By April Welles

This is the USS Entente, NCC-2120. One year after the launch of the USS Federation, it was decided to add more phaser coverage to the Federation-class of ships as well as the addition of aft-firing torpedoes. She was christened in March of 2285, and launched in June of that year under the command of Captain Ryan B. Lambert. He and his crew have encountered many new races and planets, and have been through a number of skirmishes, and she has always brought them home.

The Model

Overall, as is obvious, this is the Federation-class conversion kit. I built it on commission for someone who wanted it lit and super-detailed. He sent me some resin pieces that he had purchased from Federation Models, as well as Thomas Models. He had already painted the resin parts before he sent them to me. However, he needed me to clean them up and repaint them.

As I stated, this is the vacuform conversion kit sold through Federation Models. One of the first things I learned (after the fact, of course) is to putty the pieces while they are still on the sheet then cut them out. If you do it afterwards, it will shrink a bit and the pieces won't fit flush together and requires some extra work to make them fit.

The lighting for this ship is white LEDs. And yes, it's true, they are MUCH better than standard grain-of-wheat bulbs. The light output is quite obvious. A problem that I had with these was not the LEDs, but the number of them I could install within the model.

I asked a friend of mine about the number of LEDs I could use. He figured out mathematically that I could actually use 72 LEDs with a 12V transformer. I decided to use a 12V transformer from a broken VHS rewinder. With that in hand I put the system together. The model actually has 27 white LEDs inside her with fiber optics in the saucer windows. But it's nice to know that I can use 72 sometime if I'd like.

I had difficulties with the decals but nothing too bad. The model itself has approximately 300 hull panel decals. All individually placed. *whew*. The ship's name and identification markings were purchased from DLM, as were the resin Enterprise accurate parts for lighting.

One of the problems that I have always had with this conversion kit design is that it doesn't supply you with extra phasers, or aft torpedo bays - I mean it IS a dreadnought. The original design from, I believe, 'Ships of the Starfleet, Vol. 1', showed the ship with launchers placed behind the forward ones. My client was a little disappointed that the conversion kit didn't come with them. So I decided to scratch-build them for him. I added the extra phasers too. He enjoyed the final outcome.

Dedication: May the past guide our future, and may our future be bright." -A. Welles-

Image: Neck area/ upper engineering hull

Image: Underneath

Image: Port side view

Image: Bow-on view, with everything lit

Image: I even went so far as to add a 1/537 crewman in the botanical garden ....

Image: The difference between LEDs and bulbs

Image: The shuttle being built into it's hangar bay

Image: Finished shuttlebay