The Enterprise Studio Model, Restored and on Display

The original starship USS Enterprise from the 1966-68 series Star Trek has been sitting neglected at the Smithsonian Institution for years. Now it’s on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall in the National Air and Space Museum, after a painstaking restoration job.  

The final stages of the conservation treatment came together in the last few months. In April 2016, the Enterprise model, in pieces, was in the large artifact booth in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar. Special Advisory Committee member Gary Kerr was dubbed our “oracle,” double-checking his notes and diagrams before any detail went onto the model. (There are 952 holes in the faux grill inside the starboard nacelle. He counted.) And Bill George and John Goodson, both of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), worked with Kim Smith of Pulse Evolution to carry out the physical detailing. Together, they were consummate professionals, bringing their expertise into an ongoing conversation with the Museum staff. More than once, the whole team stopped work to discuss the choices being made, assuring that everyone agreed before proceeding.

(YouTube link)

Looks good, doesn’t it? You can see more pictures of the restoration at the National Air and Space Museum site. -via Gamma Squad

(Image credit: National Air and Space Museum)