Here is my 1/1400 Ambassador class USS Excalibur done in about 2 weeks. It was a pro shop Yamaguchi kit that I got cheap without the lighting kit, and the body was already primed (quite a deal for $10). It sat on the shelf for about 4 months, then I got injured at work and had a lot of free time on my hands, so off we go. It was built straight out of the box with the exception of adding the 3rd shuttle bay; IMO, why would you have one underneath the main one, it makes no sense.

The base coat is Testors Light Aircraft Grey,which I painted first, then masked it off. The light blue was sprayed with Krylon Peekaboo Blue, then masked off. The darker blue is Krylon Royal Blue. Due to budgetary constraints, I was not able to get the exact colors, so one day I was at Walmart and found these on the shelf. They looked close so I got them, and they turned out nicely I think. Anyway, I masked the entire primary hull, then cut out various sections to give it a little contrast. The grid lines on this kit make it very easy to do. Once that was done, I took a can of flat Krylon White, held it about 2 feet away, and gave it a light mist. I was very pleased with the look. I named it the Excalibur and used the stock decals that came with the kit.

I really enjoyed doing this project, and if I can find another good deal again, I will do the Enterprise. Everything that has been said about this kit is true, it is the finest kit AMT/ERTL ever produced. My wife is not a big Trek fan at all but said this is her favorite, and she lets me keep it out in the living room. That in itself is a major achievement.

Image: Stern view

Image: Ventral view