1967. I was 9, and couldn't get enough Star Trek. When I saw this kit on the shelf of my local drugstore, I think I went into some sort of shock, and my Dad was forced to buy it for me before I embarrassed everyone there. At home, with Star Trek actually on the tube that night, I opened the kit and caressed each piece with a religious awe. I was actually holding an Enterprise of my own, and I could have literally died happy right there. 1st time falling in love, 1st-born child, 1st Enterprise. Feelings you only get once in life.
Back in 1967 I built my first Klingon starship because they didn’t have the enterprise at the time, but I did finally get it and it came with the saucer and nacelle lights. To me it was a dream come true, hey, I had the enterprise. Several years later I built several more with different painting schemes. I couldn’t really figure the real color of it although I did do search to find out, early 70’s didn’t have the internet. I had fun doing that, I’d like to do it again but times for me have changed we’ll see if that too will change. Thanks for the history lesson and updates.
Thanks for the kind words, William! I too remember trying to find out the best colour to paint the Enterprise in the pre-internet era. So many complicated paint formulas, so many contradictions. Great times! Thanks for writing.
I remember the ton of tube glue it took mount those pylons in 1967 at 14 years old. Still loved it. Built on a picnic table on the shores of Drag Lake in Haliburton County, Ontario. It was so big and bright white. I was maybe 5'-6" tall and fascinated with Star Trek. An older friend of mine went to one of the first Trek conventions and bought a bunch of plastic control console lights, the floppy amoeba creature and a copy of Sulu's gold shirt. This was about 1970 and by then I was 6'-1" and my interests had diverged from modelling. Back into it now at 70.
I first bought this kit when it was released in the UK in the blue plastic. This was before I painted kits, so a blue USS Enterprise hung from my bedroom ceiling (on cotton) for several years.
I built this in ‘73 when I was a kid, and I built it again with my teenage son in a nice bonding experience. I can never get tired of the Enterprise’s shape ❤
I had the 1968 version but actually got it in 1974. It still had the crappy nacelle connectors. Great memories though. I can still remember going to a local hobby store and buying it. I have a photo of me holding it circa late 74 early 75. Fun times!
I had one of those models when they first came out. They had peanut bulbs in them with orange top and bottom domes on the saucer. Turn the lights on by rotating the deflector dish base. Somewhere I have an old photo of it hung under a popcorn ceiling and it looks like it is orbiting a moon. Loved that thing even though the engine nacelles would always come loose.
I likely received the initial AMT issue about 1967 as a birthday gift and probably then built in a single weekend! Crooked warp nacelles and all. Marvelous work on the video with all the excellent references. A great trip down memory lane to the 'future's past.'
I was a kid when TOS was on its first run and somewhere have the reply from NBC to my letter begging for a third season. Anyway I built at least 3 of the 1967 kits as the pylons could never take my playing with them. I did build a later model with stronger plastic and improved attachments but it was destroyed when my curious kitty sent it into warp. Great show. Thanks for having me reminisce.
I had one when it came out in stores… even came with a stand. Then they came out with a Klingon battle cruiser.. I remember there was a blinking light on the Enterprise…. That was awesome for that period…
In the mid 70's for my birthday, received the Enterprise, Klingon ship, Romulan warbird and Mr Spock model kit (Spock firing a phaser at a three headed snake) and the K7 space station model kits. Spent months painting and putting them together! The Enterprise was of course my favorite. Thanks for the history behind it.
This kit was one of my favorite back in the day. (1974 or 75 ) It was also my very first model kit that I ever ( attempted ) to build. It was a mess , I didn't have any model paint or glue. So I used my Grandmother's fake finger nail glue. And I found some old purple house paint out in my Grandpa's tool shed. My God, it looked like , well let's just say it wasn't anything like the picture on the box that's for sure. But I was proud of it any way. And that was the beginning of my many , and much better looking model builds to come. But as far as The Enterprise , I've built at least 9 or 10 over my 60 years.. With my last one built in October 2022 .. And I'm probably not done yet , I want to do a Big Boy 350 scale Enterprise along with the Strange New World / Discovery Enterprise. Happy Building to All... And just remember that it's a hobby , and it's supposed to be enjoyable and fun. So build for ( You ) and how you want it to look. And don't take it so seriously that it's more like a 40 hour job . It's just ment to be FUN , that's what it's all about.👍🇺🇸
Great post, Charles…thanks for writing. I couldn’t agree more with you about keeping the hobby fun and building your models the way you want to. If it becomes a slog, you need to take a breath and remember what you enjoy about the hobby.
very informative, explaining all the different versions of the kit that was made. Over the years, I must have over 20 (including kitbash ones), the first being in the mid 70s.
I still remember the frustration of droopy warp nacelles. When the Star Fleet Technical manual came out I found inspiration to repurpose one into a destroyer class. To this day it was the second best ST model I ever made, just behind the K'Tinga kit that came out right after the first movie.
So annoying, right? Sounds like you found a way to make lemonade out of lemons though. Funny you should mention the Destroyer class…I’m actually building one right now out of an old 1/650 AMT kit.
It's not only the original Enterprise's nacelles droop, but the refit versions as well. and the saucer,neck , and engineering hull never looked straight when looking from the front.
Great video. I built 4 of these just as a child, and my photo with them is on Glen's poster. Recently, however, I found a badly built, but complete second release with the photo cover and engine lights. I restored it with LEDs and built it as the Enterprise shown on the cover of the box. It is now the oldest Star Trek item in my collection. I also have one with an old lighting system that I built in 1979, flashing running lights and spinning warp nacelles included.
I went one further than just building this model. When I was 11, I built an 8' wide helm from scratch out of 1/4" plywood. I scrounged every switch, light, and buzzer I could get my hands on (thanks Radio Shack) and completely wired the thing. Plugged into a wall outlet, it ran on AC and transformed to DC. Every switch did something. Every joint was soldered and taped. That old shag carpet was hard to get solder drops out of! My brothers made fun of me and I finally destroyed it, after I gave my dad all his switches back. My dad passed away in 2005. in about 2015, I found an old box in his attic marked "Enterprise Switches Dave - Make it Go!". That box is filled with some of those old parts, and my dad's note from beyond the grave makes it absolutely precious. For all the razzing I got from my older brother at the time, it was ironic that 20 years later he asked me to build one for his kid. Turns out, everyone was in awe that I was able to do something like that. Even as an adult, he still had no idea how to do it. I also built a "working" tricorder from scratch which was mostly an audio oscillator. Thanks again Radio Shack! That thing used to piss everyone off but my father. After working around aircraft all his life, he couldn't hear it at all. It was like a dog whistle to piss off my brothers and worked well in that application... My dad was always saying "What????" while my brothers were flipping out. Good times.
Thank you for this. I probably got my 1st Enterprise around 1970 and have built numerous versions over the years. I can vaguely remember some of the details you have mentioned. I can without embarrassment tell you that I got a "little" bit choked up as I reminisced with you over this 55 yr journey .Live Long and Prosper!🖖🖖
Thank you so much for the kind words! Nothing to be embarrassed about…researching this video took me down an emotional memory lane too, as this was my first ever model kit and I built it with my late dad in the mid-seventies. Thanks for writing!
Yep, it’s definitely a regional pronunciation. I’ve lived throughout Canada and had never heard “dee-cal” until I started watching RUclips videos. Friends in the UK pronounce it as “deckle” too.
@@scaleicons I think the word is related to the French 'découpage' (which was an old tradition of gluing coloured paper onto an object) so the Canadian/UK pronunciation is related to the French. I am a Canadian so 'deckle' is the way I pronounce it but I have always loved the 'dee-cal' version too.
I just ordered the 2015 kit with the smooth saucer from Amazon. $40. When I was a kid...around 8 I'd say, I bought the original kit from my local hobby shop! Funny thing, I lived in Royal Oak, Michigan at the time. My grandmother lived in Troy and every time we went to visit we went right by the AMT plant on 14 mile road and Coolidge Ave! I didn't even know that's where the kits were made...Just two miles or so from where I bought it!
Back in the day, people accurized the AMT kit by swiping the decals from the mid-1970s Estes flying model rocket Enterprise (along with a few of the more accurate parts). The Estes model was directly measured from the 11 foot model as were the markings, so they were quite an upgrade up from the so-so AMT decals, and they set a new standard for sci-fi model kits for accuracy in general.
Interesting! I remember seeing ads for the Estes rockets back in the day, but never saw them up close. That the decals could be swapped out is fantastic!
@@scaleicons I did the same thing. The original 1975 release of the Estes model rocket was pretty impressive, later ones, less so. But scavenging parts and the decal sheet from the Estes model to improve the AMT one resulted in a very impressive looking model. I did the following: 1. Sanded down the AMT model to remove the inaccurate window and gridlines. 2. removed the incorrectly shaped saucer super structure, used the Estes more tear drop-shaped one in its place, grafting it carefully and making sure the lightweight structure of the Estes piece was reinforced. 3. Removed the trenches from the sides of the Estes kit engineering hull and grafted them to the sides of the AMT model. The same with the Estes model's shuttlebay dome, and the nav deflector dish. 4. removed the lower saucer strips and groups of holes from the Estes model and grafted them to the AMT model's saucer. Same with the Estes running light dimples. 5. Removed detailing from the Estes nacelles (the cowling hemispheres as well) to enhance the AMT ones. 6. Finally, the Estes decals applied to the AMT model for accurate windows and markings. Used the Estes paint guides and notes from the study of the 11' model at the Smithsonian by various people for extra accuracy. Had this hanging with the D7 battlecruiser model on my ceiling for two decades and people always were asking why my model looked so different from theirs!
@@nowhereman1046 I also did something similar, though not quite that much. The real problem with the Estes model was that it had to fly, so the saucer was mutilated with a cutout for the tube that held the engine and recovery gear. The nacelles themselves also had some issues because they were just repurposed rocket body tubes, so they lacked the proper taper. Still, the effort for the detailing and accuracy at the time it was an incredible effort when the Estes company didn't really need to.
@@mikedicenso2778 Yeah, that's one problem with the Estes model is that horrible tube. That's the only reason I never fully abandoned the AMT model, at least until the 1980s when the kit got even more inaccurate, including the proportions getting messed up, presumably so AMT could save a little bit of money.
I had an original lighted kit back in 1968, I built it (with help from my Dad, as I was only 6 yrs old) and proudly displayed it on my bureau. About 5 yrs later, in 1973, I came home from school and it was GONE!! I asked my Mom what happened, and she said she knocked it off by mistake, and it hit the floor and broke into pieces, so she THREW IT AWAY!!! I was DEVASTATED, especially since by that time the lighted kits were no more. Funny thing was, my Mom NEVER dusted, so I think she just got tired of looking at it and just made it disappear!!! Don't know if that's what REALLY happened, as she is no longer with us...God bless her... The GOOD thing is, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE SAME 1968 KIT on Ebay a few years ago, that was still in the box and UNBUILT!!! I feel like a big kid again, and I'm almost 62 NOW!!!
Wow! What memories! The first (and really only) brush I had with kit-bashing, was using one of the six or so Enterprises I built back in the mid 70s as a USS Constellation. I used a candle directed with a hairspray aerosol can to melt the Bussard collectors and part of the primary hull. My grandmother was...not amused! :D
Glad you enjoyed the video! I think a lot of us used open flames to simulate battle damage back in the carefree 70s…but a hairspray flamethrower? That’s hardcore, LOL! Thanks for sharing!
I've totally built one of those, and kit-bashed a second! So cool to know the history of this classic model. Thanks for making a video about it. I think like so many others, Star Trek model kits are what brought us into the world of model making.
Definitely had that saggy nacelle'd Enterprise in my childhood, and it stood proud with the Klingon battlecruiser, the Romulan WarBird, and the shuttle.
About 75/76, my local hobby shop had on display a kit someone had built of the federation tug from the technical manual (which I had yet to even look through). I still marvel at the ability to make such things. I’m a 2d artist, but effects miniatures and models are something I have a great respect and interest in.
I’m the same, Dave. As a teen I dreamed about a career in building FX miniatures (never came to pass though). I think it was the era we all grew up in…raised on Trek and other tv Sci Fi in the seventies, then the 80s Sci Fi boom hit and we were fascinated by all those amazing models on screen. Thanks for sharing!
Such memories. Thanks for this video. I got the 1968 version for Christmas and was fascinated by the light kit, which lit up the warp engines. A fan forever as I learned about battery operated toys!!
Wonderful to hear the history of this model ! I built it at least twice in the 70's. I even burnt and altered one over the stove to create my own USS Constellation (to the horror of my mother!!) Thanks again for this posting brings back memories. - Matthew
I happened to be taking electronics in high school when I got my Enterprise, so I assembled a circuit that allowed the dome lights to flash on and off. How I wish I still had that model.
And the beat up Constellation flying into the maul of the "The Doomsday Machine". Sadly the newer CGI remasters replaced the AMT model. I'm so glad I own the original (unaltered) episodes.
A part of me likes the the CG because of the detail and imagery that I could only imagine in the 70s, but yeah…the original fx have their own charm that I miss. Thanks for writing!
I remember one of my early builds of the Enterprise back in 1969. I'd seen an article in a model magazine (don't remember which one) and tried what they described. Got a large box and painted the inside black, then painted a star field with Day Glo paints. Painted the Enterprise with white florescent paint and hung it from the top of the box with thread. Turn out the lights and turn on the black light and you had the Enterprise in deep space. Wish I still had the pics because it was gorgeous!
I built two; the first was in 1972, purchased from the gift shop at Disneyland. Original single ship decals. It no longer lives. Second was in the early 90's, had all the ship decals, and was built as NCC-1017 USS Constellation. It still lives.
Lifelong model builder here, built that kit many times. I shared this on StarShip Modeller last night, i reckon they will love it. Keep 'em coming mate. :)
I couldn't wait to get home and build mine. Wish I still had it and the box. I dragged my mum around town to find the phaser, communicator, tricorder set because a kid across the alley had one. Then I nearly lost my mind when another kid two doors down showed me his glow in the dark klingon bird of prey. Heady times.
The AMT model's second appearance in TOS was in "The Trouble With Tribbles" to actually represent the Enterprise herself as she orbited the K-7 space station during certain distance shots. Matt Jefferies did an amazing job modifying the model so that it was not only lit, but he took time to carefully cut out windows (in the proper places) on the saucer and engineering hulls, and then ran lights to those windows, not just the domes and nacelles! Sadly, you can't see them with the poor resolution, but the little 18" model is there in the windows of Lurry's office and in those orbiting shots of the Enterprise behind K-7.
Thomas, I definitely missed this in my video, but I have seen pics of the finished model Jefferies made. He even used the ends of polished acrylic rods for the bussard collectors!
@@scaleicons Regardless, it was an awful lot of effort for something that wasn't visible on screen. In the best resolution pics of the office scenes, you can't see much, just a slight hint of the red pennant stripes on the nacelles and engineering hull.
That is a WONDERFUL Piece of information! I wonder if that Jeffries model survived the diaspora of the various props and items from the TOS ... Would love to see that! Of course by going to that much effort he was protecting the quality of the show in case someone decided to use a closer shot of the 18 inch miniature in relation to the K-7 miniature on the Blue Screen stage.
@@mtdavis9568 It did! It was kept by Matt for many years and then by his brother John until the early 2000s when it was sold at auction to billionaire Paul Allen, who then had it put on display in the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, WA. The paint is still good, but the old AMT decals have faded and partially peeled off. There's a few good photos of it online, in particular, on Memory Alpha wiki.
Once upon a time...I had the opportunity to set up the "Cut Away" version and ... It was hard to make the two halves on the saucer gather without falling. I had to create longer tabs to have stability. In addition, moving parts, such as "pylons", had to adapt small screws so they didn't fall all the time. But, taking off the bad parts ...and a lot of the work... it was very interesting to assembly and adapt this model. Cheers..
I've built 14 of the models as a kid in the late 60s, and I did the damaged Constellation and Excalibur. Those were great kits, I had to hang mine close to the ceiling to keep them out of the way.
14?! That’s the record so far, Grar! How did you achieve the damage to the Constellation and Excalibur? When I tried doing battle damage as a kid in the 70s, it always involved a BIC lighter and more enthusiasm than common sense, LOL.
@@scaleicons I used a coping saw and the pieces that I cut off. I used the sprew to make rests to set it on, then used a lighter and a candle to make it smokey. The rest was paint effects and advice from a guy who painted cars and motorcycle gas tanks for a living. He had a lot of advice that was very good.
@@scaleicons my first attempt was a melted mess of one of the nacelles. Good thing the trailer park I lived in backed up on a shopping center that had a model shop, with all the money I made hauling out garbage, a dollar a week, I could get a new one every three weeks.
what a beautifully crafted video this is.......the same attention to detail as an idealistic young lad would apply when making an Enterprise model in 1973. SUPERB.
Excellent video and story about this very famous model. I built that original release model - with the transparent green parts and such but I never attempted to light it. I wasn’t that competent when I was 10 nor am I competent with electronics 57 years later. LOL
Thanks, Bill! I remember building a few different “lighted” model kits in the late 70s at the age of 10 too, and I could never get them to work. Even now, I’m not really sure I know what I’m doing when it comes to commercial lighting kits, LOL! Thanks for your feedback!
I had the 1975 version with the light green dome covers. My dad and I built it and, much to my chagrin, he painted it a deep metallic blue! Very Disco! In the mid '80's, I built one myself. This was the light blue plastic version. Last year, I bought the re-issue, but plan to leave it in the box as a memento, because I already have much more accurate versions of the original Enterprise in my collection. Thanks for making this.
I built the original enterprise in the 70's and have no idea which one it was! I remember it was white and tried to find a spray paint that would make it look like the tv series color - I got close but never to my satisfaction. Also built the ST:TMP enterprise and Klingon Battle D-7 Battle cruiser along with tons of other models. Nice video!
Thanks, Dave! The first one I built was almost certainly the 1975 small box…or rather my dad built it for me. It was definitely white styrene…though he painted different sections with Testor’s metallic blue and green paint!!!!! (We only had a b&w tv and had never seen any colour images of the ship other than the box photo).
First time on your channel. I like it! I did build the original kit when I was a kid in the ‘60s, as well as the Klingon Battle Cruiser. Both were lit. I grew up on Star Trek, Lost in Space, Batman, and lots of other Sci-fi and fantasy series. Shaped my life. Thanks for sharing! 😎🇨🇦
I'll give you a hint as to how how long I've been at it, my first build was the Spindrift from Land of the Giants. Got my first U.S.S. Enterprise kit for my birthday that year. I've been building all sorts of models ever since, but the Trek ships are my favorites. Model building teaches patience, planning, attention to detail, and the ability to improvise, it's a life-long love affair I recommend to everyone.
This kit was my second favorite, built several during the 70s - My favorite AMT kit was the sadly undersized Phaser, Communicator, Tricorder set. I built a bunch of those and I would welcome a full-sized highly detailed model kit.
What a great video! Yes, I tried to build the amt 18" back in the 70's as a kid. I didn't paint it. As it was white. already. I did try to glue it all together in two ours.. Resulting in a crap ton of glue finger prints all over the model from regluing parts that split or sagged apart. I now have the Polar lights 1/1000 & 1/350. The 1/1000 will be my first in mayby 45 years. So It's a practive model and plan to take it very slow.
Thanks for the compliment, Peter! I really appreciate it! The 1/1000 is a really great kit, so much better engineering than the old AMT kit, and an excellent way to shake of the rust and get back into the hobby. Good luck!🙂
I remember building the original kit and the pain in the butt way the pylons were attached using the "clips" I own several of the kits through the ages.
The Enterprise is my first "hero ship". I've built at least 3 of TOS's version, 1 D and one E. I currently have a Polar Lights build in the box, partially blacked out for the Tena Controls lighting kit. I enjoyed this video.
Thanks for doing this. I have one of these kits from my childhood. I didn't buy it. One of my parents put it together. Now when I eventually dig it out (it's in a box somewhere in storage) I may be able to date it.
Great video! Thank you for that. One slight correction though. The AMT kit is a screen used version of the Enterprise. In the Trouble with Tribbles, it is the Enterprise seen orbiting outside Barris' window. =)
I was about 8 yrs old when I built my first TOS 1701 of the wheat bulb versions circa 1968. The drooping and broken off nacelle engines meant it eventually ended up in the land fill. Soon after, a 2nd TOS 1701 suffered the same fate. There was no 3rd attempt since I lost interest in the kit (and dad didn't want to buy yet another one!). However, I built one Klingon D7 model around the same time. That KD7 also featured wheat bulbs. With the stand removed and disassembled, the entire model fit perfectly in its original packaging. I still have that Klingon D7 model packed away somewhere.
I had the second release of this kit back around 1970 and I remember for access to the batteries the deflector end cap could be removed and the battery tray could be pulled out.
I've built this particular kit twice I believe. I think the first one I built was the early battery powered one. I had completely forgotten about it until I watched this video. As soon as you mentioned it it sparked the memory. No doubt as soon as I finished it I probably started playing with it (I was probably 9 or 10) and wrecked it. I do know I built a second one sometime in the late 70's or early 80's. It was the one molded in light blue. There's a picture of me playing guitar with a friend of mine in my first apartment and it's sitting proudly on a shelf in the background! I don't have it any more as it was crushed during a later move. However, I've since graduated up to building the polar lights 3 foot model. It was far more complex but it's a great, more screen accurate kit. There will always be a place in my heart for the first ones though. :)
Awesome, I’m so glad I was able to trigger that memory for you! I feel your pain regarding damaged models…I’ve lost a few over the years during moves as well. Thanks for writing in!
I remember building (I believe ) the second version ('67?) and my brother did too. But what jogged my memory after all these years was the mention of those woefully inadequate tabs. I remember fighting like crazy to get that to stay put. Even after the glue had fully dried. A lot of work went in to your video, and I enjoyed watching it. Of course, on my side of the planet, we say dee-cal. Otherwise, throughly enjoyable! Live long and prosper.
would love to see in the future, a video about the Aurora kits, the Enterprise and the Klingon. And I understand these kits came in different colours e.g. black, brown, green. Would be interested to know more about the different colours there were.
That's my model at 19:32! I built that back in the mid-90s and took that pic of it around 8 years ago. I've probably built that kit 20 times, starting when I was 10. I'm glad you liked it enough to use it. 🖖😁
The one credited to Bacchus Imageworks is yours? It’s a great build, I just hope I haven’t used the wrong screen credit! It’s a very nice build, which is what caught my attention. I recognize the stand from a different AMT kit…the ST V refit release?
@@scaleicons Thank you! Yes, Bacchus Imageworks is the name I use when I post my photos online. And yes, the base IS from the ST5 refit kit. It's the culmination of about 20 different builds over the years, beginning when I was about 10. I used the decals from the Estes flying Enterprise kit, and BBs for the phaser turrets.
I had this kit as a kid! Thanks so much for posting this! This episode brought make so many wonderful memories of my Dad and I building it together. When you get a chance, could you make an epidose about the model of the "Seaview" from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"? 😀
Thanks for the feedback, James…I’m so happy to have triggered a nostalgia buzz for you. I had the same feeling as I edited this video together; as a kid in the 70s, all of AMT’s Trek kits were a staple of my childhood. The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea kits are an ideal topic…thanks for the suggestion!
Growing up in western Canada in the 70s meant that a lot of the classic kits Americans and Brits take for granted simply weren’t available. I’m looking forward to learning more about the history of the Seaview as well as the other Irwin Allen-based kits (e.g. the Spindrift).
I received one of the versions of this kit for Christmas circa 1975. I don’t remember any lighting options. One of my friends had the Romulan warbird with the giant decal, which I was so jealous of.
A slight correction. The 50th anniversary version was retooled to have the Round 2 Dome stand replacing the 3 part cradle. There is an additional release in 2022 in the 2nd edition classic photo box - the styrene is the updated kit with the dome stand, which is likely the standard release going forward...
Oh my God. Yep, I remember trying to get those engines straight on the original kit when it first came out. Being inexperienced as a model builder, I can remember adding too much glue that the pylons sunk into the secondary hull. Meaning me and my brothers often purchased additional kits - lol. Thanks for sharing this. Was truly a unique idea at the time because of the innocent lighting system it had.
I glad you enjoyed the video! I was guilty of using too much glue on one of my early kits too…instead of keeping everything firmly in place, I got a melted goopy mess!
Very cool. Over the course of the '70s I probably built at least three to four of these models and it was cool to figure out from this that the first ones I did were from the 1973 release. I had always thought I started watching the show by around '74-'75 but I definitely remember the elements of that '73 version. Also remember the differences with the '75 and the new decals and such. But my strongest memory when it comes to those builds were my tendencies to overuse the glue when it came time to put in the nacelles and build the stand. At least one or two of my models ended up getting turned into "war casualties" once I had screwed up the nacelles too much!
Oh that’s amazing, I’m stoked that I was able to help you clarify a memory from the 70s! Ah yes…glue disasters. So many times I made the mistake of thinking that if a little bit of glue will work, then a LOT will make the bond unbreakable!
Looking at Guzman's concept sketch of the bridge makes me feel like I might owe the SNW and Discovery people a bit of an apology, since apparently the look we see on the new shows was indeed what they would've done back then with more time and money. Also love how some of the Enterprise concept sketches eventually found their way into canon
Yes, I was quite surprised by how futuristic his original sketches were. Guzman is credited with coming up with a circular, dome-shaped bridge concept. I wonder what the series would have looked like had Guzman stayed on.
Yes! I remember this. As a 'model' I was a bit disappointed since it had very few parts - yet it did have the internal lighting system which made up for that once assembled. The Polaris sub model with the removable side so one could see the entire insides from bow to stern - now THAT was a 'builders model'. Still this Enterprise model made a good target for BB gun practice once I got older. The saucer section held up really well to multiple hits. We were kids - no one knows what will have 'value' years later . . . . .
We in the United States DO indeed pronounce the word "decal" properly. For us to say it incorrectly it would have to be spelled , "deckle" which it obviously is not so that settles that. LOL
Deckle, DEEcal, who cares? I remember my hobby shop started selling sheets of them seperate from the model kits. This was great, as they were always a flimsy affair, prone to loss or tearing...
Great video, really takes me back. I had one of these in the mid-80's and it was one of my favorites for a long time, screen accurate or no. I also completed the movie Enterprise and a D-7. I wasn't even any good at it back then but I loved those kits. I occasionally entertain the thought of getting one now and building it with the patience of the old man I've become. It could hardly look worse then the rushed efforts of the young man I was. Seems I recall seeing those dimples actually labeled as phasers. Could be wrong (see 'old man', above), but I have walked around with that diagram in my head for many decades now.
Thanks for writing, Oren! Like you, my first few cracks at these kits were hardly “award winning” LOL, but let me tell you…building them decades later as an experienced modeller was really satisfying, as I was able to mostly produce a finished build the way 10-year old me imagined!
🖖😎👍Very cool and very nicely well done and informatively explained and executed in every detail way and form indeed, I myself have built this model so many different times that I can't remember and I've built all of the other versions of the Enterprise as well on top of that👌...
I remember the pylon nacelles and how impossible it was to get them to actually stand-up. My dad and I tried all sorts of different glues, but nothing could make that failure in modeling design work in those early kits.
@@scaleicons I turned it upside down and used Lego to support the rest of the model with the nacelles flat on the desk. It was pretty challenging for a 12 year old!
Unfortunately we have to go big (1/350) or small (1/1000) if we want an accurate model. But for me the old 1/650 still holds a lot of charm despite its flaws. Nostalgia is a powerful drug!
If you want to get closer to the screen miniature and still have a decent-sized model - without breaking the bank on the big 1/350 version - Revell of Germany has a very nice and modern kit available in about the same size as the original AMT kit. It's not perfect; instead of raised panel lines, it has weirdly deep RECESSED panel lines that really should be filled in. The shape of the B-C deck teardrop is still a bit off. But it's a very nice kit. It includes several sprues of clear parts, including the nacelle front caps and all of the windows, and the decals are accurate. It builds up into a very nice model that is pretty much screaming for lighting if you want to take that particular plunge. As Revell doesn't hold the American license for Trek models, it's not the easiest kit to find, but they're out there. I picked one up through Amazon, and they're regularly on Ebay.
Very well put together! Guilty as charged - I put together at least one plastic model kit, but then I graduated to VRML and built a life-sized version that I can walk around in. After several iterations designed and built with increasing math skills, I chose not to fight copyright laws LOL.
@@scaleicons Glad you enjoyed it. It is a fun channel. Modelers of vary skills but no one criticizes anyone's builds it is all for fun. Lots of great information and modeling tips. The Gloo Troopers always have ideas and information. Max also does a live stream. He is on aircraft training so his posts are short and one a week. He does do a live stream most Saturdays. If you want to have a good laugh and see what that it is all about fun building watch the last livestream from last Saturday. Max does a live build of a snap together kit and it is hilarious. He also hosts viewers build and molders send him pictures to post and he will make a viewers build video of them. Like I said, it is all for fun.
I built my first Enterprise kit in the mid-70s. I had to repair the sagging nacelle supports several times over the years until the year 2000 when both pylons literally fell off due to the aging and weakened plastic. Now I have several versions of the ship displayed in my home office along with Voyager and Reliant.
Thank you for this. I had an AMT Enterprise in 1967 when I was 9 years old. I'm sure I would have been too impatient to install the lighting. When I built model naval battleships and cruisers I always thought the anti-aircraft guns were too small to bother with, and I don't remember fiddling with batteries in the Enterprise. I would have given my Enterprise hard use and abuse as a toy. The main thing I remember was the droopy nacelles, and that I could take the secondary hull apart to try to put them back together better.
I had the '73 version, and yes the nacelles drooped. I got it to work with scotch tape and stuff, but hey I was young. Great memories and it's cool to see the cover of the box I remember.
I remember trying scotch tape to align my nacelles too! Didn't care that the tape shouldn't be there - my nacelles were straight for... geez it must have been all of ten minutes before the strain broke the tape! Me playing with it didn't help either, I'm sure.
Thank you SO much for this video. I could write forever but will limit it to my first Enterprise kit. It was the '68 version with lighting in both the upper and lower "Saucer" sections as well as the Nacelles. I built it and put it on my dresser (I was a kid at the time), and it would sometimes light up on its own during the night. Spooky. I was a pretty savvy kid and figured it was due to my build. I'm now 62 years old and last year I was able to find an original of that particular kit online. I did pay up for it but was happy to. It had the original plastic wrap and I've yet to open it! I will at some point, but just looking at it, knowing it's been unopened for decades is a joy to behold. I enjoyed your video tremendously. Thank you for what you do.
Michael, thank you so much for your kind words! Knowing that I’m reaching people like you and providing enjoyment and nostalgia is the real reason I do this. Thanks for your support and your attention. I hope you continue to enjoy my videos.😃
Wow! This really takes me back! I believe I built at least 12 of these over the years, beginning in the late 70's, including some commission builds in the 90's and 00's for other folks. Great content, keep up the great work!
I am so glad the original Desilu model made it to the Smithsonian. Haven't been to see it yet, but on the bucket list..and yes I built the second release AMT kit when I was a kid in the 60's/
Nice video! My AMT kit that I built in 1982 is sitting on the top of a bookshelf 5 feet from my computer right now! It has fallen and broken a few times over the years, but I have always been able to get it back together!
I was born in 1966, the same year as Star Trek. Whenever I see these model kit videos, I will usually comment with my experiences with the original AMT kits. While I'm more familiar with the versions from the 70's (I would have loved to have a lighting kit) I had to have put together a dozen kits, including some of the early ones. I started with just the Enterprise, but my parents got me a Romulan Bird of Prey and a Klingon D7. Then I got a copy of the Franz Joseph Technical Manual and had to build a Tug and a Destroyer. Not long after that The Motion Picture came our, and I had to get the refit Enterprise. My original Enterprise was torn down and converted into a Dreadnought. For most of my childhood, those models hung from my ceiling. They were bashed together, badly glued and slightly warped, and usually covered in dust. They didn't survive to today, but sometimes I think about buying some models and recreating them. I'd be able to do so much better today, if I had the time and effort to put into it.
Richard, I hung my models from the ceiling too! By the early 80s I had the original and refit Enterprise, a Viper from Battlestar Galactica and a Buck Rogers fighter. Like you, mine were horribly built by my current standards, and I’ve spent years rebuilding them. Thanks for sharing!
@@scaleicons You know, I might have had a Colonial Viper too, although it was never displayed with the Star Trek ships. I distinctly remember at least one of my models had cut out windows too, and the green sensor domes, although I'm pretty sure it was never lit. Maybe I felt I could never get the wiring to work, or maybe my parents removed it so I wouldn't become frustrated. The decal sheets all had the multiple names and registries though, so it was an early 70's model at the earliest. By the time I was old enough to watch the show it was in syndication anyway.
I still have mine from 1983. That has the raised deflector shield grid which is my favorite as time passes It would get worn and then the warp engines would start sagging no matter what I always keep up with the maintenance always have it looking good. I’m glad I still have it till this day, I have mine mounted on a candlestick holder, but I bought from HomeGoods .
This is my favorite ship, favorite type and favorite design. OG Enterprise. 12-60 yrs. old many times built and hopefully this last one is my best version as true to OG as possible. My first Enterprise were my mothers paper plates, Quaker oatmeal cartoon and two paper towel empty roles all taped together with scotch tape and elmers glue.
By the mid-1980s, I was a professional model builder in St. Louis, and built a number of these kits for various clients with my own added lighting system and a nice wood display base. For myself, I built several of the Scout/Destroyer from the Star Trek Technical Manual, as well as a single cargo tug with container.
the original 1966 lighted kit was my very first model I ever built. I have another 1966 lighted model that I would like to build with more lights and sound, but RC controlled. I live in ST Louis. Is there a hobby shop that can help me with the build of this model?
This video just took me back in time. Built my first Enterprise Kit back in 1975 when I was 9 years old. Then another one in 1976, along with the Exploration set which I loved. Then another one I think in the 90's. Now everytime I go into a Hobby Lobby and walk down their model aisle I see the 50th anniversary edition and get that same feeling I had all those years ago. I have come so close to buying it again, but haven't. Great video!
"Grain-O-Wheat" lightbulbs is the term they used in these old kits. My original 1967 had orange domes on the top and bottom of the saucer. I remember having one when I was a kid - always trying to keep the engines from flopping down. I must have used a few tubes of glue on those things. I wish I had that today, but have no idea whatever happened to it.
Loved it! Had it in the 70’s, with the communicator, tricorder, phaser, bird of prey and Klingon war bird. So much fun to build, but those decals were always tricky…
Man... Back in the 70's I had so many models from AMT/Ertle. The Lief Erikson was one of the coolest space ships next to the Star Trek line, and the "Strange Change" monster kits were the bomb!
We bought probably about 20 of these between myself and my friend group. Only about 5 of them survived as actual ships but mind have vanished. We figured out the modeling glue was flammable and many of them kits we bought ended up battle-damaged. The local five and dime store had kept it stocked in the early 90s and it was dirt cheap for a bunch of high school students to buy and build.
When I was a kid my Dad bought me the first version of the Enterprise. A friend of mine also had one. Now, I don't know where he got this from, but he stated that the "dimples" under the ship were for if the Enterprise had to land that it would have to dock onto these 3 stations for the ship not to tip forward. Kind of the way the Hindenburg would dock when it landed. I don't know. I just took him for his word.
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1967. I was 9, and couldn't get enough Star Trek. When I saw this kit on the shelf of my local drugstore, I think I went into some sort of shock, and my Dad was forced to buy it for me before I embarrassed everyone there. At home, with Star Trek actually on the tube that night, I opened the kit and caressed each piece with a religious awe. I was actually holding an Enterprise of my own, and I could have literally died happy right there. 1st time falling in love, 1st-born child, 1st Enterprise. Feelings you only get once in life.
Great memory, Paul. Thanks for sharing!
Such a beautiful story
This me too.
Back in 1967 I built my first Klingon starship because they didn’t have the enterprise at the time, but I did finally get it and it came with the saucer and nacelle lights. To me it was a dream come true, hey, I had the enterprise. Several years later I built several more with different painting schemes. I couldn’t really figure the real color of it although I did do search to find out, early 70’s didn’t have the internet. I had fun doing that, I’d like to do it again but times for me have changed we’ll see if that too will change. Thanks for the history lesson and updates.
Thanks for the kind words, William! I too remember trying to find out the best colour to paint the Enterprise in the pre-internet era. So many complicated paint formulas, so many contradictions. Great times! Thanks for writing.
I remember the ton of tube glue it took mount those pylons in 1967 at 14 years old. Still loved it. Built on a picnic table on the shores of Drag Lake in Haliburton County, Ontario. It was so big and bright white. I was maybe 5'-6" tall and fascinated with Star Trek. An older friend of mine went to one of the first Trek conventions and bought a bunch of plastic control console lights, the floppy amoeba creature and a copy of Sulu's gold shirt. This was about 1970 and by then I was 6'-1" and my interests had diverged from modelling. Back into it now at 70.
Awesome! I hope to still be modelling when I’m 70! Thanks for writing in, Timothy!
I first bought this kit when it was released in the UK in the blue plastic. This was before I painted kits, so a blue USS Enterprise hung from my bedroom ceiling (on cotton) for several years.
I built this in ‘73 when I was a kid, and I built it again with my teenage son in a nice bonding experience. I can never get tired of the Enterprise’s shape ❤
I did something similar…in fact, I’ve built one with my youngest, who converted it into an amazing Constellation!
Can you find a kit anywhere for a good price.?
I believe Round 2 is still producing this kit, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find online or in your local hobby shop. Good luck!
My Mom & Dad teamed up to try and put the engines on ! They actually welded the engine on !
@user-xg7iz4ok5z now those sound like a couple of very cool parents!
I had the 1968 version but actually got it in 1974. It still had the crappy nacelle connectors. Great memories though. I can still remember going to a local hobby store and buying it. I have a photo of me holding it circa late 74 early 75. Fun times!
I had one of those models when they first came out. They had peanut bulbs in them with orange top and bottom domes on the saucer. Turn the lights on by rotating the deflector dish base. Somewhere I have an old photo of it hung under a popcorn ceiling and it looks like it is orbiting a moon. Loved that thing even though the engine nacelles would always come loose.
I likely received the initial AMT issue about 1967 as a birthday gift and probably then built in a single weekend! Crooked warp nacelles and all. Marvelous work on the video with all the excellent references. A great trip down memory lane to the 'future's past.'
Thanks for the kind words, Robert! I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Stick around for more like this one!
The kit was and still is one of my favorite models. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for the kind words, John. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
I was a kid when TOS was on its first run and somewhere have the reply from NBC to my letter begging for a third season.
Anyway I built at least 3 of the 1967 kits as the pylons could never take my playing with them. I did build a later model with stronger plastic and improved attachments but it was destroyed when my curious kitty sent it into warp.
Great show. Thanks for having me reminisce.
I bet I got the same form letter that you got! LOL
Thanks for writing, Anthony. I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
I had one when it came out in stores… even came with a stand. Then they came out with a Klingon battle cruiser.. I remember there was a blinking light on the Enterprise…. That was awesome for that period…
Terry, before I started researching the video I had no idea lights were included. I agree…an amazing touch of detail for the era. Thanks for writing!
I got it as a gift in the late 70s when I was in middle school. I remember the green domes and the incredible frustration of the sagging nacelles!
In the mid 70's for my birthday, received the Enterprise, Klingon ship, Romulan warbird and Mr Spock model kit (Spock firing a phaser at a three headed snake) and the K7 space station model kits. Spent months painting and putting them together! The Enterprise was of course my favorite. Thanks for the history behind it.
You’re most welcome, Capt Lazer! I’m glad you enjoyed it! That birthday sounds epic!
This kit was one of my favorite back in the day. (1974 or 75 ) It was also my very first model kit that I ever ( attempted ) to build. It was a mess , I didn't have any model paint or glue. So I used my Grandmother's fake finger nail glue. And I found some old purple house paint out in my Grandpa's tool shed. My God, it looked like , well let's just say it wasn't anything like the picture on the box that's for sure. But I was proud of it any way. And that was the beginning of my many , and much better looking model builds to come. But as far as The Enterprise , I've built at least 9 or 10 over my 60 years.. With my last one built in October 2022 .. And I'm probably not done yet , I want to do a Big Boy 350 scale Enterprise along with the Strange New World / Discovery Enterprise. Happy Building to All... And just remember that it's a hobby , and it's supposed to be enjoyable and fun. So build for ( You ) and how you want it to look. And don't take it so seriously that it's more like a 40 hour job . It's just ment to be FUN , that's what it's all about.👍🇺🇸
Great post, Charles…thanks for writing. I couldn’t agree more with you about keeping the hobby fun and building your models the way you want to. If it becomes a slog, you need to take a breath and remember what you enjoy about the hobby.
very informative, explaining all the different versions of the kit that was made. Over the years, I must have over 20 (including kitbash ones), the first being in the mid 70s.
Glad you enjoyed it! 20 is a big number!
I still remember the frustration of droopy warp nacelles. When the Star Fleet Technical manual came out I found inspiration to repurpose one into a destroyer class. To this day it was the second best ST model I ever made, just behind the K'Tinga kit that came out right after the first movie.
So annoying, right? Sounds like you found a way to make lemonade out of lemons though. Funny you should mention the Destroyer class…I’m actually building one right now out of an old 1/650 AMT kit.
It's not only the original Enterprise's nacelles droop, but the refit versions as well. and the saucer,neck , and engineering hull never looked straight when looking from the front.
You’re absolutely right. I think the refit’s nacelles & pylons are even worse than the original kit!
I watched my nacelles droop until I got creative.
Cut the damn thing open, and used some sprue from the kit to brace those open tabs.
That’s actually a pretty clever solution.
Great video. I built 4 of these just as a child, and my photo with them is on Glen's poster. Recently, however, I found a badly built, but complete second release with the photo cover and engine lights. I restored it with LEDs and built it as the Enterprise shown on the cover of the box. It is now the oldest Star Trek item in my collection. I also have one with an old lighting system that I built in 1979, flashing running lights and spinning warp nacelles included.
Oh, that’s awesome Ronpur! Restoring older, pre-built kits is like restoring renaissance art! Thanks for writing!
I received my first Enterprise kit in 1967. It was the kit with the lighted Saucer and Nacelles. I enjoyed the video.
Thanks very much for the kind words!
I went one further than just building this model. When I was 11, I built an 8' wide helm from scratch out of 1/4" plywood. I scrounged every switch, light, and buzzer I could get my hands on (thanks Radio Shack) and completely wired the thing. Plugged into a wall outlet, it ran on AC and transformed to DC. Every switch did something. Every joint was soldered and taped. That old shag carpet was hard to get solder drops out of! My brothers made fun of me and I finally destroyed it, after I gave my dad all his switches back. My dad passed away in 2005. in about 2015, I found an old box in his attic marked "Enterprise Switches Dave - Make it Go!". That box is filled with some of those old parts, and my dad's note from beyond the grave makes it absolutely precious. For all the razzing I got from my older brother at the time, it was ironic that 20 years later he asked me to build one for his kid. Turns out, everyone was in awe that I was able to do something like that. Even as an adult, he still had no idea how to do it. I also built a "working" tricorder from scratch which was mostly an audio oscillator. Thanks again Radio Shack! That thing used to piss everyone off but my father. After working around aircraft all his life, he couldn't hear it at all. It was like a dog whistle to piss off my brothers and worked well in that application... My dad was always saying "What????" while my brothers were flipping out. Good times.
That’s amazing David, and a truly precious memory! The fact that your dad kept all those switches shows how proud he was of you. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this. I probably got my 1st Enterprise around 1970 and have built numerous versions over the years. I can vaguely remember some of the details you have mentioned. I can without embarrassment tell you that I got a "little" bit choked up as I reminisced with you over this 55 yr journey .Live Long and Prosper!🖖🖖
Thank you so much for the kind words! Nothing to be embarrassed about…researching this video took me down an emotional memory lane too, as this was my first ever model kit and I built it with my late dad in the mid-seventies. Thanks for writing!
Great video!
I have collected and built most of the AMT Star trek models. Great classic kits.
Thanks very much!
I had never heard the word pronounced "deckle" before, You Canadians - rockin' my world!
Yep, it’s definitely a regional pronunciation. I’ve lived throughout Canada and had never heard “dee-cal” until I started watching RUclips videos. Friends in the UK pronounce it as “deckle” too.
@@scaleicons I think the word is related to the French 'découpage' (which was an old tradition of gluing coloured paper onto an object) so the Canadian/UK pronunciation is related to the French. I am a Canadian so 'deckle' is the way I pronounce it but I have always loved the 'dee-cal' version too.
@davidc1878 that makes perfect sense to me.
I just ordered the 2015 kit with the smooth saucer from Amazon. $40. When I was a kid...around 8 I'd say, I bought the original kit from my local hobby shop! Funny thing, I lived in Royal Oak, Michigan at the time. My grandmother lived in Troy and every time we went to visit we went right by the AMT plant on 14 mile road and Coolidge Ave! I didn't even know that's where the kits were made...Just two miles or so from where I bought it!
Sweet! I hope you enjoy building it! Great memory too, thanks for sharing!
Back in the day, people accurized the AMT kit by swiping the decals from the mid-1970s Estes flying model rocket Enterprise (along with a few of the more accurate parts). The Estes model was directly measured from the 11 foot model as were the markings, so they were quite an upgrade up from the so-so AMT decals, and they set a new standard for sci-fi model kits for accuracy in general.
Interesting! I remember seeing ads for the Estes rockets back in the day, but never saw them up close. That the decals could be swapped out is fantastic!
@@scaleicons I did the same thing. The original 1975 release of the Estes model rocket was pretty impressive, later ones, less so. But scavenging parts and the decal sheet from the Estes model to improve the AMT one resulted in a very impressive looking model. I did the following:
1. Sanded down the AMT model to remove the inaccurate window and gridlines.
2. removed the incorrectly shaped saucer super structure, used the Estes more tear drop-shaped one in its place, grafting it carefully and making sure the lightweight structure of the Estes piece was reinforced.
3. Removed the trenches from the sides of the Estes kit engineering hull and grafted them to the sides of the AMT model. The same with the Estes model's shuttlebay dome, and the nav deflector dish.
4. removed the lower saucer strips and groups of holes from the Estes model and grafted them to the AMT model's saucer. Same with the Estes running light dimples.
5. Removed detailing from the Estes nacelles (the cowling hemispheres as well) to enhance the AMT ones.
6. Finally, the Estes decals applied to the AMT model for accurate windows and markings.
Used the Estes paint guides and notes from the study of the 11' model at the Smithsonian by various people for extra accuracy. Had this hanging with the D7 battlecruiser model on my ceiling for two decades and people always were asking why my model looked so different from theirs!
That’s a heckuva lot of work! I’m glad it worked out for you!
@@nowhereman1046 I also did something similar, though not quite that much. The real problem with the Estes model was that it had to fly, so the saucer was mutilated with a cutout for the tube that held the engine and recovery gear. The nacelles themselves also had some issues because they were just repurposed rocket body tubes, so they lacked the proper taper.
Still, the effort for the detailing and accuracy at the time it was an incredible effort when the Estes company didn't really need to.
@@mikedicenso2778 Yeah, that's one problem with the Estes model is that horrible tube. That's the only reason I never fully abandoned the AMT model, at least until the 1980s when the kit got even more inaccurate, including the proportions getting messed up, presumably so AMT could save a little bit of money.
I had an original lighted kit back in 1968, I built it (with help from my Dad, as I was only 6 yrs old) and proudly displayed it on my bureau. About 5 yrs later, in 1973, I came home from school and it was GONE!! I asked my Mom what happened, and she said she knocked it off by mistake, and it hit the floor and broke into pieces, so she THREW IT AWAY!!! I was DEVASTATED, especially since by that time the lighted kits were no more. Funny thing was, my Mom NEVER dusted, so I think she just got tired of looking at it and just made it disappear!!! Don't know if that's what REALLY happened, as she is no longer with us...God bless her... The GOOD thing is, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE SAME 1968 KIT on Ebay a few years ago, that was still in the box and UNBUILT!!! I feel like a big kid again, and I'm almost 62 NOW!!!
That’s simultaneously tragic and awesome! I hope you can keep that youthful feeling going when you build it!
I remember getting my first Enterprise kit with the green bridge dome I was so happy
Wow! What memories! The first (and really only) brush I had with kit-bashing, was using one of the six or so Enterprises I built back in the mid 70s as a USS Constellation. I used a candle directed with a hairspray aerosol can to melt the Bussard collectors and part of the primary hull.
My grandmother was...not amused! :D
Glad you enjoyed the video! I think a lot of us used open flames to simulate battle damage back in the carefree 70s…but a hairspray flamethrower? That’s hardcore, LOL! Thanks for sharing!
I've totally built one of those, and kit-bashed a second! So cool to know the history of this classic model. Thanks for making a video about it. I think like so many others, Star Trek model kits are what brought us into the world of model making.
Thanks for the kind words, Justin! I know the early AMT Star Trek models are what got *me* into this life long hobby.
Definitely had that saggy nacelle'd Enterprise in my childhood, and it stood proud with the Klingon battlecruiser, the Romulan WarBird, and the shuttle.
About 75/76, my local hobby shop had on display a kit someone had built of the federation tug from the technical manual (which I had yet to even look through). I still marvel at the ability to make such things. I’m a 2d artist, but effects miniatures and models are something I have a great respect and interest in.
I’m the same, Dave. As a teen I dreamed about a career in building FX miniatures (never came to pass though). I think it was the era we all grew up in…raised on Trek and other tv Sci Fi in the seventies, then the 80s Sci Fi boom hit and we were fascinated by all those amazing models on screen. Thanks for sharing!
Such memories. Thanks for this video. I got the 1968 version for Christmas and was fascinated by the light kit, which lit up the warp engines. A fan forever as I learned about battery operated toys!!
Thanks for writing, Mike. That is a great memory!
Wonderful to hear the history of this model ! I built it at least twice in the 70's. I even burnt and altered one over the stove to create my own USS Constellation (to the horror of my mother!!) Thanks again for this posting brings back memories. - Matthew
I’m glad you enjoyed the video Matthew, thanks for the kind words. Your mother must have been aghast in seeing the model in the oven, LOL!
I happened to be taking electronics in high school when I got my Enterprise, so I assembled a circuit that allowed the dome lights to flash on and off. How I wish I still had that model.
Clever! I wish I had some sort of electronics training or background so I could build my own circuit like you did.
Fantastic! I can never get enough about the history of this kit.
Note: the AMT kit was also used in the episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles”
You’re absolutely right, Ross…oversight on my part. Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad you liked it!
And the beat up Constellation flying into the maul of the "The Doomsday Machine". Sadly the newer CGI remasters replaced the AMT model. I'm so glad I own the original (unaltered) episodes.
A part of me likes the the CG because of the detail and imagery that I could only imagine in the 70s, but yeah…the original fx have their own charm that I miss. Thanks for writing!
I remember one of my early builds of the Enterprise back in 1969. I'd seen an article in a model magazine (don't remember which one) and tried what they described. Got a large box and painted the inside black, then painted a star field with Day Glo paints. Painted the Enterprise with white florescent paint and hung it from the top of the box with thread. Turn out the lights and turn on the black light and you had the Enterprise in deep space. Wish I still had the pics because it was gorgeous!
Very clever!
I had the '68 version. I still remember the magical feeling of flipping on the lights in a dark room.
This was my first model, and me very favorite. It looked so cool with that green glow at night!
I built two; the first was in 1972, purchased from the gift shop at Disneyland. Original single ship decals. It no longer lives.
Second was in the early 90's, had all the ship decals, and was built as NCC-1017 USS Constellation. It still lives.
Lifelong model builder here, built that kit many times. I shared this on StarShip Modeller last night, i reckon they will love it. Keep 'em coming mate. :)
Cheers, ModelDiver! Thanks for your kind words and support...more will definitely be coming!
I couldn't wait to get home and build mine. Wish I still had it and the box. I dragged my mum around town to find the phaser, communicator, tricorder set because a kid across the alley had one. Then I nearly lost my mind when another kid two doors down showed me his glow in the dark klingon bird of prey. Heady times.
The AMT model's second appearance in TOS was in "The Trouble With Tribbles" to actually represent the Enterprise herself as she orbited the K-7 space station during certain distance shots. Matt Jefferies did an amazing job modifying the model so that it was not only lit, but he took time to carefully cut out windows (in the proper places) on the saucer and engineering hulls, and then ran lights to those windows, not just the domes and nacelles!
Sadly, you can't see them with the poor resolution, but the little 18" model is there in the windows of Lurry's office and in those orbiting shots of the Enterprise behind K-7.
Thomas, I definitely missed this in my video, but I have seen pics of the finished model Jefferies made. He even used the ends of polished acrylic rods for the bussard collectors!
@@scaleicons Regardless, it was an awful lot of effort for something that wasn't visible on screen. In the best resolution pics of the office scenes, you can't see much, just a slight hint of the red pennant stripes on the nacelles and engineering hull.
That is a WONDERFUL Piece of information! I wonder if that Jeffries model survived the diaspora of the various props and items from the TOS ... Would love to see that! Of course by going to that much effort he was protecting the quality of the show in case someone decided to use a closer shot of the 18 inch miniature in relation to the K-7 miniature on the Blue Screen stage.
@@mtdavis9568 It did! It was kept by Matt for many years and then by his brother John until the early 2000s when it was sold at auction to billionaire Paul Allen, who then had it put on display in the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, WA. The paint is still good, but the old AMT decals have faded and partially peeled off.
There's a few good photos of it online, in particular, on Memory Alpha wiki.
Once upon a time...I had the opportunity to set up the "Cut Away" version and ... It was hard to make the two halves on the saucer gather without falling. I had to create longer tabs to have stability. In addition, moving parts, such as "pylons", had to adapt small screws so they didn't fall all the time. But, taking off the bad parts ...and a lot of the work... it was very interesting to assembly and adapt this model.
Cheers..
I never really gave much thought to the cut-away kit, but I have to admit my curiosity was piqued while doing research for this episode.
I've built 14 of the models as a kid in the late 60s, and I did the damaged Constellation and Excalibur. Those were great kits, I had to hang mine close to the ceiling to keep them out of the way.
14?! That’s the record so far, Grar! How did you achieve the damage to the Constellation and Excalibur? When I tried doing battle damage as a kid in the 70s, it always involved a BIC lighter and more enthusiasm than common sense, LOL.
@@scaleicons I used a coping saw and the pieces that I cut off. I used the sprew to make rests to set it on, then used a lighter and a candle to make it smokey. The rest was paint effects and advice from a guy who painted cars and motorcycle gas tanks for a living. He had a lot of advice that was very good.
Very cool! You definitely had more of a plan than I did…probably why mine just looked like melted messes, LOL!
@@scaleicons my first attempt was a melted mess of one of the nacelles. Good thing the trailer park I lived in backed up on a shopping center that had a model shop, with all the money I made hauling out garbage, a dollar a week, I could get a new one every three weeks.
I so miss the days of cheap models!!!
what a beautifully crafted video this is.......the same attention to detail as an idealistic young lad would apply when making an Enterprise model in 1973. SUPERB.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Henry! That really mean a lot!
Excellent video and story about this very famous model. I built that original release model - with the transparent green parts and such but I never attempted to light it. I wasn’t that competent when I was 10 nor am I competent with electronics 57 years later. LOL
Thanks, Bill! I remember building a few different “lighted” model kits in the late 70s at the age of 10 too, and I could never get them to work. Even now, I’m not really sure I know what I’m doing when it comes to commercial lighting kits, LOL! Thanks for your feedback!
I had the 1975 version with the light green dome covers. My dad and I built it and, much to my chagrin, he painted it a deep metallic blue! Very Disco! In the mid '80's, I built one myself. This was the light blue plastic version. Last year, I bought the re-issue, but plan to leave it in the box as a memento, because I already have much more accurate versions of the original Enterprise in my collection. Thanks for making this.
Thanks for sharing K2! My first experience was the same as yours…the 75 kit built with my dad…and he printed it metallic blue AND metallic green!
I built the original enterprise in the 70's and have no idea which one it was! I remember it was white and tried to find a spray paint that would make it look like the tv series color - I got close but never to my satisfaction. Also built the ST:TMP enterprise and Klingon Battle D-7 Battle cruiser along with tons of other models. Nice video!
Thanks, Dave! The first one I built was almost certainly the 1975 small box…or rather my dad built it for me. It was definitely white styrene…though he painted different sections with Testor’s metallic blue and green paint!!!!! (We only had a b&w tv and had never seen any colour images of the ship other than the box photo).
First time on your channel. I like it! I did build the original kit when I was a kid in the ‘60s, as well as the Klingon Battle Cruiser. Both were lit. I grew up on Star Trek, Lost in Space, Batman, and lots of other Sci-fi and fantasy series. Shaped my life. Thanks for sharing! 😎🇨🇦
Thanks for the kind words, Peter! I’m very glad you enjoyed the video…stick around, I have many more like this one planned!
@@scaleicons looking forward to them! 😎🇨🇦
While not a model builder myself, I found this topic fascinating on how the plastic model of the Enterprise changed.
Thanks, Margaret. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I'll give you a hint as to how how long I've been at it, my first build was the Spindrift from Land of the Giants.
Got my first U.S.S. Enterprise kit for my birthday that year. I've been building all sorts of models ever since, but the Trek ships are my favorites.
Model building teaches patience, planning, attention to detail, and the ability to improvise, it's a life-long love affair I recommend to everyone.
I agree 100% about the benefits of model building. Everything you said, plus (for me anyway) it’s relaxing and therapeutic. Thanks for writing in!
This kit was my second favorite, built several during the 70s - My favorite AMT kit was the sadly undersized Phaser, Communicator, Tricorder set. I built a bunch of those and I would welcome a full-sized highly detailed model kit.
I agree…a 1:1 scale away team kit would be ideal!
What a great video! Yes, I tried to build the amt 18" back in the 70's as a kid. I didn't paint it. As it was white. already. I did try to glue it all together in two ours.. Resulting in a crap ton of glue finger prints all over the model from regluing parts that split or sagged apart. I now have the Polar lights 1/1000 & 1/350. The 1/1000 will be my first in mayby 45 years. So It's a practive model and plan to take it very slow.
Thanks for the compliment, Peter! I really appreciate it! The 1/1000 is a really great kit, so much better engineering than the old AMT kit, and an excellent way to shake of the rust and get back into the hobby. Good luck!🙂
I remember building the original kit and the pain in the butt way the pylons were attached using the "clips"
I own several of the kits through the ages.
The Enterprise is my first "hero ship". I've built at least 3 of TOS's version, 1 D and one E. I currently have a Polar Lights build in the box, partially blacked out for the Tena Controls lighting kit. I enjoyed this video.
It’s amazing to me how many of us have built multiple versions of the old AMT kit. Thanks for sharing Terry, and thanks for the kind words!
Thanks for doing this. I have one of these kits from my childhood. I didn't buy it. One of my parents put it together. Now when I eventually dig it out (it's in a box somewhere in storage) I may be able to date it.
Cool! Hope you can find it!
Great video! Thank you for that.
One slight correction though. The AMT kit is a screen used version of the Enterprise. In the Trouble with Tribbles, it is the Enterprise seen orbiting outside Barris' window. =)
Thanks for the feedback Justzizguy! I had totally missed the use of the kit in Tribbles. Thanks for the kind words!
I think you mean Mr Lurrie's window commander of K7 - AKA General Kirk!!
An AMT model portraying Constellation was also used in The Doomsday Machine.
I was about 8 yrs old when I built my first TOS 1701 of the wheat bulb versions circa 1968. The drooping and broken off nacelle engines meant it eventually ended up in the land fill. Soon after, a 2nd TOS 1701 suffered the same fate. There was no 3rd attempt since I lost interest in the kit (and dad didn't want to buy yet another one!). However, I built one Klingon D7 model around the same time. That KD7 also featured wheat bulbs. With the stand removed and disassembled, the entire model fit perfectly in its original packaging. I still have that Klingon D7 model packed away somewhere.
I had the second release of this kit back around 1970 and I remember for access to the batteries the deflector end cap could be removed and the battery tray could be pulled out.
I've built this particular kit twice I believe. I think the first one I built was the early battery powered one. I had completely forgotten about it until I watched this video. As soon as you mentioned it it sparked the memory. No doubt as soon as I finished it I probably started playing with it (I was probably 9 or 10) and wrecked it. I do know I built a second one sometime in the late 70's or early 80's. It was the one molded in light blue. There's a picture of me playing guitar with a friend of mine in my first apartment and it's sitting proudly on a shelf in the background! I don't have it any more as it was crushed during a later move. However, I've since graduated up to building the polar lights 3 foot model. It was far more complex but it's a great, more screen accurate kit. There will always be a place in my heart for the first ones though. :)
Awesome, I’m so glad I was able to trigger that memory for you! I feel your pain regarding damaged models…I’ve lost a few over the years during moves as well. Thanks for writing in!
I remember building (I believe ) the second version ('67?) and my brother did too. But what jogged my memory after all these years was the mention of those woefully inadequate tabs. I remember fighting like crazy to get that to stay put. Even after the glue had fully dried. A lot of work went in to your video, and I enjoyed watching it. Of course, on my side of the planet, we say dee-cal. Otherwise, throughly enjoyable! Live long and prosper.
Thanks for the kind words, 1allanbmw! I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
would love to see in the future, a video about the Aurora kits, the Enterprise and the Klingon. And I understand these kits came in different colours e.g. black, brown, green. Would be interested to know more about the different colours there were.
Thanks for the suggestion!
That's my model at 19:32! I built that back in the mid-90s and took that pic of it around 8 years ago. I've probably built that kit 20 times, starting when I was 10. I'm glad you liked it enough to use it. 🖖😁
The one credited to Bacchus Imageworks is yours? It’s a great build, I just hope I haven’t used the wrong screen credit! It’s a very nice build, which is what caught my attention. I recognize the stand from a different AMT kit…the ST V refit release?
@@scaleicons Thank you! Yes, Bacchus Imageworks is the name I use when I post my photos online. And yes, the base IS from the ST5 refit kit. It's the culmination of about 20 different builds over the years, beginning when I was about 10. I used the decals from the Estes flying Enterprise kit, and BBs for the phaser turrets.
Sounds like you’re a Trek modeler like me…every build gets dressed up with leftover (or cannibalised) parts from older Trek kits! 😁
I had this kit as a kid! Thanks so much for posting this! This episode brought make so many wonderful memories of my Dad and I building it together. When you get a chance, could you make an epidose about the model of the "Seaview" from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"? 😀
Thanks for the feedback, James…I’m so happy to have triggered a nostalgia buzz for you. I had the same feeling as I edited this video together; as a kid in the 70s, all of AMT’s Trek kits were a staple of my childhood.
The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea kits are an ideal topic…thanks for the suggestion!
You beat me to this. I think Seaview is the only kit to give the Enterprise a run for its money (Excepting staples like WWII planes or tanks).
Growing up in western Canada in the 70s meant that a lot of the classic kits Americans and Brits take for granted simply weren’t available. I’m looking forward to learning more about the history of the Seaview as well as the other Irwin Allen-based kits (e.g. the Spindrift).
Be sure to include the flying sub kit.
@@ninjabearpress2574 Amen on that too! I actually have an unbuilt Flying Sub kit in my garage. One day I'll find the time to build it. :)
I received one of the versions of this kit for Christmas circa 1975. I don’t remember any lighting options. One of my friends had the Romulan warbird with the giant decal, which I was so jealous of.
I remember the Romulan ship too…I never got it as a kid, but one of my friends did and I was jealous too! Thanks for writing!
A slight correction. The 50th anniversary version was retooled to have the Round 2 Dome stand replacing the 3 part cradle. There is an additional release in 2022 in the 2nd edition classic photo box - the styrene is the updated kit with the dome stand, which is likely the standard release going forward...
Thanks for the clarification, Portland. That dome stand is beautifully engineered, and I’ve purchased several for my own kitbashes.
I LOVE the plastic used in the 50th Anniversary kit. No more saggy nacells. Finally had a quality plastic to work with!
Oh my God. Yep, I remember trying to get those engines straight on the original kit when it first came out. Being inexperienced as a model builder, I can remember adding too much glue that the pylons sunk into the secondary hull. Meaning me and my brothers often purchased additional kits - lol. Thanks for sharing this. Was truly a unique idea at the time because of the innocent lighting system it had.
I glad you enjoyed the video! I was guilty of using too much glue on one of my early kits too…instead of keeping everything firmly in place, I got a melted goopy mess!
Very cool. Over the course of the '70s I probably built at least three to four of these models and it was cool to figure out from this that the first ones I did were from the 1973 release. I had always thought I started watching the show by around '74-'75 but I definitely remember the elements of that '73 version. Also remember the differences with the '75 and the new decals and such.
But my strongest memory when it comes to those builds were my tendencies to overuse the glue when it came time to put in the nacelles and build the stand. At least one or two of my models ended up getting turned into "war casualties" once I had screwed up the nacelles too much!
Oh that’s amazing, I’m stoked that I was able to help you clarify a memory from the 70s! Ah yes…glue disasters. So many times I made the mistake of thinking that if a little bit of glue will work, then a LOT will make the bond unbreakable!
Still have mine on display. Plus the Bridge and Galileo. It’s a great set together.
Nice!
Looking at Guzman's concept sketch of the bridge makes me feel like I might owe the SNW and Discovery people a bit of an apology, since apparently the look we see on the new shows was indeed what they would've done back then with more time and money. Also love how some of the Enterprise concept sketches eventually found their way into canon
Yes, I was quite surprised by how futuristic his original sketches were. Guzman is credited with coming up with a circular, dome-shaped bridge concept. I wonder what the series would have looked like had Guzman stayed on.
Yes! I remember this. As a 'model' I was a bit disappointed since it had very few parts - yet it did have the internal lighting system which made up for that once assembled. The Polaris sub model with the removable side so one could see the entire insides from bow to stern - now THAT was a 'builders model'. Still this Enterprise model made a good target for BB gun practice once I got older. The saucer section held up really well to multiple hits. We were kids - no one knows what will have 'value' years later . . . . .
Ah, the Polaris…I got that as a teen and realized about 3 steps in that I had bitten off more than I could chew! Thanks for writing in!
We in the United States DO indeed pronounce the word "decal" properly. For us to say it incorrectly it would have to be spelled , "deckle" which it obviously is not so that settles that. LOL
LOL!
Deckle, DEEcal, who cares? I remember my hobby shop started selling sheets of them seperate from the model kits. This was great, as they were always a flimsy affair, prone to loss or tearing...
YUP, I sure did build this, and the larger scale R2 one as well. I have three sealed AMT ERTL kits in my collection as well.
Nice collection you’ve started!
This was my first model kit when I was 8! Maybe I was 9, it came in the black box and I was 9 in 1989.
What an awesome memory! It was my first model as well…mine was the first kit in the small box in 1975. I would have been about 8 as well!
Great video, really takes me back. I had one of these in the mid-80's and it was one of my favorites for a long time, screen accurate or no. I also completed the movie Enterprise and a D-7. I wasn't even any good at it back then but I loved those kits. I occasionally entertain the thought of getting one now and building it with the patience of the old man I've become. It could hardly look worse then the rushed efforts of the young man I was.
Seems I recall seeing those dimples actually labeled as phasers. Could be wrong (see 'old man', above), but I have walked around with that diagram in my head for many decades now.
Thanks for writing, Oren! Like you, my first few cracks at these kits were hardly “award winning” LOL, but let me tell you…building them decades later as an experienced modeller was really satisfying, as I was able to mostly produce a finished build the way 10-year old me imagined!
🖖😎👍Very cool and very nicely well done and informatively explained and executed in every detail way and form indeed, I myself have built this model so many different times that I can't remember and I've built all of the other versions of the Enterprise as well on top of that👌...
Thanks very much, Steve! I think building any Enterprise model is a rite of passage for all of us Sci Fi builders!
I bought the first version that came with battery operated lights. Amazing. I ended up giving it a refresh 40 years later, and the lights still work,!
Joe, that’s incredible! I would have thought the incandescent bulbs would have burned out by then!
I remember the pylon nacelles and how impossible it was to get them to actually stand-up. My dad and I tried all sorts of different glues, but nothing could make that failure in modeling design work in those early kits.
I remember trying to keep them parallel and even by using scotch tape while they dried. About as successful as you might think.
@@scaleicons I turned it upside down and used Lego to support the rest of the model with the nacelles flat on the desk. It was pretty challenging for a 12 year old!
Great video. I learned a lot from this video...
Thanks, John! I’m very happy you enjoyed the video!
I loved this kit!
I wish I could find a few without the design mistakes.
Unfortunately we have to go big (1/350) or small (1/1000) if we want an accurate model. But for me the old 1/650 still holds a lot of charm despite its flaws. Nostalgia is a powerful drug!
If you want to get closer to the screen miniature and still have a decent-sized model - without breaking the bank on the big 1/350 version - Revell of Germany has a very nice and modern kit available in about the same size as the original AMT kit. It's not perfect; instead of raised panel lines, it has weirdly deep RECESSED panel lines that really should be filled in. The shape of the B-C deck teardrop is still a bit off. But it's a very nice kit. It includes several sprues of clear parts, including the nacelle front caps and all of the windows, and the decals are accurate. It builds up into a very nice model that is pretty much screaming for lighting if you want to take that particular plunge.
As Revell doesn't hold the American license for Trek models, it's not the easiest kit to find, but they're out there. I picked one up through Amazon, and they're regularly on Ebay.
I’ve been very curious about the Revell kit too, Lone Locust. I may have to pick one up just to compare & contrast it to the AMT kit!
@@scaleicons I have the same interest. Please let me know what you learn about the Revell AG kit. Thank you.
May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless Round 2 Models.
Very well put together! Guilty as charged - I put together at least one plastic model kit, but then I graduated to VRML and built a life-sized version that I can walk around in. After several iterations designed and built with increasing math skills, I chose not to fight copyright laws LOL.
Thanks for the kind words! Sounds like you put a lot of work into your virtual Enterprise!
@@scaleicons I enjoy walking around in it. Going where no one has gone before... LOL
Have you seen Maxs Models channel? He has a lot of videos on the history of model companies.
I had not…until you suggested it. Some great content, and I just subscribed. Thanks for the heads up!
@@scaleicons Glad you enjoyed it. It is a fun channel. Modelers of vary skills but no one criticizes anyone's builds it is all for fun. Lots of great information and modeling tips. The Gloo Troopers always have ideas and information. Max also does a live stream. He is on aircraft training so his posts are short and one a week. He does do a live stream most Saturdays. If you want to have a good laugh and see what that it is all about fun building watch the last livestream from last Saturday. Max does a live build of a snap together kit and it is hilarious. He also hosts viewers build and molders send him pictures to post and he will make a viewers build video of them. Like I said, it is all for fun.
I built my first Enterprise kit in the mid-70s. I had to repair the sagging nacelle supports several times over the years until the year 2000 when both pylons literally fell off due to the aging and weakened plastic. Now I have several versions of the ship displayed in my home office along with Voyager and Reliant.
Thank you for this. I had an AMT Enterprise in 1967 when I was 9 years old. I'm sure I would have been too impatient to install the lighting. When I built model naval battleships and cruisers I always thought the anti-aircraft guns were too small to bother with, and I don't remember fiddling with batteries in the Enterprise. I would have given my Enterprise hard use and abuse as a toy. The main thing I remember was the droopy nacelles, and that I could take the secondary hull apart to try to put them back together better.
Thanks for this, Gerald. I remember treating my model like a toy a lot too!
I had the '73 version, and yes the nacelles drooped. I got it to work with scotch tape and stuff, but hey I was young. Great memories and it's cool to see the cover of the box I remember.
I remember trying scotch tape to align my nacelles too! Didn't care that the tape shouldn't be there - my nacelles were straight for... geez it must have been all of ten minutes before the strain broke the tape! Me playing with it didn't help either, I'm sure.
Thank you SO much for this video. I could write forever but will limit it to my first Enterprise kit. It was the '68 version with lighting in both the upper and lower "Saucer" sections as well as the Nacelles. I built it and put it on my dresser (I was a kid at the time), and it would sometimes light up on its own during the night. Spooky. I was a pretty savvy kid and figured it was due to my build. I'm now 62 years old and last year I was able to find an original of that particular kit online. I did pay up for it but was happy to. It had the original plastic wrap and I've yet to open it! I will at some point, but just looking at it, knowing it's been unopened for decades is a joy to behold. I enjoyed your video tremendously. Thank you for what you do.
Michael, thank you so much for your kind words! Knowing that I’m reaching people like you and providing enjoyment and nostalgia is the real reason I do this. Thanks for your support and your attention. I hope you continue to enjoy my videos.😃
Wow! This really takes me back! I believe I built at least 12 of these over the years, beginning in the late 70's, including some commission builds in the 90's and 00's for other folks. Great content, keep up the great work!
Thank you Probation Bird! I have some great topics coming up. Thanks for your support!
I am so glad the original Desilu model made it to the Smithsonian. Haven't been to see it yet, but on the bucket list..and yes I built the second release AMT kit when I was a kid in the 60's/
I haven’t seen the original model at the Smithsonian either…but it’s on my bucket list too! 🙂
Nice video! My AMT kit that I built in 1982 is sitting on the top of a bookshelf 5 feet from my computer right now! It has fallen and broken a few times over the years, but I have always been able to get it back together!
Wow, 1982 and still around! You must take great care of her. Thanks for writing, and thanks for the kind words Doug!
I built the first kit issued and also contributed to the letter writing campaign to keep the show going even though it ended up only one year more.
I built at least 4 or 5 growing up.. I had mine in a case on display . Awesome .. my favorite model ..
Thanks for your reply, Johnny. Looking back, I think I'd have to say this was my favourite model while growing up too.
What a great video! Fascinating, and most enjoyable. Excellent work Sir. 👏
Ross, thank you very much for the kind words! I’m very pleased you enjoyed it!
I was born in 1966, the same year as Star Trek. Whenever I see these model kit videos, I will usually comment with my experiences with the original AMT kits. While I'm more familiar with the versions from the 70's (I would have loved to have a lighting kit) I had to have put together a dozen kits, including some of the early ones.
I started with just the Enterprise, but my parents got me a Romulan Bird of Prey and a Klingon D7. Then I got a copy of the Franz Joseph Technical Manual and had to build a Tug and a Destroyer. Not long after that The Motion Picture came our, and I had to get the refit Enterprise. My original Enterprise was torn down and converted into a Dreadnought.
For most of my childhood, those models hung from my ceiling. They were bashed together, badly glued and slightly warped, and usually covered in dust. They didn't survive to today, but sometimes I think about buying some models and recreating them. I'd be able to do so much better today, if I had the time and effort to put into it.
I'll add that I always loved the "sensor grid" even though it wasn't Canon. All my ships proudly bore these lines. 😆
Richard, I hung my models from the ceiling too! By the early 80s I had the original and refit Enterprise, a Viper from Battlestar Galactica and a Buck Rogers fighter. Like you, mine were horribly built by my current standards, and I’ve spent years rebuilding them. Thanks for sharing!
@@scaleicons You know, I might have had a Colonial Viper too, although it was never displayed with the Star Trek ships. I distinctly remember at least one of my models had cut out windows too, and the green sensor domes, although I'm pretty sure it was never lit. Maybe I felt I could never get the wiring to work, or maybe my parents removed it so I wouldn't become frustrated. The decal sheets all had the multiple names and registries though, so it was an early 70's model at the earliest. By the time I was old enough to watch the show it was in syndication anyway.
I still have mine from 1983. That has the raised deflector shield grid which is my favorite as time passes It would get worn and then the warp engines would start sagging no matter what I always keep up with the maintenance always have it looking good. I’m glad I still have it till this day, I have mine mounted on a candlestick holder, but I bought from HomeGoods .
Awesome…I love the idea of doing maintenance on a beloved model. Well done!
What a great documentary. A treat for any Star Trek fan.
Thank you very much.
Thank you so much, Kevin! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is my favorite ship, favorite type and favorite design. OG Enterprise. 12-60 yrs. old many times built and hopefully this last one is my best version as true to OG as possible. My first Enterprise were my mothers paper plates, Quaker oatmeal cartoon and two paper towel empty roles all taped together with scotch tape and elmers glue.
Great story
By the mid-1980s, I was a professional model builder in St. Louis, and built a number of these kits for various clients with my own added lighting system and a nice wood display base. For myself, I built several of the Scout/Destroyer from the Star Trek Technical Manual, as well as a single cargo tug with container.
Professional model builder…dream job! I’m working on a kitbash scout/destroyer at the moment. Thanks for writing in Jeff!
the original 1966 lighted kit was my very first model I ever built. I have another 1966 lighted model that I would like to build with more lights and sound, but RC controlled. I live in ST Louis. Is there a hobby shop that can help me with the build of this model?
This video just took me back in time. Built my first Enterprise Kit back in 1975 when I was 9 years old. Then another one in 1976, along with the Exploration set which I loved. Then another one I think in the 90's. Now everytime I go into a Hobby Lobby and walk down their model aisle I see the 50th anniversary edition and get that same feeling I had all those years ago. I have come so close to buying it again, but haven't. Great video!
Thanks for the kind words, George. I believe I built my first kit in 75 at the same age. Talk about a touchstone from childhood! Thanks for writing!
"Grain-O-Wheat" lightbulbs is the term they used in these old kits. My original 1967 had orange domes on the top and bottom of the saucer. I remember having one when I was a kid - always trying to keep the engines from flopping down. I must have used a few tubes of glue on those things. I wish I had that today, but have no idea whatever happened to it.
Loved it! Had it in the 70’s, with the communicator, tricorder, phaser, bird of prey and Klingon war bird. So much fun to build, but those decals were always tricky…
They still are Allen! Thanks for writing.
Man... Back in the 70's I had so many models from AMT/Ertle. The Lief Erikson was one of the coolest space ships next to the Star Trek line, and the "Strange Change" monster kits were the bomb!
Oh, I think I remember the strange change kits! Wasn’t there one of The Mummy?
@@scaleicons Yes Sir, mummy, vampire, wolfman, Mr. Hyde, etc.
Hmm, I’m gonna have to look into those…
@@scaleicons Monsters in Motion has a ton of old school models on their web site.
I know the site…I’ll check it out!
We bought probably about 20 of these between myself and my friend group. Only about 5 of them survived as actual ships but mind have vanished. We figured out the modeling glue was flammable and many of them kits we bought ended up battle-damaged. The local five and dime store had kept it stocked in the early 90s and it was dirt cheap for a bunch of high school students to buy and build.
20?! Too bad they’ve disappeared…
Thanks for writing!
When I was a kid my Dad bought me the first version of the Enterprise. A friend of mine also had one. Now, I don't know where he got this from, but he stated that the "dimples" under the ship were for if the Enterprise had to land that it would have to dock onto these 3 stations for the ship not to tip forward. Kind of the way the Hindenburg would dock when it landed. I don't know. I just took him for his word.