Building the AMT Refit Enterprise by Don Matthys part 10

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Painting

First I want to mention that the Enterprise NCC-1701A used in the movies from Star Trek IV to Star Trek VI was for the most part the same miniature as used in the movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture to ST:III when it was self destructed by Kirk thwarting a takeover of a Klingon boarding party. The movie miniature was repainted for ST:IV but with subtle differences. Many of the areas that where a light green was changed to a light blue especially on the Engineering area on the lower hull and the upper A-B deck levels around the Bridge, VIP Lounge area. I was able to make these color changes as compared to the painting info provided in Paul Newitt SFAM#4 booklet. Garret Parson a writer at Quantum Sci-Fi modeling web site was able to update me on the color changes. Here they are as provided by Garret:

The “E” was repainted three times according to Bill George art director at ILM. The first time was for the second movie. The pearlescent color of the “E” made it very hard to shoot, it put holes in their mats, the lights would bounce off it. ILM took the model and completely repainted it. They replaced the pearlescent Aztec pattern with blue tinted white and blue light gray. The engine green was replaced by blue gray, but not all the engine green. Some of the engine green is still on there to-day. The third time it was repainted was after the battle damage. It is interesting to note they painted the “Reliant” the same colors as the second paint job on the “E”. Here is a list by parts of the “E” 1701-A by section.

VIP level: Blue gray: The VIP lounge was painted blue gray around the windows only! The rest of the indent that goes around the bridge section is a dark blue gray. This dark blue gray is more gray then the rest of the blue gray witch is more blue than gray. This part use to be engine green. Engineering section was engine green until the “E” was renamed 1701-A then it was repainted blue gray with darker blue gray for paneling.

Impulse crystal: The lip at the bottom of this structure that has the rounded pointy thing pointing to the back of the bridge, is painted blue gray the top of the crystal Light blue gray for the bulb and inset, with dark blue gray for ribs. At one time the top of the crystal was engine green. The Last time it was painted the top of the crystal was painted black and the Bulb part was painted black with the ribs painted white blue the indent around the bulb was painted blue gray.

Bridge: The top of the the bridge (sensor dome) was painted engine green with gray added to the paint. Not silver like so many believe. The ring with the tabs on it is painted white blue. The part right below, witch from the top would form a circle and line going back to the hatch is blue gray. Right under <that is the bridge with is painted engine green with gray added in again. The last part is painted blue gray around the edges.

Here is some of my reference info:

A Video called ” Star Trek 25th Anniversary special” well worth getting if you can find one. At the end of the tape is Bill George talking about how the “E” movies through space, the slow pans over the top of the ship in normal light is to die for.

A book called. STAR FLEET ASSEMBLY MANUAL 4 This out of print but might show up at used book stores. It has information in it about the color of the 1701 right from ANDREW PROBERT. Some of those colors are still on the 1701-A.

The Colors of Paint Used:

Engineering Green; Pantone PMS# 580C (Lt.) #579C (Dk.)

Paint:Testers Model Master Enamels, Pale Green FS34227. Gloss White added to lighten to PMS shades.

Dark shade applied first, masked for panel effects then the lighter shade to inside of Warp Nacelles pylons and the bridge dome. These areas are lightened up even more with more thinned out gloss white to mute the contrast.

Blue-Gray; Pantone PMS 552C and lighter shade with gloss white added.

Paint:Testers Model Master Enamel, Intermediate Blue FS5164

Intermediate Blue out of the bottle was used on: Flush Intakes and Vents

A Lighter Intermediate Blue was used on:

  • Nacelle intakes front
  • Tail piece at end of Warp Engines
  • Detail at Dorsal top and leading edge
  • Decks A-B levels around the VIP lounge windows.
  • Leading Edge of Warp Nacelle pylons

A Lighter Intermediate Blue and a lighter shade of it for paneling was used on:

  • Sides going up Dorsal
  • Top section of Secondary Hull to Pylon Connection
  • Areas behind Nav Deflector

For patterns I used the TMP Cutaway Poster and SFAM#4 Darker shade sprayed on first then masked for panel effects and sprayed with lighter shade. Then the masking is removed and over sprayed with a thinned out color with more Gloss White added to mute the panel edges.

These green and blue areas are once again masked for the duration of painting.

An overall color of Gloss White Blue is made ready next. Colors used is a mix of Testers Model Masters Gloss White with some TestersMM French Blue and Intermediate Blue added just enough to set the white off to a shade of white- blue. This will be the darker color of the aztec paneling effect. This was sprayed on overall the ship and let dry for two weeks.

Hundreds of little pieces of tape and friscut film has been applied over the model for the “Aztec Pattern” of panels that gives this ship a sense of scale. In the movie Star Trek the motion picture modeler Ron Gress spent many man hours applying various shades of white ranging in tints of silver, gray, gloss white and pearlesent white. The desired effect was to give the same effect as would be on a real space vessel like todays NASA shuttle with its thousand of individually fitted thermal ceramic tiles. At this time Ron Gress also developed the “Camilean airbrush system ” a system of changing and spraying up to 12 colors though the same airbrush buy just flushing in between shades.

My technique is a lot simpler and will rely on three shades of gloss white darkened with French blue and FS 35164 Intermediate blue. This color was sprayed on some weeks ago and let completely dry before masking the pattern on.

First there has been a lot of discussion on the Aztec pattern of the primary hull. One product mentioned is a photo etched fret of brass made by Walker Enterprises. One set for the Enterprise (A) was purchased by Plastic Models Form member Joe Divar And he will be using the template on his hull after he grinds down all that horrible AMT/ERTL applied panel garbage. So we’ll all look forward to his experiences with that for review.

The rest of the panels on the ship on the depends on info from the ST:TMP Cutaway Starship Poster, Paul Newitt’s Star Fleet Assembly Manual # 4. Garret Parsons article at Quantum Sci-Fi modeling web site. And here is the hot ticket to good detail shots at CultTVman’s web site photos of the actual studio miniature on display at the Smithsonian Star Trek exhibit in 1992.

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