Klingon Bird of Prey (final pics page 9)

[trekriffic]

Still tweaking a few things. I added some scribed styrene strips to the sides of the command pod based on studio model photos. I also added a piece of photo-etch brass screen to the clear warp/impulse engine housing over the yellow strip. On the red "undershoulder" lights I brushed on some Testors Neutral Grey thinned with Floquil Flat Base to tone down the brightness a hair. Now the glow matches the studio model pics to a tee.

[trekriffic]

Just about done with the weathering...

I used microbrushes, cotton swabs, and sponge tipped applicators to apply the Tamiya pastel chalks. The effect with the chalks never ceases to amaze me. The ability to rub and mix colors to achieve subtle blending effects is remarkable. Weathering really takes this model to the next level of realism:



I followed the weathering patterns shown on the studio model as much as possible and, overall, am quite pleased with how she is turning out. I even simulated chipped paint to reveal the hull's bare silver metal to match the photos:






She looks grimy and worn as one would expect from a ship that has endured years of hard service in space and exposure to all manner of planetary atmospheres; not to mention battle scars. This is especially noticeable in the stern quarter where the heat generated by the impulse/warp drive has darkened and charred the paint; however, the photos I have of the studio model are MUCH dirtier. So I did scale back some considering the scale of this model.

All that's left is a little more soot/rust streaking in certain areas along the connecting dorsal. I also need to paint the barrels on the wing diruptor cannons then glosscote, apply the decals, seal with more glosscote, then a final dullcote finish.

[Kremin]

She is looking so beautiful

[MEATLOAFr]

She is looking so beautiful

I'm betting she's even better in person

[trekriffic]

She is looking so beautiful

I'm betting she's even better in person

Yeah. She does!

Update...

The other day I noticed some detail that was lacking in the molding of the kit and that was this assembly of what I can only refer to as "greeblies" along the front starboard rim of the engineering hull.



It's a little indistinct but I can discern cylindrical and circular shapes and conduits of some kind. So I resolved to approximate the shapes as best as possible on my build...



Some reshaping, sanding, and puttying was done after gluing the bits of styrene, piano wire, and brass PE onto the hull. I also took the opportunity to revisit my paint scheme for the front of the engineering hull which you can see got a repaint in this photo. This was done after viewing some better images of this area on the studio model I found on the MMM website. Finally the model was re-weathered to yield an assembly something fairly close to the filing miniature's look. The greeblies are a tad oversized but it's still better than the soft detail of the kit:



Moving along, fiber ends were snipped at the ends of the wingtip disuptor cannon barrels:



And just for ducks I too a low angle shot along the neck to match one of the still frames from ST III:



I think I got the level of illumination just right especially for those zones at the base of the neck to the right. They are lit from above by the red LEDs I installed in cans under the front rim of the secondary hull cowlings.

At this point I've gloss coated the trailing edges of the upper wings and the outboard side of the wingtip pylons for application of the decals. Then they will get sealed with more Glosscote followed by Dullcote, then the decals will get weathered before sealing with more Dullcote; I bought a fresh can of it on Sunday.

[Kratok]

I am seriously looking at my unbuilt KBoP and just wondering if it will ever match up. Big wings to fill...

Indeed.
Outstanding craftsmanship. The level of detail that you have packed in makes her look much larger than her true size.
And the weathering? Just gorgeous.

[Moongrim]

Wonderful- looking wonderful!

[trekriffic]

Well I finished the decaling, sealing, weathering the decals, and sealing with an overall coat of flat. Prior to that though I spent a good 2 hours giving the ship an overall rubbing with one more of the Tamiya pastel chalks and that color was "Snow"; basicaly white. it was a subtle thing but it served to slightly lighten, blend, and mute the tones of the various hull colors. It gave the ship a more unified appearance. Of course after that I needed to go back in and touch up the paint chipping around the hull using a silver water-based marking pen. Then I went back and restreaked some of the rustier areas. But, after all that, she's basically done. The only thing left is to go back and brush on some Future over the windows so they have a shinier surface to contrast with the hull's dull finish. I have Friday off so hopefully will be able to take the final photos; until then, here's a few pics to tide you guys over...



I read somewhere that this model is approximately 1/350 scale so, since my 1/350 Refit remains unbuilt on the shelf, I did the next best thing and posed her next to my big 1/350 TOS Enterprise.
I think she looks great next to the Federation flagship...




More to come.

[trekriffic]

Here are the finished images of my build of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey B'rel class scout model by AMT. To reiterate what I did for this build: LED Lighting was added and I purchased a hinge kit from Don's Light and magic allowing the wings to move up and down in different flight modes. I also made some modifications and additions to the kit using styrene sheet, tubing and rod along with brass photo-etch and tube as well as aluminum tubing to more closely approximate the look of the ship as seen in Star Trek III, the Search for Spock. The ship's surface is heavily weathered in keeping with the look of the studio model. The model plugs into its circular black wooden base using a simple K size DC power jack mated to a plug in the stand's plastic and brass mounting tube. The ship is powered by a 12V wall adaper that plugs into an M size jack in the base.

Backstory:
The IKS Qel'Poh was the name of a B'rel class Klingon Bird-of-Prey scout ship in service to the Klingon Defense Forces in the 23rd century under Commander Kruge. The prototype of it's class, the ship was equipped with a cloaking device, bow mounted photon torpedo launcher, and wing mounted disruptor cannons. The Qel'Poh figured prominently in events surrounding the Genesis Planet where Kruge and much of his crew met their demise at the hands of Captain James T. Kirk who succesfully commandered the ship using it to escape the planet's destruction. Renamed the HMS Bounty at the suggestion of Doctor McCoy, Kirk and his crew of "mutineers" would later use it to return to earth's past where they transported two humpback whales back into the future thus preventing the earth's annihilation at the hands of a huge alien probe. The scout was crippled by the probe, however, crashing and sinking into San Francisco Bay.

Images...

Bow view with wings in attack(down), cruising (level), and landing (up)modes:







Stern view:



Starboard profile:



Port profile:



Dorsal view:



Ventral view:



Detail views:

















On the base:









Beauty Shots:





Lit images:



Photorp Torpedo Emitter activating (a switch in the model activates an extra LED just behind the emitter grill):

[trekriffic]

And for good measure here are some images with the model posed in front of a space backdrop under low light conditions in my garage "studio"...

















These are just a portion of the pics I took. Altogether there are 72 photos and 1 video.

If you consider my build worthy please cast a favorable vote for it in the contest!
Thanks for looking.