The original miniature model of the USS Enterprise is currently being readied for display in its new home in the revamped Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. At the moment it can be found at the Udvar-Hazy Center, where it is being examined, while the restoration team decides what to do, considering both it's place in history as a an artefact from television production, and icon of space design.
The Udvar-Hazy Center recently had an open day, so several people got to check out the Enterprise model in her restoration lab setting. Most of the photos in this post come from
a great gallery by Dan Johnson, who got loads of shots showing both the model in situ, and details - Check out
the full gallery.
The restoration team have been scrutinising the model, including looking at how both original details have held up, and how well efforts from previous rounds of restoration are working. The image here comes from
a recent Smithsonian blog from the restoration team. Shown here is the saucer paint under ultraviolet light. The paint on the top side of the saucer is the original, and is cracking due to shrinkage over time. The smoother looking finish on the bridge area is from previous restoration work.
To guide the restoration team, a crack team of
Star Trek experts has been assembled, including some of the most important names in starship design and
Star Trek production; Doug Drexler, John Goodson, Gary Kerr, Mike and Denise Okuda, Andrew Probert, Adam Schneider, and Rick Sternbach, joined by CBS consumer products' John Van Citters, and the museum's curator of space history, Margaret Weitekamp. All are pictured here, video conferencing to discuss the Enterprise.
Continue after the jump for a few more highlights from
Dan Johnson's great gallery, check out the
Smithsonian blog for more details on the restoration, and see
my previous report for information about the display the Enterprise will end up in when all this work is done.
Finally, here's the amusing sign that now guards the former sight of the Enterprise in the museum gift shop (as
shared on Facebook by Dwayne Day):
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