RED ALERT Lost 3 ft TOS Enterprise found????

[scarf man]

Light cleaning, maybe some acrylic rods to support things right and make sure it's environment is humidity controlled. I don't think it needs to be restored at all. Freeze it in time as is.

I think we might be surprised how good it looks with just a cleaning. But I think they should fix any sagging structural issues, and glue down any loose decals. I wouldn't say no to replacing the missing chunks of the name and registry either.

Conservation>restoration imo

 

[Gregatron]

That's another remarkable thing about the 3: It was only intended as a demo (right?) but wound up being good enough to film, especially as the 11 was not ready at the time.

Exactly.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Bill George posted this, which puts down the notion that Roddenberry had either gifted or sold the model. It was loaned out as reference to Robert Abel’s company during the making of TMP, then either lost or deliberately not returned.

Interesting…so, the miniature may have been borrowed by the visual effects house that was later fired from the production of ST:TMP (in February of 1979)?

Robert Abel & Associates

 

[asalaw]

Here's the federal law that covers interstate trafficking in stolen, converted, or taken goods:

18 U.S. Code § 2315 - Sale or receipt of stolen goods, securities, moneys, or fraudulent State tax stamps

 

[finalfrontier]

JPL involved??? Wondering minds would like to know.

 

[Gregatron]

Interesting…so, the miniature may have been borrowed by the visual effects house that was later fired from the production of ST:TMP (in February of 1979)?

Robert Abel & Associates

Yes, they apparently needed it as a reference when evaluating the PHASE II model, and then when designing and building the Refit.

Shaw speculated that it may have been mistakenly (or purposely) tucked away or destroyed after they didn't need it anymore.

 

[alensatemybuick]

I think what you are seeing there may be scoring of the paint from string used to suspend the model for those publicity photos (or perhaps for effects shots as well).

The photos in this auction alone are priceless for those who study such details.

View attachment 1757573

Look at the long imperfection in the surface. It matches in both photos.

View attachment 1757412

 

[Gregatron]

JPL involved??? Wondering minds would like to know.

Seems unlikely. The fact that it popped up and then disappeared off of eBay indicates that this is legitimate discovery, not a con.

And the details all seem to match the original.

 

[mknayman]

So I was tempted to use some 3D software to look at the woodgrain on the bases.
I mapped the cameras using Fspy, and then did some camera projection to project the photos onto rough geometry approximating the wooden base. That lets us look at the wood grain in the two photos from the same angle. I added an orange arrow to just to help orient the eye in 3D space

Unfortunately that bag of screws taped to the base in the original blocks the best matching area, and the side of the base is all nonsense due to stretching textures, but thought someone might wanna look at it and see if they notice a match.
I DO think I see a match on one particular piecxe of grain... under the blur swoop, there's a green plotch in the same position in both photos.

Thoughts?

 

[finalfrontier]

Good news!!

 

[mknayman]

And here's an orthographic overhead of both roughly scaled and lined up... The total opposite angles of the photos makes it tough, but... Here's my best attempt

That 100% looks like the same wood grain to me.

 

[Lightning]

Unfortunately that bag of screws taped to the base

I think that's the detached lower sensor dome.

 

[MARK M3]

I think that's the detached lower sensor dome.

It Is the lower sensor dome.

 

[MARK M3]

Hopefully when all is sorted out, the model will get a minor restoration...clean off the dirt, fix the mounting points of the nacelles and neck then LEAVE IT ALONE. All too often these restorations result in several individuals who have no right even touching the model, changing things to serve their egos. Clean it up, yes...CAREFULLY, but leave it alone. My 2 cents.

 

[Chrisisall]

Hopefully when all is sorted out, the model will get a minor restoration...clean off the dirt, fix the mounting points of the nacelles and neck then LEAVE IT ALONE. All too often these restorations result in several individuals who have no right even touching the model, changing things to serve their egos. Clean it up, yes...CAREFULLY, but leave it alone. My 2 cents.

Yes, there are a handful of folks only who could successfully fully restore it without screwing it up (I believe you are one of them).

 

[RevelationSpace]

Sooooo has anyone messaged the seller on eBay to ask them what's happened?

 

[Gregatron]

Sooooo has anyone messaged the seller on eBay to ask them what's happened?

It's a distinct possibility we'll never see it again, if it was pulled for fear of legal action.

 

[Lightning]

It's a distinct possibility we'll never see it again, if it was pulled for fear of legal action.

I'm sure the model will resurface. If there was ever an time for "we will give you a generous finders fee so we don't have to get lawyers involved" this is it.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Sooooo has anyone messaged the seller on eBay to ask them what's happened?

Based on FB posts by someone in contact with the seller, Rod Roddenberry and Mike Okuda may be in communication with the seller. I sure hope this can be settled like people and not lawyers. LOL I think things may go quiet a long time now. We have the photos so that is huge.