Polar Lights' USS Enterprise |
| By Orlando Guiang |
|
|
It was great to hear that Polar Lights had decided to pick up the Star Trek line. Given the quality of products that they had produced in the past, it seemed like a given that the new models would be better than anything AMT had ever came out with. Polar Lights had some of their product on display at the San Diego Comic Con. The TOS model was one of them and I was disappointed to see how small the model was. I was impressed by the detail and markings so when it came out, I decided to give it a try. I’ve built at least 5 of the AMT kits and am familiar with all the markings and details of the original studio model. In my opinion, the pros and cons are:Pros: Good, accurate detailing, great decals, able to build one of four versions Cons: Size, snap-tight, some poor fitting parts he kit is decent in detail. It's a shame that the pieces don't attach any better. I really think it could've been better. I do complement them on all the parts the model kit gives you to build 4 different versions. They deserve a lot of credit for the attention to detail. The size is small but it's worth buying because it isn't that expensive. I'm hoping that the NX-01 kit is better and larger. I guess we'll have to wait and see. |
|
Overall the model was easy to work with. I used Testors Light Gray as my base hull color. I used Dark Ghost Gray for the darker accents. The instructions suggested these colors and I thought they were a good choice. Though the model was snap-tight, I used cement anyway. I decided to build the second pilot version. You can build the 1st or 2nd pilot, the “Mirror Mirror” Enterprise, or the regular series version. I began with piecing the main sections first and attempted to fill in the many gaps. Unfortunately it was a bear to try and fill in all of those and I wasn’t completely successful at doing it to my satisfaction. The one challenge was to fill in the gap that is created at the base of the struts that hold the nacelles in place. I don’t know what goes into designing a model kit but more thought should’ve been taken into how these pieces fit together. No doubt, making it a snap-tight kit didn’t help. The worst pieces are the nacelles themselves. When put into place, they are angled wrong and if you don’t use cement, they’ll fall out pretty easily. The stand is pretty awful too. The model is top heavy as with most Enterprise kits and the stand provided is pretty weak. I made my own with a wooden base and 1/16th metal rod. The decals are great. I placed on the decals before putting it completely together. I strongly suggest this because it would be difficult to maneuver them into place especially on the secondary hull. I used a dull coat to seal them after allowing them ample time to dry. The decals include all the markings to build any of the versions, including windows! They’re good quality too, not too thick and they slide on pretty easily. Use an Xacto knife to move them around them and do that right after you lay them down. Image: Ventral aft Image: Portside Image: Saucer |
|
