… to boldly go where no man has gone before. Well not quite. I am working on various models at the same time and after finishing the Roden Fokker DR.I, I decided to do something simple. I was going through my stash and the 1/1000 Polar Lights USS Enterprise struck my fancy. Plus I always thought that the USS Enterprise was a cool looking starship.
It is a shame that Polar Lights is now out of business. Their kits definitely have their building issues but they filled a niche and I don’t see any other company stepping forward to replace them. What is nice about the 1/1000 kits (Enterprise TOS, Enterprise NX-01 and Klingon Battlecruiser) is that they are small compared to the AMT/ERTL kits and the detail is great for the scale.
The box states that there is over 50 pieces but that is only a misnomer as you will only use about half of the parts to complete the kit. The kit allows you build 3 different versions – Enterprise from the Original TV Series, from the 1st and 2nd TV pilot. In addition they provide 4 decal options for the Enterprise from the Original TV Series version – USS Enterprise, Constellation, Defiant and Exeter. They also supplied stickers for the kids. So you can easily build more than one and with a retail price of $10 to $15 it is a good bargain.
After deciding the version you want to build you will need to decide if you want to build this kit at as snap together kit or a standard build. The snap together version will build quickly but there will huge gap and fit issues. But, there is always a but, the standard build will also have significant gaps and require a ton of filler to make look great. As with all Polar Kits make sure you test fit everything and exercise patience.
I have decided build the USS Enterprise from Original TV series. Below is all the major parts that I will need (except the clear parts) to complete kit. It is amazing that such a few number of parts will cause frustration (yes, I have tried a couple of Polar Lights Kits in the past and somewhat know what to expect).
Looks fun! I recently picked up the Klingon cruiser on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $5.00. I haven\'t decided when I\'m going to get to it, but you may just inspire me to go after it a little bit sooner. See you this weekend at Oktoberfest!
ReplyDeleteYou will have fun with the cruiser - a lot of nasty seams. Make sure you have a tub full of putty or super glue. It is worth it though. Glad to hear you decided to come to KC. See you Saturday.
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