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“Fit a different kind of reflector to your warp nacelle build and connect a further bank of lights to your upper saucer assembly.“

Contents

Parts

Materials: The Deck Panel U2-09 is metal, but all of the non-electrical parts in this stage are plastic.

Magazine – Issue 13

• Assembly Instructions: Building the Model
• Episode Guide 3.9: The Vengeance Factor
• Episode Guide 3.10: The Defector
• Episode Guide 3.11: The Hunted
• Episode Guide 3.12: The High Ground
• Episode Guide 3.13: Deja Q
• Episode Guide 3.14: A Matter of Perspective

Build

Fitting Field Grill Deflectors

Step A

Fit the smaller Warp Engine Field Grill Left Reflector 4 inside the larger Warp Engine Field Grill Left Reflector 3, as shown.

If you look closely at these parts, the flat sides have three small notches in them. When I lined these up, the parts fit together better:

In order to help diffuse the warp nacelle LEDs, I lightly airbrushed the outer curved surface of this reflector with Tamiya XF-2 Flat White acrylic paint:

Secure these parts together with one of the Clear Stickers.

I typically save any extra parts such as the spare Clear Sticker provided here. I am glad I did as I ended up using it in Stage 50:

Retrieve your Warp Nacelle assembly from the previous stage. Slide this Reflector assembly into this space, as shown.

These reflectors will fit loosely at this point. When the lower frame of the nacelle is attached later on, they will be better secured:

Assembling and Installing Deck Panel U2-09

Step B

Carefully remove four (4) Clear Windows and nine (9) Dark Windows from their sprues and fit them into the back of Deck Panel U2-09, 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 Dark Windows to reduce light leak:

Just for fun, I also colored the backs of a few Clear Windows with my Turquoise Brush Sharpie to add a little color variety:

NOTE: I deviated from the printed instructions here to make this step a little easier to understand.

Retrieve your Upper Skeleton assembly from the previous stage and turn it upside down. Gently fit this Deck Panel U2-09 assembly to this location on the Upper Skeleton (next to Deck Panel U2-08).

I loosely installed a BM screw to hold this in place for the picture:

Slide the two LEDs of the Deck Panel Lights cable into these top notches of the lower Reflector Panels, as shown:

With these LEDs in position, begin securing Deck Panel U2-09 to the Upper Skeleton with six (6) BM screws, as shown.

This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal. Here, I tightened the BM screw I had already installed and then added the other five screws:

Finish securing Deck Panel U2-09 into place with four (4) EM screws, as shown.

Just like back in Stage 43, these EM screws are different – they have smaller flanges than they used to. Perhaps they realized these fit better:

Step C

Connect the plug of the Deck Panel Lights cable to this socket (marked ‘A’) of the Saucer PCB 2:

We can test these new window lights by connecting the Battery Box to the ‘IN/OUT’ socket of Saucer PCB 2:

Thoughts

Adding another Deck Panel is nothing new, but I am curious to see if my painting of the clear warp grille reflectors will help the nacelle glow!

Next Up

Stage 48 – Deck Panel U1-08, Windows/Reflectors/Lights, Escape Pod Covers, Warp Field Grill Reflectors