Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection Review
3 min read
Several of the ships from the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection have arrived at TrekToday along with their accompanying magazines.
The magazines provide in-depth profiles of each ship, design sketches and histories of the shooting model(s) and histories of the ship’s appearance on screen.
The Ships/Magazines:
The officially-licensed ships included in this review include the Romulan Warbird, The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D (issue 1) and a Klingon Bird-of-Prey (issue 3). One ship was purchased, and two were provided to TrekToday.
First, the ships. As someone who spent plenty obtaining the Star Trek MicroMachine ships, these ships were sure to be of interest to me. The ships are made from die-cast high-quality ABS materials and are 120-140mm in length (4.7 – 5.5 inches) and are between 25mm-50mm (1-2″) high. The black stands for each ship are approximately 101mm (4″) and the clear plastic inserts to hold up the ships are around 25mm (1″) high.
The ships have a solid feel and the colors are made to match what was seen on television or on the screen as much as possible.
The magazines by Eaglemoss Publications feature ship specifications and profiles. There are plenty of details about each ship, and pictures of scenes featuring the ships on screen are provided. Important details such as the weaponry and cloaking devices are also described.
After this, sections on designing the models (with art sketches), filming the models, and on screen appearances of each ship are provided. The magazine concludes with a preview for the next issue.
Ships available thus far include:
- USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D
- USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (2271)
- Klingon Bird-of-Prey
- Enterprise NX-01
- Romulan Warbird
- USS Voyager NCC-74656
- Klingon K’Tinga-Class Battlecruiser
- USS Excelsior NCC-2000
- USS Defiant NX-74205
- Borg Sphere
- USS Reliant NCC-1864
- USS Thunderchild NCC-63549
- Jem’Hadar Battle Cruiser
- Cardassian Galor Class
- USS Equinox NCC-72381
- Ferengi Marauder
- USS Dauntless NX-01-A
- Bajoran Solar-Sailor
- USS Stargazer NCC-2893
- Klingon Attack Cruiser
- USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E
- Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship
- Nebula Class
- Xindi Insectoid Starship
- USS Prometheus NX-59650
- Tholian Webspinner (2152)
- Romulan Bird-of-Prey (2152)
- Maquis Raider
- Jem’Hadar Bug
- Nausiccan Fighter
- Romulan Warbird Valore
- Federation Danube Class Runabout
Seventy ships were originally planned for the collection, but word has come that there will be more ships produced, perhaps ninety in all.
The Review:
These are great little ships. Larger than the Star Trek MicroMachines (and not made of plastic), they are small enough that one would be able to purchase as many as one wants without having to worry about space concerns.
The quality of the color and painting are very good; crisp and sharp.
The bases of the stands are sturdy, but the plastic inserts are a bit of a problem. They snap into the base of the stands just fine, but it’s very difficult to get the ship in the slots and then to keep the ship from falling out of them. It’s the only flaw in an otherwise great product.
If you have favorite Trek ships (and who doesn’t?), I’d advise getting at least several of these. They can be ordered via subscription, or individually.
Ordering Details:
By subscription (every two weeks), which includes the ship and magazine, plus: free binder, free Borg cube, free future Enterprise-D model, free dedication plaque. Each ship costs £9.99 (UK), $19.99 (Australia) or $19.95 (US). To order in the US or the UK, head to the link located here, and in Australia order here.
The ships are also sold individually online at places such as Entertainment Earth.
About The Author
