Going where I’ve not gone before – TOS Enterprise post 1

Having completed my NX-01 Refit kit a few months ago, I’m eager for my next challenge. Since the kit was a great price, had stellar reviews and my girlfriend is a TOS fan, I decided to buy the Revell 1/600 scale Original Series Enterprise.

Product image for TOS Enterprise.
My next build

It looks like a great kit. It’s pre-drilled and includes transparent pieces, so it’s ready to light. It should also be fairly simple to paint, being that it has no Aztec details (patterns in the hull introduced in the movies) and few colours.

Warp 5 Project

I want to up my game for this model. My previous was the first kit I’ve done since I was a teenager, and I’d set myself a few goals:

  1. Light the kit with a circuit I make, not a premade
  2. Keep all the electronics in the model. Most models can only be lit when on the stand, and I wanted to fly this around the room with all the lights on
  3. Paint it and do a halfway decent job

I succeeded with all of that, but there are some compromises I made that I want to avoid with my Constitution class:

  1. My NX-01 has a visible USB charger port, though it’s mostly covered by a removable panel.
  2. NX-01 only has static lights, nothing blinks like in the show
  3. The ship is off balance. The saucer is very heavy, since it contains the battery and 90% of the circuitry
NX-01 Refit circuit board
My homemade circuit. LEDs soldered directly to the board and others taped into place.

Constitution Class Project

So, my goals for this next model are:

  1. Blinking lights
  2. Sound effects
  3. Wireless charging
  4. An invisible way of controlling all interactions
  5. Build a shuttlebay interior with opening and closing doors. This is the bit I have no real idea how to do.
  6. Some interiors, but only if they can be seen at this scale

After some research, I found the Arduino MKR Zero, a small circuit board that should be able to charge and discharge the battery and control the lights and sounds I’ll be adding.

Arduino MKR ZERO board

While I’ve heard a lot about Arduino, I’ve not yet explored the platform, so my first step, before I even get the kit out of storage, is to build a circuit that does all of the above.

I’m very excited to get started on this. While I went into my NX-01 build with no expectations about what I could accomplish, now I’ve set the bar quite high for myself. It’s going to be a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I hope to document the process this time and share my progress as I go.

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