The Original Star Trek USS Enterprise Filming Model!
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Adam visits one of the holy grails of film and TV prop history: the original filming model of the USS Enterprise for Star Trek (TOS). This 11-foot long miniature has been under the care of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where Adam and Astronaut Cady Coleman
visit the conservation lab to get up close with this incredible model and learn from Dr. Margaret Weitekamp (Space History curator and department chair) how it has been restored and preserved for public display!
See this model on display at the National Air and Space Museum in the Flight Hall: airandspace.si.edu/collection...
Shot and edited by Josh Self
Music by Jinglepunks
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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
#startrek #smithsonian #props
I respect Adam's self control. The amount of time he keeps his hands in his pockets, behind his back, or folded tight around his chest is admirable.
in his trade i can see it being one of those learned skills people dont realise is important, it can be so easy to poke something in a moment of like not thinking and i can almost guarentee in his past adams done that and got into trouble for it...
You're correct. Adam has mentioned before that he wasn't allowed to touch certain model making materials because the pH of his skin would turn it yellow.
If it were me, I'd fondle the model. I've volunteered for an aircraft museum. Darn right!! I got to go hands on with the aircraft I worked on.😊
I half expect Adam to behave well like Adam in a prop shop
@@ian0921 And he breaks stuff, he is more carefull now. ;)
I love the fact that the curator said (paraphrasing) "The Star Trek fandom owns the model of the Enterprise and the museum is just holding it." What a beautiful viewpoint and I greatly appreciate her dedication. What a wonderful person! I wish there were more folks like her.
Absolutely.
And more companies. Fans make the franchise. The company is just there to make money from it. But, yeah, there's an unspoken contract that so many companies break, and that is: the fans are everything. Lose them, and the entire business is nothing. Cough Gamesworkshop cough.
I wish that George Lucas would learn to have that point of view when it comes to the Star Wars films.
@@picklefish74 He no longer owns the franchise (or Lucasfilm, Indiana Jones, etc), Disney does
There are "more people like her" every museum in every town or city in the world has dedicated people who enthusiastically want to tell the story behind the collection.
My dad who was a photographer for the Smithsonian in the 70's, was responsible for shooting photos of the model when it was first donated to the museum. He wasn't much of a si-fi fan so wasn't very impressed but when he told me he was shooting it I went crazy.
Awesome! Definitely think they made the right choice on adding new electronics. I think they can do it without making any permanent modifications to any of the parts (without causing any kind of damage at all or anything that would/might decrease the value).
As I would have. 🤪
My dad watched a few episodes of TOS with me when I was a kid. His comment was that it was "too far out" He was a WWII vet & just came from a different world from mine 🤷♀¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My dad made the model
@@deucedeuce1572 The "museum" ripped out the original electronics! LOL
I worked as a tour guide at the Smithsonian way back in the day. The first time I saw the original Enterprise model, it was hanging from the ceiling in a division called Sci Fi models of the future. It was amazing. Later, when I visited the Smithsonian again, it was in a glass case in the Smithsonian cafeteria. Such a depressing area to place this incredible model! I'm glad they're giving it the respect it deserves!
My uncle would have loved to see this he was the biggest Star Trek fan I know‼️ I just made a Stop Motion tribute with one of my Enterprises 🎬📸🎞️ Hope you enjoy it 🖖🏻
In 2012 when I last saw it before the restoration, the model was inside the basement gift shop. The electronics were burned out, the wear on it was depressing to see. They didn't even have any Star Trek related merchandise for sale. It was like the smithsonian wanted it away from the public view. I saw it after the restoration and was completely blown away by it.
As a kid in the 70s, I knew it was a model but I never expected it to be 11 feet long. I always figured it was much smaller. Glad to know it still exists and is being well cared for.
there was a more used 3 foot model
i also thought it was smaller as generally model in TV code means small. lol
Yup, I thought it was the size of a deck of card with a pencil holding it up...LOL
I saw this shooting model on display in the National Air & Space Museum in the summer of 1976. I was 15 years old. My band, the Bakersfield High School Driller Band, was invited by President Ford to march in the Bicentennial Grand Parade in Washington DC. What a glorious week! My personal agenda was to find the Enterprise. I did! My flashcube started malfunctioning but I shot a whole role of film anyway. #thefirstfifty
same. But from watching so many star wars creation videos. I've learned modelers have to do that to get in all the fine details. For example star wars had multiple models. One for close up shots and one from far shots. To try to build a small scale model with fine details would actually make modelers lives more harder. Also the bigger the model the bigger the explosion is on screen. You can blow up parts of the ship instead of worrying about the entire thing blowing up. Bigger models give a sense of weight. If you watched Star Trek Generations, when they crashed into the planet. The planet was a even bigger full scale model and it gave weight to when the saucer crashed on the planet and really digged into the dirt. When you think of it from that perspective its kind of obvious and makes a lot of sense.
Seeing this brings back so many memories, and I'm tearing up. The 1960's were so chaotic and there was not much hope, but then Star Trek appeared, and it showed what the future could be if we straighten up our mess. I didn't give up hope then, and I won't today. She's a bonny ship and protected her crew at all costs. May she live long and prosper.
@@ButterfatFarms "Worse in every way." Says someone with access to the internet.
@@ButterfatFarmsThat is such an asinine claim you must be trolling.
@@jpaugh64 As if access to the internet would be the highest asset to reach. This depends on how you see the internet, as a blessing or as a curse? Especially when I see the (a)social media the latter doesn't seem too absurd sometimes. I would agree with "Butterfat" in the perspective of a world which is becoming more and more ruthless and full of hate. As if mankind couldn't await the next global confrontation. What do we learn from history? That we never learn! ... Sorry for the off topic!
It's important to remember that Star Trek's universe has a long period of strife before its utopia. Their best-case scenario still envisioned a huge amount of work to do before the achievement of the show's future culture.
@@googiegress7459 True, and let's hope to avoid the worst. Also, as prosperity, technology and politics often will and do today, they just pushed the darker elements of reality farther away from the centre of their society. Kirk's Federation didn't actually show us Earth much nor talk of it as a post-historical paradise the way Picard did, but it was assumed to be peaceful, wealthy and comfortable. A sort of middle class paradise, such as do exist in the western world here and there. There were, farther out, colonies struggling against their environments, plague outbreaks, crime, violence, and war. In addition to war and Cold War with Klingons and Romulans, Starfleet seemed to be engaged more or less all the time in some kind of frontier war in both Kirk's and Picard's eras. There was an early throwaway line in TNG [season 2, the one with Riker's father] in which Dr. Pulaski off hand remarks elder Riker was a civilian strategist advising Starfleet in its conflict with the Tholians. Not even the Federation's. Starfleet's. It made me think of the UFP as just the USA circa 1995 except the Pentagon wages wars without even presidential orders. The Federation isn't utopia- it's just really rich and has cool tech. I do like that, though.
Two women are exceptionally important to Star Trek -- one is Lucille Ball, for the reasons suggested -- but also a woman named Bjo Trimble (an LA-area Fan of SF) who spearheaded a write-in campaign which may well have saved the show from cancellation after two years. The third year of ST was very important, because two seasons of eps was only about 52 episodes back then, which, if you "stripped" it in syndication (1 ep every weekday/night, or 5 eps a week) would have made for only 10 weeks of episodes, and not really a candidate for syndication. Another season took it to 15 weeks, stripped, which mean for at least 3-4 months before repeating -- 3 seasons was considered a general breakpoint for that reason. And it was by being kept in syndication that an entire generation of fans developed, and the show became "the show that wouldn't die". And the routine and steady fan base helped get further things, such as Star Wars, greenlit, which finalized the mainstreaming of SF. SF owes a major debt of appreciation to both of these women.
And writer DC Fontana.
Lets not forget the epic film 2001 Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick. Yes the story line was long winded and sometimes hard to digest (even though it was mostly written by Arthur C Clark) , but the filming and special affects brought SF from the goofy black and white "B" film to epic proportions. Much of what Stanly did in in this 1968 movie carried over to what was used in the first Star Wars movie...and other new SF films, respective to the filming and modeling techniques. CGI did not exist but Kubrick was able to provide realism and accuracy to his movie, making it almost immersive, before "immersive" was a thing.
So none of the woman that actually made it.
That's a great point. I never would have known that. Thanks for sharing it.
@@sandrasanders706 Her name bears repeating, over and over. She is responsible for more Trek than any other woman. =)
This is one model that deserves preservation. It is LEGENDARY. This was for me the thing I wanted to see the most when I went to the Air & Space Museum. When I went back, it was no longer hanging in the air over the stairway, it was far down in the basement souvenir store. At least you could walk around it and see all sides.
Same with me. I remember seeing it hanging from the ceiling and then later in the souvenir store. How depressing it was to see this amazing model pushed to the side of a trinket shop. Happily, they've created a wonderful case and location on the main floor of that museum for all to see this incredible piece of art.
@@CaptainBobRockets I had the same disappointment! At least it was well protected.
This museum is one of my all time favorites. Every January I used to come to the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington and scheduled using a vacation day an afternoon in which Zi could visit this fascinating museum. What a wonderful place! This is one of my favorite models of all time. Thank you for doing this. Your guests were wonderful! I had so many late night dreams of being the Captain of the Enterprise. So nostalgic. Thanks also for mentioning Desilu which was so important in bringing Star Trek into existence.
That represents the Apex of space travel even though Hollywood had Sci fi ships before
Have you been back since? It is now on the main level. I went in 2018 to see it and I put the video on my channel a couple weeks ago.
I love to see how much respect the curator clearly has for the model, but also for the makers who helped restore it, and the fans too. This is what you get when everyone involved has a real passion for the project.
She had better respect it. She's making a living off of it.
@@1pcfred Your response comes across as very snarkie. Just because it's part of her job doesn't mean she doesn't care. She also comes across as a fan who is in a position and has the authority to make sure that the restoration is done as accurately as possible and not just good enough to sorta pass.
@@MissKarenB she's coming across as something alright. One of them government fixture types.
I also appreciate it, but it would have been nice if she would have at least mentioned Volmer Jensen, the man who actually built the model.
She’s in good hands
Oh man the curator, I LOVE HER SO MUCH. The respect She has for her work, the objects, the fans. She is the model that should be use to mesure all stewards commitment.
Absolutely yes, she knows what the model means, its value to the fandom, and she is doing her best to make sure she, and everyone else, does right, and does their best for this project. Because this is the _Enterprise_, as much as anything _can_ be right now. It has all those things they were talking about, including what Adam said about having solved all the current social issues, and now we can go exploring and solve bigger issues. _Enterprise_ , and this model, and all of what has become labeled as 'classic Trek,' had this value and this message. That we can endeavour to be better. The message has so much value, especially now with so much effort placed on 'social justice values' that, upon reflection and closer inspection, look a lot more like lip service than a real effort and impact. And that's unfortunate.
What a career turn-around for her!! From a Womens/Gender Studies professor to something actually useful. It can be done.
I think you would find that the curators of all the collections at the Smithsonian are of equal caliber. It is the greatest collection of museums in the world and they can pick from the absolute cream of the crop to work there.
Yes, I was going to comment on her but you said it all quite well.
She is AWESOME and knows her stuff! Brilliant Job!
Just being in the presence of that would be an amazing feeling. That's probably the most iconic sci-fi prop of them all.
Having been a first-generation Trekker (original run), I'd heard some of the info about the model over the years, but to see it sitting there, and having the curator explaining all the details, it started feeling like viewing a DaVinci, Rembrandt, or the other Great Masters. It was like closely studying the brush strokes of a masterpiece! Simply AMAZING!!!
Same here!
I've been sitting here for about 40 mins, trying to come up with something that expresses my amazement on this "artifact", but I'm pretty sure you've "nailed" it. This is so FREAKING COOL and I just wish, (perhaps), that it were real.
I had no idea that it was *eleven feet long* ! I knew it was a model, but not THAT big.
Same here. Started with the OG version cus my dad recommended me. I loved it more than the newer ones lol. TNG was alr but it was too hippie. They needa reboot the OG version with the exact same plotlines but with better graphics. Thats all im asking for lol
Absolutely. I worked in production years ago and the attention to detail, production needs (only supply extra detail to one side but also making optical allowances if they did needrd to "show" the other side) really makes this a work of art and exceptional production design. IMO, Paramount has mismanaged the franchise badly overall, but there were just so many brilliant contributors over the years, it has endured in many different ways.
one context that so many people miss on objects like this is that this was designed to be filmed and then viewed on a CRT TV screen which has a natural blending quality to it on its own. Masters of the day knew this and worked with that facet to make their final image look right. This was also part of the early Arcade Game era where cabinets used CRT screens. Creators of games such as Pac Man knew that CRT screens would blend neighboring colors due to natural diffusion of the CRT screen and used it as an advantage not a handicap. This model takes advantage of those same native qualities of a CRT screen
The artists who created black and white movies knew this as well. It is such a pity that today's audiences won't give these classics a chance just because they aren't in "color". They miss out on such pure artistry.
Exactly, and this is also the reason why classic computer games (from the "home computer with CRT" era, think C64 etc.) look much better on a CRT than on a modern computer screen, where you can see each pixel in detail without smearing/blending. Good emulators even offer visual effects to simulate the CRT look.
@@speederscout i havent watched alot of black and white movies but the marx brothers movies are fantastic :) classic slapstick comedy from the late 1920s
@@Peron1-MC The Third Man, Casablanca, Gilda, Citizen Kane, any Bogart film; the lighting and cinematography... pure artistry. They knew the limitations of the technology they had and used it to their advantage. Think about using color to bring out the best in black and white; that's what they did.
@@speederscout :)
As an official Star Trek artist this is so cool to me. It’s funny I was originally a huge Star Wars fan but as soon as I started working on Trek art I fell in love with Star Trek. It was fun working on Star Trek Lower Decks recently
Lower Decks is by far the best of the current Trek shows - you and your colleagues have done great work!
I want more of all the new ones!! I have watched every episode of every series idk how many times I love Star Trek!!
Star Trek used to be for more mature audiences...
@@torpedox1601 - People who live in glass houses...
Sorry not sorry, cartoonie, comedy, whuuite guy dumb is not Star Trek. I would watch the 70's original series cartoon before I would have to suffer through another episode of "lower decks"
The one thing I have always admired and loved about Adam is that he had never lost the child like wonder about everything, which is why is talents are amazing. Here you see it on full display. The excitement and giddiness and its as though a parent is in the background somewhere ready to pounce if he touches anything. Fantastic. By the way, I grew up watching Star Trek, and some 54 years later, I still use quotes and analogies from the program. "And what of Lazarus"
At least once per week, I say, "Greetings" to someone (which I got from "The Squire of Gothos").
The self control required is amazing. Anyone who loves Trek must want to reach out and touch the model BUT understands that they can't!
That last team did a great job on restoring this timeless beauty
Walking through the Air and Space museum is a Significant Emotional Event for me, every time. So much history and sacrifice. We don't give our Air and Space pioneers enough credit.
We feel the same way, walking through Hazy and the downtown locations.
I agree, they did and still do so much for us.
I’ve never been, but I’m making a promise to myself that I will spend a day or two there next summer. I must.
@@JordonBeal you need to. It's great! However, there are 2 locations. The museum on the mall and the .useum our by Dulles airport. The dulles location has the space shuttle discovery, the SR71, etc. It's the big hangar, but its more than just a hangar. Still lots of displays at the mall location. There they have a skylab, which if I remember correctly, was an alternate that was built, maybe for training. It was neat to lean skylab was build into/built from a Saturn V rocket.
@@tested PLEASE ADAM !!! GO TO ILM AND PAY THIS SAME LONG ATTENTION TO STAR WARS PROPS AS MON CALAMARIS SHIPS , SLAVE I EXECUTOR , MILLENIUM FALCON , A, B, X and Y-WING, ETC ... FROM STAR WARS 4, 5 AND 6 !!! YOU COULD MAKE A ENTIRE SERIES , ONE EPISODE BY SHIP ... USE THE FORCE !
10 minutes into this video I realize I had been smiling the whole time (: The amount of love from around planet Earth for that wooden object must be astounding.
Yeah and she says:"It's (Entrprise ship hull.) a wood barrel." If you think that's respect then you'll love all the homeless drug addicts on the streets from our 'respectful governors' in California & New York.
@@johnmc6155 that's irrelevant to this video, and irresponsibly partisan.
My 25 yr old son happened to be in the room while the Star Trek opening credits were playing. He saw how amazing the ship looked on the planet flyby (~26 second mark) and thought it was CG and was truly amazed to hear it was a physical model shot on a soundstage! To be fair - it does look amazing!
Well, the up-rezzed version of Star Trek is CGI. You have to watch the old DVDs for the original look of the ship and the effects.
Live long and Prosper
Absolutely incredible. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that the original Enterprise model still exists. I grew up watching Star Trek in syndication during all of the '70s. I loved it more than anything else and didn't even realize all the social commentary and how important this show really was. It's heartwarming to see all the love going into preserving such an important piece of history.
oh it does and because the care taker of it takes such good care of it that is why not only does it still exist but also in such great condition as well
By Grabthar's Hammer - What a model! :D Live long and prosper Testers, inspiring makers daily!
Love the Galaxy Quest reference, never give up, never surrender! RIP Alan Rickman
I have seen THREE KZhead videos on the restoration, and this ONE video shows more close-ups, more in-stories, and more JOY than all the others.
This was fun, thanks. The Enterprise is a work of art. The Motion Picture refit is the most beautiful star ship in television or movie history.
I think the Klingon ship from TMP is the most beautiful spaceship ever, but the Enterprise is also very beautiful.
@@timsmith2525 The K’Tinga is an incredible design. It's a shame no one has done a program studying it and the D7 it was based on. I still prefer the Enterprise but every hero needs a villain and the K’tinga was the perfect foil. Where the Constitution Class was elegant and beautiful the Klingon design is menacing and predatory. It's a fantastic design.
This is absolutely fantastic. I've seen previous videos about past restorations of this inspiring model. This has made me think back to being 5 years old, seeing Neil and Buzz on TV, landing on the moon, at at the same time seeing the Enterprise taking us to explore new worlds and new civilizations. And I'm watching this as the Artemis1 mission is orbiting the moon. Both NASA and Star Trek have inspired me for over 50 years. WOW.
Yep. 1961 here. Remembering how our then young physics teacher(s) had us dreaming of life in space by 2020...
in fact the moon landing was staged just like star trek
While Shatner, Nimoy & Kelly were the stars of the show, I feel the real star of the show was and will always be the USS Enterprise, long may she live in our hearts.
UHURA was a Nubian FOX and Yeoman rand was hottttttt but she went druggggy
I think it says a lot that I have never actually sat down and watched TOS (I grew up on TNG, DS9, and VOY), but I still have such a visceral connection to this ship.
Shatner had to feud with his co-stars because there was no fighting with his ship. She was the real star of the show.
The Enterprise was THE original Hero Ship. It was a ship that could do almost anything and survive things other ships could not. It was a mix of an incredible ship design and a legendary crew that worked together to make something truly special. If it wasn't for the Enterprise, we never would have had the Yamato, the Millennium Falcon, or even the Serenity. Star Trek turned a prop into a central character in the show.
@@anthonyhovens7488 I have seen every TOS episode, haven't bothered to watch anymore (I've seen them all many times) but now I want to watch again to see how they only shot the starboard side.
Production Model Shops in LA made the 11 foot version under the supervision of Richard C. Datin, the original builder of the 1st, 3 foot model. Matt Jefferies designed the enterprise on paper with on going input and approval of Gene Roddenberry. There are multiple copies of original drawings and Richard C. Datin said that they borrowed a little here and there from each drawing untill Gene gave final approval. Datin was in the middle of making the model trains for Pettycoat Junction when the 11 footer was needing to be built. He referred the build to Production Model Shops, but had an ongoing supervisors role. I found this information from Datin's Daughter's book "The Enterprise NCC 1701 and THE MODEL MAKER" By N. Datin McDonald and Richard C. Datin Jr. There is also a brief discussion of the color sceme which was a flat grey with green tint likened to Panatone 7538c-7537c.
The way we see the ship today is upside down too. It was originally planned to fly the other way around.
there is a pic around of mr datin with the model sitting in the street getting ready to load it in his car! mr datin is pretty well known in model railroading circles.
When they discussed the various crew members, I just nodded and smiled. I’m in my sixties now and the lessons I learned from Star Trek helped shape my world view. I guess Gene Roddenberry has been one of the most influential people in my life; and forgiving the behind the scenes real life exchanges, seeing such a diverse community working together was a formative part of my life! Thanks to all the great people at the Smithsonian who’ve worked on the restoration of the Enterprise! She’s part of a future we need to work towards; she’s a beauty! LLAP! 🖖
LLAP right back atcha Paul! 🖖😁
Did anybody mention that this is technically upside down? The first little model presented to Rodenberry was designed and built with the engine nacelles hanging down from the saucer. When Rodenberry picked it up out of the box or whatever it was in, he unknowingly held it upside down, studied it, and approved the design. The design team took the hint and the ship was flipped over for the rest of its life.
They must have redesigned the shuttle craft bay in that case so it wouldn't have to land on the ceiling (although in the weightlessness of space, would that have been a problem other than looking weird?).
@@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont True, but I doubt they had even considered details like that in the early stages. There probably wasn't any shuttlecraft yet at that point, it was just a proposal for the shape of the ship.
The same thing happened with the USS Reliant in The Wrath of Khan. The Reliant's design team sent the film's producer Harve Bennett the plans for Reliant to be approved, and Bennett signed the blueprints upside down. You can actually buy a diecast model of the original concept Reliant from Eaglemoss.
Also, one of the earlier Enterprise designs looks a lot like the Daedalus class -- a spherical primary hull up front with a cylindrical secondary hull trailing behind and warp engines protruding from struts at the neck joining the two hulls.
@@Torgo1001 Check this out if you haven't already! kzhead.info/sun/ptKNgsqOnZekl68/bejne.html
I went to DC in the eighties on a school trip and saw the enterprise hanging from the ceiling. It was so amazing seeing the ship i grew up watching on tv just hanging from the ceiling. One of my favorite memories from that trip
I love what Cady said! "You can't just be somewhere else. You have to get there." Adding it to my list of favorite quotes.
My face always hurts from smiling after episodes like these. Thank you!
That means you need a GRINECTOMY ! Just ask Adam.
It's mindboggling that the filming model in the 60's is this large
My uncle would have loved to see this he was the biggest Star Trek fan I know‼️ I just made a Stop Motion tribute with one of my Enterprises 🎬📸🎞️ Hope you enjoy it 🖖🏻
To search out new props and gadgets and to boldly go where no savage has gone before
Well done my man
Just brilliant 👍👍
I think you just found his new catch phrase on top of "i substitute your reality with my own"
wheres the motors from the nacelles?
EPIC !
Once again Adam's ability to recall the names of everyone he's ever worked with astounds me. With all the prodigious amount of stuff that's going on in Adam's head at any given moment it's amazing that he remembers everyone's name and their skill sets. Says a lot about the guy's character. Also, leave it to Adam Savage to just happen to have an _ACTUAL ASTRONAUT_ handy 😆 only Adam.
Yeah, that was a "wait, who did he just say???" moment. 😂
People tend to remember things that they are passionate about. Everything we watch of Adam's videos are what he's passionate about, so he comes off sounding like a savant.
@@PhantomFilmAustralia that's an interesting point. I wonder what the actual science is behind that? Do we have a stronger relation in our memory to things we are passionate about? How does that relate to Alzheimer's or things of the sort?
@@CyberKnightX21 That is a very in-depth question worthy of discussion. I am able to answer that for you. When you make a conscious decision to remember something, you'll find that it's easier to recall. It's far easier to compartmentalize and remember details if there's a passion for the subject matter, as you've made a conscious decision to invest and nurture cataloguing specifics of your passion. Though, passion isn't always the case. The level of importance can play a factor. Ever set your alarm to wake up at a certain time in order to catch a flight and find yourself waking up intermittently during the night? The level of importance coupled with the excitement permeates into your subconscious. The third factor is curiosity pertaining to passion. It is what makes one dive beyond what is merely presented. Recall through passion, curiosity, and importance is what gave the human race the evolutionary edge to advance at a blistering rate over the other primates-that with also a more sophisticated brain and opposable thumbs. Adam doesn't have to think or look up any of the details he's passionate about. He can spit those facts as easily as breathing, as the answers have permeated into his subconscious and can summon them at will without thinking. I can discuss at length and detail the mechanics of mind recall and the insidious degenerative effects of Alzheimer's, though I feel I may have overstepped my welcome somewhat. Food for thought.
You know tv shows are scripted, right? Actual astronaut? lol no
I was a young boy in the 60s. this was a great show. I knew a kid in the 70s that could draw the whole bridge of the ENTERPRISE by memory. his name was Paul McCormick if I remember right. he was a great artist at the age of 15 yrs old. I remember that the SEATTLE TIMES had a cartoonist named McCormick that did cartoons for years. I always wondered if that was my old friend.
The original 1701 Enterprise is the Rolls-Royce of Sci-fi spaceship designs. You can physically see that Adam is the preverbal kid in the candy store. His excitement is infectious!
In 1976, I saw this model hanging in the Smithsonian and was transfixed. To a little boy, it was the most amazing thing there. Glad to see it fully restored and illuminated again. Adam is such a lucky person to be able to see these artifacts up close. Thank you for sharing the experience.
When I first visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on the Capitol Mall in 1974 I hadn't realized the Museum had possession of the original Enterprise until I saw her hanging outside the doorway to the area containing one of the big F-1 engines from the Saturn V, I could see that engine from where she was, and turning around I could see both the Skylab backup station as well as a display commemorating the Apollo - Soyuz mission, the X-15 and so on. "Her" and "She." Dr. Weitekamp is correct, the Enterprise isn't just a prop or piece of set dressing. SHE is one of the principle characters, one of the stars of the series as much as Shatner, Nimoy or any of the others and will be around long after the rest of us leave this mortal world. The care she is being given will ensure that.
@@robertf3479 yeah being there for bicentennial was cool and it hung very obscurely outside the Space Theatre
1986 I went to the Smithsonian for a week on my own. I saw the X-15 hanging from the ceiling like in my bedroom Saw the Northrop M2-F2 from the 6 Million Dollar Man, and then saw the Enterprise hanging (like in my bedroom) over the entrance to a hall that was also showing "City on the Edge of Forever" on continuous loop. Later in the week I got to see the 5th Doctor (Peter Davison) in person while he was on a tour of the US. Totally unforgettable week. Very happy to see that the Smithsonian values these properties so highly.
@@robertf3479 Until the wokesters find a reason to want it destroyed because it's a part of America's racist heritage. I don't say that but they'll find a way to treat it like a confederate statue.
@@dalevalentine1721 yup went to the old quonset hut on the mall that hosed a few items want to gogoto that Va one soon
There are few things more energising than seeing Adam coming face to face with a legendary TV or movie artefact, and they don’t come much more legendary than this grand old lady of space! It’s wonderful to see her preserved to lovingly, and I hope that maybe one day the original movie refit Enterprise receives similar treatment. Imagine Paul Olsen getting to recreate the original paint job… Anyway, this vid is gonna get shared on so many modelling groups!
The Smithsonian also released a series of KZhead videos on the actual restoration and preservation work they did on the Enterprise. They took their time and did it right after considerable research.
My fav Starfleet Ship Model is the Defiant Class. It may well not have ever gotten to exist without the efforts and heroics of the original Enterprise. :)
My uncle would have loved to see this he was the biggest Star Trek fan I know‼️ I just made a Stop Motion tribute with one of my Enterprises 🎬📸🎞️ Hope you enjoy it 🖖🏻
I was born in 63 and grew up with Star Trek. The Enterprise holds so much cultural importance to me. It was brilliantly designed right down to the red strips with yellow chevrons. One thing we don't see here were the triangular ‘horns’ on the underside of the saucer. If I were there I’d be snapping photos of every angle of that beautiful lady
My uncle would have loved to see this he was the biggest Star Trek fan I know‼️ I just made a Stop Motion tribute with one of my Enterprises 🎬📸🎞️ Hope you enjoy it 🖖🏻
Terrific video! 😊 And it’s never said enough, the crucial role Lucille Ball played in greenlighting TOS, despite knowing how expensive it would be for her company to produce, if it were to be picked up by a network for series. (Desi Aranaz had sold his share of the studio to Lucille by that time.) She ALSO personally approved the pilot and series commitment for Mission: Impossible, despite the same financial concerns. It’s no exaggeration to say that, had it not been for Lucy, there would be no Star Trek as we know it today. ❤💫
You are correct. Lucille Ball is the main reason for Star Trek existence.
Well, yes and no. Herb Solow, the executive in charge of production, wrote that Lucy really didn't know that much about the show. He recounted that she asked him at a studio meeting about a show where USO entertainers traveled around the South Seas. That's what a "star trek" meant to her.
@A Mighty Sailing Man But she liked the idea and gave them the green light to do the series. The same for Mission:Impossible.
@@sandrasanders706 She greenlighted a show that wasn't what she thought it was. She asked him after the show's development was well along, not before. And then she was basically hands-off.
We love Lucy
I loved how Adam reacted when it was pointed out that the inside of the Starboard Nacelle isn't detailed.. I first noticed when I visited the ship about a month after it came out from the 2016 area restoration. Also got the chance to meet Cady during the last shuttle launch when I was contacted about helping work as a volunteer during the last shuttle launch.
Thank you for showcasing these beautiful friends from our childhoods. I've now seen several of your videos of ship models and am completely enthralled with each video.
I remember seeing that very model hanging in the museum when I was in my late teens. It was a moment I'll never forget. I grew up watching reruns of Star Trek when I got home after school. The show made a huge impact on me. It has been fun seeing the tech that seemed so futuristic then become part of my daily life, ie cell phone and iPad.
Same, star trek reruns, mash reruns, tales. Have a cookie and be amazed.
It hung over the gift shop didn’t it?
@@loufaolla First it hung out in the museum, not sure where at the moment, then it got a questionable restoration in the 90s and was moved into a display in the gift shop, and now it's finally got a place of honor.
I remember it hanging out in the museum when I saw it in the late 1980s. But it was kind of "blink and you'll miss it".
When Adam is in his Cave, he's like the King of the castle. He calls the shots and gets the job done. What I love about videos like this, is that he steps back and views things just like a regular fan like me. Watching him discover new things about old things with the same enthusiasm I would have, is awesome! This channel always makes me smile.
I was a volunteer at NASM back in 2015 when she was last in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hanger and was throughly pleased to get the chance to see her up close, so I can imagine how much fun you would've had seeing her this time. So wonderful to re-experience through this video - thanks Tested crew!
I love how Adam is a fan of all great and influential film and not in one camp or another. Enjoying Star Wars and Star Trek. Seeing there differences and enjoying both.
Adam’s visits to the Smithsonian behind the scenes vividly remind me of why I so miss my years working at the Smithsonian. Conservation was my fascination, in addition to my own research, writing, and exhibitions. Whatever you are looking at, believe me, the conservator can show show you more. So can the curator, as we see here! Thank you, Adam, and Tested crew!
Thank you for the kind words! We'll pass it along to Adam! (Sorry about the scammer reply just before ours; we've reported the channel to KZhead.)
Aw, thank you. I worked at the National Portrait Gallery for 11 years (in Prints and Drawings) and later took a variety of contracts at Smithsonian American Art Museum. Now I’m self employed in Arkansas and feel awfully far from home. So I watch your SI videos sometimes when I should be working.
33:10 I totally teared up when she said that it's not their ship but that she belongs to us fans 😭 She made me really *feel* in my heart that yes, that ship is ours ❤
I teared up when she told the story of turning the lights on for the first time, and everyone, said, "She's beautiful!' I teared up writing this comment, too.
museums take donations very seriously, I've donated to a museum in Japan and I can't wait to see My gift on display for others to see the history of the company in it's early days
Well maybe walk into the museum and try to pick it up and take it home and very quickly you'll be told .....THAT IS NOT YOURS ! ...Joking....
This is one of the best KZhead videos I've watched in quite a while. Hats off to all involved, I'm sure a lot of work was put into this.
i have been a trekie since the first pilot episode. that affinity for the series has never faded. my dad worked for NACA and then NASA when rocketry became the new frontier, and as a young kid who lived with "space" from the 60's (i was born in "51") that intrigue has never waned. In fact, when Adam shined his light into the access port on the saucer and the windows kit up...I got chills! Thank you so much for the background and tour of the Enterprise! "Live long and prosper" ! Rick
At 6:57, the 11 foot model's port side originally was nearly finished, just missing a few small features. This is why there happens to be a pennant and registry on the port nacelle. When the model was first commissioned, Dick Datin and the other model builders kept asking Roddenberry if he wanted to have it lit. He kept saying "no", so Datin and the crew went and built it without lits or any way to lit it up in the future. As you'd expect, Roddenberry changed his mind when the second pilot was commissioned, and he then had them put lights in. Unfortunately, the 11 footer wasn't built with it in mind, so the not-quite-finished port side was sacrificed to run in the heavy cables. How do we know the port side was nearly complete? There is a rare photo courtesy of Doug Drexler, that while a bit blurry, shows the 11 footer was actually fairly detailed on its port side, even when it was being torn apart to add in the lights. The inside of the starboard nacelle had detailing originally from what we can see, and it was even visible in a rare, never used, shot of the camera closing in on the bridge dome. The detail was removed to run the wires, and then partly added back in for the stern view shot for "The Trouble with Tribbles".
I saw that doc.
"so Datin and the crew went and built it without lits or any way to lit it up in the future" 😂
One of the best Tested episodes in some time. This is simply the most important, influential, loved and desirable prop in Sci-Fi history and that was such a great tour and interview.
I would disagree but it’s definitely up there.
The light saber is #1
I loved her answer to the question from her director asking “What am I paying you for?” was “to know the right people”. A real confident person and professional knows when they need to seek the expertise of others to best get the job done, not have false confidence and make things worse. Also, I love the one statement from astronaut Coleman, “You can’t just be somewhere else, you have to get there”.
My uncle would have loved to see this he was the biggest Star Trek fan I know‼️ I just made a Stop Motion tribute with one of my Enterprises 🎬📸🎞️ Hope you enjoy it 🖖🏻
Got chills when she first said "This is the original ship from the opening....."
She's still the most elegant vision of the future of spaceflight I've ever seen. I love her lines and design choices.
yes she is
This episode has been such a joy. I love seeing that this piece of Trek history is being preserved. I’ve seen a couple of other mini documentaries about the previous restorations but it’s always wonderful see more about the original Enterprise.
They will need it, new Enterprise series
This is absolutely amazing. I am always so thankful for Adam bringing these unique experiences to us when the ordinary person wouldn't normally have access to.
Outstanding video. I remember watching Star Trek when I was a kid in Western Pennsylvania. As it ran beginning in 1966, I was enthralled as an elementary school kid watching it on cold winter Friday nights it on an old black and white tv. At one point Adam is showing such reverence for the Enterprise that he seems to be looking at it as if the crew is actually inside. That gave me goosebumps. JUST OUTSTANDING.
This is my favourite KZhead video of at least this year, maybe all time. Adam's reaction and giddiness mirrors my own but I'm sure he was feeling 100x the amount of emotion being within touching distance of this iconic model. Vicariously I feel I'm there and it makes me remember all the times I watched the many Trek series I watched with my father. Thank you Adam.
Really appreciate your comment; we'll pass it along to Adam!
@@tested PLEASE ADAM !!! GO TO ILM AND PAY THIS SAME LONG ATTENTION TO STAR WARS PROPS AS MON CALAMARIS SHIPS , SLAVE I EXECUTOR , MILLENIUM FALCON , A, B, X and Y-WING, ETC ... FROM STAR WARS 4, 5 AND 6 !!! YOU COULD MAKE A ENTIRE SERIES , ONE EPISODE BY SHIP ... USE THE FORCE ADAM !
Amazing the studio turned it over AND the Air and Space Museum invested in the care of this model that inspired and still inspire so many.
The Air and Space museum is a truly remarkable collection of artifacts of the modern era, which I am so glad we have. And when you think that just a small part of their collection is on display…
It was either that or find a big enough dumpster. Like what they did with the Stargate sets.
I was thinking it could have easily been scrapped to the landfill. Fortunately there were some people that made the right decisions at the right time. I am thinking about an interview with Debbie Reynolds who said she obtained many props and costumes from old movies in late 1960s (or 70s?) where MGM or 20th Century were purchased by real estate investors who didn't think much about props and costumes used in iconic films. Much of that would have ended in the landfill.
Adam, thank you so much for this. As an old Trekkie I haven't smiled so much during a KZhead video in a long time. Such a beautiful ship, still looking good after all these years.
OMG! I have just come home from a very busy Christmas Eve in retail to find this episode. Not only Adam, not only a Tested, not only from the Smithsonian but THE ORIGINAL ENTERPRISE (no bloody A, B, C or D) MODEL! Being an original Trekkie, this blew my mind. I found myself geeking out right alongside Adam! Loved it, loved it, loved it ❤️
Such an impressive model even restored. She is a beauty. They did an excellent job. 'All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by.' The older restore was damaging. The new one was way better. Hope to go out there and see it one day.
My older brother passed away last December and he was a huge STAR TREK fan. He would have loved this video. Thank you so much for making it part of your show!
Sorry for your loss bro 🖖I'm no real trekkie but I'm getting there..👍
Thanks for sharing this experience, Adam! Please keep us updated on the restoration of the Enterprise.
I created a digital model of the 1979 enterprise and then 3d printed it this year. The balance of the ship was something that surprised me. I was afraid it was going to tip over and be hard to keep upright. It wasn't. I only gave the base a slight angle (maybe 10 degrees) and that's enough to keep it upright.
What scale did you make it
@@fubarmodelyard1392 maybe about 2 ft long.
@@fubarmodelyard1392 I over estimated it. It's 17" long.
So it's close to 1/600
Man, seeing the Enterprise up close would be so cool!
Thank you for the tour! As a child in the 60’s and watching this all for the 1st time it was amazing then, but it’s still amazing to this day!! Learning how it was done is so important!
Together with the "Refit" the most beautiful Enterprise of the whole Star Trek universe. And as Margaret pointed it out: On the cathode ray tube (TV) it looked far more brighter than the color of the original prop is really painted. I guess this was due to the intense studio lighting during the filming. Thank you Adam (and also Margaret and Cady) for this great video. It's such a relief to see "grown up people" diving into some kind of childhood dreams. And makes me remember my own childhood augmentatively. Looking back to the time, when this series showed up for the first time in my country.
Watching this has helped me realize just how influential TOS was on me. What a beautiful piece of history.
Seeing this model, still intact and being preserved, brings a tear to my eye. It's amazing to see it so up close.
This is so awesome! I remember seeing the Enterprise at the Smithsonian as a kid. Seeing it again on Adam’s show still gives me goose bumps.
That's awesome. Hope I get to see it one day. Not sure if it'll ever be in my area though. Online it says it's in Washington DC, so I guess it's not that far from NY.
Absolutely fantastic! I had no idea the scale and everything that went into the model, and to know that a dedicated team has gone in and restored it to keep it looking amazing after all these years is wonderful. Thank you for sharing a look into this iconic ship. Love it!
There's a great series of videos that the Smithsonian put out in 2015 as the restoration was happening too. Great series.
@@pinsentweebly that is going to be an absolute must watch!
About the scale: the Enterprise is approximately 1:86, which is very close to the 1:87 scale of HO model railroads. One of the conservators took a few photos of the Enterprise with model railroad human figures posed on it.
Also: Check out TrekWorld's videos about the Enterprise. Jim has a series of videos about the history of the filming models. Here's one that tells a rather different story about the "only one side was ever seen" legend: kzhead.info/sun/h7lqYbWepaGXm6s/bejne.html
I remember walking under her in 19-something. I stood in open-mouthed awe that one of my heroes was so close and being enjoyed by so many others. It was so easy to approach a few others also standing in wonder and just begin sharing the moment. It wasn't long before we started picking out details that were missing or replaced poorly. I'm so glad it's being re-done now with a proper budget. Thank you Adam.
I saw this shooting model on display in the National Air & Space Museum in the summer of 1976. I was 15 years old. My band, the Bakersfield High School Driller Band, was invited by President Ford to march in the Bicentennial Grand Parade in Washington DC. What a glorious week! My personal agenda was to find the Enterprise. I did! My flashcube started malfunctioning but I shot a whole role of film anyway. #thefirstfifty
The design is so simple but incredibly clean and refined. Truly iconic!
That was wonderful thank you. I was riveted to the screen and hung on every word. It's so wonderful to see that the OG Enterprise is safely now at her home port. Well done all.
When I first saw the Enterprise D, one of the first things that stood out on its huge nacelles were the obvious "stress convolutes" just behind the bussard collectors. In this original series model I now see for the first time, that these nacelles also had stress convolutes. So many details you would never have seen on the old tvs where the model looked so plain and flat.
It's wonderful to be able to see this model, and especially some of the details. But what really made this video special was all of the stories. It was fun to see Adam and Cady so giddy with excitement and wonder. The Air and Space Museum is definitely on my bucket list.
My earliest memories are sitting on my dad's lap watching Star Trek during it's original run. Even now, in my 60's, I love watching TOS episodes, as the camp is so entertaining, and even knowing how each episode will turn out, I still find myself back in time, watching with my dad. May we have a utopian future, visiting the stars, and always searching for the next challenge.
The one show that has propably had the most impact in my life. Absolutely love Star Trek everything. This would be so amazing to see in person.
I saw this model in the A&S museum the first year. I had an instamatic camera and my thumb was in the lower corner of the picture I took. The lack of focus blurred the edges making it look like the Enterprise was over a pink planet. 🤣
I love that she is treated with the same respect and restoration as the other artefacts.
She wasn't restored. 🙄
I pass by the A&S museum near Dulles quite a lot... it's one of my favorite places to visit. Thanks, Adam, for this peek inside and giving us a look at this wonderful piece of television history.
Thank you, Adam, for making this video. This is truly an incredible piece of film history. So many times, as a kid and I am sure you did as well while watching Star Trek is I wished I was born in the 22nd century to witness the Enterprise for ourselves.
This is so cool in so many ways. And I was very surprised to see someone I've met suddenly without warning. I had the pleasure of meeting Cady Coleman as Cady Simpson once or twice at a couple of talks, and it was very cool. Also, I really love the x-ray being shared from the zoo
I'm so glad the Enterprise is being cared for and appreciated with such attention to detail and (well-deserved) reverence. It would probably be fair to say that this beautifully designed and expertly crafted piece of cultural history has given rise to dreams, fantasies, and to incredibly fond memories for millions and millions of people all over the world. Than you for this video!
Loved the re-runs of this show as a kid (mid 1970's) - cool stuff Adam thanks!
I built the plastic kit of this, some 40 years ago, and yes, in 1g those nacelle struts are a lousy joint to try and get to sit still while the cement dried. The 1701A at least had the flared mounts to the engineering hull.
I put a loop of black sewing thread around the groove at the rear ends, just in front of the S-curve caps, to tie the engines together. When the model was displayed against an outer space black background, the thread became (almost) invisible.
WOW!!! My favorite of all scifi/real ships, she's absolutely amazing!! Enterprise wasn't just a means of transport for the cast/crew, she was the star of the show (IMNSHO). To see her being restored to her former beauty takes my breath away. Other than the ship I served on in the Navy, Enterprise is the only other ship I've ever thought of as 'mine'.
Adam I have the honor to say that , I was fortunate to be one of the few model builders who worked on the construction of the Borg Ship for Star Trek the Next Generation. I also got to meet Gene Roddenberry, while working on the ship. I am also the son of Bobby Clark the Gorn Captain.
I saw this in the Smithsonian as a kid in 1977 and a gain in 1987. I was nearly brought to tears.
I remember the first time I was at the Air and Space Museum. A great time, saw tons of epic air and space craft. But the cherry on top was touring the gift shop, turning the corner down an aisle and coming face to face with NCC-1701. It was a key moment in my life! I'm glad it's getting its rightful place in the museum these days!
I saw this model years ago, hanging on display. It is amazing to get such a close, detailed look. 💜
I've never been a really big Trek fan, but I'm a huge museum fan, and I love hearing this woman's stories about preserving what is, I have to admit, an important artifact. And one hell of a great model, regardless of what it's of.
This was an amazing interview with the 3 of you. I grew up loving / watching Star Trek. Watching the 3 of you geek out was so much fun.
My heart absolutely exploded seeing this. I can feel the excited energy radiating off of Adam, and if I was sitting in the same room with her, I would be 100% the same way. I absolutely adore the Enterprise.
Designed in 1964, yet it stood the test of time!! Note, there were some major changes after the 1st 2 pilots were made! In the context of the story, the Enterprise had a major refit shortly after Kirk took command!
Adam smiling for 35:50 seconds straight. I did too. Thanks Adam!
I just love Adam's enthusiasm about this. It's infectious!
I love this Adam, to be in your shoes on this day would have been a dream come true.