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“The ‘neck’ of the Enterprise-D connects the saucer to the engineering section. Here, this vital link begins to take shape, while more parts are added to the skeletal supports of the saucer.“
Contents
Parts
Materials: Unfortunately, the neck parts are all plastic, but the skeletal pieces are metal.
Magazine – Issue 3
- Assembly Instructions: Building the Model
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1
- Episode Guide 1.1/1.2: Encounter at Farpoint
- Episode Guide 1.3: The Naked Now
- Episode Guide 1.4: Code of Honor
- Episode Guide 1.5: The Last Outpost
Free Gift #2 – Screw Box
Build
Before we get started with this stage, I wanted to address a few of the windows on the Battle Section Rear Neck. The windows on either side of the shuttlebays are not drilled out, so I filled them in with a black Ultra Fine Point Sharpie. If you make a mistake, you should be able to safely remove any excess ink by lightly swiping it away with a cotton swab damp with isopropyl alcohol:
Here, the windows on both sides are now filled in:
Fitting the First Phaser Array
Step A
Place the Neck Phaser Bank Left into its matching slot on the left side of the Battle Section Rear Neck:
Slide the two Springs over the pins of the Neck Phaser Bank Left.
These Springs were tangled up in my parts bag. I gently ‘unscrewed’ them from each other to keep from damaging them:
Finally, fit the Neck Phaser Bank Left Base on top of the Neck Phaser Bank Left, compressing the springs, and secure it into place with two (2) AP screws.
The two pins of the Neck Phaser Bank Left should fit up through the matching holes of the Neck Phaser Bank Left Base (arrows below):
From the top side, our phaser strip should look like this. I have no idea why these are spring loaded. We will be closing up the neck section before anything else is ever attached to these:
Building up the Skeletal Supports
Step B
Retrieve your Skeleton assembly from the previous stage. Fit the larger Skeletal Support U4C to this location on the underside of the Upper Skeleton 4, as shown.
As mentioned in the last stage, I recommend pre-threading the holes in these Skeletal Supports:
Secure the Skeletal Support U4C in place from the opposite side with two (2) BM screws:
When working with the skeleton frames, be gentle. They are metal, but can bend easily and cause warping of your saucer section. This is also your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:
Next, fit the smaller Skeletal Support U4D to this location on the underside of the Upper Skeleton 4, as shown:
Secure this support into place with two (2) more BM screws:
Thoughts
I am happy to see that the neck of the battle section already has most of the detail markings on it. I was afraid these might be stickers we would have to add later.
Next Up
Stage 8 – Upper Skeleton 5, Neck Phaser Bank Right & Base
Did you think about modifying the two small Neck Phaser Banks to give them the ribbed finish of the filming model?
https://i.imgur.com/9ImnLME.png
To be honest, I would not know where to begin to do that. If someone made them to match the main phasers, I would definitely swap them out. The texture is missing from the phaser strip on the cobra head too.
Greates Building/Moding Site ever !!!
Comment to this stage: The four rectangles in the middle are also supposed to be windows.
More job four your sharpy 🙂
I will remove the phaser banks and will try to make a mold – which i then can mod.
I think some resin like milliput would be ok to get the ribs in.
Thank you! I will look into coloring in those windows as well. I have been thinking about using the spring-loaded phaser banks as actual switches to control things – not sure just yet. I do agree, the small phaser banks should have the same texture as the large rings.
I have noticed there are two more windows on the neck, looking at different pics I have noticed those are lit up. Since they look like the other windows that you have blacked out with a marker I did the same with them.