TOS U.S.S. Decatur-cruiser

[hawkman67]

Hello all;
Here is the U.S.S. Decatur, a cruiser that is the TOS version of the TMP Belknap class cruisers. there are 2 pages of parts and a 3-view to aid in building. I am finishing up an instruction sheet for it. It is a Beta version, and all of the parts should fit ok. I am going to try to build it along with the others here as soon as I can. More ships on the way.
Jeff

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/3424/decaturph.th.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/i/decaturph.jpg/)
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/5489/schematicfeddecatur.th.jpg (http://img411.imageshack.us/i/schematicfeddecatur.jpg/)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8845/decatursh.th.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/i/decatursh.jpg/)

[Wyvern]

This is cool, Hawkman; I'm looking forward to building it! Do you use a special fontset to create those "Federation" names and registry numbers?

Wyvern

[hawkman67]

I used the amarilloUSAF font, it is the right shape, but a little thick though. I have the real font just have to find the CD it is on....:rolleyes::D and I have a few to search thru. I also just uploaded the files to the download section.
Jeff

[pdmccool]

Hawkman,

What program did you use for the mods?

[hawkman67]

Thanks!:D and here are some instructions.
Jeff
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/4701/decaturinst.th.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/i/decaturinst.jpg/)

[hawkman67]

I use Photo Shop 5.5, it is an older version but I am comphy with using it. and am learning to use more and more of it as I go. I really love doing repaints and kitbashes, I am starting to draw up some of my own parts and am working on a complete model slowly.
Jeff

[Wyvern]

If someone (say, me) wanted to create some different names/registry numbers, how would be the best way to go about it (total tyro here)? And would you be OK with it since it's your model design?

thanks,
Wyvern

[hawkman67]

It is fairly easy to do in what ever graphics prog you have to use, PhotoShop in my case.. and I have no probs with making up your own versions. Same as I have done here, These ships are mainly KitBashes using Rawens really great models, and parts of my own, as needed. some only take a renaming and no mod of the orgininal parts. If you would like I can do up other ships as I go along.
Jeff

[hawkman67]

PM me if interested on how I do the mods in PhotoShop. As it would be easier to do off post.
Jeff

[Bones]

nice models ... really nice... i would like to see these 2 ships from tos ...

[hawkman67]

Well Bones;
I am working up to doing some of the Pre-TOS ships like those as my design skills improve. I have a bunch of schematics to use and that is one of the ones I would like to try to make. The tapered engines are one thing that I need to figure out how to do.
Jeff

[jones brandon]

like what i see :)

[pdmccool]

I've played at attempts to make the Bonaventure Class ship from Ships of the Line using Ron Caudillo's Enterprise, but so far failed miserably at getting it anywhere near buildable.

[hawkman67]

That version does look a bit beyond my skills that is for sure, but the other one is possibly doable.. just have to play around with some parts and see where it goes. is down the road for me. I have a few other ships to go yet.
Jeff

[pdmccool]

I'd like to see these, too:24724

24725

24726

24727

24728

[hawkman67]

Hmm... interesting shuttles might be able to kitbash/modify the Galillio shuttle to make them, I also like the big cargo shuttle too.
Jeff

[trekman1017]

The Bonaventure. I am currently building one with foam core board and fastmache due to the lack of a paper model. It would be nice

[Bones]

this is pre beta of bonaventure ship... dimensions and textures are off ... :o
please be free to modeify it ;)

[Paragon]

Hey Hawkman, any chance of the refit Belknap class as well as this version?

[hawkman67]

Bones; Sweet ship!!
I look forward to building it. Paragon, Yes I am working on several TMP era ships and that is one of them. Takes a little longer as the relettering has to be done in 2 stages dark blue then the red outline, at least in my case,LOL I am using Jackill's books as referance. how do you do the lettering on your ships?? I would like to find an easier way.
Jeff

[Paragon]

Tal Shiar - Star Trek Fonts (http://www.talshiar.org/Fonts/)

I use Starfleet BdEx BT. If you're using photoshop, first, type the decal in red at high resolution. Then, bend it to the shape you want. Then rasterize it, then use paintbucket to make the inside letters black, and finally, shrink it to fit the model.

[hawkman67]

Thanks man; I'll be trying that how do yu get the originals become clearer in PhotoShop? I open them and they get fuzzy when I go larger than 100% , Thanks for the help.
Jeff

[pdmccool]

I've cheated on my method of relettering ships. I have a Starfleet font for Word, so I type in the name and registry number, do a watermark background that is close to the hull color, and print it on plain 20 lb. paper, then cut out the letters and glue them on one at a time. It works for the big stuff, but the small ones are tough.

[hawkman67]

I had never thought about doin it that way,lol I have on some of FG's models as that is how some of the markings are done up, but now that I am pretty fair on Photo Shop I can cut and paste.
Jeff

[hawkman67]

Hey Paragon;
I tried what you told me on relettering and it works great!! that was one reason I have been putting off doing all the TMP era kitbashes. I kept messing up the lettering and just kind of gave up. The first one that I have been wanting to do and is fairly easy is the Oriskany, a thru deck cruiser. How do I make the originals more clear in PS to do the work, in Reader they enlarge just fine but in PS they open kind of small at 100% and is hard to see the details.

[Paragon]

I just do all the typing in Photoshop, not in a different program. Plus, photoshop even has that "arc text" tool.

Meanwhile, I'm having trouble figuring out the aft of the Decatur's secondary hull. How exactly is it supposed to go together? Is the bottom of the "fantail" supposed to be curved? Or is it flat, so the nacelle pylons attach there?

[hawkman67]

I will have to check out the arc-tool for the text, that would sure make things even easier. On the Secondary hull the bottom rear is flat where the pylons go, and the transom piece is trimmed to fit after the pylons go on first. I was not able to find a stern view at all so had to guesstimate on how it went. hope this helps. did you have any other probs?
Jeff

[Paragon]

No more problems so far, I'll post pics when its done.

[hawkman67]

Coolies, that is good, Oh and I figured out the scale issue, I just needed to open the files at a higher resolution and now I have the Thru-deck cruiser half way done.
Jeff

[hawkman67]

Ok Guys;
Need a bit of help.... I am working on the Bona Venture that Bones posted and I need more pics of it if possible, and what is the registry?? the one in the pic really makes no sense and is not even in the TOS era of numbering. I want to get it as close as I can. Thankx Everyone!
Jeff

[cMags]

Looks like there are two versions of the Bonaventure but this is the one that Bones was trying out (from The Animated Series):

S.S. Bonaventure
10283NCC (seems that there's a question as to whether its 10283 or 10281 - the former is what's on the screen shots from the series)
Galactic Surveyor Class

3-Views: (The first seems more "accurate" - the second is more of a caricature)

http://www.shipschematics.net/startrek/images/federation/galacticsurvey_bonaventure.jpg
http://www.startrekanimated.com/bonaventure_sch.jpg


Bonaventure (10281NCC) - Memory Alpha, the Star Trek Wiki (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Bonaventure_%2810281NCC%29)

[hawkman67]

Thanks cMags;
that will help me a lot:D where did you get the 3-view?
Jeff

[cMags]

For the first one:

Starship Schematic Database - Star Trek (http://www.shipschematics.net/startrek/)

The other was a Google Image search...

[hawkman67]

Ah, ok thanks for the help, is going to take me a bit longer to work on but I have a good start on it now. Primary Hull is named and numbered and am working on modding the parts for the upper deck. But I like a decent challenge. and I now have parts to do some of the Pre-TOS/Early-TOS ships from the StarFleet Museum site.
Jeff

[cMags]

Just watched the TAS episode Time Trap where the Bonaventure is shown, and it seems that the registry is actually 10281 NCC in the episode. So go with that.

[Maltedfalcon]

Is there a larger scale TOS Scout/destroyer, from the Star Fleet Technical Manual around anywhere?

[hawkman67]

check out Rawen's thread on TOS ships, towards the end of it he posted a link to larger and higher res models of the ships. Has a Destroyer and the rest.
Jeff

[hawkman67]

Thankx Cmags;
Looks like I'll have to change the registry number,lol
Got a good start on the parts for the Primary hull, working on retexturing the rest.
Jeff

[pdmccool]

OK, But who's gonna do the NCC-1000 "Bonaventure" from Ships of the Line?

[hawkman67]

That one is a little out of my league for now. Maybe down the road when I have better skills and more referance material. And I do have a bunch of other TOS and TMP ships to do yet.
Jeff