Tycho Case Study: Project Excalibur 

This is one of those creations that deserves a full set of deck plans!

Tbh I'm ambivalent about Trek's saucer-on-a-stick style of ship design, but I have to say this one absolutely sells it. The shorter, thicker neck feels so much more structural and believable compared to the original Constitution's. It really brings the saucer and secondary hull together as a harmonious whole, especially when combined with the more graceful pylons and nacelles. Everything is so elegant and well-proportioned. Truly a gorgeous ship.

I just spent the past 20 min soaking up your fantastic design with my mouth wide open and my eyes in a fogged gaze. I have been model building for over 50 years and never seen anyone do what you do so well. It seems so easy for you but I know it is not. You really inspired me to put more into my model building and as a new subscriber, I plan on sitting here getting inspired by more of your talent. Thank you Bill.

Says in Scotty’s voice : She’s a beauty !

The United Federation of Planets would be proud of your design. In all likelihood the most magnificent Federation Starship I’ve ever seen. Kudos ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

As a person who likes all things star trek, I don't know how I've missed your channel. I've seen your work first hand at Wonderfest this year and I am in Awe of these ship designs you've brought to physical life.

We need the Excalibur in a Trek show! Beautiful model. Love seeing the conception of it all.

This feels more like Trek Phase II than actual Phase II. Has that futuristic 70s feel to it, awesome ship

I have found my ship and you good sir are a master of design!

I love the window boxes. It establishes the exact scale of the ship without having to guess.

I loved the cross over at 9:21 with R2D2 sitting in the lounge and a model of a tie fighter on the bench seat.

This is the "Federation Battlecruiser" the Klingons feared! Amazing design! I would love to have seen a couple of these side-by-side with the more common "Enterprise" class refits from the movies. It would also be easy to see how the Excelsior class descended from this line. And the details! Wow. I mean, you look in the windows and see INTERIOR! That's just amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us!

I remember the Excalibur from the late 60's, "Kirk what are you doing". Said it before i'll say it again Gene was way ahead of his time. Love the model and graphics. Beautiful!

I saw this ship at Wonderfest this year and it is an absolutely beautiful piece of workmanship. Great work, loved it. The Enterprise G was also wonderful. They both deserved to get Gold medals I don't know what was with the judges this year only giving these Silver awards.

Im not sure i have the words to express just how incredible this ship is. I love your Sentinel build, but this .. well done, kind sir.

This is brilliant. TOS is my favorite era of ST & Star ship designs, this evokes great emotion to see what could have been if that path had been followed, a more modern version of those great looking ships. IMO this is a much more "Logical" design progression to keep what I think was great about Star Trek.

What a beauty!! Amazing work that makes me long for the days before cgi. Well done!!

As someone that noodles around in my basement with model kits I love this insight into the skills and techniques of a real master!

This is the most beautiful model I've ever seen!

I was happy to see the "model builder's toothbrush" about two thirds of the way in. A surprising amount of tasks can benefit from a toothbrush.

Absolutely love those aft photon torpedo tubes on the backside of the neck and how you split the forward tubes to merge so well with the engineering section. The whole neck is thicker and shorter too and looks amazing. *chefs kiss 🤌

It's always amazing when fans put out better stuff than the Show or movie makers. This is the perfect example.

So amazing! This enthusiastic amateur is in awe! All hail the Admiral!

Merlin class. Wow! Now this is a starship on steroids! Kinda looks like all the weak areas have been beefed up immensely, most notably the warp nacelle pylons. It looks more threatening for sure. Sleek and highly maneuverable. This needs to be canon. Very outstanding work!

As stated elsewhere, this is my favorite thing you've done (of what I've seen). She's beautiful. She's different enough to be unique and her own thing but she would absolutely slide right in next to other ships of the era. She's lovely. She's absolutely lovely.

Amazing, incredible, fantastic. Your attention to even the smallest details is impressive. Thanks for sharing this video!

Stunning. I’m almost speechless… which is practically unheard of.

Another beautiful piece! A wonderful TOS-TMP intermediate design. Loved all the little details and photo backed windows.

So glad that you have the lights in the tips of the nacelles spinning in the correct direction! It really bothers me when people get it wrong!

This is truly a work of extraordinary craftsmanship. So far above and beyond anything that I've ever seen. Absolutely Beautiful without a doubt. Thank you for sharing the New EXCALIBUR with us all!!!

I want one without lights so I can zoom zoom around the room with it! Gorgeous!!

Exquisitely judged design, executed to perfection.

Very awesome build. The idea of using film transparencies to showcase interior window views is amazing and adds to the realness of the model. Very well done for sure🤗

Oh, she is lovely. Plenty of attitude without being aggressive. The best of the old and the new. Lots of smart ideas brilliantly realised. I simply can't say enough good things. Bravo!

Stunning! This ship may be even more beautiful than the refit Enterprise, and I can't believe I just wrote that...

Beautiful! Judging by the wider body and the shorter neck with those ridges around the front, it looks almost like it could be a predecessor to the excelsior class.

I can't imagine how difficult it was painting the ship with all those illuminated windows with all the details you put in behind them! Fantastic job!

That is some absolutely epic miniature lighting.

Even the 2D drawings are beautiful

The design, and building of your ships are great. I like how you take TOS, and advance it a bit. It's like an in between TOS, and TMP design, or an alternative like the Phase 2 concept art.

When I first showed my brother you're pieces it was this guy. And I love SketchUp.

Wow!!!!! absolutely 😳😳😳😳 This is just.. wow!!!!!! ❤❤❤ This is what the enterprise D onwards should have been or evolved into from TOS, TMP and generations with the B This model is just mind blowing

Outstanding work, Admiral. This is a beautiful design and you built it up so wonderfully.

That is an amazing design and model. It "fixes" a lot of issues with the classic Constitution while keeping the design language intact. The shorter and much thicker and broader neck is substantially more structurally sound and believable. The same goes for the pylons which have a nice nod to the swept back design of the refit. Having the torpedo launcher embedded in the secondary hull solves all space issues attached to that and beefing up the impulse engines rounds it out. Some of the details are also very cool. Really love the intakes below the Bussard collectors and reverse naca vent structures that are reminiscent of aircrafts. Seeing beautiful designs by fans like this executed to such a level of perfection frustrates me when I look at current Trek shows and their frankly ugly designs of a dystopian future. Honestly I wish you were in charge of starships designs for Star Trek. Godspeed.

no words on just how amazing of a job you did

They should create a tv series around the new frontiers book series and use your designs in the show. Really well thought out and cohesive with the rest of your ships

Breathtaking. Possibly the greatest fanship ever conceived. In awe, Bill. Just in awe.

Just amazing and I feel like I wish I had one tenth the talent on display

I love this design. The craftmanship is awesome. I would love to learn how to build models like this.

Magnificent! You have infinite patience and skills.

Oh my lord.....what a thing of absolute beauty, can't give you enough praise this should be the the best Starship in Starfleet on looks alone....you didn't get R2D2 past my eyes....call security we have a intruder alert!!!!

Amazing model. I'm insanely jealous.

My god mate that is an absolute work of art from beginning to the end especially the finished product!! That was astonishing, if I could afford a big glass case/box id put it in and then put that in the middle of a big room with others I would buy one! That is just a fantastic work of art mate! I thoroughly enjoyed watching that from start to end! Just a beautiful looking ship! Take care and have a great day!

Absolutely stunning piece of work from conception right through to the final build which, to be fair, is not untypical of any of your work!

Truely beautiful work Sir. I have just returned to model making after 20 years and seeing something like this is awe inspiring.

The neck grilling is a wonderful design link between TOS Connie and the Excelsior.

That is a seriously gorgeous ship design!

Thanks for this view into your process! Seeing the armature on top of the profile print in particular really opened my eyes on how you do that aspect. Love the video

Unbelievable 😮 Absolutely stunning!

The smiley inlets under the glowing domes are a great call back to WWII inlets

This has been my absolute favorite ship designs in decades. It feels Trek unlike everything we've seen recently. This feels like a true 70's stylized step from the original Enterprise. But just before the film version. I haven't even this excited about anything Trek related in so long. I hope this becomes *canon.

I am sure this thing can really take off into space.

Beautiful model!!! Nicely done!

Absolutely beautiful design and build, Bill! So great to be able to see your creative process through the documenting of the build!

Gotta love R2-D2 in the Lower Deck Lounge at 9:21.

That was incredible... the attention to detail. The lighting design... the best looking physical or digital star Ship I have ever seen. Great work... photo, lighting... everything. Amazing.

Stunning work as usual 👍👍, hope to see many more ships.

Awesome job. The slide at 9:20 is great!

This would of been perfect for JJ Enterprises, Star Trek Fans always seem to take more pride and reverence in ship creations compared to those just collecting a pay check.

Sorry, back in a sec... picking up my jaw from the floor. That's incredible; thanks for the tour of the build.

Your work is incredible, you make a physical model look like a render

Looking more robust like a compact battlecruiser.............A true Beauty IMHO........

Magnificent work of art.

Very cool video. This ship is a thing of beauty. 👍🏻

When I finally retire in a few years, I plan on building several 1:350 refit series models - the 1701-A of course, a Reliant, a Belknap Med. Cruiser, and a Dakota Class Shuttle Carrier (or possibly a hospital ship variant of the Dakota class shuttle carrier). While I'm working I'm just accumulating all the materials, electronics, etc. I intend on using. Thank you for the inspiration! BTW, SketchUp is the shiznit. I use the Pro version all the time as an Architect.

Freaking beautiful. I like this design more than the constitution

🖖😎👍Very cool and very nicely greatly well done and executed in every detail way shape format, A very wonderfully spectacular beautiful job indeed Sir!.

Fabulous job! Thank you for the systematic presentation of each group of steps.

Nice to see that you posted a video on the whole Excalibur design and build, Bill. This was a great video to post, Bill! Super appreciated! Thank You! Michel PM ( from our small email group of fans! )

Thank you for sharing your process! Absolutely impeccable work!

Yes this is my favorite. Thank you Bill. 😎

My inner Scotty says: "Aye, She's a Beauty!"

That ship needs to be in SNW somehow to make it "canon" which it deserves. Amazing work, looks great from any angle! I'd love to see what you could do with a TOS inspired Miranda variant but modernized and upgraded along the lines of this one (unless you've done one already).

Wow. Absolutely beautiful.

Gorgeous! Another beautiful ship!

I wasn't at Wonderfest, but watched videos and she really stood out. You should be proud of the work you did. Look forward to future builds of yours!

Absolutely amazing work!

Stunning! Lovely recreation. I don't think those nacelles will be sagging.

Im upset that I can only give one like! Wishing that Eaglemoss was still around cause I would pay for a replica of that ship man!

Man loves his work. I don't have the patience for model building, unfortunately.

I absolutely love this. I wish I had the printer hardware and know how to make one of these.❤ fantastic

Incredible. Absolutely incredible.

Beautiful ship!

One of the most satisfying things I’ve ever seen on the Internet. Congrats on a beautiful creation. 🖖

Wow. This guy knows how to build.

Amazing work!! I am blown away how good that turned out. Seemed more real than so much of the CGI ships!

Stunningly beautiful.

Beautiful. That's a great design.

Looks great man. Thats a cool ship! Love it😁

I would love to learn how to build ships like this. The k7 Excalibur and this one are amazing builds. I'm waiting for a Voyager model to be delivered. It will be my 1st polar lights project I'm building