# Original Starship Enterprise restored/on display at Smithsonian’s National Air Space Museum **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652 "2016-06-28T22:31:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/41 "2016-07-08T22:42:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > First referred to on ST:TNG: [Treaty of Algeron | Memory Alpha | Fandom](http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Treaty_of_Algeron) I do remember this episode, now that you mention it. But come on, this treaty was signed—what, fifty–sixty years after Kirk’s captaincy? Helluva long time to sit on such game-changing technology and not make use of it! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/42 "2016-07-08T23:02:09Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > So, “vaguely green?” I ain’t painting her green[er]! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/43 "2016-07-09T00:06:15Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I do remember this episode, now that you mention it. But come on, this treaty was signed—what, fifty–sixty years after Kirk’s captaincy? Helluva long time to sit on such game-changing technology and not make use of it! I got the impression that having stolen the cloaking device, the Federation built a device to find cloaked ships, and if such a device existed, cloaking Federation ships would be worthless. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2016, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/44 "2016-07-09T09:22:48Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I got the impression that having stolen the cloaking device, the Federation built a device to find cloaked ships, and if such a device existed, cloaking Federation ships would be worthless. Forgive me once more, but I fail to follow the logic here. 😕 _“We possess proven stealth technology, but it’s not worth using because we’re now also able to detect our own ships.”_ Huh? :dubious: Might make sense if the Romulans or Klingons (or any other race) had such a capability … but if I were running things, I’d want to develop countermeasures (jamming?) rather than chuck something that otherwise offers a great tactical advantage. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2016, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/45 "2016-07-09T09:29:12Z")
_In re_ the above: It was quite clear that the \*Romulans \* (and presumably the Klingons too) certainly had no such capability, since Kirk and crew were able to get away Scot free in “The Enterprise Incident.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/46 "2016-07-09T12:14:07Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Might make sense if the Romulans or Klingons (or any other race) had such a capability … but if I were running things, I’d want to develop countermeasures (jamming?) rather than chuck something that otherwise offers a great tactical advantage. “Military secrets are always the most fleeting.” Or something equally logical. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/47 "2016-07-09T21:17:16Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _In re_ the above: It was quite clear that the \*Romulans \* (and presumably the Klingons too) certainly had no such capability, since Kirk and crew were able to get away Scot free in “The Enterprise Incident.” You misspelled “Scott.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/48 "2016-07-10T00:20:56Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You misspelled “Scott.” Translating from Federation Basic to English is sometimes fiddicult. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/49 "2016-07-10T08:22:15Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > “Military secrets are always the most fleeting.” > Or something equally logical. Took the words right out of my mouth! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/50 "2016-07-10T08:25:29Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You misspelled “Scott.” Uhm … no … though it was indeed Mr. Scott who ultimately saved the day. How he managed to do it with those silly props they gave him, I don’t know! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/51 "2016-07-10T13:52:02Z")
Yes, since the cloaking device was a combination of Nomad and Sargon.😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/52 "2016-07-10T14:17:52Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > Yes, since the cloaking device was a combination of Nomad and Sargon.😃 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/53 "2016-07-10T15:06:35Z")
“Have no fear … \*Sargon \*is here!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/54 "2016-07-10T15:55:05Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > “Then the whole model …was painted with a base color that had been carefully matched by the Museum’s Dave Wilson to the production base color that had been uncovered in multiple places on the model in sanding tests.” > > But what color was it? Us model builders need to know the Truth! Give me the FED-STD color number! According to articles from Round2 (model company) the research showed it was a color called ‘concrete’ - and with all the research that went into creating the 1/350 version of the kit, they should have an even more accurate color. See - [What Color Is The Classic Enterprise? by Paul M. Newitt – CultTVman's Fantastic Modeling](http://culttvman.com/main/what-color-is-the-classic-enterprise-by-paul-m-newitt/) As far as the model at the Air & Space - it is not a ‘hero’ model (although it likely looks that way now) - it is the original filming model itself. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/55 "2016-07-11T15:28:59Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > They mention the other “less decorated” side, which contains the wires and motors (?) for the model. I never realized it’s always shown flying with its starboard side facing the camera. Are there any pictures of the other side? Did the model do anything requiring motors in the os? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/56 "2016-07-11T17:46:19Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Did the model do anything requiring motors in the os? The spinning lights on the Bussard collectors (those domes on the fronts of the engine nacelles). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/57 "2016-07-11T17:55:11Z")
> [@simster](#): > > As far as the model at the Air & Space - it is not a ‘hero’ model (although it likely looks that way now) - it is the original filming model itself. I think that’s what was meant—the main model used for filming, with all the bells and whistles attached. As I mentioned before, some stills of it in the studio were printed in one of Gerrold’s early books (the original edition of _ **The World of Star Trek** _ back in '73 or '74, I think; I bought mine in '75). The stands, lights, camera dollies, etc., were all visible, as was the wiring on the port side. (The _Botany Bay_ from “Space Seed” was also in the stills, alongside the _Enterprise_.) I don’t know if the photos were retained in later editions of the book, though. I think it was in Whitfield’s book where the figure “fifteen feet” was mentioned, so I always assumed the ship in _ **TWoST** _ was that long, rather than eleven feet. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/58 "2016-07-11T18:04:04Z")
As an aside, AMT’s plastic model kits provided cheap starships that were used in long shots, like the \*Enterprise \*as seen from Lurry’s office in “The Trouble with Tribbles,” and the damaged _Constellation_ as it flew toward the Planet Killer in “The Doomsday Machine.” (In the original version of the film, someone jarred the stand the ship was mounted on and it jumped noticeably against the background; I suspect this was corrected in the remastered edition.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/59 "2016-07-11T18:16:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > As an aside, AMT’s plastic model kits provided cheap starships that were used in long shots, like the \*Enterprise \*as seen from Lurry’s office in “The Trouble with Tribbles,” and the damaged _Constellation_ as it flew toward the Planet Killer in “The Doomsday Machine.” (In the original version of the film, someone jarred the stand the ship was mounted on and it jumped noticeably against the background; I suspect this was corrected in the remastered edition.) And then some! “The Doomsday Machine” has IMHO by far the best of the remastered episodes’ sfx. The derelict _Constellation_ (you can even see a chunk of planetary debris bounce off her primary hull) and the later fight with the planet-killer are quite well done. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652/60 "2016-07-11T20:06:01Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Did the model do anything requiring motors in the os? There were just wires on the other side and no motors. I thought the lighting was a little too soft but it was still cool and much bigger than I expected. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-starship-enterprise-restored-on-display-at-smithsonian-s-national-air-space-museum/758652.md?page=4)