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STAR
TREK -
GALILEO II SHUTTLECRAFT
AMT/ERTL - 1:37 Build Between July-August 2005 |
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By the time I'm writing these lines I’ve been working in this model for a few days. In the beginning I didn't think it could be a difficult model or a challenging project, because it looked so simple. However it is. This kit has so many inaccuracies that if you want a good representation of the reality you have to spend a lot of time scratch building details... As a reference source I used all the information from the The Model Builders Referent Vault, tons of information... I'm planning to light the model in the bussard collectors (yellow LEDs), in the impulse engines (blue LEDs) and also in the interior (white LED). Also I'm planning to do a very special painting work. This shuttle was, right from the beginning, plane white. No special thing... So I'm planning to paint it with Aztec paneling, in the same way as we see since ST: TMP. For this work I've ordered Createx pearlescent white (for modeling) paint. The patterns were developed by my wife in Adobe Illustrator.
I won't modify the chairs, too much work. I started with the warp nacelles. They are also not accurate. It is supposed to be scribed lines close to the bussard collectors and they are not... But first of all I fixed the LEDs in the bussard collectors. There are no clear parts for them but if I don't prime them the transparency would be enough. I add styrene sheet pieces in the pylons of the nacelles and also in the wings of the ship because the thickness is to thin. This also helps to pass the wires from the nacelles inside the engineering room (where the batteries are going to be). I don't dare to scribe lines in the nacelles because of the thickness of the plastic. Instead I add a piece of 0.25 mm of styrene sheet. I know that the effect is in the opposite way, but it's better than nothing.
In the fixing procedure of the styrene sheet on the wing, I left a small guide to put the wires from the nacelles. A lot of putting and sanding is required (and when I say a lot I mean A LOT !). Once the thickness is corrected, the warp nacelles are fixed on the wings. There were some large gaps between the pylons and the wings. Since these bonds must be strong, instead of putty I used a mixture of glue and styrene dust (from sanding). The result is the gap filled as well as a strong bond.
One thing it worries me very much is how to put the batteries inside the model. After two days of thinking I found a very easy way to do it. I cut off a rectangular piece in the engineering room and I fixed a pair of tabs on the cut piece. This piece will be introduced in diagonal way and then put in place. The gravity will do the rest.
An additional inaccuracy is a pair of squadrons to support the pylons, so I made them with a piece of styrene sheet...
While the pylon supports are getting dry, I start working on the impulse engines. With the kit it is included a decal with black spots which are supposed to be the engines. I will make the hole instead and make the lit. To be sure about the position and size of the holes, I place the decal on its place and I will drill the outlines with a thin drill bit.
After a while the pylons are well fixed and the putty process starts. It takes its time because the place is so small. The drilling work of the impuls engines takes a while and some file work is needed. A piece of transparent plastic will be attached in the inner side with a layer of dull acrylic varnish...
To get more detail I cut 5 small pieces of styrene sheet which will be fix on the inner side of the upper hull, near to where the chairs will be. Looking at the references over the net, we can see that neat of every chair there is a panel with a lot of buttons… so it will do them with the help of some decals. At the same time the control panel piece is fixed in place.
The aft landing pylon is also inaccurate in that kit. With the help of a piece of sprue and styrene sheet, I started to build something more accurate.
Painting the inner side is the next thing to be done. And while the paint is getting dry I prepare the accurate decals for the interior of the shuttle. The control panel from the original prop have a rectangular shape. I don’t know why AMT/ERTL decided to do them with trapezoid shape. Well I decided to keep them so, too much work there. Even so, I kept the distribution of buttons and displays as they are (more or less). I also added some funny decals like “Don’t smoke” and also a “Mind the gap” which will be fixed near to the door in the outside.
So the interior of the shuttle is ready after the chairs are fixed in place. I also added a circular shaped piece of transparent plastic in the panel controls.
Not so much work today. Mainly put and sand. When all the joins are completely smooth, I added some styrene sheet to detail a little bit more the aft. Altrough I have though to do the ventilation panel completely with styrene sheet I finally decided to glue a piece a flat sheet and add a decal later on. The styrene sheet was too irregular and therefore out of scale. Once everything has been done, I masked all the windows with liquid latex and I applied a layer of prime coat. Tomorrow painting job.
The work goes slowly but OK. Today has been a painting day. First of all to sand a little bit the primer coat, then flat white, sand, white... and dry. Finally a smooth and gloss white has been achieved. While the suttle was in the drying station, I put my bottom in front of my computer and after some pacience I obtained a primary aztec patern for the top and the botom of the ship. I used Createx Auto Air pearlescent white to do the first layer. Tomorrow I will drive to the paint store to buy some other pearlescent colors to do the secondary aztec paterns...
I haven't been able to update the site until now, but there is not so much to write abou because I have not too much time. So, after finish the main pattern I did a new template for the secondary pattern. I decided to use blue and yellow for the secondary and terciary pattern. I took pearl blue and I mixed one drop of that in 1.5 mL of white pearl and used for the 2nd pattern. GREAT MISTAKE: the blue was too dark. Even if I didn't noticed before the result has been awful. The yellow was not so much problem. NEXT TIME: I will mix one drop of blue with some drops of plane white, from this mixture I will take one drop and dilute it with some more plane white. Finally I will take one drop of this second mixture and I will mix it with pearl white. And it should be enough !!!. I'm very disapointed with the result but I have not the intention to remove all the paint work and repaint it again. I have no fun on it. So after everything was dry I painted some details (aft landing pad, the Bussard collectors, etc...) and the next day I airbrushed Future all over the model. I was a bir afraid about it because I didn't know if the Future could fade down the pearl effect. But it did not... at least some luck there.
After many days without doing any building work, I get again into it and I have finished the Galileo. Only decals were left and I apllied them without any further problem. Using Future before and after apply the decal is the tip. The final result.
Thanks for
dropping by !!!
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| Last updated: 11.01.2011 |
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