Klingon D-4 Class - Coloration

Robert Bonchune constructed the CGI Klingon D-4 Class model of John Eaves design scetch.

CGI model by Robert Bonchune (memory-beta.wikia.com)

I like the gray-brown look of this vessel. That gives this class a early and dark appearance. For the basic hull color I used Vallejo Model Air:
Light Grey 71050: 60%, Light Brown 71027: 40%

The brownish plates are handpainted with Vallejo Model Color:
German Cam. Orange Ochre 70824: 70%, Neutral Grey 70992: 30%

On top of these plates I gave two washings. One with Neutral Grey 70992 and one with Red Lether 70818 for a very slight rust effect. Because these colors are quite strong I have washed it again with the basic color of the plates + Glaze Medium.

After that the greyish parts of the ship got a extrem light washing with German Cam. Orange Ochre 70824 to harmonize it with the brownish plates.

The "Aztec" of the head is painted in German Cam. Black Brown 70822. I don't use the Starcraft Decals for it.

Klingon D-4 Class

The D-4 class was designed by John Eaves as a earlyer version of the later D-7/K'Tinga class. This ship was planned for Vorok's battle cruiser in Star Trek Enterprise "Unexpected" but at the end never used.

design scetch by John Eaves (startrek.com)

I bought the Klingon D-4 resin kit in 1/1400. It's a very fine detailed model with 15,3cm in length. The kit contains the rods for the bottom of the neck. I corrected this kit with very thin steel braces in front of the grills and at the end of the wings.

early Klingon Bird of Prey - Coloration

The early Klingon Bird of Prey of the 22nd Century has a olive-green basic coat.

screenshot by trekcore.com (ENT "Borderland")

I used for this coat Vallejo Model Air:
US Light Grey 71045: 50% and Yellow Olive 71013: 50%

On top of this basic color I washed a light greenish coat with Vallejo Model Color.
German Cam. Bright Green 70833: 40%
White 70951: 20%
Glaze Medium: 40%

For more highlights I mixed this color with Intermediate Green 70891 (20%) and used a old brush with frayed hairs to dot this lighter green on the Bird of Prey. After that I mixed this new color with USA Olive Drab 70889 (40%) and dotted it again on the hull to set darker highlights.

For the hinge plates I used a wash of Field Blue 70964. After that they got a greenish wash to harmonize them with the rest of the vessel's color.
hinge plates shadow: USA Olive Drab 70889

It is very important to give shadows to this small spaceship. Otherwise you can't see any details of the hull structure. All grooves I have washed with Luftwaffe Cam. Green 70823 (30%) + Glaze Medium (70%).

The brown details on the wings are painted with English Uniform 70921.

When I made ​​a test assembly I've noticed that the angle of the impulse engines is not correct. The angle must be smaller. But at this time it's not too late to remove the parts and glue them in the correct angle.

left side: corrected angle          right side: angle as in the kit

early Klingon Bird of Prey

This sketch of John Eaves is somewhat rudimentary than the final design. But the early stage of development for this Klingon Bird of Prey is very clear.

design scetch by John Eaves (startrek.com)

As seen in Star Trek Enterprise - this is the early Klingon Bird of Prey resin kit in 1/1400 which I bought. It's a detailed kit with very small parts and 10,3cm in length. The kit includes only the long braces (from the head to the main body).

I corrected this kit with very thin steel braces on the head and the end of the wings. I also replaced the lower rod of each Disruptor cannon and added some plastic details on the bottom and on the wings.

early Romulan Bird of Prey

This design of a old legend from Star Trek TOS is a architecture pulled back about a hundred years. It's a great homage from John Eaves! The ship was only seen in the Star Trek Enterprise episode "Minefield".

design scetch by John Eaves (johneaves.files.wordpress.com)

I bought the early Romulan Bird of Prey resin kit in 1/1400. It is 17,7cm long. A nice and realy exact model with green Warp nacelles. It is so accurate that I hadn't to add any details.

early Romulan Bird of Prey - Coloration

It was a bit difficult to find out which green is the right one for this vessel. Seeking the color is always based on how they have acted in the TV.

screenshot by trekcore.com (ENT "Minefield")

The basic color is a greyish green. I have used Vallejo Model Air:
Camouflage Green 71022 (40%) + Gun 71072 (40%) + US Light Grey 71045 (20%)

The pattern of the hull plates from the 22nd Century Bird of Prey is a washed tint of middle green. These parts are all hand painted with Vallejo Model Color:

• dark wash color (only on the basic hull color): Dark Seagreen 70868 (50%) + Glaze Medium 70596 (50%) 
• light wash color (only on the green plates): Uniform Green 70922 (40%) + Park Green Flat 70969 (30%) + Glaze Medium (30%)

What is Vallejo Glaze Medium?

A colorless glaze which is used to mix with acrylic colors, improves fluidity, increases transparency, and slows drying time. Ideal for shadows, shadings, glazes and working with pigments.

Torpedo launcher:
German Cam. Black Brown 70822

Impulse Engine:
German Yellow 70806

Warp nacelle detail: German Cam. Med. Brown 70826

details
Windows: Pale Sand 70837

The windows to paint in white seemed too hard. This warmer light is more like the "on screen" impression.

Romulan Bird of Prey - Coloration

I wanted that this Bird of Prey visually fits better in the Romulan fleet. This is the reason why I have used as basic hull color a greenish steel color.

For all my models I use the Airbrush color from Vallejo (Model Air).

basic hull color

Steel 71065 (70%) + Yellow 71002 (15%) + Olive Green 71007 (15%)

I love the Aztec look of this vessel as it can be seen in the remastered TOS episodes.

• dark Aztec color
  Steel 71065 (30%) + Olive Green 71007 (70%)

• light Aztec color
  US Grey Light (30%) + Thinner (70%)

• Aztec details
  Aero Shine Silver (100%) from Schmincke

The end caps of the Warp nacelles and the Torpedo launcher is 100% Steel 71065.

U.S.S. Saratoga from Deep Space Nine

In 2367 Lt. Commander Sisko was the first officer of the USS Saratoga NCC-31911. The starship was part of a fleet which where destroyed at Wolf 359 in defense of Sector 001 during an incursion by a Borg cube.I bought the Miranda Class resin kit in 1/1400 converted with the Saratoga resin upgrade kit. I added some details on the top of the sensor array to make it more accurate.

screenshot by trekcore.com (DS9 "Emissary")

And here with Grey Primer.

Is a Klingon K'Tinga Class 214m long?

The official size of a Klingon K'Tinga Class is 214m. The length of this ship was determinated for the first Star Trek movie "The Motion Picture" in accordance with the bridge set.

 

design scetch and bridge layout by Andrew Probert (memory-alpha.org)

 

To calculate the size of the bridge I used the original blueprints and based my calculations on the diameter of the opening for the elevator. This opening measures 2.64m (8'-8").

 

 

• The premise for all my deck calculations: a deck is 2.5m + 0.5m for EPS cables, power cables, ... = 3m height for a deck.
• My calculations follow a purely mathematical approach. I do not compare bridge modules or disk heights with each other. I always pull in decks based on the rows of windows and then calculate a physically plausible room height.

So we got this result for the decks in this ship:

 

schematic by Strategic Design

design problems:

1. The bridge blueprint above doesn't match with the size of the structures. The bridge would then be a bit too long and the round area where the elevator is located wouldn't fit into the tower structure. The size of the bridge leaves no room for an outer shell (wall thickness).
2. A Klingon who is at the top of the tower can't see out the windows because these windows are at the level of the abdominal muscles. 
3. We have on deck 4 two rows of windows but only one deck.
4. The second row of windows on deck 4 are in height of the feet. 
5. The row of windows on deck 7 are also in height of the feet.
   
6. The lounge at the end of the "neck part" is cut by decks 5 and 6 because it lies exactly halfway.
7. The "neck-head contact point" would only be 1.5 decks high. This seems very unstable and like a built-in vulnerable weak point.

 

screenshot by trekcore.com (Star Trek I)

We wouldn't have this problems if we use a length of 349.54m. 

All windows are always correctly positioned at this size. The lounge at the end of the "neck part" has a plausible position.

 

schematic by Strategic Design

 

In Star Trek VI "The Undiscovered Country" the Qo'noS One looks bigger than 214m. The Enterprise-A is 305m long and flies in the background. The vessels fly at the same angle. As Chekov says in the scene before the Enterprise is very near of Qo'noS One.

 

screenshot by trekcore.com (Star Trek VI)

 

 

Even in Deep Space Nine the K'Tinga classes are not shown only 214m. Then they would only be as long as a Vor'Cha class warp nacelle. In "The Way of the Warrior" they fly in the background and are significantly longer than a warp nacelle.

 

screenshot by trekcore.com
(DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

 

 

Why a Ferengi Marauder is 413m long?

On my Size Chart the saucer section of the Enterprise-D is 378 pixel (=378m) long. The Ferengi Marauder is 413 pixel long! (1 pixel = 1m)

When the Marauder would only be 366m that does not match with the number of windows and decks.

In the TNG episode "The Last Outpost" we see the ships in the same angle to each other. The 1200 feet (366m) clearly contradict to what we can see in the screenshot.

screenshot by trekcore.com (TNG "The Last Outpost")

Romulan Bird of Prey

I bought the romulan Bird of Prey resin kit (Star Trek - TOS "Balance of Terror") in 1/1400. It is a 8cm long beautiful model on which is nothing to to expect to glue the parts together.

There are only two changes that I have made:
1. I have cutted the Bussard Collectors to replace them with clear half round pearls like it had the original studio model.
2. I drilled a hole in the end of each Warp nacelle.