Description
This article is from the Star Trek Tech
FAQ, by Joshua Bell inexorabletash@hotmail.com with numerous
contributions by others.
48 Blueprints p4 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)
Regula 1 Space Laboratory
Lawrence Miller, 1985 - 17 x 22 (5 sheets + 6 pg. 8.5 x 11 text
supplement), scale 1 in. = 40 ft. -- $8.95
A well-done "Star Fleet Corps of Engineers" rendering by Miller, a
sort of warm-up for his "Starbase 79" (which see), beginning with
"front," side and top views, proceeding to a cutaway profile, then an
exploded side view with isometric details, and concluding with an
exploded top view of the living area, including variant connector arm
configurations (as used in the "Centroplex" of "Star Trek: The Motion
Picture," which the effects crew of "The Wrath of Khan" inexplicably
flipped upside-down to produce Regula). Good general data for
modelers, but differs proportionally on close examination from a
partial plan printed in an old issue of Starlog (see "Starbase 79" for
further explication of this caveat).
Robot Cargo Ship
David Winfrey, Omega Prints, 1989 - 11 x 17 (3 pg.), scale "Franz
Joseph's" -- $ 4.95
A "beauty" set of plans of the grain ship from "More Tribbles, More
Troubles," painstakingly researched if a bit roughly rendered, with
off-the-screen "cel tracings" showing elements that appear and
disappear from one angle to another. See Modeler's Blues for further
notations on my work.
Romulan "Bird of Prey" Blueprints
Michael McMaster, Galactic Designs and Productions, 1977 - 18 x 24 (5
pg.), scale 1/157.5 -- $6.00
I don't know how McMaster derived this ship's size. According to him,
the ship's only 68 meters long (223 feet, about half the diameter of
the original Enterprise's primary hull, since denied by canon - e.g.,
the Okudas' and Rick Sternbach's "STAR TREK" ENCYCLOPEDIA). That said,
these are the first (and for many years, the only) accurate plans of
the original Romulan "warbird." Exterior plans and full deck layouts
are featured, as well as many technical notes. The "bird" painting is
well represented. I've long intended to modify AMT's abysmal model kit
to match this one's lines, a project these plans - coincidentally
twice the model's size - would make a breeze. Unfortunately, that
kit's long out of production (as are indeed all original series kits,
for the present anyway). Nor does the little MicroMachine replica
(accurate though it is) satisfy my urge to breech the Neutral Zone.
But McMaster set the course, and a well-flown course it was, though
too short, alas, by far.
Size Comparison Chart
Michael McMaster
The original item of this name was a large (24 x 36?) one-sheet with
three-views of the Enterprise, Klingon, Romulan and Tholian vessels,
as well as the K-station, set against a "backdrop" of a section of
Baylock's Fesarius ("The Corbomite Maneuver"), of which a full scrap
view appeared also at reduced scale. A masterful piece of work, and
the finest rendition of a K-station ever created.
Starbase 79
Lawrence Miller, 1990 - 17 x 22 (6 pg + 5 8.5 x 11 supplemental pg., 4
text, 2 drawings) -- $12.95
I gave up on Miller after this. The cover lists him as having done (in
addition to Regula) the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge (series unstated),
the Hornet and Lynx (both original designs, I think), all well-drawn,
I'm sure - but "Starbase 79" is the weirdest set of plans I've ever
seen. This is "Spacedock" from "The Search for Spock" - sort of. That
is to say, Miller's "crushed" it, making all elements taller in
relation to their diameter than shown on-screen. This cannot have been
accidental; good reference shots of Spacedock appeared in Thomas G.
Smith's INDUSTRIAL LIGHT AND MAGIC: THE ART OF SPECIAL EFFECTS (1986),
a book which, while costly (for its time), should have been readily
available to Miller through interlibrary loan if nothing else. I can
only presume he altered the thing's shape (and name) to keep clear of
potential legal action by "Trek's" copyright holder Viacom. I'd be the
last to call this paranoia; a couple of years back, the franchise boys
shut down some not-for-profit websites due to their inclusion of
screen captures and the like, and put the fan community on notice that
copyright could be applied against any and all derivative works (a
practice not followed up as yet, thankfully). Too, I've heard that one
of the two mail-order markets long given to selling fan tech materials
have been warned off that tack by Viacom. All that said, however,
"Starbase 79" is a dunsel. I suppose one could run a revision off on
an X/Y axis altering laser copier, but the cost of that would equal or
surpass that of the plans themselves. That said, this is a nice piece
of work, replete with exterior and interior detail, and including the
fanboy's delight of a STARFLEET TECHNICAL MANUAL scout/destroyer
docked adjacent to a refitted Constitution class ship. Miller's tech
details are fascinating, and he even shows a representative section of
the station's quarters. But if you're looking to scratchbuild a
Spacedock, don't invest your bucks in this.
"Star Trek" Modeler's Blueprints Set I
David Winfrey, Omega Prints, 1989 - 8.5 x 11 (16 pg.), scales 1/48,
1/92, 1/639, 1/1597 and 1.5 in. = 50 ft. -- $6.95
Yep, me again. First off, a note on scales. The Class F (original
series Galileo) and (animated) armored shuttles appear in 1/48 and
1/192, the scales of the AMT/ERTL Galileo and Surak shuttles,
respectively; the (animation's) robot cargo ship, K-7 station and
Botany Bay are done to the scales of the small and large AMT
Enterprises, with a "bonus" page of the Botany Bay to the scale of
"Franz Joseph's" CONSTITUTION CLASS plans. Same note on errata applies
to the Galileo as in my Class F review above. Armored shuttle includes
off-the-screen "cel tracings" of the interior and Enterprise's
jam-packed hangar deck , former color-keyed (as is the set entire).
Robot cargo ship ("More Tribbles, More Troubles") includes cel
tracings and an "alternate design" from an old fanzine; K-7 includes a
scrap view of the real-world Douglas Aircraft Company space station
design on which it was based. Botany Bay plans are likewise due
revision by dint of since-acquired detail photos of studio miniature,
but proved to be within a fraction of an inch of that miniature's
dimensions, despite having their size derived from extremely limited
reference (e.g., 2 wallet sized photos and episode videotapes). Font
is that of an IBM Selectric II, my "word processor" of choice circa
1989. Not the most aesthetically attractive set of blues the world has
seen, but good modeler's reference, if I do say so myself. And I do.
(David has supplied some additional reviews of non-Star Trek
blueprints - see the HTML version of this FAQ, in which this paragraph
is a link to that document.)
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