U.S.S. Copernicus From Star Trek Phase II "Blood and Fire"

This is a commision I'm working on for a U.S.S. Copernicus from the web series Star Trek: New Voyages's episode "Blood of Fire pt 1". It's for the designer of the ship who is a staff member with New Voyages. This ship was only CGI with no physicle models. The designer wants one, and this is the test build before the 1/350 kit comes out. Mine will be 1/350 scale.

I've been working on what I can with the 18" kit as the conversion base for this project, and drawing up in-scale plans to deturmine scratch built part sizes- All while correcting the inaccuracies of the kit as I move in to the actual conversion process.

http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...albumview=grid

Tracy

[zysurge]

Looks like a winner! I really like this design.

[R L Bleecker]

Moving up to WIP.

[Voyager-74656]

Very nice Tracy...

Almost looks like a TOS Nebula class I started drawing up years ago..

Some new progress pics have been added. Also, some comments have been added to each image to explain the phase of work. Newest pics at the end to keep the flow chronological...

http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...nn/Copernicus/

BTW I have the extended hull on the bottom saucer now. I'll sand it out tomarrow and update again.

Tracy

More pics of progress...

http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...nn/Copernicus/

Tracy

Extension hull is almost complete. The bridge A/B deck is done and ready for priming. Note: the "L" shaped panels that are on the Enterprise primary hull above the impulse engines is a graphic. On the Copernicus, they are recessed.

The latest...

http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...icus/?start=20

BTW, I went back in and corrected a lot of comment blocks. I wrote them shortly after taking a sleeping pill.

Tracy

Well, the easy part is pretty much done. I still have to prime and refine any flaws. Scratch building a secondary hull is goin' to be a hoot! I've all ready sketched out a plan of action on how I will construct the secondary hull. I'll see if my camera will take a good shot of that and I may post it if it's viewable.

I've determinted that the secondary hull will be broke down into 3 layers (Top, Middle, and bottom). I've pretty much determined the actual size of the secondary hull by comparing components of the Enterprise's hull sections that are standard to the Copernicus. There are no parts that are useable from the Enterprise kit, so this will be entirely scratch built. However, I may be using small sawed off sections of Enterprise secondary hull parts from around the hangerbay area. Next will be to draw up the plans "in scale" to the 1/650 18" ERTL kit to determin the size and shape of the parts to frame out the secondary hull. I will try to post those as well.

Tom Sasser has helped me out by giving me a piece of material medium that is easily workable for carving, grinding, and sanding out complex shapes. I forgot what this stuff is called. This material will fill in between styrene fabricated frames of the secondary hull's profile very much like building a Gillows Balsawood model airplane fuselage.

More as it develops,

Tracy

Some new stuff.

The bridge A/B deck has been finished and ready to mold.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...ckcomplete.jpg

The Copernicus's nacel pylons are about 1/3 wider than a Constitutions pylons... Note the now off-center grills.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...lPyloncorr.jpg

Secondary hull's Drafting plate is almost finished. I've had to dig deep to remember my drafting skills from Highschool back in the late 70's-early 80's.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...dryHulPlan.jpg

Here's a shot of the primary hull next to the secondary hull plate.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...ustcheckin.jpg

Nacel Pylon junction/mounting.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...Pylonmount.jpg


View entire project..
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...albumview=grid

Got a LONG way to go.

Tracy

I have finally determined the engineering on how the secondary hull will go together in fine detail. This has allowed me to finish the Secondary Hull Drafting Plate and start making the templates to make each part.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...ftingPlate.jpg

The Wax Paper Templates, ready to be cut out...
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...rtemplates.jpg

Shuttle Bay Door master started. The Copernicus's Shuttle Bay is over twice the size of a Constitution class Shuttle Bay!
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...Woodenball.jpg

Shuttle Bay Door master being checked on the plans.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...aydoortool.jpg

I'll be starting the secondary hull assembly this week! Pics to follow.

Entire project
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...albumview=grid

Tracy

I finished making all the wax paper templates and cut out the styreen parts late last night. Today I assembeld the basic shapes for of the secondary hull.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...ullsection.jpg

Test fitting the stack.. front view
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...stackfront.jpg

Shuttle Bay view
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...llstackaft.jpg

Side View
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...llstakPort.jpg

Tonight I hope to use the neighbors table saw to precission cut all the filler pieces.

Once I determined how the secondary hull would go together while drafting the plans, making the parts and construction phase went a lot faster than I expected. I guess that's a good sign that I planned it out well.

Tracy

A LOT of progress made today with the scraftch built construction of the Secondary hull!

Filler material cut.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...Fillerscut.jpg

Filler material placed into the framing.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...ersGluedin.jpg

Preliminary shaping of the domes. This stuff is awesome!
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...ryshaping2.jpg

Domes from aft view. It blends wonderfully.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...ryshaping1.jpg

Top and Bottom domes clamped to sand into identicle base profiles.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...hingdomes1.jpg

Clamped domes from bottom perspective.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...hingDomes2.jpg

Secondary hull test stacked. Also explains the differance in construction between the 2 domes and why.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...Teststack2.jpg

Stack showing the shuttle bay doors. More explainations for constuction.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...Teststack1.jpg


I have made a LOT of successfull progress today and have had a BLAST doing it.

View full project.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/v...albumview=grid

Tracy

[Shaw]

Nice work... looks like you've really nailed the shapes!

Only real question that comes to mind in looking at all your progress images is how you plan on integrating the supports through the hull. Do they intersect the back edge of the base primary hull? Looks like a tricky surgery if you plan on them passing all the way through.

[Kuhn Global]

This is a SWEET Project! I can't wait to view this when completed! You say this will be a 1:350 kit sometime in the future?

I have a plan for that. The struts will not physicaly pass through the primary hull in this model, but it will look like they do.

Tracy