1:350 Sentinel Light Cruiser

[SCI-FI]

Originally Posted by AdmiralBuck

[...] A 3mm blue LED is placed into the spine fin as the upper hangar beacon. Followers of this thread may note the not-so-subtle reference to other 5-0 nods on this craft. [...]

5-0 nods...?

Ok, blue landing light (looks like McGarret's bubblegum roof light), ship number ("2-5-5-0"), launch date of June 2268 (300 years after production started on Hawaii 5-0), and... um... the ship's theater is showing Dr. No...?
Landing bay will have a 1/350 Mercury Park Lane?

Please, elaborate!

[AdmiralBuck]

Originally Posted by SCI-FI

5-0 nods...?

Ok, blue landing light (looks like McGarret's bubblegum roof light), ship number ("2-5-5-0"), launch date of June 2268 (300 years after production started on Hawaii 5-0), and... um... the ship's theater is showing Dr. No...?
Landing bay will have a 1/350 Mercury Park Lane?

Please, elaborate!

No need! You pretty much nailed it. The other references, of course, are from 2001.

Oh, the Park Lane grill is in the close-field sensor. The hangar will house a 1:350 F-104 Starfighter.

[Road Warrior]

Dude! You rock.

[AdmiralBuck]

Originally Posted by Road Warrior

Dude! You rock.

Thanks Mr Warrior! Party on!

Speaking of rock concerts, there's one going on aboard the Sentinel as the electrical contractors begin fitting out the lighting harnesses. There are strips of white, fiber optics of red and LED spotlights of blue bouncing all over her primary like a Lee Greenwood concert.

With only a third of the wiring installed at this point, I can tell interior space is at a premium. The goal right now is to work from the bow aft - finalizing the lighting and closing up the primary, then secondary, bridge/upper hanger, aft hangar and finally the nacelles.



The navigational deflector (3 hole blue LEDs in the bow) are on a dimmer but even in these dark photos they look quite bright. I think the faceted gems the 3mm blues project through must focus the light like a high-power flashlight.



The primary window inserts are all glued in, but some need a bit of trimming as the ports in the lower dome are raked at a pretty good angle and should be filed parallel to the hull surface.



The interior upper half of the primary was covered in aluminum tape for light blocking, reflection and heat mitigation: (EDIT 14AUG17 - I recommend to not use metal foil anywhere inside the model where wire or exposed contacts can touch it and short the board and lighting!)

[Tiberious]

You do okay - you know?

[Road Warrior]

Pretty........

[Jim NCC1701A]

Dammit Bill, why do you have to keep raising that bar so damn high?

In other words, that's a mighty pretty build you'd got there. Looking forward to seeing it in person in 8 weeks.

[Jim NCC1701A]

Double post. Sorry about that folks...

[AdmiralBuck]

Originally Posted by Jim NCC1701A

Dammit Bill, why do you have to keep raising that bar so damn high?

In other words, that's a mighty pretty build you'd got there. Looking forward to seeing it in person in 8 weeks.

Bar? What bar?

8 WEEKS!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH! It's funny how WF seems so far away until it's not.

And just in time, the 3D printed nacelles arrived today and were quickly test fitted to the brass pylon mounts stubs (which are too short here - they require a 2" extension that fits inside the nacelle). I'm really impressed with the crispness and tight fit of all the parts.







Also printed were the phaser turrets (MK VIII-B) that I designed specifically for Sentinel and printed from my 3D model.





The detail in these 3/16" parts is incredible as they've retained even the hollow barrel.

[The Cat]

God almighty that is one sexy ship.

[Road Warrior]

! Holy moley !

Just fantastic.

[Lord Uglor]

This is a fantastic ship. I'm not sure if it is what you were going for, but I can see in her lines a lineage that would lead to the Intrepid class. Very nice indeed!

[Tiberious]

So many things I wish to have in /1000...

Astounding model work. She is a sleek TOS. I wonder if anyone making their own garage show would want to use her as their ship?!

[AdmiralBuck]

Originally Posted by The Cat

God almighty that is one sexy ship.

She prefers the term "saucy"

Originally Posted by Road Warrior

! Holy moley !

Just fantastic.

Thanks!!

Originally Posted by Lord Uglor

This is a fantastic ship. I'm not sure if it is what you were going for, but I can see in her lines a lineage that would lead to the Intrepid class. Very nice indeed!

Thanks! Nope, the design seemed to fit the era as an alternative but it's good to see other dots that might connect her lineage.

Originally Posted by Tiberious

So many things I wish to have in /1000...

Astounding model work. She is a sleek TOS. I wonder if anyone making their own garage show would want to use her as their ship?!

Thanks Tib! Yeah, I would love to see her in a David Mack novel - even just a brief mention!

[AdmiralBuck]

With the nacelle masters off to the Blaposphere for casting, more bodywork continues on the hull with masking the window ports and light-blocking the exterior surface with a coat of flat black and another shot of Tamiya Surface Gray.



Paint supplies have begun to arrive this week. Tamiya J.N. Grey (XF-12) will be the base color with many variations on panels throughout the ship. The Alclad will be used to paint the main sensor dish as well as cowl rings on the nacelle.



A look down the 'avionic trench' as the internal fitting-out progresses, the hangar bay lighting and other aft electronics still await placement once the bay is fully painted, decaled and detailed.



Work also continues on the pylons. The styrene outer 'shell' that will surround each pylon mount is cut from .030 sheet and round tubing for the leading and trailing edges. Three flush vents are also cut and beveled onto the topside.



Dual LED light rings are also on their way to illuminate the bussard caps. More to come!