The model of the Star Trek ship, Enterprise is falling apart. This model has been on display at the NASM for decades and the original glue that held it together is starting to fall apart. Also the poorly done paint done during the restoration back in the 1990’s needs to be removed and the ship placed back as it was during the shooting of the TV show. Earlier I posted about conserving the model at the Smithsonian in Tech Stuff 3 with these links.

http://blog.nasm.si.edu/conservation/uss-enterprise-conservation-begins/

http://arstechnica.com/the-multiverse/2016/01/how-the-smithsonian-is-restoring-the-original-uss-enterprise-to-full-1967-glory/

Trek Core has a series of videos about the restoration.

More from Trek Core.

http://trekcore.com/blog/2015/02/enterprise-smithsonian-photos-video/

More pics at Space.com

http://www.space.com/31816-star-trek-starship-enterprise-restoration-photos.html

And Popular Mechanics.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/tv/news/g2454/the-restoration-of-the-original-star-trek-enterprise-is-underway/

Pics from an earlier restoration

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=8672

Models tend to have hard lives. Especially shooting models like the Enterprise. Consider what happened to the 2001 models after the shooting was over. So having the Enterprise get the museum treatment is a good thing. Of course not all models, even Star Trek models get this level of attention. Consider the Enterprise’s Klingon nemesis.

Years ago, I discovered the shooting model for that ship suspended from the ceiling in the lobby of the Virginia Air and Space museum in Hampton VA. As far as I know it’s still there, far from the attention that the Enterprise gets.