The "real" Enterprise, the 135 inch long studio model, is on display at the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. In 1992 it was fully restored to be part of an exhibit showcasing 25 years of Star Trek.

    If you can't make it to Washington to see the real thing, see the February 1998 issue of FINE SCALE MODELER magazine for "Intergalactic Color and Camouflage: The Starship Enterprise". (The name was a play on a regular feature of the magazine, "International Color and Camouflage," which would showcase the correct color and markings of actual military vehicles.) There are also some great color photos taken during its restoration in the Science Fiction Modelers Associates' model shop in the September, 1996 issue of the magazine SCI-FI and FANTASY MODELS. Kalmbach Books' FAMOUS SPACESHIPS OF FACT AND FANTASY AND HOW TO MODEL THEM also has some excellent photos of the TV model, many taken during the first restoration for the Smithsonian in the mid 1970s. This book also has some interesting info about the TV model and useful tips on building AMT-Ertl's kit.

    In 1989, when I went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to photograph the studio model for research into building the kit, the model was in poor condition. Along with missing pieces and water stains on the paint, nearly all of the lights had burnt out. The spinning effect of the Warp engines was replaced by a very sad looking blinking light effect. Also of note was the fact that the model was painted a uniform shade of light gray without any sign of weathering. The model's "restoration" in the '70s also left it with some badly inaccurate parts, particularly the main sensor dish and the illuminated saucer domes.

    This was still a better look at the model than anything else that was available at the time, save for some black & white publicity stills that circulated at Star Trek conventions and fan shops in the '70s. All of the color stills available were simply screen shots taken from prints of the show which were not sharp enough to be of much use. Even in high quality video prints of the show, the fact that the ship was always shown in motion made it difficult to discern details that were clearly visible when looking at the actual model. Despite being hung from the Museum's ceiling about 15 feet off the floor, I was able to take many useful research photos.

    The following chapter contains mostly cut and dried details of building, reworking and wiring the Enterprise model. Unless you're interested in the hobby or really want to know how I built and lit this model, you may want to skip to Chapter 4: Paint, Decals and Other Fun Stuff.