Return to the BUILD

“Begin your second warp nacelle pylon and get to grips with a different kind of escape pod cover.“

NOTE: I will be presenting TWO different paths to build this Enterprise D partwork model. This is because after Stage 58, I completely tore my own model down and started on my Model Remodel journey. However, I have access to a second Enterprise D partwork that is being built in stock form, so I can show both methods here.

• The normal BUILD section below will show the ‘stock’ way of installing the parts with any tips and tricks I find along the way.
• The new MODEL REMODEL section will describe the changes I made during this stage including any painting, lighting, electronics, wiring, etc.

Contents

Parts

Materials: The Deck Panel L3-09 is metal and the rest of these parts are plastic.

Build

Assembling Deck Panel L3-09

Step A

Carefully remove eleven (11) Escape Pod Covers from their sprues and fit them into the back of Deck Panel L3-09, as shown.

As in Stage 61 with these outer lower panels, I shaved off the two tiny bumps on the top and bottom with my hobby knife. This allows them to seat a bit deeper and more uniformly. While not shown here, I still recommend using pieces of black electrical tape or aluminum tape to seal in these Escape Pod Cover to prevent light leak:

Fit the Reflector Panel L3-01-08-09 to the back of Deck Panel L3-09 as shown, then secure this Panel into place with two (2) AM screws.

This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:

Fit the Outer Frame L4-08 to Deck Panel L3-09 aligning the pins and posts to the matching holes, orienting it as shown:

Then, secure the Outer Frame into place with two (2) DM screws:

Fitting Deck Panel L3-09

Step B

Retrieve your Saucer assembly from the previous stage and place it upside down on a soft surface. Fit this Deck Panel L3-09 assembly to the Lower Skeleton, as shown:

As with all of the Outer Panels, there is a groove along the inside of the Outer Panel that needs to ‘pop’ onto the rim of the upper Deck Panel here:

Secure this Deck Panel L3-09 to the Lower Skeleton with two (2) FM screws, as shown:

If this Panel fitment is satisfactory, press the two pins of the Escape Pod Screw Cover into the matching holes at this location of the Panel.

This Screw Cover should be installed so the red line is closer to the edge of the saucer. However, I do not actually install these as I may need to get to this screw later on. It may be difficult to remove these Screw Covers once installed and I can always install them at the very end of the build:

Installing the Lateral Phaser Array and Fitting the Nacelle Bracket Panels

Step C

Retrieve your Nacelle Pylon Skeleton assembly from Stage 66 and your Nacelle Bracket Starboard Side Inner Panel from the previous stage. Fit the Nacelle Bracket Starboard Side Inner Panel assembly to the inside surface of the right upright section as shown.

As this Inner Panel has two large posts that might need a bit of pressure to push through the Skeleton, I chose to do this out of order from the magazine:

Slide the two Springs onto the matching pins of the Lateral Phaser Array, and then fit the Array into the Outer Panel, as shown:

While keeping the Springs in place, fit this Nacelle Bracket Starboard Side Outer Panel assembly to the outside surface of the right upright section as shown.

I turned the entire Skeleton assembly upside down for better visibility in this picture:

Begin securing these Brackets into place with two (2) BP screws on the inside surface:

Finish securing these Brackets into place with two (2) BP screws on the outside surface.

Don’t worry if these Panels feel slightly loose at this point, especially at the lower joint – they will be further secured later on:

Press the two Screw Covers into the screw holes of the Inner Panel until flush, as shown.

As always on my model builds, I wait on installing push flush Covers like these until the very end just in case we need to get to these screws later on. However, this is what one of them looks like ‘almost’ installed. The choice is up to you:

That step ends this stage of the stock build. Below you will find the details on what I changed in this stage as part of my Model Remodel.

Model Remodel

Fitting the Nacelle Bracket Panels

Since I am modifying my Warp Nacelles to use external power via a ribbon cable, I need to wait until the second nacelle is completed before these Bracket Panels can be installed. Therefore, there is no modification work was needed in this stage.

Assembling Deck Panel L3-09

• The Escape Pod Covers were sealed in from behind with aluminum tape
• To help prevent light-leak, I used adhesive putty to seal up any gaps between the Outer Panel and Deck Panel:

And between this Deck Panel and the one inboard of it, I again used a strip of aluminum tape to help seal things:

Here is the result of our Model Remodel changes in this stage. I store the Escape Pod Screw Covers for installation later on:

Thoughts

On our stock build, we now have both nacelle pylons wrapped in decking panels. In the next stage, we will add the upper panel that joins them!

Next Up

Stage 69 – Nacelle Bracket Upper Panel, Transporter Pads