# U.S.S. Excelsior NX-2000



## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

So, I've been working on an Ertl 1/1000 _Excelsior_ I got a while back, and felt it was time to show some progress photos.

I'm building this up as the original NX-2000 version, which is my favorite--because the ship was designed as a deliberately ridiculous "improvement" on the _Enterprise_ design, and it really works on that level.

The kit is a major pain, in terms of accurizing. I've been doing extensive modifications, including:


* Replacing the saucer and neck with PNT and Misc. Kits parts. The upper saucer's impulse engines have been shortened, and the angle changed to replicate the slanted look of the studio model.

* Adding the DLM accurizing parts.

* Chopping apart and shortening the secondary hull.

* Chopping apart and rebuilding the pylon hump.


There's still a lot of work to do, like reshaping the secondary hull and shortening the nacelles. I think I'm getting fairly close to the studio model's proportions, though.

I'll be using Acreation and PNT decals for the aztecs and markings.


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## GSaum (May 26, 2005)

Looks great so far! I'm a huge fan of this ship. I have a AMT kit of the 1/1000 Enterprise-B which I started and never finished in the 90s. I never picked up the Excelsior, though, and I wish I had because it's somewhat collectable since the modelmakers no longer have the molds to release the kits (they were altered for the Enterprise-B kit). 

I do have one concern looking at your pictures. The saucer seems to not be in proper alignment with the secondary hull. In that first picture you posted, it looks like the saucer is turned to the right, albeit ever so slightly. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me?


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Nice work so far. Are you doing anything to reinforce the joints between the primary, secondary, and pylon hump sections? I always had a problem with those sectiojns breaking apart under the mildest strain before I did my own "refit" and added styrene sheet and rod to the joints.


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## Edge (Sep 5, 2003)

GSaum said:


> Looks great so far! I'm a huge fan of this ship. I have a AMT kit of the 1/1000 Enterprise-B which I started and never finished in the 90s. I never picked up the Excelsior, though, and I wish I had because it's somewhat collectable since the modelmakers no longer have the molds to release the kits (they were altered for the Enterprise-B kit).
> 
> I do have one concern looking at your pictures. The saucer seems to not be in proper alignment with the secondary hull. In that first picture you posted, it looks like the saucer is turned to the right, albeit ever so slightly. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me?


It looks like the going price on evilbay is only around $30 shipped for an Excelsior kit. FWIW.

Good work on your build so far Gregatron.


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

GSaum said:


> I do have one concern looking at your pictures. The saucer seems to not be in proper alignment with the secondary hull. In that first picture you posted, it looks like the saucer is turned to the right, albeit ever so slightly. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me?



It's because the parts are only loosely assembled for the photos, and so the saucer is slightly askew. I won't be gluing the saucer/neck/secondary hull together until after painting and decaling.


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Trekkriffic said:


> Nice work so far. Are you doing anything to reinforce the joints between the primary, secondary, and pylon hump sections? I always had a problem with those sectiojns breaking apart under the mildest strain before I did my own "refit" and added styrene sheet and rod to the joints.



Lots of JB Weld should do the job.


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

:thumbsup: Looking good!
-Jim


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## GSaum (May 26, 2005)

> It's because the parts are only loosely assembled for the photos, and so the saucer is slightly askew. I won't be gluing the saucer/neck/secondary hull together until after painting and decaling.


Ah! That explains it then! Well it's looking great so far. Nice job on the accurizing!


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

Great start! Shortening that secondary hull goes a long way to improving the profile


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## Tuxedo (Dec 14, 2011)

Looking Good ! :thumbsup:


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

I know someone once hinted at the shortening the engineering hull mod. Any specifics as to where to cut, etc?


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackbirdcd/4841668239/in/set-72157624487259655/


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Interesting. Thanks, Gregatron. I will have to plot out and cut accordingly. It's interesting that the kit piece isn't as broad across the bottom as the FX shot of the 2nd hull. Fascinating!


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

After cutting out a bit in the middle I did add strip styrene to beef out the top piece of the secondary hull just a little.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

its lining up the grooves in the neck that made me crazy


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

oh yeah, the replacement neck in that accurizing kit from Federation models is worth the price of the whole package.


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## chargr (May 9, 2005)

Gregatron,
I just found this thread and was wondering if you finished your build. The pictures you posted looked really good. 

I'd like to see the finished model.

Thnaks.


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Been taking a break on it. There's sooooo much accurizing to do, I got a little burned-out! I'll be getting back to it, sooner or later.


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## publiusr (Jul 27, 2006)

This might help:
http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=95397&d=1330023821
http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/showthread.php?78523-USS-Excelsior/page18


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Very nice!


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

publiusr said:


> This might help:
> http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=95397&d=1330023821
> http://www.scifi-meshes.com/forums/showthread.php?78523-USS-Excelsior/page18


Awsome!!! Finally a very accurate image of the port side, just what I've been needing to accurize my AMT kits of the 2000!!!


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Steve, in the scond pic looking at the forward bottom of the secondary hull, it's cover in putty. Is this just to putty over the 'panel' lines and windows or did you do some reshaping of the contour?

HAL9001-


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## MLCrisis32 (Oct 11, 2011)

Gregatron said:


> Been taking a break on it. There's sooooo much accurizing to do, I got a little burned-out! I'll be getting back to it, sooner or later.


Don't feel bad I walked away from my Excelsior build for months earlier this year. That is the worst kit I've ever built (fit and quality wise) since my original ERTL Refit.


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## Dr. Gonzo (Oct 3, 2000)

Bump for updates


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Been taking a long break on this--waiting for a an accurate lower hangar bay part, too.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Great work! I have the AMT one...built mine out of the box.


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## PoORrich (Mar 14, 2013)

Hi Gregatron,
I'm absolutely brand new to this Forum. My kudos to your fine attempt to recreate the Excelsior Class with AMT's Kit. This will sound controversial, but I swear when I look very closely at your Flik'r image Ex_A11_SideComparison, the Original Film Miniature's Impulse Engines are NOT exactly PARALLEL with the Main Engineering Hull but instead there's a Definite but Slight Flare UPWARDS towards the Stern from Saucer Section. If you look at the negative space (black background) it's easier to spot this. What's amazing is that even all the blueprints I've seen do not reflect it.


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