Return to the BUILD
“Add another section to you upper saucer assembly, and get to grips with a key part of the battle section before you use it in a later stage.“
Contents
Parts
Materials: The Deck Panel U1-03 is metal, but the rest of the non-electrical parts are plastic.
Build
Assembling Deck Panel U1-03
Step A
Carefully remove two (2) Escape Pod Covers, three (3) Clear Windows, and four (4) Dark Windows from their sprues and fit them into the back of Deck Panel U1-03, as shown.
Reminder: I sanded all of these windows down already. See The Windows page for more details:
As before, I used pieces of black electrical tape behind the Escape Pod Covers and Dark Windows to reduce light leak:
Fit the Reflector Panel U1-03-A over these three posts on the back of this Deck Panel, as shown:
Slide the LED on the end of the red/grey Deck Panel Light cable into this notch of the Reflector Panel:
Secure the Reflector Panel to the Deck Panel with three (3) DM screws.
This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:
We can test these new window lights by connecting the Deck Panel Light cable to the PCB and Battery Box:
And, with the studio lights off:
Fitting Deck Panel U1-03
Step B
Retrieve your saucer Upper Skeleton assembly from the previous stage. Feed the plug of the Deck Panel Light cable through this right-side opening of the skeleton, as shown:
Position the Deck Panel U1-03 onto the Upper Skeleton frame, as shown.
When fitting this Deck Panel to the frame, ensure you slide these three tabs underneath the lower panels:
This Deck Panel sits off from the skeleton, so there is room to fit the cable of the Deck Panel Lights along the outer edge, as shown:
Carefully pull the Deck Panel Light cable into the skeleton, and gently bend the leads of the LED under the lip of the panel, as shown:
Finally, secure Deck Panel U1-03 to the skeleton from below with two (2) BM screws:
Thoughts
Now I know how they are getting 120 stages out of this build – so many of them are just adding one Deck Panel. Even so, we have attached and lit more than a quarter of the upper saucer hull plates! We received the Left Ventral Neck Panel here, but it is not needed until the next stage, so keep it nearby.
Next Up
Stage 29 – Deck Panel U3-15, Windows/Reflectors/Lights, Escape Pod Covers, Docking Alignment Light