USS Enterprise Restoration Underway At The Smithsonian

If you want to see aircraft of all sorts that are restored to new condition, you go to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. There you can see all sorts of special aircraft including some that are milestone aircraft in the history of flight. In a few months, you will be able to feast your eyes on the original USS Enterprise, which is undergoing restoration at the museum.

This isn't some full size mockup of the USS Enterprise from the original Star Trek series; it is the actual model that was used to film all 79 episodes of the original series. The model is 11-feet long and was seen in every episode of the series that ran from 1966 to 1969.

The restoration is making the model look as it did in the "Trouble with Tribbles" episode, which was the last known modification to the model during the run of the series. Once the restoration is complete, the Enterprise model will go on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall for the 40th birthday of the museum and the 50th anniversary of Star Trek in September.

Part of the restoration will replace the engine casing lights with LEDs that will be programmed to match the original effects in the series. LEDs will eliminate issues with burnt out bulbs and reduce the heat that the lights in the original model produced. The model will be painted grey to match the original paint discovered under the saucer bolt cover.

SOURCE: Space