# Refit Enterprise... No Aztecs!



## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

I just came across a batch of photos I had taken of a Polar Lights Refit Enterprise buildup I did for my local hobbyshop, Galaxy Hobby, and I wanted to share this with all of you - a Refit Enterprise built without all the hassle and bother of the Aztec Patterns. They just wanted one to have on display, no lights, nothing fancy, just a buildup that was competently painted and with decals for dispaly purposes..

I couldn't just blast white on this beautiful kit, so I took some time to build it out nicely. There were small LEDs fitted into the Hangar Bay, the only lights on the entire model. These were there just so people could see the details inside, when the hangar doors were removed. I probably put way too much time into detailing and painting the hangar bay, botanical gardens, and officer's lounge, but it was fun. Doesn't matter if you can't see them, right? The shuttles were a lot of fun.

And while I did not do any aztec patterns, I did try to emmulate the major color patterns on the hull. The base color was a white lacquer from Duplicolor. I over-sprayed it with Tamiya Pearl, which gave it a great finish (sans Aztecs). In the end, I thought it turned out pretty great. I still need to build up a full-on detailed version for myself.

Polar Light's Refit Enteprise in 1/350, with NO AZTEC Patterns!

After being on display for about a year, this model fell off the counter, and the saucer snapped off. The former owner of the store has it in his shop at home to be repaired.


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## miraclefan (Apr 11, 2009)

The ship looks nice ''naked'' but it still needs some AZTECS!


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## Ohio_Southpaw (Apr 26, 2005)

I think she looks lovely. Nice and clean...pristine. Excellent paint job you did there!


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Personally, I never liked the Aztec paneling or paneling of any sort on the Enterprise. In my view, it was a concession to Star Wars to give the effect of adding detail. As proven by the appearance of the TOS Enterprise on the big screen in Airplane 2: The Sequel, the identification with apparent size is established by familiar objects, in that case, the windows. Everyone knows what a picture window looks like. The TOS Enterprise looked frakkin' HUGE. The use of a super wide angle periscope lens to photograph the model and the paneling didn't work to give an increased sense of size, in my view.

Additionally, 300 years from now, I would expect panelless tech. In 1976, NASA had announced that they could make construction beams in orbit from liquid extruded to shape, then hardened in the direct UV of the Sun to something harder than steel, yet lighter than aluminum. Other articles and sci-fi novels discussed the use of nanotech to literally grow a ship seamlessly in a vat of the component chemicals (mid 1980's). 

The TOS Enterprise made sense without paneling and looked great. If not for Star Wars, the aesthetic of the 1970's may well have left the Refit without the appearance of panels.


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## hubert (May 3, 2008)

charonjr said:


> Personally, I never liked the Aztec paneling or paneling of any sort on the Enterprise. In my view, it was a concession to Star Wars to give the effect of adding detail. As proven by the appearance of the TOS Enterprise on the big screen in Airplane 2: The Sequel, the identification with apparent size is established by familiar objects, in that case, the windows. Everyone knows what a picture window looks like. The TOS Enterprise looked frakkin' HUGE. The use of a super wide angle periscope lens to photograph the model and the paneling didn't work to give an increased sense of size, in my view.
> 
> Additionally, 300 years from now, I would expect panelless tech. In 1976, NASA had announced that they could make construction beams in orbit from liquid extruded to shape, then hardened in the direct UV of the Sun to something harder than steel, yet lighter than aluminum. Other articles and sci-fi novels discussed the use of nanotech to literally grow a ship seamlessly in a vat of the component chemicals (mid 1980's).
> 
> The TOS Enterprise made sense without paneling and looked great. If not for Star Wars, the aesthetic of the 1970's may well have left the Refit without the appearance of panels.


I like the way you think. I felt the same way watching Airplane 2 but we'll never see anything like this on the big screen again. As you point out, the 'concession' has been made, there's no going back...


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

I had the "opportunity"  to hear Andrew Probert's assertion that a starship like this would more likely be built in massive sections of an exotic material like metallic ceramics. In his mind it wouldn't look like a contemporary aircraft, with panels of alumnimun. I agree to a large extent, the TMP Refit was painted as if it were made like an aircraft... but it looks so cool.

And to be clear, when I build the next one for myself, it'll have heavy panel detailing. I just wanted to share with everyone an example of a model that looks pretty decent without "anal modeler's syndrome" applied.


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

To be honest.... it looks pretty damn good!:thumbsup:
BlackbirdCD ,........ could you either PM or E-Mail me the colors that you used (all of them please) to paint your "Aztecless" Refit???
Many thanks,
-Jim


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## Trekkie75 (Mar 29, 2009)

Although not accurate, or as "cool" looking, at least the pictures prove an "Aztecless" Refit can be done in respectable form. This way takes alot of the headache out of building this kit imo, and will probably be how I paint my first one.


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

JGG1701 said:


> To be honest.... it looks pretty damn good!:thumbsup:
> BlackbirdCD ,........ could you either PM or E-Mail me the colors that you used (all of them please) to paint your "Aztecless" Refit???
> Many thanks,
> -Jim


Mostly it was a really basic white base color - Duplicolor White Lacquer-based primer. I believe I also used Tamiya White over that for a more elegant white.

Then I shot the thing with Tamiya Pearl. The Pearl was straight from their rattle-cans, probably 2 1/2 of them in all. It's a very transparent color so you need white underneath it. The bulk of the remaining tones, the blue-grays for instance, were all from Testor's paint line, each mixed with a bit of light gray to make them feel right with the model. There was the occasional silver and "aircraft exhaust" on some of the details here and there.


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## Griffworks (Jun 24, 2002)

Beautiful work, Chris. I really like her in a "bare finish" w/o the aztec paneling. :thumbsup:


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## Steve Mavronis (Oct 14, 2001)

Looks fine that way to me. On a real ship of that size (and model scale) I'm not even sure you'd see different panel gradations until you got fairly up close. Look at an ocean liner and you don't notice hull plating, rivets, etc., unless you are standing relatively nearby. Plus if the 1701 was a real starship, seeing all those shades of panels would make me think Starfleet has serious manufacturing issues with hull plating material consistency and quality control!


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

Finally! 1701A as it should have been. I hate asteching!


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## Jodet (May 25, 2008)

The former owner? Did Bob sell Galaxy Hobby?


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## Jodet (May 25, 2008)

JGG1701 said:


> To be honest.... it looks pretty damn good!:thumbsup:
> BlackbirdCD ,........ could you either PM or E-Mail me the colors that you used (all of them please) to paint your "Aztecless" Refit???
> Many thanks,
> -Jim


Yes, please, me too!


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

Jodet said:


> The former owner? Did Bob sell Galaxy Hobby?


He did, but he sold it to one of the guys who was working with him from day one. I'm happy to report that the shop is in fantastic shape. They really know how to run a successful, independent hobby shop.


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

Jodet said:


> Yes, please, me too!


 see post #9 above.


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

Griffworks said:


> Beautiful work, Chris. I really like her in a "bare finish" w/o the aztec paneling. :thumbsup:


Thanks, Jeff! It was actually kinda hard to let go and just go with it the way I did. But when it was done, it was great to look at... and whoosh around once or twice maybe.


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## Steve Mavronis (Oct 14, 2001)

Whoosh is the best part of making a Sci Fi model


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## 1711rob (Mar 15, 2006)

Nice and clean looks good my 1st Pl350 was also with no Aztec.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

I like it. I think some modelers get carried away with the Aztecing (too heavy/too much contrast) and end up with something that looks nothing like what I see on screen; it's nice to see a "clean" version.


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## Roguepink (Sep 18, 2003)

Interpretation is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

I do not agree, but my goal as a model maker is to achieve ACCURACY to the highest possible degree. I may not agree with the design choice of the subject, but to arbitrarily change that design means my model is now NOT an accurate representation of what I am modeling.

And this OCD approach is exactly WHY I have not built my 1/350 1701 kit.

So... um... nice looking model!


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## El Gato (Jul 15, 2000)

Great job, Chris. I liked how you sold a naked E! :thumbsup:


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

charonjr said:


> Personally, I never liked the Aztec paneling or paneling of any sort on the Enterprise. In my view, it was a concession to Star Wars to give the effect of adding detail. As proven by the appearance of the TOS Enterprise on the big screen in Airplane 2: The Sequel, the identification with apparent size is established by familiar objects, in that case, the windows. Everyone knows what a picture window looks like. The TOS Enterprise looked frakkin' HUGE. The use of a super wide angle periscope lens to photograph the model and the paneling didn't work to give an increased sense of size, in my view.
> 
> Additionally, 300 years from now, I would expect panelless tech. In 1976, NASA had announced that they could make construction beams in orbit from liquid extruded to shape, then hardened in the direct UV of the Sun to something harder than steel, yet lighter than aluminum. Other articles and sci-fi novels discussed the use of nanotech to literally grow a ship seamlessly in a vat of the component chemicals (mid 1980's).
> 
> The TOS Enterprise made sense without paneling and looked great. If not for Star Wars, the aesthetic of the 1970's may well have left the Refit without the appearance of panels.


I generally agree with this. I've often found that the aztec-ing on models to be overdone and too obvious whereas on the actual filming miniature in TMP and TWoK it was much, much more subtle.


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## Maritain (Jan 16, 2008)

She looks great!!!


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## miraclefan (Apr 11, 2009)

Lloyd Collins said:


> Finally! 1701A as it should have been. I hate asteching!


So do I! Mainly because it's a real PAIN to paint! Other than that, I do like the aztec look.


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## Jafo (Apr 22, 2005)

love it! i also am sick of the aztec gods
is that a pun?


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