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USS Enterprise

By Danny Attree

Wel,l after the best part of 6 weeks my 1/350 Polar Lights Enterprise kit from the original series is complete.

This is a Commission and built OOB with the Polar Lights Weathering and Lighting Set as per the customers requirements.

Kit mechanics went together very well, with the exclusion of the lighted shuttle bay. Lts of time and effort spent here, not very easy at all. The lighting kit itself on paper seems a really simple and well thought-out package but in reality it is let down by the push fit LED strip fittings. One minute they work the next they don't because the contact points are very light and you have to be oh so careful. I would be assembling one part and then check the lights only to find one or all had stopped. This is not very reassuring and I had to on more than one occasion stop and take it apart to re-do the connection, not good. In the end I hard soldered most of the LED strips as I had no confidence in the long term durability of the connectors.

I added some additional LED to various areas, specifically under the Bridge - there is a lot of scope in the kit to do this. The weathering decals for the Saucer are huge; each one is the same sort of section as a very large piece of cake. To make it easier to get them on in one piece a harder decal material has been used. This idea does work but decal softeners are not so effective and I used allot of Microsol. All-in-all I cannot grumble with the result.

Overall a great kit to build with some challenges along the way.

You can see more of Danny's models at his website www.modelmasteruk.com

Image: Bridge

Image: Hanger Bay

Image: Saucer

Image: Front Left High

Image: Left

Image: Left High

Image: Right Low

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