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Adam Savage’s Tested
Star Trek's Enterprise-D Close-Up Filming Model!
⏱ 16 min video · 3 min read11 Jun 2026Worth watching
TL;DR
At WonderFest 2026, Norm from Tested examines an actual 2-foot Enterprise-D close-up filming model used in Star Trek: The Next Generation, owned by collector Eric, alongside original ILM mold castings owned by replica builder Wayne Maney. The segment reveals previously unknown details about the model's construction, paint scheme, and historical significance — including that this is the only surviving example of the original 1987 paint job before the Generations film refurbishment stripped it.
Key points
1
The model is the original 2-foot close-up Enterprise-D 'cobra head' (dorsal connector section) used for the saucer separation sequence in the TNG pilot 'Encounter at Farpoint' and several subsequent episodes.
2
This is the only surviving example of the original 1987 ILM paint scheme — the full 6-foot model was completely stripped and repainted for the Generations film, making this piece a unique color reference for the entire fan/builder community.
3
The model includes 12 of 14 possible saucer separation clamps with intricate cross-section detail; collector Eric bought it at a Christie's-style auction on October 7, 2006, reportedly at a low price because it was sandwiched between two high-value lots.
4
Wayne Maney of Motion Picture Miniatures brought original ILM mold castings (secondary hull section, nacelle, keel plate) loaned by Star Trek archivist Gary Kerr, revealing that the 6-foot model's surface was NOT dead smooth — ILM modelers hand-scored fine panel ridges in quilting-bee-style group sessions.
5
Bill George, the ILM supervisor who famously disliked the Enterprise-D design during construction in 1986, attended WonderFest and recreated the iconic photo of him holding an 'ugly' sign over the model.
Key takeaways
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The original Enterprise-D color is notably more green and blue than gray — color-matching from this model gives replica builders the first accurate 1987 paint reference, which Eric plans to share with the community.
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The 6-foot separation model had surface detail but no illuminated windows or fine Aztec panel engraving — those features were on the hero close-up version only, which informs how replica builders should approach different model scales.
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ILM used Death Star brass etchings as spray templates for some surface detail patterns on the Enterprise-D, a cross-franchise construction technique confirmed by Bill George at the show.
Notable quotes
“It went back into storage. Judy Penny was the curator and it just didn't see the light of day since '87.”
“It was always believed that the surface was dead smooth, but that's not the case. They were ridges — groups of guys like in a quilting bee, and they would all huddle up together and spend a few hours all just with a knife.”
“If you can't have the full 6-ft or 4-ft model, I'm perfectly happy with a 2-ft — and this was sequenced in between two very high-expense items, so I think they might have gone on a coffee break when I bought this.”
Worth watching?
✅
Worth watching the full video?
Watch if you are a Star Trek model or prop enthusiast — seeing the actual filming model up close with its clamps, Aztec paint, and cross-sections is genuinely special, and the ILM construction revelations from Wayne Maney are the kind of behind-the-scenes detail that rarely surfaces.
Saved you some time? The creator still deserves a like.
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