Construction Log: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E

Kit: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E, 1/1400 scale, 2009 re-issue, from AMT (Round 2 Models)

Aftermarket: Aztec decal set, Nemesis version, from Acreation 

Base color: Light Gray

Enterprise-E facts:

Appearances: Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek Nemesis

Length: 685 meters

Decks: 24 (according to First Contact), 29 (according to Nemesis)

In 2010, a friend of mine made his love of the Enterprise-E known to me. I thought to myself, "I should build a model of it for him!" To that end, I purchased the re-release of the AMT 1/1400 Enterprise-E kit. Not satisfied with the kit's painting instructions, I also purchased a set of aftermarket decals to recreate the complex "aztec" pattern that is typical of many Star Trek starfleet vessels. Specifically, I bought a set from Acreation Models that recreates the slightly darker aztec pattern seen in the film Star Trek Nemesis.

The aztec pattern on the Enterprise-E in Nemesis is noticeably darker than in the previous two films.

In 2010, I had finished the basic assembly and painting. The base coat was a light gray, with the warp engines painted clear red and blue, and the deflector dish a clear yellow. Unfortunately, I did not get the model finished before I moved to South Korea to teach English, where I stayed for the next two years.

When I returned in 2012 and took my personal belongings out of storage, I found my nearly-finished Enterprise-E model which I had actually forgotten about. Luckily, I also found the decals that I had placed in storage and set out to finish the gift that I had started over two years earlier.

Applying the decals was a somewhat tedious process, and indeed, I did make a few errors here and there. However, eventually I had the entire hull covered with the amazingly recreated aztec pattern thanks to the decals from Acreation.

Pledge floor polish (formerly known as Future) is an excellent gloss clear coat to make the surface of your model smooth enough for decals to go on cleanly.

What follows are a few photos I took during the decal application process. As I said, a somewhat tedious process, but the end result was certainly worth it!

Finally, after all of the aztec decals were applied, the kit decals were applied. These include the markings, ship name, and pennants.

The friend I gave the model to is also an amazing photographer. My next post will show off some his terrific photography. I'm also happy to report that he was pretty pleased with the model!