AMT/Ertl kit 8766 (USS Reliant), sheet styrene, other kit parts
Model Specifications:
Scale = 1/535
Length = 45.3 cm
Width = 30.2 cm
Height = 8.7 cm
The
second Miranda Class Saratoga to bear the name met its end at
the Battle of Wolf 359 against a Borg invasion. It was the
point ship in the fleet of 39 to engage the Borg Cube. At least
two escape pods of survivors escaped the destruction of the Saratoga,
including first Officer Lt. Cdr. Ben Sisko and his son.
The model was modified to represent one of the Miranda Class
refits. The weapons rollbar was replaced with a scratchbuilt
sensor system.
The
hull base coat is Flat White. Aggressor Gray and Medium Gray
make up the hull details. The warp nacelles are detailed with
Flat Black and Copper.
The name and registry decals are from a set from Web Games. The
red striping around the registry and the lower airlock hatches
are simply drawn in the hull grooves with a red pen.
The sensor pieces were built from sheet styrene, large ballpoint
pen tubes and the deflector dishes from two of the small AMT
Enterprise kits.
Both shuttlebay doors were left off the model and the bays were
scratchbuilt from ribbed Evergreen plastic and small detail
bits. There is a balcony on each outer edge, and there are
personnel and cargo doors in each.
I also built the in-scale Saratoga
Escape Pod from sheet styrene. Only a couple of these would fit
inside the bay. The pod is three layers of styrene, carved and
sanded to shape. The windows were painted carefully with a small
brush. The pod measures only 1.8cm long.
