[Saquist]

Originally Posted by Akula2ssn

Indeed. Being a person that builds models as a hobby, I personally would have preferred to build a new model from the ground up rather than modify the existing one. Hell I'd even offer to pay for some of it out of my own pocket.

It's not the first time they've modified the Excelsior model, but it's the most extensive. The NX-2000 and NCC-2000 have subtle differences. The single large dome on the impulse deck was changed to two smaller ones. They also changed the forward section of the shuttle back from a rounded dome to a more box-like structure. Also the bridge, which was already fairly small compared to the rest of the ship, was replaced with what appears to be an even smaller one. I guess there's been some controversy over the size of the Excelsior because of detail like the bridge where some of the estimates produce a ship almost 700 meters in length. So I'm guessing that there was some scaling errors made in some of the appearances of the Excelsior class over recent years.

I knew about the box area at the rear of the ship forward the shuttle bay and the domes on the top. Those were the changes I noticed. I didn't know about the bridge though.

I understand that too out of your own pocket...I would have too. I don't often ridicule but that was a poor choice. Those models were the back bone of the show. And the Excelsior (who would know then) the back bone of the fleet.

[kevin]

Originally Posted by Akula2ssn

I understand that they did build a smaller scale model of the Excelsior after the original couldn't be returned to its original configuration. It had some differences from the original Excelsior, the most noticeable being the glowing sides on the nacelles. The model was built for VOY's episode "Flashback". Later for DS9 and Voy they switched to a CGI version which incorporated the glowing nacelle band.

So if you were to rewatch VOY: Flashback, I suspect you'll see shots of the original model because I believe they reused shots from ST6 in that episode. It should be easily spotted from the lack of glowing sides on the nacelles. The new model that was made can easily be spotted by the fact that the almost the entire nacelle looks like a damn glow stick.

Indeed - although I don't mind the much more luminous blue nacelles that appeared from the CGI model onwards too much, I think the fact they can glow blue isn't in and of itself a problem.

There are times when the TMP refit Constitution's nacelles also have a bluw glow to them but it's a little more subtle and lit differently to the later CGI version.

[Saquist]

I don't like the inconsistency. There's not a need to make everything glow too.

[kevin]

Well, that's what I'm saying - it's not really an inconsistency that the nacelles glow, because we saw the nacelles of the TMP Enterprise glow and then we've seen the glow (although brighter and more obvious) in the TNG era starships of the Federation. Since generally (Connie aside) most ships have had some kind of glow down the side of the nacelle (not counting the glow from the Bussards on ships that have them) then it's reasonable to assume that the nacelles of an Excelsior should also glow.

They just increased the luminosity when they switched to CGI for Excelsior class ships (presumably so they then 'matched' the established TNG era look).

But the glow itself isn't.

[Akula2ssn]

I don't mind the glow too much from DS9 afterward but in Flashback it's a bit of a nuisance because they're putting it in with an established storyline and footage. It kind of makes the whole thing look a bit sloppy.

The TMP Constitution nacelles glowed at specific times. Basically when the ship was in warp and the engines were powered up then they glowed. When the ship wasn't in warp and the engines were powered down then they were dim.

Had they made just the top portion of the Excelsior nacelles glow like on the Sovereign class then it probably wouldn't have looked as ridiculous, but instead they made the nacelle glow 360 degrees on the horizontal plane (as shown below) which just makes it look kind of like they just wanted lights.



In the case of the Excelsior II variant, the only glow is on the cap of the nacelle, which was more subtle but had a nice effect. As you can also see, unlike the original Excelsior, the Excelsior II variant doesn't have the band go all the way around the nacelle.



Boy we really wandered off topic haven't we.

[kevin]

Originally Posted by Akula2ssn

I don't mind the glow too much from DS9 afterward but in Flashback it's a bit of a nuisance because they're putting it in with an established storyline and footage. It kind of makes the whole thing look a bit sloppy.

I was going to resist the urge to point out it was from VOYAGER but.....oopsie!!

The TMP Constitution nacelles glowed at specific times. Basically when the ship was in warp and the engines were powered up then they glowed. When the ship wasn't in warp and the engines were powered down then they were dim.

Indeed - and it wasn't until TNG that it was changed to starship nacelles having a generally permanent glow down the side in addition to the Bussards glow.

Had they made just the top portion of the Excelsior nacelles glow like on the Sovereign class then it probably wouldn't have looked as ridiculous, but instead they made the nacelle glow 360 degrees on the horizontal plane (as shown below) which just makes it look kind of like they just wanted lights.



In the case of the Excelsior II variant, the only glow is on the cap of the nacelle, which was more subtle but had a nice effect. As you can also see, unlike the original Excelsior, the Excelsior II variant doesn't have the band go all the way around the nacelle.



Boy we really wandered off topic haven't we.

As so often happens - but in a good way!

[Saquist]

Originally Posted by Akula2ssn

I don't mind the glow too much from DS9 afterward but in Flashback it's a bit of a nuisance because they're putting it in with an established storyline and footage. It kind of makes the whole thing look a bit sloppy.

The TMP Constitution nacelles glowed at specific times. Basically when the ship was in warp and the engines were powered up then they glowed. When the ship wasn't in warp and the engines were powered down then they were dim.

Had they made just the top portion of the Excelsior nacelles glow like on the Sovereign class then it probably wouldn't have looked as ridiculous, but instead they made the nacelle glow 360 degrees on the horizontal plane (as shown below) which just makes it look kind of like they just wanted lights.



In the case of the Excelsior II variant, the only glow is on the cap of the nacelle, which was more subtle but had a nice effect. As you can also see, unlike the original Excelsior, the Excelsior II variant doesn't have the band go all the way around the nacelle.



Boy we really wandered off topic haven't we.

yeah we did...but really agree with you here...it was combined with footage that just made you woner...why is it glowing now and in the original footage it is? And why did they even start the whole glowing thing on the early class ships.

But ultimate I got used to it all and just shrugged out the rest...

[Akula2ssn]

You know, I just noticed something that I hadn't noticed all these years. The two ports on the front of the neck, I always assumed those were torpedo launchers in addition to the two below the neck. However, from what I can tell there's no clearance at all from the bottom of the saucer.

[kevin]

Maybe some schematics somewhere have an answer. Cargo bays? Sensor systems?

[Akula2ssn]

Maybe the DS9 tech manual which I do not own.