Beloved films from childhood and the Internet

    I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek. I loved them both for what the were/are. But at a certain point, I'd say in about 2004 or so, I started to really loathe Star Wars, and not just because of the prequels, but it was feeling deep within. And I finally realized, it's because of Star Wars fans! Their adversarial nature turned me off completely. I found that they'd constantly bash Star Trek! And that pissed me off! Really, it was - and is - their feelings of inadequacy and thier general stupidity which makes them bash Trek.

I just had to get that out. Fuck Star Wars fan boy douche-bag assholes for making me hate Star Wars. You motherfuckers can all rot in hell. 

Your moment of Zen for the day.

-Spaced out blogger

"Chewie... we're home" (Force Friday and Revell Star Wars model kits)

                                     Revell skill level 1 Millennium Falcon


   Today was "Force Friday"; another marketing gimmick from Disney and it's marketing glubs. But, beyond the political commentary, it was the official release date of merchandise from the upcoming "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". As a red-blooded model kit building American I naturally jumped at the opportunity to own at least something from the new film and so availed myself of the Revell skill level 1 Millennium Falcon.

Now, one might think "really? Skill level 1?". I know, but, it was the only version of the ship available in the form of a model kit, it was decently priced and included lights and sound and it is actually a decent representation of the ship! This is the first wave of model kits from Revell for "The force awakens", wave two ships next month and features skill level 2 models, increasing the accuracy (In most cases), the scale (and size) and detail. They will also be devoid of the lights and sound gimmick. Given the size, details and playability options of this first wave, it is clear that these kits are intended for kids.

One thing that Revell kits of this particular subject, the Millennium Falcon, often get wrong is the height of the so called "side walls" running the perimeter of the ship; indeed, this very inaccuracy is what has kept me from purchasing any iteration of the Revell Falcons until now. This new version, while not perfect, is actually acceptable to this particular accuracy freak. Not too tall, nicely detailed, works well. One area of dissapointment for many is that the skill level 2 arriving next month is a simple re-release of the original freakishly innacurate Revell Falcon with a new dish. A must-pass for me.

 This kit is so good, in fact, that I am considering purchasing another as a means of creating the quasi-canon "Stellar Envoy" which was featured in one of the comics and whose appearance was later copied for the film "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith". Seen in the picture above.  

Now when I got back into scale modeling back in the 90's, skill level 1 or, snap-tite, (snapfast if you're the other guys), was a simple no-frills affair. No lights, no sound, just a small representation of the vehicle. Here then in 2015, Revell has taken snap-tite to a whole new level! Providing not just a nice looking model but also a higher degree of playability options for the kids amongst us (Of which I consider myself a member), with their "electronics block", which is actually a self-contained unit housing all of the electronics, nicely hidden away inside the kit. They even included molded detail on the block itself! Despite the fact that, once assembled, such details would be invisible. After perusing Revell of Germany's site I've decided to hold off on buying the skill level 1 X-wing out now in favor of the more dimensionally accurate skill level 2 out next month.

All across the Internet people are decrying these kits as simple toys, not worthy of their money or time and that Revell is remiss in their duty by alienating older modelers. I find this notion that segments of people should be pandered to amusing. Better kits of these subject will be available soon, this alone should reduce the amount of grousing by at least 500%, but sadly it does not.

As a very experienced modeler it is my opinion that these kits are not just for children, they can be enjoyed by all! So, go enjoy! 

-Spaced out blogger

Thoughts, musings and observations of the Sovereign class and her predecessor(s)

                                        Sovereign class U.S.S. Enterprise


      What does one first think of when thinking of the Galaxy class U.S.S. Enterprise? That of course varies depending upon the person, but I think of families and her massive size. A large community in Space. Were I to imagine a Starship traveling past the furthest star and exploring the Galaxy, I think of the original Starship Enterprise and the Galaxy class Enterprise; they just exude purpose and an understanding of what one might need to explore the outer reaches. However, that is not what I think of when I imagine their Sovereign class counterpart. What I see when I look at the Enterprise-E is speed. There is a point where streamlining reaches a point of absolute literalism and that is where the Enterprise-E begins and ends.

     The Sovereign class co-exists(ed) with the Galaxy class. The Galaxy class is clearly supposed to be an Explorer; the ship that gets sent out into the Universe on her own, without support and comes back a decade later to relay her findings; it's size and accouterments makes it the most obvious type of ship to do so; so with that in mind, what then is the mission parameter/ purpose of the Sovereign class? Is it supposed to be a successor? The Galaxy class was still fairly new having only been introduced less than a decade earlier. Per conversations with Ronald D. Moore back in the late-90's, the Enterprise-E had no families on board (Thankfully since she was partially assimilated). So no families, slightly faster than her predecessor, heavily armed per Star Trek: Nemesis and with less mass. How many Explorer-type vessels does Starfleet need? Does the Sovereign have to be an explorer? Could it instead be a cruiser? A patrol ship?

   Given all 'facts' of the class stated above, I assert that the class is rather a light-to-heavy cruiser, fulfilling a more generalize role; allowing the Galaxy and other-larger classes to fill the role of Explorer.  So in reality, I can see the Sovereign being a successor to the Excelsior class. Which would stand to reason since they were ancient yet still in service at the time of the Sovereigns introduction.

So there it is, some random ramblings about fictional ships and their place in a fictional future; naval-gazing I be.

-Spaced out blogger 

The current mindset of the scale modeling community

    Upon recent visit to one of my favorite modeling forums; I came upon a conversation about a certain Star Trek producing model kit company. The conversation roughly revolved around said companies propensity to produce the same subject (The original Enterprise), in multiple scales and how frustrated the poster was about the dearth of new subjects.

The counter argument stated that anything beyond that subject did not sell well enough to justify the continued expenditure on subjects that do not turn a profit; and while this is a correct assessment of the situation from a buisness perspective; it hardly seems like the perspective of a simple hobbyist! When did the consumer become so enamoured with the inner workings of the companies from whom they purchase that they would spout their talking points in casual conversation? Has the mentality of corporate America so seeped into the minds of the people that people justify the stagnation and the stunting of their own hobby?

I can understand the benefits of being aware of what causes such a lack of subjects, but I just get a kind of "Stepford wives" vibe from people that spout corporate lingo. That sounds more like corporate programming to me.

Perhaps I'm being too critical; too judgmental.

I support any comment that pushes the expansion of the scale modeling hobby.

-Space out blogger 

   

Thoughts on the recent deluge of Star Trek TOS fan films

    Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II; Star Trek: Continues; Starship Farragut; Starship Exeter, etc. 

    Those are just the names of a few of the 1960's Star Trek based fan series. For whatever reasons people seem intent upon reliving the same characters and designs ethos' over and over again; I'd love to see a Star Trek based series with it's own unique look and style. Now Star Trek: Renegades seems to have done so, but it is post-TNG which would account for the differences in appearance. Don't misunderstand, I love the look and feel of the original (And I think the best) Star Trek series. But enough is enough, I'm starting to tire with seeing the same ship layouts and the same tired old characters being played by people interpreting what had been perfected fifty years ago.

I know I have the option to not watch them but I look at all the money, time, effort and love that has gone into recreating the original sets and wonder - could they have made more of all of that if they'd stretched their creative legs? Create something! Not recreate. Now, I wouldn't mind seeing a minor redesign; keep the essential elements and change the rest. Does every fan series have to be set on a Constitution class starship? Does every Captain have to be Kirk?! I've seen Kirk, I've seen the original Starship Enterprise. Show me something that predated TOS with new characters with their own styles and idiosyncrasies!

I guess I'm just burned out. I'm starved for Star Trek and the only outlets are a shitty film series and an overabundance of TOS-centric fan series. 

Why not go out and put my money where my mouth is?!

I can't afford to do so. I would love to create my own Star Trek, I simply don't have the capability. No money and most importantly; no space.

Please, if you're reading this and considering making your own Star Trek series? Consider setting it in the familiar; branch out; be different!

- Spaced out blogger

Thoughts on Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek into darkness

    Way back when, in 2007; I had heard the unthinkable; Star Trek was being remade. I was worried, I've seen other reboots and with one exception, none were palatable. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies have been no exception, from the childish humor of the first movie to the homage (*cough* rip-off) of The Wrath of Khan in the second one, they've proven to be less than stellar outings for the venerable Star Trek franchise.

With that said, I have found some minor reasons to appreciate some of the ideas presented in both films.

Black-hole escape: The ending of the first film features the Enterprise escaping from a black-hole. I found this sequence to be very reminicent of something one might see in the original series, specifically the Enterprise's 'slingshot' through time; everyone being physically thrown around and from side to side, Scotty's line "I'm givin' 'er all she's got Captain!" was a nice moment that hit me square in the chest.

The breaking of the "Prime directive" from "Into Darkness". This was a great plot-line in the film and one I think they explored well; they didn't build the plot around it but it none-the-less has an impact. It also allows the audience to ponder what they would have done in the crews' position. I've actually thought about this more than I've thought about the first film in it's entirely. Were I in a position to save an entire civilization, I would have made the decision to save them, just as our protagonists do. But - I do see the wisdom of the Prime directive; it was never explored better than it was in The Next Generation; that series asked the same question and offered a humanitarian answer. Protect and save life if at all possible, which is how I see the organization of Starfleet and the Federation; as humanitarians.

So Kirk breaks the prime directive and refreshingly, we see him pay the price. He faces judgment and loses his command. I thought that was a beautiful way to set up the film; I just wish they'd done more with it - to have it's affects ripple throughout the story; instead, Kirk immediately gets his command back with nary a slap of the wrist, so it is not terribly well paid-off (We should see our heroes have to earn their gifts.); but the plot needed Kirk on the Enterprise and in command for the later drama of his decision to trust Khan. 

One odd thing...

Why in God's name was McCoy testing Khan's blood on a dead Tribble? What the hell kind of Frankenstein-esque Doctor is McCoy in this new Universe? Not only is he testing on a dead Tribble he just happens to have lying around, but he's doing so in the middle of a crisis! I don't even think they were out of Klingon space yet. It just struck me as odd and was clearly a clumsy foreshadowing device. Childish writing. 

"A five year mission, Spock!"

  Yes, in this film the five year mission of the original series is a new concept! This is something I would have never even considered as an idea; one just takes for granted that everyone goes out on five year missions into the unknown. This film makes it special, something to strive toward, something one must earn.  And it makes sense and I hope becomes a part of the Star Trek canon. It also perfectly sets up the forthcoming Star Trek beyond, whose title I find quite inspiring and I hope that the writers are similarly inspired and take the title to heart while crafting the script.

The Enterprise refit:

The end of Into Darkness sees the Enterprise refitted, albeit mildly. The Impulse engine has been widened making the detail fit better with the established design than it's predecessor. The ship, thanks to the closeness of the Nacelles, appears wider and the new engine only reinforces that. If anyone reading this has any influence over the model kit company Revell, please have them make a model of this refitted version of the Enterprise; I have the previous version and love it. 

That sums up my positive thoughts of these two new rebooted Trek movies. I haven't the time nor the energy to discuss the negatives, I'd be here the rest of my life.

Enjoy life, take it by the hand full and love every moment of it!

- Spaced out blogger

Thoughts on Avengers: Age of Ultron (spoilers)

    Just caught Avengers 2 the other day and on the whole I liked it. Things that I remember most:

 * The love story between Black Widow and Hulk/Bruce Banner; I found it not only a pleasant surprise but quite touching. As a dorky weirdo with anger issues whose been crushed on by beautiful Women, I can totally relate.

 * The battle between Hulk and Iron Man. Amazing. The part where Iron Man is just punching the living shit out of Hulk saying "Go to sleep, just go to sleep." was awesome, there was weight to it; amazing what Foley can do these days.

  * James Spader. It's been quite some time since I've heard an Actor make so much of their voice. I had no idea it was him until the credits, he was amazing. 

The rest of the film was packed with stuff but by the time I got to the final battle I was "action scened" out. I'd just had too much of it so I kinda tuned out a bit. I love to see characters devoted to the saving of lives but was shocked by the treatment of collateral damage in these films, millions dead and the characters are still quipping away. Perhaps I'm dwelling too much over non-existent deaths, but it just hit me that way.

This film made me fall for Scarlett Johansson, I just fell for her.

I'd recommend seeing it if you've not yet done so. 

- Spaced out blogger

Moebius Colonial one

So I just picked up the Colonial one from the updated Battlestar Galactica produced by Moebius models and just from an engineering standpoint the kit is outstanding! I love it, thank you Moebius!

If you've got any interest in this ship at all I would highly suggest getting one, it is a real knock out of the park by Moebius. Sadly I don't have a camera these days or I'd do a build-blog but perhaps someday.

Don't buy from "Big bad toy store"

  So I ordered the NX Excelsior from Star Trek III from Big bad toy store and it's produced by Diamond select toys, now if you know anything about DST you know that their quality control is lackluster at best, especially when it comes to items that have been released previously; look no further than their TOS Phaser for proof of that.

   Naturally, I get my Excelsior and it's shaped like a banana, with the saucer pitched up, gouges in the plastic, paint over spray and an overall poor appearance. So I email Big bad toy store. And they say they need visual 'proof' of the damaged item. Why? Can you not take the paying customers word for it? I've already paid for it! Send me a return slip and give me a refund!

After seeing the quality of this one I'm quite apprehensive about receiving another one that may be in worse condition. I've been down this road before and am not looking to traverse it again.

I would not suggest buying a DST item nor would I suggest purchasing from Big Bad Toy Store.

Relative age of the Oberth class starship

   The Oberth class. One of the more unique designs in Star Trek, very modern looking for its era. This design was used from the 2280's to the 2370's, clearly a very successful ship type. However there are a few factors which draw into question its age. I will use this page to review and analyze these factors.

Registry:

The registry of the U.S.S. Grissom (NCC-638) is the lowest on-screen registry of any ship seen until the NX-01 Enterprise. We know the original Enterprises registry (NCC-1701) is that of a ship of at least the 2260's and it is considerably higher than that of the Grissom. Were we to go by the registry alone, and assume that they are all sequential, then the Grissom herself could be far older than her first on-screen appearance.  The next highest registry of the Oberth class is (NCC-640) (Seen on a ship in Spacedock in Star Trek IV: The voyage home and later in Star Trek: The Next Generation). 

 

The Grissom model being shot for an episode of Star Trek: TNG. Notice the registry on the boat hull.

Design:

   The design, first seen in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), looks very modern and fits in perfectly with the ships designed for that movie including the U.S.S. Excelsior (NX-2000) with many horizontal grilles and vents being a very prominent design feature of the both ship types. The ship looks like it belongs in the Star Trek movie era. Speculation: Take away the decals and pennants, shoot it with the camera and SPFX technology of the 1960's; would the ship still appear as modern? Could it pass for a ship of the TOS era? Also notice the design does not feature a deflector dish, many MSD's (Master systems display) have the deflector behind the lower dome of the boat hull (Secondary hull or Engineering section). I find this location to be perfect and wonder,  from an in-universe perspective, why it would be hidden behind a cover? That to me suggests that it has one less weakness than the Enterprise and those of her Ilk. We also can't use that to determine the ships age, does it have a lit/glowing deflector? Or does it have an Antenna-style deflector?

Interiors: 

The interior of the Grissom is exactly that of the movie-era Refit Enterprise, only with the chairs and some consoles rearranged to suggest a smaller vessel. As we've seen with other Starships, such interiors could be plug-in, plug-out affairs. They could also be beamed in, so no real way of determining age that way. Let's look closely at the Oberth classes first appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation, that of the .S.S. Tsiolkovsky. (The .S.S. registry may point to a reason for the ships internal appearance). 

The SS Tsiolkovsky's interiors were fairly normal by TNG standards, corridors and the miniature bridge set all fall within the norms of early-TNG. There is however one glaring design detail which may suggest an Oberth class far older than one might think...

Look at the picture above, notice to the left of Geordie - the TOS style Burke chair. Were the set designers trying to tie this ship to the original series era? This, to my knowledge was the one and only use of TOS style set dressings in TNG.  It's tenuous, but this plus the relatively low registries of the early Oberth class starships we saw; I think, make these points fodder for the argument of these ships having been, if not built and produced in that era, at least present during that time. And that subsequent appearances of these ships were possibly of ships that were either refitted with new technology or newer builds.

1960's style "tulip" chair seen to the right of Geordie

 My own opinion is that these ships were likely new as of the 2280's, possibly brand new as of the first appearance of one with the U.S.S. Grissom. However, I do fancy the idea of these ships having been designed and built in the 2260's and why not? Being science ships they wouldn't need the power and technology of those ships on the 'front line' or those meant to explore the outer reaches of space. Even if they're new as of the 2280's they clearly had longevity having lasted at least a century.

The ship looks kind of 60's-ish and lacks a great deal of detail, like ships of the original series era (2260's). I'd love to build a model of one with TOS style registry and pennants.

- Spaced out blogger

A quick analysis of the background ships from Star Trek: The Next Generation

 

   If you're like me than you're fascinated by background models and props. That is, models and props used in Film and Television. You might also ask, "What is a background model or prop?" Well, it is an item that was not given a close-up or if it was it was seen only briefly and from a distance. For example, the Navy ships used at the end of the film "The Abyss". Or the kitbashed Starships as seen in several episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  

U.S.S. Stargazer

   Let us start with the Constellation class U.S.S. Stargazer. The model having been featured in several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and featured originally as Captain Picard's first command. The registry (NCC-2893) and interior sets suggest that it is a ship of the late-23rd early 24th centuries. It seems to have been a tradition of that time to use ships for 100 or more years as we see ships of the Oberth, Miranda and Excelsior classes bolstering the Starfleet. Real world reason being that it was far cheaper to re-use models than to create new ones, still even after they had more modern ship models they continued to use the old Star Trek movie-era models. Funny enough the model built for the Stargazer was brand new and was created in place of using the Enterprise refit model for the episode "The Battle", hence the class name of Constellation.

One of the things I've noticed about the models built and modified for TNG, more often than not, featured strange dishes, antennae and protrusions. These features seem quite anachronistic for the era as we hadn't seen such things since the original Enterprise and her "Sensor"/ Deflector dish. Features which are more akin to things seen on Star Wars ships, they seem somewhat out of place on Star Trek ships. As a child I used to call the movie era and pre-TNG ships the "Junk" era of Star Trek as the ships seemed encrusted with greeblies, bits and bobs. Picards Stargazer and those of her class being the most obvious examples of such. What purpose did these things serve? Were they sensors as some on the production have speculated? Or were they instead Phaser cannons? That would seem to be an unpopular and indeed a very un- Trek like feature. One of the commonalities of the more 'greeblified' (Constellation, Miranda, Soyuz) ships is the distinct lack of a Deflector dish, did these things make up for a lack of that? .

Soyuz class U.S.S. Bozeman

My first impression of the Soyuz class is: It evokes the feeling of a WWII Destroyer or Battleship with it's many "sensor" cannons and blisters. It's registry also fits well with that theme (NCC-1941) It's clear quite a lot of work went into the conversion of the Miranda (Reliant) into the Soyuz (Bozeman). Shame we didn't see more of it, but the episode suggests that even by TNG standards the ship was old.  I wonder, were these ships a dubious flirtation with alternate technologies, technologies which clearly never really caught on since the only other ship we see with dishes and protrusions is the U.S.S. Saratoga seen in the pilot for Deep Space Nine, which by the way was never seen again, nor were any other ships like it.

Sensor protrusions on the U.S.S. Saratoga

On a special note, notice the details on this 'breakaway' model of the Saratoga for DS9's "The Emissary", it has decals or stickers representing the detail parts. Also notice the Enterprise refit warp nacelles mounted on a Reliant type ship! Pretty cool...

Clearly these ships and their strange features were one-offs created for production reasons and likely weren't meant to be analyzed. They were simply meant to 'flesh out' these background ships and to differentiate them even further from their on-screen counterpart.

- Spaced out blogger

Star Wars: The Force Awakens props, costumes and models

New "Flame Trooper" as seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Episode 7

    

     Most who read this blog might think me only a fan of Star Trek. Not true, I am also a fan of Star Wars (Though the prequels obliterated any interest I had in Star Wars) and iO9 recently released pictures of some of the props, models and costumes on display at the Star Wars celebration. I wanted to take a moment to comment on some of what is on display.

http://io9.com/star-wars-costumes-and-props-reveal-new-characters-for-1698341539

Millennium Falcon:

Model of Millennium Falcon as seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Probably my favorite ship from Star Wars as a child, these days I'm not as excited about it as I once was. That said, I am glad to see it again on screen and with a new (Square) Radar dish! Which is apparently a stock Correllian unit whereas the original was a custom military grade if we're to believe "Incredible cross-sections of Star Wars: The ultimate guide to Star Wars vehicles and spacecraft". Beyond the nostalgia associated with it and it's inclusion in the new Star Wars films and it's minor alterations, there's really nothing new to write home about with this one.

New X-wing fighter or T-70 fighter:

New X-wing fighter or T-70 as seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Ah yes, now we get to the new meat-on-the-bone. A new ship for a new era, hearkening back to the classic X-wing fighter, the T-70 puts a new-old spin on the craft by taking a cue from artist Ralph McQuarrie's original concept art for the X-wing. Note the larger engine intakes which split at the center line.  Also note the shorter, sleeker fuselage. The only thing I don't care for is how the wings split. I would have also thought that technology would have advanced considerably following the disbanding of the Empire. I guess in the Star Wars universe the tech only advances as much as plot requires. In other words, not very much.

Flame Trooper:

Flame Trooper helmet

 My second new favorite thing from Episode 7, the Flame Trooper Helmet. I'm one of the few people who never "got" the love of the vac-u-formed Storm Trooper armor. I just found it looking cheesy. Now however, this new Flame Trooper armor and it's Storm Trooper equivalent have me desiring my own helmet for the first time. If anyone out there has or have access to the original molds, I'd love a copy of either. You know, just for wearing around the house! Thing is, it looks rather difficult to see out of without the aid of some kind of computer imaging.

Finn's shoes:

I want a pair! They look like 80's Earth standard. Tennis shoes... in Star Wars. Too cool.

I love the implication that these models make, specifically that the new movie is using physical modeling for it's effects! Unless these were made for J.J. Abrams personal use. ;) Or publicity purposes, which is certainly possible; they did the same thing for Star Trek 2009. I must say I hope they were used to make the film. Physical model making is a dying art, assuming these weren't "grown" (Though even that requires art and skill).

Random thoughts...

-Spaced out blogger

The Ed Miarecki Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan Phaser or how I learned to love "Yesterday's Enterprise"

Ed Miarecki Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Phaser

    Ah, the Phaser from the TNG episode "Yesterday's Enterprise". Originally a fan-convention special produced by fan and prop maker Ed Miarecki, it was meant to be a replica of the Phaser from Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, it was yanked for use in the TNG episode as a quick and dirty solution to the need for an anachronistic out-of-date Phaser for the crew of the Enterprise-C.

The example above is a rather poor casting of the EM (Ed Miarecki, heretofore known as EM) Phaser.  Sporting a kind of mottled paint job, a number of seam lines and a glued-on sticker-type control pad; this Phaser is quite the mess. Thankfully, it only cost me $40 dollars from a seller on ebay, who also claimed it had fan-made electronics (unfortunately for me he never claimed them functional). Despite that, this Phaser exudes sleek streamlined futurism straight out of Flash Gordon; in fact, put a "rocket style" fin on the top and it could easily pass for one of Flash's sidearms.

Unlike it's Original Series predecessor, it features long un-broken lines and a comfortable grip. It fits the hand like it was meant for it. However, it differs in some ways from it's intended on-screen counterpart (The Phaser from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). 

One of the actual screen-used background or "dummy" Phasers. Picture taken from recent auction.

  Comparing the two images above, you will note the EM Phaser is longer and thinner, with a much simpler grip.  Not evident in the images is that the EM Phaser is also wider. This has the affect of 'streamlining' the weapon.

An artists rendering of the EM Phaser (Phasers.net)

A re-purposed vac-u-formed Ed Miarecki Phaser originally made for "Yesterday's Enterprise"

   The Phaser replicas EM sold at conventions were solid-cast resin and were quite heavy. The necessities of Television production prohibited such heavy props, so EM vac-u-formed over one of his Phasers, creating hollow replicas for use in the episode. The prop Phasers were never seen doing anything more than hanging from the actors uniforms so lighting effects were unnecessary. When antique Starfleet Phasers were needed for the episode "Final Mission", EM took one of the Phaser props he created for "Yesterday's Enterprise", re-painted it, added lights to it, a grip and sent it to the producers for approval. They instead decided to use the Phasers from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

   The Phaser seen above is from a private collection.

-The Spaced-out Blogger

The Polar Lights original starship Enterprise (NCC-1701) model kit

Oh so long ago back in 2003, the only models of the original U.S.S. Enterprise were all AMT kits and all of them were horribly inaccurate. Enter: Polar Lights, the unintentional successor of AMT and their beautifully accurate 1/1000 scale model of the original Starship Enterprise. 

A gorgeous kit. 11.5 inches in length. A 3 in 1 kit, what that means is that there are parts to build three different versions of the Enterprise! First pilot version, second pilot version and production version. It also contains decals to render a "Mirror Universe" version of the ship which was represented by the second pilot version of the Enterprise. The kit was marketed as a snap-tite as are all Polar lights 1/1000 kits, but I would suggest using glue as the kit has some parts that will not stay put using only hand pressure.

A few tips on building the kit:

The instructions suggest building the kit in sub-sections, that will be necessary for the secondary hull, but I've found that with the primary hull (saucer section), it is best to attach the bottom of the saucer first to the secondary hull (snapping it in place then gluing the tabs), then attaching the planetary sensor (As it is attached from the inside, you will need to insert and paint it before you attach the top of the saucer as you will the Impulse engine). This gives you a nice firm, straight saucer!

Moving on to the engines. The attachment tab on the warp nacelle pylon is too thick and will need to be cut on only one side of the pylons, the remaining side will be sanded down some as will the insert hole in the Warp engine itself. Sand and check until you are satisfied that the engine will be straight upon gluing. Sand the attachment hole in the Warp nacelle at a horizontal 90 degree angle, this will ensure a straight, flush fit on for the engines!

Next is paint:

One of the most common questions asked about the original Enterprise is "What color is it?" Well, that's a pretty tough question to answer. There are many opinions on the answer to that question. My answer is to buy the "Space seed" edition of the kit (Released in 2014) as it is molded in the correct green/gray color. If purchasing that kit is not an option, I've found that "Krylon pewter gray" is a nice "out of the can" solution. If possible you can mix your own colors.

2014 "Space Seed" edition

That is pretty much it for this kit. It is a breeze to build out of the box and gives the builder lots of options. I've built more than a dozen of them just for the joy of building them, if you or your little one love Star Trek and would like a nice, manageable sized model of the first Enterprise this would be the kit to get.

Happy modeling! 

-Spaced out blogger 

"We are one big happy fleet!" Reliant (Miranda class) musings

Ah Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, everyones supposed favorite and supposedly the best of the Star Trek movies; well I find that debatable. Regardless of my feelings, it did introduce Star Trek's first new Starship and one of the most enduring designs of the franchise. 

U.S.S. Reliant

The ship originally had no class designation. Fandom called it the "Avenger" class. It was later given the class name "Miranda" in Star Trek: The next generation. A name that I never cared for. The ship was an instant classic and quite the hit with fans, despite that it took more than a decade after the films release for there to be a model kit produced. That is a long time for a kid, needless to say that when a kit finally was released in 1994 by the AMT corporation, I was all over it. Immediately built it right out of the package and never even thought about painting it. Well, times have changed as has my techniques and I can say happily that I now own a 1/1000 scale model produced by the AMT successor "Polar Lights". The kit is a joy to build and I recommend it highly.

I've been going over the design for the past few weeks and have begun looking at it differently; for the longest time I simply accepted the design without putting much thought into the 'why' behind it. Now, I'm asking some real tough questions of the ship using all information of the time and the benefit of hindsight.

First we'll begin by looking at the true origins of the Ship known as Reliant - the screenplay. The screenplay says this about the Reliant:

"EXT. DEEP SPACE - NEAR CETI ALPHA V 7
In f.g. is the U.S.S. RELIANT, an older, somewhat
battered Starship of the ENTERPRISE class, with a
  slightly different configuration"

"Enterprise class with a slightly different configuration" That could mean anything, obviously the ship wasn't even in the design phase at the time that description was written so let's ignore it. Let us focus on this - "U.S.S. Reliant, an older, somewhat battered Starship"; now that I find intriguing. I always took the Reliant as a newer, better equipped contemporary of the Enterprise. But the writers (and director) intended for the ship to be older and in worse condition - lesser than the Enterprise. Indeed a case could be made for that from certain clues not only in the design but in the film itself. 

Let's take what we see of the ship first: It matches the Enterprise visually with regard to it's engines, same impulse engines, same warp engines, same bridge. In that way it is comparable technologically to it's in-film adversary - The Enterprise. But what of the equipment or 'greeblies' on the outside? What purpose do they serve? We see that the ship lacks a Deflector dish, it possesses the three round details around the Enterprises deflector- they are positioned two on the saucer and one on the "Weapons pod" of the Reliant. Suggesting that the system exists on that ship and would seem to be a necessary component as all Enterprises have them. Could the rest of the details on the Reliant be connected or rather a replacement for the deflector? In later classes or variants of the Miranda class we can see the ship without the roll-bar and as such missing that part of it's deflector system; obviously it is not necessary for the ship to have as it has existed without it.

Are the details on the outside of the ship meant to suggest that it is somehow older, lesser, not as sophisticated or refined as the Enterprise? I'm quite fond of the idea that the Reliant is an older ship and not as good as the Enterprise, despite it seeming like the better of the two in the film; though that was probably due to the Reliant catching Kirk and crew off guard in their sneak attack, leaving the Enterprise horribly crippled throughout the film. I doubt if the Enterprise were in top condition that the Reliant would be much of a threat, despite it clearly having more weapons. And what of those weapons? What mission type would necessitate that many weapons? The ship possesses no less than four torpedo launchers and sixteen! Phaser banks. Talk about being gunned up!

The case could be made that the Enterprise was more of a science and exploratory ship where as the Reliant was more of a patrol/destroyer meant to patrol the neutral zone and as such was given a greater number of weapons. Add to that it's ability to 'jam' sensors and you've got quite a lethal ship. So why then was it supposed to be "an older, battered starship"? The ships registry (NCC-1864) suggests that it is newer than the Enterprise (NCC-1701), possibly by several decades. Could the ships history point to an answer? Let's say it was a patrol ship, plying the Federation border for most of it's life; and let's say it encountered an inordinate number of battles? That might suggest a reason why such a gunned-up ship like the Reliant was relegated to surveying planets in known Federation space. An old warhorse (Which Harve Bennett R.I.P seemed quite fond of - look to his Starfleet Academy script and the 'old' Enterprise for another example) put out to pasture a bit early due to a severe service life.

That said, there is nothing in the film which suggests that this ship is anything less than the Enterprise. Indeed, the Enterprise herself is relegated to a 'training vessel', something that in real naval terms means the ship is one step from the scrap yard.

I do however like the idea of the Reliant being an old beater of a starship. Though I also like the idea of a rather small starfleet (A couple of hundred ships or so), I think it makes the universe seem smaller and our heroes seem a bit bigger. Make of that what you will.

Another point is the disposition of the Reliant's crew before Khan exiled them; they seemed as though they'd almost welcome banishment! Go back and watch, everyone including Kyle seems bored to tears and wanting to do anything but surveying planets for a bunch of kooky scientists! Perhaps that's why Terrell and his group of TOS castaways pulled such a shitty assignment, their bad attitude coupled with  a cannon fodder of a Captain and they could all probably see the writing on the wall. Those guys were fucked before they left Spacedock.

Variants.

U.S.S. Lantree

The variants of the Miranda class might also suggest that this ship is a POS. Let's take it's first appearance on TNG - The U.S.S. Lantree designated a class 3 supply ship with a handful of people aboard. No weapons bar (Not an intentional decision, see the reason here).

Lantree filming model.

 Soyuz class.

U.S.S. Bozeman (NCC-1941) emerging from a "Temporal Causality Loop"

In the TNG episode "Cause and effect" The Enterprise-D is continuously struck and destroyed by a Miranda variant; the U.S.S. Bozeman (NCC-1941). I've loved this variant since it's first appearance on TV. It was quite a unique Starship design in that it had a number of 'sensor blisters' on it all with suspiciously gun-like sensor tubes sticking out of them. It wasn't seen too clearly in the episode but it was clear enough to see the differences. The creation of this new sub-class was obviously a cost-saving measure and required only a minor modification of the old Reliant model.

Saratoga variant:

U.S.S. Saratoga (NCC-31911)

U.S.S. Saratoga filming model

In the DS9 pilot "Emissary", commander Benjamin Sisko is seen as the first officer of the U.S.S. Saratoga (NCC-31911); a modified Miranda class nearly eighty years after the ship was first introduced. The ship is ultimately destroyed by the Borg in the battle of Wolf 359. It is unique in that it lacks the Reliant's rollbar and is equipped with two large sensor dishes on either side attached to the warp engine pylons. It also strangely fires a Phaser blast from the planetary sensor on the underside of the saucer section (In a similar position as that of the old Enterprise) and not from one of the many Phaser banks located under the saucer. The interiors of the ship show a very modern vessel and not one that seemed to have been built in the 2270's (Like the U.S.S. Reliant), though it is possible that the interiors of the ship had been modernized (A term and practice of many modern navies, a means of lengthening a ships service life.). The Registry would seem to suggest that it is a much more modern vessel. Were Miranda class ships built into the 24th century? Or were they simply modernized, re-equipped and new registries assigned?

Saratoga model details

- Spaced out blogger

To boldy go...

    I'll start this post by saying that I am a huge Trekkie. Star Trek for me is less a show and more an ever evolving, changing part of my life. It started in my childhood, with many a Saturday spent watching Star Trek the original series, falling in love with the characters, their quirks and their adventures. One of the greatest characters of all being the Starship Enterprise, the futuristic space-faring equivalent of an Aircraft carrier. 

                                        U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (NCC-1701)

The Starship Enterprise was my first fictional, in-animate love. Other kids were falling in love with their dolls and stuffed animals, I fell in love with my model of the Enterprise, so much so that as a six year old I actually cried after the destruction of the Enterprise in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. I mean real tears, it wasn't pretty.

The characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and all the rest were wonderful role models for a young outsider trying like hell to understand the world around him. If I found myself lonely and out and about, I could pretend that I was on an alien planet or exploring an abandoned starbase. Nothing stimulated my imagination like Star Trek, it was a series that could literally go anywhere and do anything.  Later, with the introduction of Star Trek: The Next Generation I found the next generation of role models in the characters of Picard and Data, two of that series' strongest moral centers. When in a predicament, I on occation ask myself, what would Spock or Picard do? I rarely ask what Kirk would do as it would likely land me in jail or riddled with STD's. 

                                  (From top; U.S.S. Grissom; U.S.S. Reliant; U.S.S. Enterprise)

The Enterprise type was the only Starship we the audience saw until Star Trek: The Motion Picture, when the Enterprise was "refitted" (In reality it was a whole new ship and Model, though we're supposed to believe that it was still the old Enterprise just in a new guise.) And in that film it was still just the Enterprise, until Star Trek II: The wrath of Khan with the introduction of the U.S.S. Reliant and in Star Trek III: The search for Spock we were introduced to no less than five new ships including, the U.S.S. Grissom, U.S.S. Excelsior and a Klingon bird-of-prey. after that I found things to get a bit cluttered as we were introduced to ship after ship none of them having the same impact as the first few, it soon became old hat.

Now, thirty years in retrospect I find myself stuck in the 80's, building and re-building the same types of models; all of which are either the hero ships from the first series or movies, or designs derived there from. 

These objects have so affected me that I find that I'm surrounding myself with them, immersing myself in the world of Star Trek. Given what Star Trek is and the ideas and ideals it attempts to convey, I can't think of no better obsession, indeed - it was the ideas presented in Star Trek (and familial influence) that gave me the moral center and compass I now possess. As such, I would like to thank those that have expanded the Star Trek universe and those that dared to espouse such beliefs even in a time when such things were blasphemy.

I would also like to add a side note for the late Leonard Nimoy, you gave me a compassionate hero and persona in the character of Spock and yourself. You will be missed.

 
                                             (Live long, and prosper)

-Spaced out blogger

The spaced out blogger

Hi all!

I'm "The Spaced out blogger"! And I love all things Science fiction, this blog will be a hodgepodge of ideas, information and just general thoughts about various sci-fi or indeed, life subjects.

If you've got a question or something useful to add or if you just want to hang and chat feel free to post or drop me a line.

SOB (Son of a bitch) (Kidding, I mean Spaced Out Blogger)