# AMT Klingon BOP



## jaws62666 (Mar 25, 2009)

Well its on to my next Star Trek reissue kit. The detail on this is very nice. I am building it with the wings up and landing gear down. A word to the wise. If you are building this in landing position , the instructions are wrong. Part 48 gets the 2 pieces that should be on part 49, and vice versa. Also on part 5 , the pieces 3,4,9 and 10 are reversed as well. I wish I would have thought of it sooner , but if you have small neo magnets , you can put them in the wings and each radiator making the different flight modes interchangeable, if you know what you are doing. I already glued my wings together. Oh well. Enjoy the preliminary pics.





































I dont know why, but the manufacturer info is on the very top midddle of the kit










The ladder and ramp is assembled but not attached yet


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## machgo (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks for posting the pics and info. I have the original release, but the option of landing gear may make me get another. And I always wanted to make moveable wings. 

Weird they would mold manufacturing data on the top:freak:

I don't recall if the original did.....I always thought this was on of the best designs in Star Trek. Thanks again!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

machgo said:


> Weird they would mold manufacturing data on the top:freak:


They didn't. The information is simply printed in black on the piece. It isn't molded into it. It should be easily covered with paint. I am SO glad that they have started doing this instead of molding it on like they did with the 1/1000 TOS _Enterprise_!


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## machgo (Feb 10, 2010)

Ah, OK. I thought it was raised lettering. No biggie then.


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## torren_of_amber (Dec 8, 2008)

machgo said:


> Thanks for posting the pics and info. I have the original release, but the option of landing gear may make me get another. And I always wanted to make moveable wings.
> 
> Weird they would mold manufacturing data on the top:freak:
> 
> I don't recall if the original did.....I always thought this was on of the best designs in Star Trek. Thanks again!


It did make me buy another, but I am so glad I did. It is really much better and worth picking it up.


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## Fraley1701 (Sep 3, 2003)

torren_of_amber said:


> It did make me buy another, but I am so glad I did. It is really much better and worth picking it up.


I am curious as I have an original issue and have been on the fence about buying the repop just for the landing gear feature. How is it much better? Is the molding crisper than the original? Are there any other new features (other than the landing gear)? I appreciate your opinion and advice. :thumbsup:


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Looking nice so far. I just ordered this one along with the Reliant, Romulan Bird of Prey, and new WOW Martian/alien/whatever. I don't know if I will go with gear down or up. I've never owned one til now so it will be a new experience. I will be looking forward to following your build.

Bob K.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

jaws62666 said:


> I am building it with the wings up and landing gear down.


I notice you're using a stand. Is that because the new leg pieces aren't strong enough to support the weight of the built-up kit? Also, if they are strong enough, does it balance well when standing on the legs or will it need to be counter-weighted?


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Glad to see someone doing the landed version with the new parts. Looking great so far!


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## jaws62666 (Mar 25, 2009)

Zombie_61 said:


> I notice you're using a stand. Is that because the new leg pieces aren't strong enough to support the weight of the built-up kit? Also, if they are strong enough, does it balance well when standing on the legs or will it need to be counter-weighted?


I wanted to make sure that the legs were completely glued. It is metal with platic feet. It holds the ship nicely. Just be careful when you glue the pads to the struts, you have to hold them down flat until the glue starts to set. if you dont , the pads will tilt and not look right.


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## modelnutz (Sep 21, 2009)

Cool ! So, the kit does stand on it's own !
I was a little nervous about that when I mastered the gear...I never did a full build-up with the gear attached....good to see that it all worked out well.

Nice build too :thumbsup:


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## Solium (Apr 24, 2005)

Was never fond of this ship. One cannot make out a scale, (even if one is given) and the ship looks "upside down" to me. But the model kit looks well designed with a lot of detail. Maybe I can warm up to it with landing gear. The only time I found it interesting was when it was on the landing pad on Vulcan.


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

Solium said:


> The only time I found it interesting was when it was on the landing pad on Vulcan.


Sounds like a diorama may be in order.:thumbsup:
-Jim


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Solium said:


> Was never fond of this ship. One cannot make out a scale, (even if one is given)...


Can of Worms, meet Mr. Opener. There's a long, convoluted explanation for the difficulties in establishing the proper scale for any given Klingon Bird of Prey (a reasonably well thought-out explanation can be found here), but AMT states this particular kit is 1/350 scale; that's good enough for me. 



Solium said:


> ...and the ship looks "upside down" to me.


That's the way I felt the first time I saw the USS Enterprise when the series first aired in 1966. Being rather young, I thought the warp engines looked more like landing skids. 



Solium said:


> But the model kit looks well designed with a lot of detail. Maybe I can warm up to it with landing gear. The only time I found it interesting was when it was on the landing pad on Vulcan.


IMO the Bird of Prey is the best Star Trek kit AMT produced. Fewer inaccuracies than the other kits and, as you stated, a lot of detail. As far as non-Federation ships go, the BoP is my favorite design.


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## Solium (Apr 24, 2005)

Zombie_61 said:


> That's the way I felt the first time I saw the USS Enterprise when the series first aired in 1966. Being rather young, I thought the warp engines looked more like landing skids.


Well as I am sure you know the Enterprise was "upside down", so you were pretty perceptive as a kid.


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

I really gonna pick one of these up before the year is out, as with everything else though, can't say when I'd finish it. Or even _start_ it!


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## DL Matthys (May 8, 2004)

Here is some out of the box shots of the new AMT R2 Reissue.
The photos only concern the new landing gear features.
I was really waiting on this to see how the wing baffle hinge plates fit with the new kit features.









A quick out of the box view of the new AMT/R2 parts now issued. An old AMT ERTL mold was modified by retooling the large bottom hull part. Open now is a large hole to accommidate new parts of a landing gear.

On the far right is the completely new tool sprue. Devoted to a landing gear, gear doors, landing bay ceiling and wing baffle hinge parts for a folded up option.









Landing gear bay doors...This one part is for the gear up option
Landing bay compartment ceiling.









Foot Pads...As seen from impression left in the soil and sod, 1984 in Golden Gate Park, San Fransisco 









Bottom of personel landing ramp.









Kit parts 50 and 51 landing foot pads. The metal struts are cast metal...likely _fine_ pewter by spin cast.
My knowledge of pewter casting is extensive...As a load bearing material...it is not.









Landing gear bay compartment dry fit.
Strut assembly mounted.

I having seen this set up a few years back when conceived by Ed Holt and as recent photos of the gear set up at Wonder Fest 2010 a lot of the finer details have fallen away while being tooled up. So it seams a lot of the finer details have been "washed" away in the process. A big disapointment is the pads. Like what was a large industrial or mining sized hinge details was engraved into the prototype now replaced with the obvious press out pins instead. This is a focal point to the details... Oh Well! It's AMT after all and so many old traditions on how to tool molds to USA kit standards (sic..you know... for the kids) still continues.

Anyways it all cool and it now completes the kit! Ed had a stroke of genius to the design the landing gear from meager references. It looks...Logical!

DL Matthys


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## modelnutz (Sep 21, 2009)

DL Matthys said:


> Ed had a stroke of genius to the design the landing gear from meager references. It looks...Logical!
> 
> DL Matthys


Wow !
Thanks Don !
Bet you'd never guess that the gear parts came from an F-18 I had laying around 
Logical ??? Ha,Ha....I just took my time and studied the mechanic's Handbook and a few screen shots from ST-3

I've been considering offering a vac-formed base...the landing pad on Vulcan...perhaps with Roto-Molded hills stairs....any opinions ???? Yes...No ????

One last thing...for the purists out there...the hallway ceiling should be cut out and a translucent, lit panel installed...also, there are a few details on the inner wall that were dropped for molding....mostly sunken panels and some ribbing. Check out ST-3...when the crew is floating Spock's casket down the ramp...you can see a few of the details I mentioned.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

It was great talking with you about the gear last year at WF, Ed. A really super piece of work and your enthusiasm about it was contagious.

Was it you or Jamie who suggested some PE for it? At this point I completely forget, but I should have something to show next week.


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## modelnutz (Sep 21, 2009)

I'd bet it was Jamie.

Yea, I was pretty jazzed...seeing one's work destined for a styrene kit is just a blast! Thank for the kind words !

I can not thank Jamie Hood and Round2 Models enough for the opportunity. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## DL Matthys (May 8, 2004)

Yeah Paul..... the bay parts could use some greebadge in a Klingish sort of way. I'm looking to my Quonus One K'tinga PE set for some inspiration.

DLM


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## modelnutz (Sep 21, 2009)

Oh yea...Don, sorry 'bout calling you Dave....don't know what I was thinking :freak:


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

Does anybody know of a "light kit" for this BOP? I just ordered the kit and want to do lighting for it. Standard lights are easy enough but a nice torpedo effect and maybe flickering engines would be cool.


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## DL Matthys (May 8, 2004)

A flickering engine FX kit I do have. Build it yourself...fits in like a bulkhead.
On this page:
http://www.dlmparts.com/electronics.html
Scroll to the bottom

DL Matthys
www.dlmparts.com
[email protected]
Make it Glow!


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## jaws62666 (Mar 25, 2009)

*Started painting my kit*

I started painting my Klingon BOP this weekend. The base coat was sprayed on with Krylon Satin Italian Olive. Everything else is and will be hand painted. I used acrylics and enamels on this . A sage green acrylic, a field green enamel, gunmetal , red, and rust. I finished up one wing. Pics arent real clear but I think they show a decent pic. let me know what you all think so far.


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

DL Matthys said:


> A flickering engine FX kit I do have. Build it yourself...fits in like a bulkhead.
> On this page:
> http://www.dlmparts.com/electronics.html
> Scroll to the bottom
> ...


Thanks! I just ordered one.


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