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Ertl_1995_Guide
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1995-01-02
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TF01
3,Ertl 1995 Guide
4,by Sven Harvey
Ertl 1995 Guide
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A Modelling Star Trek Special
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by Sven Harvey
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AMT/Ertl have announced their Star Trek model kit range for release
in 1995, but you wouldn't be interested in that... would you? You
would?! Well here is a full run down of what you should expect your
local model kit store to get in over the next twelve months or so...
As you know, 1994 has seen the release of the Deep Space Nine
Runabout and the Station itself, along with a model of the USS
Excelsior and AMT's first vinyl figures in the form of Captain Kirk
and Doctor McCoy. With a bit of luck you will also find a vinyl
figure of Scotty and the rather gorgeous looking fibre optic
Enterprise D. But if you thought 1994 was good you're gonna love
1995!
Over the next year the range of vinyl figures is going to double. The
first three kits (Kirk, McCoy and Scotty) are being packaged together
as a gift set. Following on from that there will be releases (also in
1/6th scale - approximately 12 inches tall) of Mr Spock plus Odo and
Quark from Deep Space Nine.
Following on from the release of the eagerly requested USS Excelsior
kit with a double dose of movie kits, specifically the USS Reliant
and a Klingon Bird of Prey! The Reliant is a standard Miranda class
starship and featured in the second Star Trek movie (The Wrath Of
Khan). Of course some of you may know that the original model has
been made over and altered slightly many times to masquerade as the
USS Saratoga (from Star Trek IV), the USS Lantree (ST:TNG "Unnatural"
Selection - without the top sensor/photon torpedo pod), the USS
Britain (ST:TNG "Night Terrors") and the USS Bozeman (ST:TNG "Cause
and Effect - with some alterations). Details of the kit are scarce
but it is rumoured to be in the same scale as the Enterprise-A kit.
The Klingon Bird Of Prey is an answer to a lot of people's requests
which were filled, sort of, by Warp's kits. However the new Ertl kit
will be under £20 and have fully hinged poseable "wings" so that any
flight attitude can be adopted. It will be marketed as a Star Trek:
Generations kit but will in fact be roughly in scale with the
Enterprise-A kit as it is just over 10 inches long.
The standard Enterprise-D kit will also be re-released in Star Trek:
Generations packaging and will be complimented by the release of the
Enterprise-B. But why not use the Excelsior kit to model the
Enterprise? Well, I will tell you! The damn ship ain't a standard
Excelsior class! The Enterprise-B has a number of extra bits on the
ship! For a start, as well as the two standard impulse engines at the
very back of the primary hull there is an extra pair of much larger
impulse engines to either side. As well as this there are several fin
like flanges at the back of the warp nacelles and front of the
secondard hull PLUS new Buzzard Ramscoops which look like Klingon
Bird of Prey bridge modules at the front of each warp nacelle. Of
course, as with the USS Excelsior the ship is in the same scale as
the Enterprise-D kit at around 18 inches long.
Following on from the release of the fibre optic Enterprise-D (when
it is actually released) will be a fibre optic Deep Space Nine
station, again with a mini-drill like the Enterprise-D so that you
can drill out the port holes you want lit. Also as with the
Enterprise-D kit it is the same mould as the standard full-size
version and hence about 16 inches across.
Finally there is a lovely new version of the three Enterprises kit
which replaces the old plastic stand with a clear perspex disc set in
a plastic asteroid-like base. The actual ships seem to be set into
the disc in some way. How it is done is a bit of a mystery to me but
the end result is worth whatever it takes!
Unfortunately there is a down side to all of this... to make room for
all of these kits some other old ones have been deleted. Those
deleted are those which came out specifically for the 25th
Anniversary, namely the original Klingon Cruiser, the USS Enterprise
Bridge and the Galileo shuttle - also from the original USS
Enterprise - plus the chrome 3 Enterprise set have all gone.
So that's 1995, but what else is on the way? Plans are afoot for Star
Trek's 30th Anniversary in 1996 and along with everyone else AMT/Ertl
will be cashing in. There are rumours abound but here are the choice
possibilities...
Ambassador class Enterprise-C in scale with Enterprise-D - likely
USS Voyager - very likely
Cardassian Galor class warship - possible
Nebula class starship (e.g. USS Pheonix ST:TNG "The Wounded") -
possible
Fibre optic original Enterprise - likely
History of the Enterprise from the original Enterprise sailing ship
upto the Enterprise-E! - remote possibility
A fibre optic fully lit version of the history of the Enterprise kit!
- very remote possibility
Nova class Enterprise-E - very very very unlikely considering that
the D is destroyed and the E is on its way for the eighth Star Trek
movie!
It's all strange and totally unofficial stuff that will unveil itself
this time next year!
But hey, Ertl's not all of it! There are more Micromachines sets on
the way! Yep, Galoob are surely onto a big winner there... expect to
see at least one set of Generations Micromachines and at least
another set including the Enterprise-C! Plus there are all the new
Playmates toys for Generations already available in the states
including a battle damaged Enterprise and other toys including the
Enterprise-D engineering playset. There are plenty of other toys on
the way and I will reveal all next issue in the complete Modelling
Star Trek rundown!