Scratch Built Klingon Bat'Leth Project

Three years in the making, March 2005 - April 2008

On the bench- Updated May 20, 2008

This new Klingon designed ship is scratch-built, with the exception of the wing-nacelles from a batwing kit, and the sensor strips cut off a Cardassian Galor kit. Everything else you see is made from sheet styrene, strips, rods, etc... The idea of creating a Klingon warship using the wing "nacelles" from the batwing came from Michael Putman's RamPak design seen on his site, feymanshipyards.com

One of my goals for this model was to bring a bit of each Klingon warship to this build, with the main emphasis on the next line of post-Negh Var battlecruiser. For instance, the sensor strip seen going around the center of the lower forward module has a cloaking coil set in it, like the Bird of Prey. While the sensors are gunmetal, the coil is rust in color. There are also additional coils in the base of the wings in the recesses on the inner sides of the bussard scoops, and in the rear of the impulse wedge as well.

The entire forward module is reminiscent of the Negh Var itself, (especially the upper forward module and main deflector). The lower forward module is wider, sleeker and more modern the Negh Var, and this new battlecruiser has a second long range deflector array located in a recess at the front of the module.

There are also cloaking emitters. One pair on the top of the boom, another pair underneath, one on top of the impulse wedge, as well as a large pair on the upper and lower wings. The emitter pairs on the top boom are painted a much lighter color, ala Vor Cha. Also representing the Vor Cha are the radiator grilles on the top hull at the base of each wing. The cloak emitters on the boom underside are reminiscent of the K’Tinga class cruiser.

The idea of having both cloaking coils and cloaking emitter arrays is to represent that it takes that much to cloak a ship of this size, not to mention to handle new type of advanced cloaking technologies.

After seeing Michael's RamPahk design (that is the original Klingon ship to use bat-wings as the nacelles rather than the typical nacelles), I felt that it represented a great leap forward in design for a Klingon vessel and had to create a build using these. I only hope that I do not have issues getting out the clear tape that I used to mask the warp coils from the inside out!

Since this is my first scratch/bash I spent much time in creating and re-creating parts, templates, etc. There was never a time where I used a part that I was not completely happy with, and there was times where I actually removed decks or modules that I was not sure about. It seems like I spent more time creating test part than the actual thing!

The site will be updated with final pictures as the final painting, decals (from JT Graphics), and final coats of Future are complete. Final pictures will be posted as soon as the dull-coat is applied.

The latest pictures seen below were taken after the first base coat of (lighter) green was applied, and after the sensors and cloaking coils were hit with gunmetal. Please see painting schema at the bottom of this page.

Paint Schema

On previous Klingon ships, I used one part green zinc chromate and pale green as the base, but I am starting to feel that this is too light for a warship. When I look at my BOP, Vor-cha and Negh ‘Var, they seem too light.

Here is what I have lined up so far in terms of paint ideas (Model master enamels):

Base-color (base 1) this is the darkest color and will serve as the “background color”. I mixed this up and it is medium dark, almost like a WW2 tank, but more klingon in nature. One part each of the following:
medium green
green zinc chromate
willow green
pale green

Lighter green (base-2) for (2nd and 3rd level high) armor plates to compliment the darker base color. It is the same as above, less the darker medium green:
green zinc chromate
willow green
pale green

pale green for the topside “feather panels” and all cloaking arrays (the cloaking arrays are the squares that are lined up in a row located on the wings, and top and bottom of the hull). These exist in combination with the advanced nostalgic cloaking coils seen circling the lower forward module (reminiscent of the BOP), described below in the rust section. All of these cloaking components can be seen in the pictures.

gunmetal (which is almost black) for the sensor arrays seen around the center of the entire ship and wings, and on the cloaking coils mentioned above (these were hacked from the Cardassian ship). Steel, rust, red and a few others may or may not be used for the details on these mechanical strips.

euro gray for minor random sensors and highlights.

rust for the center bar on the advanced cloaking coils (which are located in the center of the forward lower module, inside the recessed area at the base of the boom and on the rear of the impulse wedge).

dark-orange for the impulse engines and maneuvering thrusters.

red for inner bussard scoop areas.

The order of painting is as follows:

1- Primer.
2- Putty imperfections, sand and primer again (lightly).
3- Hit entire ship with lighter green base 2 and let dry a week.
4- Gunmetal on sensor strips, as well as cloaking coils -add rust on cloaking coil tubing.
5- Tape off sensors and cloaking coils and proceed with second coat (light) of base2 lighter green and allow to cure one week.
6- Orange on impulse engines and maneuvering thrusters.
7- Red inside of bussard housings.
8- Dark red wing “feather” panels underside of wings level 3 panels, level 2 panels are to stay base 2.
9- Strait pale green “feather” panels topside wings on level 2 panels, note that all level 3 panels are to stay base2 (for out of the ordinary contrast) -will need to be masked in advance.
10- Strait pale green on all cloaking arrays (not the same as the advanced cloaking coils).
11- Euro gray on a few random details (skipped).
12- Allow these areas to cure for one week and then tape or liquid mask them, allow to dry (2 liquid mask coats).
13- Tape off random small flat areas as well as all raised panels that are to stay base2.
14- Hit all upper level 3 panels ship with darker base1 green (2 coats).
15- Final detail painting (yellow on disruptors, white on windows, etc..)

Final steps

First coat of Future, let dry and apply decals, allow to completely dry and apply second coat of future. Note that dullcoat is applied after Future cures.