prop proved so popular though they had to do something with it.  Not nearly enough time or money was available and many good modelers gave of their time and services to save the original model.  He was also mighty irritated at the angry fans who did not like their work.

That said- I do think the paint job is VERY overdone- even accounting for the stage lights.  Photos of the ship taken without stage lighting show a much more subtle weathering job and practically none of the paneling the model now displays on the saucer underside.  The colors are correct- they were matched to samples from the original paint uncovered during restoration.  They are just overdone.

Steve's passing was posted over on the RPF forum.

The last time I was at the shop he was in bad shape, sad that he's gone, I know he was The Gut when it came to classic Trek.

Scott's a really great guy. I always enjoy talking to him.

Big Jake

I as at the museum last week and got this shots.  Enjoy,

The pics start on page 7

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/580359476hitFrr?start=72

Shot 5 and 6 on page 7 there's no detail on the secondary hull LHS!

OctaneOrange

 

Big Jake:

 

I as at the museum last week and got this shots.  Enjoy,

The pics start on page 7

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/580359476hitFrr?start=72

 

 

Shot 5 and 6 on page 7 there's no detail on the secondary hull LHS!