Star Trek - Requiem for Methuselah mini Enterprise

[Mikey]

Was just watching Requiem for Methuselah.

I've always read the mini Enterprise used is the 3 foot studio "promotional model".

To me it looks a bit too small and I can't imagine the producers redoing the whole thing to bring it up to series standards ...

Is it possible the mini Enterprise used in Requiem for Methuselah was an early AMT model kit ?



m

[mego73]

It looks a little on the big side to be an AMT kit, I think.

I read that the 3 foot model was modified to look as much like the main model as possible without installing lighting when the modifications to the big model were done back when the series was first picked up.

There are also a few second season publicity poses with the 3 footer in it (which reflected the updates).

Amazon.com: Star Trek Kirk (Shatner) Publicity Photograph (Star Trek): Star Trek: Books

[Mikey]

Now that I see that picture Mike, I think it must be the 3 foot one.

[mego73]

While trying to look for one of those pictures I found this great blog of old and off the beaten path Star Trek photos and articles.

My Star Trek Scrapbook: July 2009

[Mikey]

cool site ... i've never seen some of them pictures before

[Nostalgiabuff]

they have, or at least had, one of the actual Enterprise models at the Smithsonian in DC. I saw it years ago when I was there with my parents. I keep telling my son I am going to take him but it just hasn't happened yet.

[Mikey]

they have, or at least had, one of the actual Enterprise models at the Smithsonian in DC. I saw it years ago when I was there with my parents. I keep telling my son I am going to take him but it just hasn't happened yet.

I've seen it there a few times

The most recent was about 2 years ago

The Smithsonian ruined it by giving it an unrealistic paint job with unnatural weathering.

Instead of looking like it was from the classic series, it now looks more like the CGI Enterprise from the special editions.

Terrible

[johnmiic]

The large Enterprise model, 11 footer, is on display in the basement of the Smithsonian gift shop, on the mall in Washington, DC. I saw it 3-4 years ago when I was there. I have heard they have the original Klingon ship and Tholian ship in their posession but not on display.

I was talking to a pro-model builder online once and commented about how bad the the paint job was from the 1990's restoration, (done by Ed Mariecki I think), and he really took offense to my criticism. He knew the guy and stood up for him. I don't know why. The paint job is all wrong. Why shouldn't we tell the guy he messed up? You don't paint Star Trek ships like Star Wars ships.

The 3 foot model is used in a very few shots in the series. Possibly in a quick shot in Is There No Truth In Beauty. It has been missing since the early 1970's. Gene Rodenberry had taken publicity shots with it in his Paramount office on occassion. Majel Barrett Rodenberry had hinted, when she was alive, that Gene lent the model to someone and they never returned it. So if she had revealed that peron's name at the convention you can bet his house would be besieged by 10's of thousands of fans bent on revenge.

[Shaw]

Was just watching Requiem for Methuselah.

I've always read the mini Enterprise used is the 3 foot studio "promotional model".

To me it looks a bit too small and I can't imagine the producers redoing the whole thing to bring it up to series standards ...

Is it possible the mini Enterprise used in Requiem for Methuselah was an early AMT model kit ?

I've spent quite a bit of time researching this model, so I'll offer a little history on it.

The 33 inch (3 foot) model was started on November 4, 1964 when Richard Datin was contracted to build both models. At that point he was given an early set of plans as a reference for what the models were to look like because Matt Jefferies hadn't finished the final plans yet.

The final plans, on which both models were to be based, were completed on November 7, 1964. But by this point Datin seems to have already had a local wood shop turn out the main shape of the primary hull.

The base model was completed by around November 15, 1964 and was presented to Gene Roddenberry for approval. Roddenberry ask for a number of changes (more details and the addition of windows). Jefferies drew the placement of the Windows onto the original plans and the 33 inch was modified.

Roddenberry was happy enough with the progress on the 33 inch model to green light the 11 foot model, which was started on December 8, 1964. The finished 33 inch model was delivered to Roddenberry on December 14, 1964 during the filming of The Cage (photos of that day can be seen here). Because the schedule was so far behind, the 33 inch model was used for all the effects shots in The Cage with one exception (the zoom in on the bridge). The 11 foot model was finished on December 29, 1964 and that one outstanding shot (which required the scale of the large model to pull off correctly) was completed.

When the pilot was rejected by NBC in February of 1965, the models were set aside until a second pilot was requested. The 11 foot model was modified in August of 1965 to include lighting, but the 33 inch model was left unchanged. The only appearance of the 33 inch model in the second pilot was of the Enterprise exiting the galactic barrier.

In April of 1966 both models were modified again. While the look of the 11 foot model changed quite a bit, the 33 inch model had very few real changes made to it. The painting of details to match the 11 foot model was the largest change, the warp engines were also modified and the sensor dish was changed as well.

The actors for the final series were photographed with the 33 inch model both before and after the changes. After the changes the model was modified to sit on a wooden stand.

The 33 inch model made it back before the cameras again as an effects model for the episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (Enterprise seen from below in Earth's atmosphere). After that the model was generally retired and an AMT model was introduced in the second season. Both the 33 inch model and the 18 inch AMT effects model were used in the production of View-Master slides during the second season.

Some time after those photographs were taken the model was damaged. Publicity photos taken for the third season and the shots of the model seen in "Requiem for Methuselah" show both the damage and the attempts to repair the model.

After the series ended Roddenberry ended up with the model which was photographed with him a few times in the early 1970s. The model was loaned out and never returned by the early 1980s and no one has seen it since. The 11 foot model was donated to the Smithsonian (and is still around) and the 18 inch AMT model was recently found and sold at auction (images of it can be found here).

From what evidence I was able to put together I was able to reverse engineer plans of the 33 inch model (here) and the original Jefferies plans (here), and have recently finished my first attempt at reproducing that model (comparisons can be seen here, here and here).

Hopefully that answers most of the questions anyone might have about the original 33 inch model.

[Mikey]

I've spent quite a bit of time researching this model, so I'll offer a little history on it.

The 33 inch (3 foot) model was started on November 4, 1964 when Richard Datin was contracted to build both models. At that point he was given an early set of plans as a reference for what the models were to look like because Matt Jefferies hadn't finished the final plans yet.

The final plans, on which both models were to be based, were completed on November 7, 1964. But by this point Datin seems to have already had a local wood shop turn out the main shape of the primary hull.

The base model was completed by around November 15, 1964 and was presented to Gene Roddenberry for approval. Roddenberry ask for a number of changes (more details and the addition of windows). Jefferies drew the placement of the Windows onto the original plans and the 33 inch was modified.

Roddenberry was happy enough with the progress on the 33 inch model to green light the 11 foot model, which was started on December 8, 1964. The finished 33 inch model was delivered to Roddenberry on December 14, 1964 during the filming of The Cage (photos of that day can be seen here). Because the schedule was so far behind, the 33 inch model was used for all the effects shots in The Cage with one exception (the zoom in on the bridge). The 11 foot model was finished on December 29, 1964 and that one outstanding shot (which required the scale of the large model to pull off correctly) was completed.

When the pilot was rejected by NBC in February of 1965, the models were set aside until a second pilot was requested. The 11 foot model was modified in August of 1965 to include lighting, but the 33 inch model was left unchanged. The only appearance of the 33 inch model in the second pilot was of the Enterprise exiting the galactic barrier.

In April of 1966 both models were modified again. While the look of the 11 foot model changed quite a bit, the 33 inch model had very few real changes made to it. The painting of details to match the 11 foot model was the largest change, the warp engines were also modified and the sensor dish was changed as well.

The actors for the final series were photographed with the 33 inch model both before and after the changes. After the changes the model was modified to sit on a wooden stand.

The 33 inch model made it back before the cameras again as an effects model for the episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (Enterprise seen from below in Earth's atmosphere). After that the model was generally retired and an AMT model was introduced in the second season. Both the 33 inch model and the 18 inch AMT effects model were used in the production of View-Master slides during the second season.

Some time after those photographs were taken the model was damaged. Publicity photos taken for the third season and the shots of the model seen in "Requiem for Methuselah" show both the damage and the attempts to repair the model.

After the series ended Roddenberry ended up with the model which was photographed with him a few times in the early 1970s. The model was loaned out and never returned by the early 1980s and no one has seen it since. The 11 foot model was donated to the Smithsonian (and is still around) and the 18 inch AMT model was recently found and sold at auction (images of it can be found here).

From what evidence I was able to put together I was able to reverse engineer plans of the 33 inch model (here) and the original Jefferies plans (here), and have recently finished my first attempt at reproducing that model (comparisons can be seen here, here and here).

Hopefully that answers most of the questions anyone might have about the original 33 inch model.

Fantastic read !!!!!!!!!

I'm really impressed by your exhaustive research --

Your post made my day

m

[mego73]

Mine too. It also answers my questions as to why the model shots in The Cage were so "static"

[Shaw]

Thanks guys!

I love sharing what I've found out about this lost model of the Enterprise. And the project has entailed a number of new skills for me. The plans were my first attempt at drafting since 1991 and first ever doing illustrations by computer, and the model was my first since 1994 and first where much of it was scratch built.

It is sad that the 33 inch model was lost. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (on July 10, 1997) said:

"That particular ship was a real model and it was Gene's - he loaned it to someone and Gene forgot to get it back and it was never returned. It's a shame because it's a piece of stolen property and since it has historical value - it is quite priceless."

I've put together a number of images I have as references (here and here) and there is a nice series of images of the model at StarTrekHistory.com (here) which include very nice black & white photos taken for the third season of the show.


And to think, I was originally just stopping by after recalling the toys I had (and loved) back in the 1970s.

[mego73]

What is funny about that model is that the mounting pipe on the bottom of the secondary hull was often made into some sort of tractor beam or other beam shooter in the old Gold Key Star Trek comics.

The early Gold Key Trek comics had a scant amount of publicity photos that included photos of that model given to the artist living in Rome that had no knowledge of Star Trek.

[david_b]

The large Enterprise model, 11 footer, is on display in the basement of the Smithsonian gift shop, on the mall in Washington, DC. I saw it 3-4 years ago when I was there. I have heard they have the original Klingon ship and Tholian ship in their posession but not on display.

I was talking to a pro-model builder online once and commented about how bad the the paint job was from the 1990's restoration, (done by Ed Mariecki I think), and he really took offense to my criticism. He knew the guy and stood up for him. I don't know why. The paint job is all wrong. Why shouldn't we tell the guy he messed up? You don't paint Star Trek ships like Star Wars ships.

The 3 foot model is used in a very few shots in the series. Possibly in a quick shot in Is There No Truth In Beauty. It has been missing since the early 1970's. Gene Rodenberry had taken publicity shots with it in his Paramount office on occassion. Majel Barrett Rodenberry had hinted, when she was alive, that Gene lent the model to someone and they never returned it. So if she had revealed that peron's name at the convention you can bet his house would be besieged by 10's of thousands of fans bent on revenge.

Y'know, I was always astounded by that 11 footer at the Museum.. I never thought the original filming model was that big, but 'guess it was..

It's gorgeous., probably one of the most beautiful ships every built.. Graceful by all counts. I always choke up when I hear McCoy say to Data in 'Farpoint':

"Treat her like a Lady and she'll always bring you home.."

david_b

[mego73]

Is There In Truth No Beauty did reuse a shot of the 3 footer from The Cage.

I've seen pictures of the paint job and don't like it. I also think they had the cast sign the model too and that strikes me as wrong.