My Enterprise D ‣ STAGE 86

Return to the BUILD

“Combine three large builds to create the iconic shape of the battle section, after fitting a saucer deck panel and a working navigation light.“

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.

Parts

Materials: The Deck Panel L3-05 is metal and the non-electrical parts in this stage are plastic.

Build

Assembling Deck Panel L3-05

Step A

Carefully remove eight (8) Escape Pod Covers from their sprues and fit them into the back of Deck Panel L3-05, 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 Escape Pod Cover Bracket L3-05 to the back of Deck Panel L3-05 as shown, then secure the Bracket 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 L4-04 to Deck Panel L3-05 aligning the pins and posts to the matching holes as shown, then secure it into place with two (2) IM screws:

Fitting Deck Panel L3-05

Step B

Retrieve your Saucer assembly from the previous stage and place it upside down on a soft surface. Fit this Deck Panel L3-05 assembly to the Lower Skeleton, as shown.

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

Secure this Deck Panel 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, you may want to wait until you are happy with the fitment of all of the lower saucer panels before hiding these screws. It may be difficult to remove these Screw Covers once installed:

Fitting the Starboard Navigation Light Lens

Step C

Fit the green Navigation Light Lens over the Formation Light LED at the right edge of the Saucer assembly.

This LED slides in flat and in parallel to the saucer rim:

Then, slot the Navigation Light Lens into this matching opening between the upper and lower Deck Panels.

Make sure the small pins of the Lens are aligned vertically into the matching recesses of the Deck Panels, and the flat side of the Lens is facing towards the rim edge, as shown:

Lighting Up a Bank of Battle Section Windows

Step D

Retrieve your Battle Section Middle Panel assembly from the previous stage. Cover the Battle Section Middle Window Right with the Battle Section Middle Reflector Right, as shown:

Fit the two LEDs of the Battle Section Middle Lights into the matching notches of the Reflector, as shown.

As always, make sure both LEDs are captured on the pins inside these notches:

Secure the Reflector to the Middle Panel with six (6) BP screws, capturing the Windows in between as shown:

If you would like to test these lights, temporarily connect them to a socket marked ‘A’ on the Saucer PCB 3 and turn ON the saucer’s battery switch.

Building Up the Battle Section

Step E

Retrieve your Battle Section Upper Bracket assembly from Stage 79. Temporarily remove the four (4) FM screws holding the Battle Section PCB in place and move it aside:

Retrieve your Nacelle Pylon assembly from Stage 74. With the Pylons upside down, bring the two plugs of both Battle Section Rear Lights and the plug of the rear Navigation Lights up through these openings of the Upper Bracket:

While feeding the cables through the Upper Bracket, fit it to the Battle Section Rear aligning these screw holes and securing them together with two (2) DP screws:

Retrieve your Battle Section Middle Panel from the previous stage. Turn your Battle Section assembly right side up and feed the two plugs of the Battle Section Middle Lights down through these openings of the Upper Bracket.

As I fit this Middle Panel, I realized we do not want these forward LEDs to be near the two notched openings seen here (this is where the neck attaches). Therefore, I pulled the panel back off and gently bent the leads of each one towards the center of the panel, as shown:

Then, I passed the cables through the Upper Bracket once again:

While feeding the cables through, fit the Middle Panel down onto the Upper Bracket, as shown:

With the Middle Panel placed, I found that we can actually run all of these cables through the same Upper Bracket opening as the previous cables. It just makes cable management a bit easier:

You can see here why I bent the leads of the Middle Bracket LEDs. Now they are well clear of the neck attachment openings:

Before I secured this Middle Panel, I temporarily taped all of the wires together. I want to make sure I had them all accounted for and didn’t want to get any of them caught between the parts:

Finally, at the rear of this Middle Panel, there are two posts that need to be firmly pressed through these matching holes in the Upper Bracket:

Begin securing the Middle Panel to the Upper Bracket from below with eight (8) DP screws.

I started with the two screws along the centerline. As I installed the DP screws, I checked the fitment of the panel as I went:

There are three more DP screws on each side:

Finish securing the Middle Panel into place along the forward edges with four (4) CP screws.

These screws do most of the work clamping the Front and Rear Panels down. Make them as tight as you can without stripping them (it is plastic):

Reinstall the Battle Section PCB to its previous location inside the Upper Bracket.

New FM screws are provided with this stage if you choose to use them instead of the ones we removed:

Connect the six plugs of the Battle Section Rear, Battle Section Middle Panel, and rear Navigation Lights to the Battle Section PCB.

74G – Navigation Lights (rear)

This red/blue/black/yellow cable needs to be connected to the socket marked ‘D’, as shown:

81E – Panel Light (Middle spine windows)

This cable should be connected to the socket marked ‘C’ (red arrow), but I had my light testing cable plugged in there so I plugged it into socket ‘B’ (yellow arrow). Either of the 2-pin sockets will provide the same end result, but technically the Battle Section battery pack is supposed to end up in socket ‘B’:

71E – Battle Section Rear Lights (left)
74H – Battle Section Rear Lights (right)
84G – Battle Section Middle Lights (left)
86H – Battle Section Middle Lights (right)

When connecting these, any 4-pin plug can go into any 4-pin socket as they are all the same. However, I inserted them according to the instructions just we are all on the same page:

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.