This model is perhaps the most challenging project I’ve encountered to date. Although the kit provides lights and fiber optics, it requires you to “kit-bash” the model (cut grooves & drill holes) to install them.
In particular I found the pylon lighting and main reflector dish fairly difficult to install. I had to find a way to cut deep grooves into thin pylons to run wires up to the lights in the red domes (known as Bussard Collectors to Star Trek fans). Several times I was concerned that I would slice the pylon in half. Once the wires were laid it I found it difficult to putty the grooves without getting putty into the surrounding detail.
The main reflector dish was similarly difficult. The plans originally called for gluing the bulb directly to the backside of the reflector dish. However this caused a problem – the reflector dish was transparent such that you could see the light bulb inside. To solve this problem I had to build a light bulb “cage” from spare plastic parts to contain the light bulb. I then wrapped the cage with multiple layers of wax paper to diffuse the light. Although this was something of a hack it seemed to solve the dish lighting problem.
The final question was to determine the color to paint the model. Although the plans called for “Duck Egg Blue” I couldn’t locate that color of spray paint anywhere in Tampa. I then had an idea: I could watch Star Trek re-runs to see how the set lighting affects the perceived color. After watching a few episodes it seemed that the ship appeared mainly as a light grey color; that is the color I finally painted the model.
Below are some pictures of the finished model. Click an image to see a larger version.
The following pictures illustrate a ship “dry dock” I jerry-rigged to support the major components during final assembly and painting.