In 1992, the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum opened a special exhibit showcasing 25 years of Star Trek. As part of that exhibit, the 11-foot filming model of the Enterprise was restored by Ed Miarecki of Sci-Fi Modeling Associates in his shop in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ed gutted and re-painted the model. New lighting and a completely reworked Warp Engine lighting system was installed, designed to accurately duplicate the original lighting. Since I was also conducting a restoration of sorts on my own Enterprise model, I decided to update the model by researching the newly restored original.
Photo from Air & Space Magazine
| Visible in these photos are the controversial "Deflector Grid" lines. These grid lines managed to almost touch off a war among Trekkies. Some people, Ed Miarecki included, have claimed that these lines actually were on the model when Paramount Studios was filming the effects shots for the show's final season. Those at the other extreme claim that the Enterprise had no such markings. Some in the middle say that the gridwork was there, that it was just overdone on the restoration. While most views of the Enterprise on video show no such gridwork, there are some shots where it may be possible to just barely discern a faint line or two. A drawing that first appeared in the book The Making of Star Trek and then later on the box of the AMT kit depicts the Enterprise with grid lines only on the saucer top just like the kit. |
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As for evidence on the studio model itself, the model had been painted over since Paramount Studios gave it to the Smithsonian, covering all evidence of any gridwork. According to Mr. Miarecki, however, the Smithsonian informed him that Paramount, which still officially owns the model, allowed them to keep it as long as the upper surface of the Primary Hull Saucer remained un-touched for as long as the model was in their possession. All other parts of the model may be repainted or reworked. (This might be the reason why the Smithsonian has never displayed the model with the top of the saucer easily seen.) Mr. Miarecki vigorously documented the restoration with many photos, one of which clearly shows a very finely drawn gridwork on the top surface of the saucer. There remains the fact, however, that every surface other than the saucer top had been painted over since the first restoration. Mr. Miarecki and others reason that if there were grid markings on the top of the saucer, it made sense that they would also be on the saucer bottom and elsewhere on the model. Unfortunately, no photos have been produced (yet) verifying whether or not there were grid lines anywhere else on the model while the show was being filmed. This brings up the possibility that the AMT kit is correct in that there were grid lines on the studio model and they were found only on the top of the saucer. |
Visible in the above photo is some detail that was missing when I last photographed the model. The raised detail just forward of the red and yellow Starfleet Pennant was a detail that was represented by a decal on my model the first time around.
Again I referred to the drawings in SHIPS of the STARFLEET. The drawing below is modified to reflect the correct coloring. (Click on the drawing for a larger version.)
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9:
PAINTING
II: THE WRATH OF ACRYLICS
The History of Space Exploration
Figures: People, Creatures and Dinosaurs
