Ok so i got the kit last week, special order and i couldn't wait to dive into it.
The kit cost me $69 CDN and is spectacular for the price, the amount of parts alone and the quality of the plastic is enough to justify the price. I haven't built a model since... eh, well 1997 when i built my 1:350 Titanic... yes i gave into the hype.
The only thing i've built since is my Bandai Enteprise, which cute it is, but parts do not a model make, and it's just an excellent display peice, like ikea furniture but it actually stayed together.
My first impression was WOW... i held the upper saucer in my hand and gasped at the sheer size of the kit and the fact that i officially need a larger apartment if 1:350 is going to be the scale of choice.
The first thing i did was put major assemblies together and then painted, i painted using a stecil that i made out of stencil paper, it's far from perfect, but i rather like the mottled, irregularity of the way it turned out. some of it was brushed on, and i'll tell you, get a good square brush with a high bristle count and brush strokes CAN Be your friend on this model. I've found that imperfection is an asset and not a curse. all done in Acrylic colors, Tamaiya colors schemes, mostly metallic, gloss aluminium and light gun metal. I plan to go over the kit again with alternating panels of dulcoat, to give an even further mottled appearance to the kit in certain light. Chances are it will be a new stencil with just certain panels of the first stencil used.
As i said it's far from perfect and i'll accept no critisism about how inaccurate it is, i do this for fun, not because i want a replica of a studio model (which doesn't actually exsist, i might add) I still have a lot of work to do, a lot of stencils to create and more painting to be done.
Here are some pictures of the progress of my Enterprise NX 01.
http://www.telusman.com/NX01/
I look forward to the 1:350 Enterprise A... it's sure to be a hell of a kit.
-Telusman
-- "All this time trying to keep people from having sex -- Now I know how the Catholic Church feels! Bahhhzinnggggg! "- Stewie Griffin.