Speckle Effect with a brush

Speckle effects can be created not only with the Airbrush, but also hand painted with the brush. This requires an old frayed brush to create uneven random speckles. It is important that the color is mixed not too thin. Otherwise it runs on the model.

Tip:

• after painting, let the paint dry for a short time and then dab dry with the brush again (without paint)
• mix a little bit Vallejo Glaze Medium (70596) under the paint - that makes the paint smoother on the surface

On the left side you can see the speckle effect - right side without the effect.

How long is the DEFIANT-class?

The Defiant-class was designed by James Martin under the direction of Herman Zimmerman and Gary Hutzel. According to Martin, the initial instruction for the designers was that it was a "beefy runabout." The design sketches (from Star Trek - The Magazine) by Jim Martin show the evolution of the Defiant class.

According to Gary Hutzel, during the early development stages of the ship, the Defiant was to be "a new hot battleship that would really set a new standard for an action ship in the series. First, there was lots of talk like 'How big is the Defiant?' Well, we'll make it really small and really powerful, that it would be so powerful and scary, nobody would mess with it."

(DS9 Season 3 DVD special features)

According to Doug Drexler, "The size of the Defiant was a hot potato from day one. Rick Berman wanted a small pocket battleship (a couple times longer than a runabout, with the girth of a regular starship) Gary wanted at least 500' (152,4 m)." 

(drexfiles.wordpress.com 2008/12/20)

In the DS9 Technical Manual we have a length of (560') 170,7m.

Calculation:

• The premise for all my deck calculations: a deck is 2.5m + 0.5m for EPS cables, power cables, ... = 3m height for a deck. Starfleet ships have 4m (3m deck high + 1m Jefferies tube). 

From the MSD (Master Situation Diagram) we know that the Defiant class has four decks.

LCARS by drex files - Doug Drexler

The following picture shows the Defiant class with the decks from the MSD.

schematic by TheLightWorks

This will calculate a length of 125m. Because of the strong armor of the Defiant class, I would deduct 1m for each deck so that the total height per deck (with Jeffries tube) can be met of 4m.

This results in a length of 121m for the ship.

If the USS Defiant would be 170,7m long (DS9 Technical Manual), then it would have a deck height of 5,38m (-1m Jeffries tube = 4,38m corridor height). With Gary Hutzel's 152,4m, that would still be 4,8m (-1m Jeffries tube = 3,8m corridor height).

On screen, the Defiant class looks small and fits well with 121m to Deep Space Nine.  This is also credible for a crew of ~50 members.

screencapture by trekcore.com (DS9 - Opening Credits)

Inconsistency:

• some dialogues suggest there is a "deck 5" (in DS9: "Way of the Warrior", "Rejoined", "Starship Down", "To the Death")
• The main Shuttlebay was a later addition (DS9 "The Sound of Her Voice") so that the Shuttle Type 10 (with 9,6m) is a bit too long to fit into it.
• two rows of windows on deck 4
• the Defiant Turbolift LCARS shows 6 decks

LCARS by "Captains Chair"-CD-ROM

Plastic Putty for plastic model kits

Plastic Putty for plastic modeling kits is absolutely necessary to fill some holes and gaps. For this it is important that the putty does not dry too fast, but also not too viscous. I've already tried a few.

Important for me:

• it should be very supple and can thus be well lubricated in gaps
• the putty shouldn't dry too fast, so that corrections are possible
• practically is a small top for dosing the quantity

The construction report for the Reman Scorpion Fighter clearly shows why Plastic Putty is indispensable for model making.

The Size of the Oberth Class - U.S.S. Grissom from Star Trek III

The Oberth class was a small Federation starship used primarily by Starfleet and civilian scientists alike, as a short range science vessel, from the late-23rd to the late-24th century. The ship class is named after Hermann Julius Oberth a German physicist and engineer.

• 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.

From the TNG episode "Hero Worship" we know that the Oberth class has two decks in the disc. This is the well to recognize on the MSD (Master Situation Diagram).

screenshot by trekcore.com

This information results in the following side view of the Oberth Class:

schematic by TheLightWorks

The "original movie" Oberth class would have to have a length of 125m to be able to be converted into the TNG style. This requires a bit more space between the decks.

A TNG-version (with 24th century Jefferies tubes - 4m deck high) results in a length of 166,7m for the ship.

The fact that the Oberth class has a standard deck height can be seen well on the USS Tsiolkovsky's TNG style corridor in TNG "The Naked Now" and at the bridge of the USS Grissom. If the ship was only 120.4m long (= 395ft), then it would have a deck height of only 2.89m. Thus, there would be no room for the Jefferies tubes. 

ILM Size Chart by Andrew Probert

The length of 125m or 166,7m is also much more plausible for a crew of 80 members.