Shuttles 5: Movie Dominance

It's a bit of a shuttle bonanza this month from SKoST with sets two, five and six all getting featured over the next week.

While there was a more TV themed selection in set two which we looked at recently, set five turns much more towards the big screen.

Classed as instalment 17, the Air Tram is a product of The Motion Picture, delivering Admiral Kirk to Starfleet Command. While that introduction is impressive, the model less so.

A combined two pieces of plastic form the shape of this oblong transport. The aztec paint job, the blacked out windows and the decaled registry and UFP logos do help it stand out but tragically its 1970's design is the ultimate let down. OK, it's better it turned up in this set than as a standalone (or is it?) but this is probably the most uninspiring shuttle from the whole seven sets produced to this point in time (still sets four and seven to add to the collection but we'll get to them I'm sure...). 

Its onscreen likeness is captured perfectly well with the resultant model showing off the sleek shape and bisected with that red horizontal stripe also concealing the join. The red edging on the numerical decals too isn't very precise when it's sitting next to the Starfleet Tug and the Galileo. It's just ok if truth be told and yes, the nav lights and thruster points are all in the right place but the Air Tram is totally outclassed by the other three craft contained in the pack.

In contrast the Starfleet Tug is a weathered, slightly battered affair that immediately indicates its working nature. There's a bit of a sheen to the curved viewscreen at the front but the rest of this little craft is modelling excellence. It also shows up all the problems that face the 100% plastic Air Tram. Once more combining metal and plastic, the Tug paintwork has a mottled and uneven effect all the way across its distinct panelling. The "5" decals on top and sides also have a near perfect red edging effect that's evenly spaced to the central number PLUS the cross hatch pattern lies precisely along that rear edge. 

Even to the rear, the worn paint work comes through and on closer inspection of the hatch tape you'll spot that even that is showing slight signs of wear and tear. The black decals to the top are a little too clean as are the darker grey curve sections at the back but Eaglemoss have achieved a good recreation of such an often (in the movies) seen piece of Starfleet tech.

Applauding the Tug is one thing however the Voyager Type-8 shuttle is a mixed bag of all that is good and bad with this set. The recreation of the physical item is pretty decent. The panelling isn't perhaps defined enough for me but there's a good balance on the colours and attention to detail when it comes to the placement of the decals and the choice to go with the translucent blue plastic for the warp engines. Some of the venting detail on the sides and the RCS thrusters are marked in well BUT...

The paint and quality of the decals on this one is almost shocking. The window black is chipped in places and doesn't completely fill the frames, the red of the impulse engine intakes has bled out of its shape and most disappointing is the legibility of the decals. Ok, the Starfleet pennants are in the right place and crisp but everywhere else the markings are horrid. Borders are misaligned, blurred  and in the case of the blue script under the side windows it's even impossible to make out the letters. Yuk. 

To a degree even the paintwork feels a slight bit dirty and rushed on this one. I like the design here but its the finishing touches which don't add up to something better than the individual parts. Second dip of the pack - can we at least draw a 50/50 result with the final one of the set?

Keep everything crossed because this one's a favourite of mine; the Galileo from The Final Frontier. Let's get the jokes out of the way first. The film isn't Trek's finest hour but the shuttles (Galileo and Copernicus) are among some of its sprinkled highlights. Indeed, these shuttles would have an impact that can be seen in both TNG and in Generations where the original full-sized versions were hacked about to be used for other ships.

The horrid bit of the Galileo is that central, horizontal join line that screams at you every time you turn her sideways. On the port side it's also wider than starboard but that's my biggest criticism of a ship we haven't seen in model form other than as part of the AMT USS Enterprise refit for The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country. There's also a sprue point that's not been sanded out enough but I only spotted that in a super closeup check. This scale work better for the shuttle too with a decent single colour paint job providing that matte finish. The blacked window is properly coloured in and the RCS thruster ports are also painted in perfectly along the central lip of the ship.

The decals themselves from the pennant along the side to the "5" numbering is also spot on and evenly printed so you can actually read it. What I also do love are those blocky movie style engines hanging out to the sides. The support struts are a lot stronger than on the original TV Galileo model from set one although the painting of the grilles to the front and sides is patchy. 

The Galileo here has a distinct shape to her and one we would, of course, see again in several chopped up forms so it's good to get up close with the original version. I'm a little saddened that the lights underneath aren't painted in but it's a step up from the quality of the Air Tram and the rushed nature of the Type-8's paintwork. This one does have a super smooth finish that's not tarnished with lumps and bumps. It's also annoying that the Tug probably trounces this one for top dog in the set if only down to its build quality which doesn't give too much away.

As with all previous sets, each shuttle comes with its own lithograph LCARS print to display with it and a small mini (MINI) magazine. Each details purely the in universe appearance of the craft in question with some nice images from screen appearances and new CG created specially for this release. As with all of the sets I'll again note that some form of designing articles wouldn't have gone amiss with these!

Check out all our Starships (and shuttles!) posts HERE

You can find out more on the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection by visiting the Hero Collector website HERE

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Trek Modelling 101: Warp Engines and Body Building

Last time we covered building the saucer on the AMT USS Enterprise and now we're going to move on to the warp nacelles.

Bear in mind since there are two of these so you will repeat the same steps for both. With building the nacelles you will notice the supports are already attached and lining everything up can be tricky that is where your clamps and rubber band come in real handy. 

First you will need to dry fit basically put the two halves together without glue and see if any adjustment is needed; if not you are good to glue. I recommend trimming the fitting pegs off and lining it up by hand and eye, after which tape them together and glue a little bit at a time just remember you want everything lined up squared and true. 

From there it's back to sanding again and here is a tip - while sanding a round surface be sure to sand back and forth as to not sand flat spots on the nacelles as they are supposed to be round in shape. After your first time sanding, shoot some of your handy primer on it to see if you need to putty and sand. 

Here's a tip from a friend of mine (maybe you have heard of him his name is Trekworks) for when applying putty to seam. Take two pieces of tape and lay them parallel to the seam, then take your putty and use your finger to smear it onto the seam.  Let the putty dry, remove the tape and there is your putty line for sanding all nice and neat! 

Since this kit is pretty old you will need to putty, sand, prime and repeat a couple of times until your seams are all gone. From there you just need to put it to the side and wait for the engineering section which we'll be covering now...

Secondary Moves

The Engineering section is arguably the worst piece of this kit. It has five pieces but it's the sides where the seams are that will have you screaming. 

First thing you want to do is glue the top section of the engineering hull which is in two pieces but the important thing here is the line up of the two halves so do several dry fittings first and when you are satisfied then glue. 

From there, glue the seam underneath as well to provide extra reinforcement I would also recommend taking some strip styrene and gluing it to the joint for extra extra reinforcement as this seam is known to bust time and time again. Then sand that seam smooth. 

It will take a while and you know you are done is when you take your pinky finger and run it over the surface it is smooth no stair step. Then it’s the gluing of the shuttle bay door which is really simple so just line it up and glue in place, allowing it to dry. 

Now come the time to attach the bottom to the top and this is where the nightmare comes in. 

As you are dry fitting you will notice huge seams down both sides where the top meets the bottom. Try to line it up as best you can and when you get it where you like it glue the parts together. Next comes the hard part as you will be sanding, puttying and priming several times until that seam is smooth.  When you finish, use the pinky test as described above and from there it is the front of the engineering section again as before. Line it up, glue it in place and with more puttying and sanding that ends the engineering hull.

Next time we'll be painting and detailing. Until then Get out of here and build something.

You can catch up on all Chris' modelling tips and techniques by clicking back through the Trek Modelling 101 Archive and if that's not enough, check out the Google+ Sci-Fi Fans and Modelers' United Community

SKoST Modelling 101: If You Build It...

A little later than usual, but here's +Christopher Whitford with his third installment of Modelling 101 and it's taking shape...

Well we have talked about choosing the model you want, and the tools you will need to build the model now it is time to actually dive in and build a model. 

The model I chose is the 18 inch USS Enterprise repop from Round 2/AMT. It's a model most people have built as their first Star Trek ship and should get your feet wet with gluing, sanding puttying and painting. 

This month’s article will consist of building the saucer section as well as filling seams and priming so let’s get started. Since the saucer section on this kit consists of three pieces it should not be hard to build and it’s not, so the main thing you have to worry about is the attached sprue to the upper saucer as it's thick and difficult to remove.  Use a hobby knife for this so you must be careful. You can use a pair of wire cutters to remove the sprue but be careful and don't cut into the saucer as that will leave a spot that will have to be filled later on!

After removing the sprue from the upper and lower saucer the next thing you want to do is dry fit the two halves together.  You are going to see a seam and that seam is what you will be filling later with putty. Dry fitting makes sure everything lines up and after checking it’s time to bring out your glue (I use a liquid glue) I  can mate the two halves together and brush on the liquid glue along the seam line. I'd recommend doing this twice for added reinforcement before setting it aside to dry.

After drying I then take a sanding sponge and sand around that same seam. From there I can use my sandable bondo to fill the seam. You will have to do this multiple times to completely fill the seam as bondo does shrink as it dries. After it dries, wet your sanding sponge and sand down the bondo until you get a nice thin red line where the seam is. 

From there you'll have more filling to do on the underside of the saucer where there are three indents.They represent the phaser banks but they are not present on the studio model so fill those in and sand flush but be careful as there is raised detail that you will lose some of because of sanding smooth those indents. 

After that's finished we move on to the final piece which is the impulse engine housing. Again, dry fit and then glue after which - that’s right - more filling with putty, allow to dry and sand once more. After all that is done it’s priming time which basically means all you are doing is laying a coat of paint to see if any of your seams need to be refilled and sanded. Most likely they will so putty, sand, repeat until there no seams present on your saucer - and that is!

Now we can set aside the saucer section and end for this month. Next time we'll be building the nacelles and pylon supports as well as sanding and puttying those.  

Until next time always remember Get Out There and Build Something. 

You can look back over any of Chris' monthly articles by clicking here

Want to learn more about modelmaking from some Sci-Fi experts? Drop over to the Google+ Sci-Fi Fans and Modellers United Community for tips, chat, advice and some AMAZING photos!

SKoST Modelling 101: Second Edition

It's time to welcome back +Christopher Whitford for his second modelling installment - the motto of the month? Be Prepared. All yours Chris!

So you think you are ready to build your first Star Trek model? Are you all excited about putting it together, how it’s going to look when it's finished with the paint and decals?

But you have forgotten something...?

Yes that’s right  - what you're going to need to put that model together! In other words the tools of the trade. 

Some think that the model is the most expensive part of building a model but that is false it’s the tools that eat your money and yes, there are a plethora of tools to help you build a model from hobby knives to sanding sponges. However you don’t need all the tools at once to assemble a model kit. To build any model you need five basic tools and I'm going to list them here for you.

1. Glue 
The stuff that holds the model together as well as your fingers. It can be quite sticky and if not cautious, quite dangerous to your health. Now I know what you going to say; well that’s all covered so we can use superglue.

Well I'm going to say Yes and No as while they are many variants of superglue out on the market and not all are made for styrene plastic. When choosing I recommend a liquid glue such as Testors, Ambroid Pro Weld, Tenax, Tamiya Liquid Cement or ETC. Also I recommend Zap A Gap Medium CA and Zip Kicker for the modeling super glues. As far as fixing clear parts go. you can’t beat Formula 560 canopy glue as it holds clear parts without crazing them (means without fogging) your window parts.

2. Hobby Knife

You are going to need a hobby knife and while they are many out there I recommend X-Acto #1 Precision knife. It's a invaluable tool to a modeler and your toolbox should never be without it along with some refill #11 fine point blades.

3. Putty 
Again there are a lot of modeling putties such as Squadron Green and White, Perfect Plastic Putty, Epoxy Sculpt, Tamiya modeling putty - the list goes on. The two I recommend are Perfect Plastic Putty and Bondo glazing and spot putty.

4. Sandpaper

The next item you are going to need for assembly is sandpaper and there is a ton of sandpaper grades out there. Anything 400 grit and up is good for plastic models. The 400 grit grade will do your rough work while the higher grits will polish as well as sand. Myself, I use a 3M Medium/Fine sanding sponge as it contours to surfaces and does what I need it to do but watch out as you can sand away too much detail and you will be re-scribing it yourself for an age.

5. Clamps
Yes, clamps and these could be any
thing from those multi-coloured plastic mini-clamps to clothespins and rubber bands. Always remember you never ever can have too many clamps!

So there you have it the five basic tools you need to assemble a model kit. Now, here are some money saving tips for you.

1. Don’t buy your tools all at once
Buy one or two here, one there and before you know it you will have your toolbox for building models. Save yourself a bit of cash by choosing wisely.

2. Compare prices
Search around before you buy. First is not always best and you'll kick yourself if it's 20% cheaper at Retailer B.

3. Big Is Not Always Best.
Wal-mart, Lowes, Home Depot etc are not always the best option. Refer to Number Two!

4. Shop Online for Deals
Take your time and don't rush into a purchase. Get what suits your wallet - it might even be that the retailer has a better offer for you online than in the store.

Well that is it for this post. Next month we will actually start a model and I'll show you some basic modeling techniques. Until then always remember; Get out of here and Build Something!

You can look back over any of Chris' monthly articles by clicking here

Want to learn more about modelmaking from some Sci-Fi experts? Drop over to the Google+ Sci-Fi Fans and Modellers United Community for tips, chat, advice and some AMAZING photos!

Introducing: SKoST Modelling 101

With our increasing coverage of most (we'd be a little arrogant to say all) things Star Trek I'd like to welcome a new regular slot hosted by +Christopher Whitford, the curator of the Google+ Sci-Fi Fans and Modellers United Community.  

Chris is heavily into the Star Trek modelling world as you might have guessed and we're looking forward to learning a lot about just what it can take to transform a box of plastic parts into a replica to be proud of....

You know in the world of scale modeling you have the good ole standbys; your cars, aircraft, ships and then there are spacecraft which you can narrow down to sci-fi spacecraft and furthermore you have your Star Wars, Batman and then you get to Star Trek. 

Yes, the beloved Star Trek models and what a selection of them are out there. The classic Enterprise in a multitude of scales from 1/2500 to 1/350, the classic Klingon D-7, the Romulan Bird-of-Prey, Space Station K-7, Spock, the Exploration set, the bridge of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. 

From Enterprise to Voyager I am pretty sure there is a Star Trek model kit that you would want to build. "But how to get started?" 

I hear that question many times and the answer is the same - Research. Star Trek kits are out there for the beginner right through to the experienced modeler. 

My recommendation to the Novice Star Trek modeler is often this; the Polar Lights 1/1000 classic USS Enterprise. It is a simple kit, but by building it you will learn basics such as gap filling, seam filling, sanding, painting, applying decals and from there I would suggest a couple more of the 1/1000 kits by Round 2/Polar Lights. Just by doing those you will be surprised how you skills will increase with each model that you build. 

From there, try some of the other kits such as the AMT 18 inch Enterprise will teach you more than you will ever know due to its inaccuracies alone. These errors are well documented and there is a plethora of accurate aftermarket parts out here to help make it the star in you stash. Then there are the 1/350 scale kits that at current include the NX-01, the classic NCC-1701, and the Enterprise-A/1701 Refit which are the big boys - and big is the word coming in around three foot each and to make them stand out even more they absolutely need to be lit so another skill you will develop is how to light model kits. 

That pretty much wraps up my first post about Star Trek modeling. Next month we will go in to detail about what you will need to build your first  model and share some tips on how to do it on a budget. 

See you next time and remember get of here and go build something!

Interested in finding out more about the group? Why not drop by and take a look...HERE. 

Any questions or Star Trek modelling challenges? Why not submit a question below?

Trekollections VI: The First Rule of Star Trek Club

Dorn to DS9.

I read the headline in Dreamwatch one more time to see if it would sink in any more. Only a year previous Deep Space Nine, the unloved child of the Star Trek universe, had been provided a lifeline and a revamp with the arrival of the USS Defiant and the introduction of the domineering Dominion. It hadn't quite worked. They were 99.9% there and this was the solution to get the elusive 0.01%.

Problem was that I'd really enjoyed season three and everything that the new improved series had introduced. In all fairness I was both excited and disappointed to read that Worf would be taking up a position on the station from the beginning of the fourth season. Did Deep Space Nine really need him? Was he going to fit in seeing as he'd been on The Next Generation for all seven seasons plus the recent Star Trek: Generations feature? Surely this was too small for Michael Dorn? I had no say in the matter and so would be have to wait until February of the following year (1996) to see The Way of the Warrior.

However I couldn't wait that long and my gran bought me the novelisation of the season four premiere for Christmas. At this time I was revising for my GCSE mock exams over the Christmas holidays (I was that dedicated) but Christmas Day was certainly not going to be the time to have my head in the books. That was until I got ill and stayed clear of everyone else for the day - the perfect chance to read The Way of the Warrior. It changed my thoughts on the coming series completely and I couldn't wait.

At this time it was always Deep Space Nine over Voyager which was entering its second season at the same time and the fourth year of the space station drama blew everything else out of the water. Worf was a great addition and it felt like the show had taken yet another massive leap forward and a considerable risk at the same time. It was one great episode after another but 1996 was also a great year for another reason. The Star Trek Experience made it to the UK and I got the chance to see it in Birmingham.

I've still not managed to get to a convention to this day so this was quite a big thing. Walking in you were presented with a replica of the TV series Enterprise bridge and of course its one of those things you have to have a photo of whether original or not. Before I could get into an adequate pose the guide who was overseeing the set asked a fateful question; "Do you want to sit on the set?"

Now that was a silly question as the answer was undoubtedly, "Yes."

So now the only picture which still exists in my possession from that day is of me on the mock up of the original USS Enterprise bridge apparently under guard by a Vulcan-salute waving The Next Generation uniform wearing exhibition guide.

That five minutes is actually something of a blur as I hadn't expected it to happen and it did so at a fair speed - in, photo, off and done. I wish now I'd taken more of a chance to look around the replica and get a few more pics. Oh well, the wonders of hindsight.

The exhibition featured a lot of costumes and sets, particularly from Generations. There was the original Enterprise-D transporter room, Picard's desk and chair from his Ready Room and his command chair from the bridge set. Alongside them were Soran's missile and his handgun as well as a few uniforms including Kirk's The Motion Picture admiral's uniform, and Troi's blue dress. At the time Deep Space Nine and Voyager were in their early years so there were only a few bits of makeup as well as the monolith from The Alternate and the holo-generator from Shadowplay. I just wish I could find the photos as I had quite a number!

These were the first real Star Trek items I ever came into contact with and I made sure that I went over the exhibition a few times before we went into the gift shop. One thing I do still have  is the half-size combadge I bought from the shop and the set of Star Trek First Contact collectors cards (four pictured left). Even back then I thought they were expensive for the mid-1990's! which is why I didn't buy a lot - most of it had probably been ploughed into the VHS collection.

The memory of that day has stayed with me very strongly and is one of the few moments where I have managed to come face to face with the objects directly linked to my favourite show. In fact it would only be in 2010 when I would finally meet someone who appeared in Star Trek.

First Contact was my film of the year and tragically the high point of The Next Generation's movie career by some distance. As an experience it was far more satisfying than Generations and one of the best movies of the whole series. When it came out on video it was an essential purchase and came with a holographic card which switched between Picard, Data and the Borg Queen to Locutus, the damaged Data and the Borg Queen in a slightly different pose. Admittedly Generations on VHS was a better and more expensive package as I spent a bit more and bought the limited edition numbered widescreen version complete with booklet and postcards. It was a lovely set however the DVD version obliterates it for quality with ease.

Now 1996 would be a year more focused on exams than it would be on the world of Deep Space Nine or Voyager which in turn reminds me that Star Trek was a part of my English GCSE. We had to do a presentation on something we were interested in, or at least some part of topic we had an interest in. While Star Trek itself would have been too easy and obvious I went for a little more of a curve ball and produced a five minute, prompt-card remembered talk on the career of William Shatner. It might have been due to my having recently read one of the two Memories books he wrote around that time!

While it was an education-heavy twelve months I would still buy some of the videos including The Visitor/Hippocratic Oath and Body Parts/Broken Link but there are two volumes which stick in my mind for other reasons apart from their episodic content. One was the Voyager Volume 2.7 which contained Dreadnought and Death Wish. Two great episodes but the reason I remember them so well is because this is the video my parents bought me when I got my GCSE results in August of that year. When asked what I wanted as a "well done" for my work it was only ever going to be Star Trek related and this Q appearance was top of my "Must See" list that year. It didn't disappoint and whether or not I view it through rose-tinted spectacles it's in my top five Voyager episodes and one of the best Q episodes ever made. 

The other volume was 4.12 from Deep Space Nine. Again, it's not the episodes that are on the cassette that make it significant in my life story but rather the sequence it kicked off over the next few years. We'll roll back a little bit actually here because there's more to it than a single volume. I might have said that 1996 was significant because of GCSE exams but it was also the year I would get my first girlfriend.

Kate was from the high school and we met while I was on a family holiday to Paris which was intended to help me with my French linguistic abilities in preparation for the upcoming exams (as you'll see I had quite an "educational" direction forced on me). Kate also liked Star Trek which certainly helped and I introduced her to Deep Space Nine. I was even nice enough to lend her my TV recording of Emissary. A week later however Kate returned the tape however she'd left it in the VHS player and her dad had recorded over it with something totally NOT Star Trek. Possibly One Man and His Dog or World Athletics. I was, as you can understand a tiny bit gutted however what I didn't expect was that my girlfriend would buy a replacement - the collector's edition - and give it to me. 

OK, that sets the scene and for my birthday in 1996 Kate bought me another video - the aforementioned 4.12 so that I would have seen all the episodes of that year as I had already purchased 4.13. I was very grateful and we watched it together. However about a week later she split up with me. It wasn't the end of the world but I got concerned when I bought Deep Space Nine volume 5.3 the following year and my girlfriend at that time split up with me on the same day. I was starting to see links between purchasing Star Trek and the end of relationships. Not a good sign really as In the Pale Moonlight was the video I purchased shortly before my next relationship also crashed and burned. The other thing I learned was that dating someone with an interest in Star Trek was more of a curse than a blessing.

1996 was also the 30th anniversary of the franchise marked out with two special episodes - Deep Space Nine's Trials and Tribble-ations and  Voyager's Flashback. The former excellent, the latter not so good. With the video releases being somewhat behind the US, I was still relying on magazines to get my info on upcoming episodes and these two were getting some major column inches. Trials and Tribble-ations was clearly the bigger featuring the space station crew alongside Kirk and co. It was all "Wow". The episode looked amazing and marked the 30th anniversary as more impressive than the 25th. We can only hope that the 50th in just three years time is honoured in style. I even forked out a few quid for the (very) thin novelisation that accompanied the episode.

Deep Space Nine by this point had firmly cemented itself as my favourite series with season five. Worf had turned out to be a brilliant addition and the show felt complete. The year also included some of the very best of the show including Children of Time and Call to Arms which concluded the year. As usual I'd already "looked ahead" to find out what would be happening and seeing that Sisko lost the station to the Dominion was groundbreaking. While Voyager saw the namesake ship taken over by the Kazon for a two-parter, Deep Space Nine stayed in enemy hands for six episodes and a never-before-attempted six part story arc. The series was doing Star Trek like never before and yet the following sixth season would push the envelope even more.

But what of my collection? What about all the other things that made up my Star Trek world?

I had a couple of posters up of The Next Generation crew in my room but I also had a few more models by this time. The USS Enterprise from The Original Series and the movie refit from The Final Frontier were now joined by three more vessels.

The first addition was the USS Excelsior from Star Trek VI. Smaller than the Enterprise-A it was a great little piece only let down by a cup-like stand that meant it kept slipping every time you walked near the shelf. The second and third were both Klingon ships; a Bird of Prey from Star Trek: Generations and the Vor'Cha cruiser introduced in The Next Generation. For many years these craft adorned the top shelf of my unit in my room but now, due to space restrictions they are currently all in storage in the loft waiting for the day when they can once again get their own place. The two Klingon ships are currently with me while the Excelsior is foam-chip packed at my parents' house.

There would be another addition to the collection shortly after however I'll keep you guessing for the moment. At this time modelmaking wasn't my forte and it's only recently that I've tried my hand at the plastic arts, namely the JJ Abrams-verse USS Enterprise which progressed slowly but is now finished and I'm very proud of the result.

I'd added some novels to the collection as well as Larry Nemecek's The Next Generation Companion, William Shatner's superb Star Trek Memories and Star Trek Movie Memories. They were read in a flash and added a lot to my knowledge of the series and the films through to Kirk's final appearance in Generations. Sadly other autobiographies from the crew such as Takei, Doohan and even biographies on Roddenberry have never lived up to the quality of these books in my opinion. A shame but Shatner appears to have cornered the market!

If you remember from previous editions of Trekollections Bondy and I were showing episodes of Star Trek in the library over lunchtimes and the audience had gradually increased towards the end of my GCSE exam year. When we came back to start A-Levels it turned out that there had been such a demand that one of our teachers, Miss Hurton, had started a lunchtime club to watch episodes and talk about the show. Bondy and I were installed to help run it and this would be my first attempt at writing a newsletter using early versions of Word and a rather temperamental printer. 

Each week I would produce the newsletter as well as quizzes and there would be showings of new episodes from both Voyager and Deep Space Nine. I've included this edition from early in 1997. I crammed a lot on from the looks of things including episode airtimes and dates, video reviews, news snippets and an episode of the month which in this case is the already mentioned Children of Time. I also used my 365 day Star Trek quotes calendar  for the script down the side.

It was great to produce this as my interest in English and journalism had already helped get me a work experience placement over the summer which eventually led to a five year holiday and eventually full time job with a local newspaper. Having a passion for writing had continued to drive me towards the creative aspect however not with Star Trek after I'd attempted and failed to write something distinctively different based in that universe. Apparently when Bondy and I left the club folded the following year as some of the kids attending wanted to expand to other sci-fi material which went against why it was originally set up - I'd have kept them in line of course!

So where are we now? About 1998? Was that all just a year's worth of Star Trek and me? Apparently so but what's left for us? Deep Space Nine's finale; Voyager returns to the Alpha Quadrant and some serious changes take effect on my time with Star Trek. Aside from that, I would be entering the leanest Star Trek period of my life...and it wasn't good.

You can follow my Trekollections so far by clicking on the label below...

What's Inside the Enterprise?! (and some other merchandising)

Where's the loo??? Is that the warp core? What's inside the saucer?


Created by the team behind Dragon Models' Project Cutaway line and available NOW, this plastic, fully painted model of the original TV series Enterprise uses transparent pieces to reveal the detailed interior of the ship that started it all. Measuring 18 inches long (good size that) and with a metal display base it also has the lovely RRP of $174.99. A bargain of course(!)

It looks awesome from every angle on these photos and I suspect Diamond Select Toys have got a winner on their hands no matter the cost.  Having not seen the finished item face to face I can't comment on the quality, scale or detail contained within but I don't think fans will be disappointed. An A, D and E variants must surely be coming at some point if the market takes this well enough? It's certainly unique and goes a bit further than the posters we saw in the 1990's of the A and D which were included in the boxes for AMT models (blast from the past). It just shows you how far technology has come in the last 20 years. I would have liked to have seen a bit more detail on the saucer pics as it just looks like it's showing the internal structure and corridors and not what's in the rooms. Warp core takes up a bit of room though, doesn't it?

Just to indulge for a second, I had both of these on my wall at home and the detail was beautiful. I hope in some ways these get re-released at some point as they were some of the best images created for the 30th Anniversary in 1996. I suspect a project might be to delve into their past a bit more and see if we can find out who was responsible for putting them together. (both images from memory alpha). Out of the two I preferred the "A" poster as it was easier to see all the finer points of the ship with less decks to fill up the image. It included a great little drawing of the bridge, the shuttle and even the never-seen saucer landing legs! I recall spending a lot of time crawling over both to spot the minor details and things that were drawn in to find - transporter rooms, backup control rooms...the loo....

Also released this week were the packaging images for the new Minimates range of figures. We've talked about these extensively before so I'm going to just include the pic for reference - at least it'll help you spot them quicker on the shelves after launch in June 2013.

Stores carrying Star Trek: Attack Wing will host tournaments for players to challenge each other for dominance of the Alpha Quadrant. Players will collect a participation prize each month as well as compete for a new playable ship that will only be offered via the Organized Play events. The player with the best record over the six-month event will be bestowed the title of Fleet Admiral and awarded a special grand prize at the end of the program.

Two more bits of "stuff" for you take a look over in the next few days. Firstly there's Hero-Clix. Now at initial glace it's a kids' game but what does make me a little bit more interested is the ships that are involved. Already in production, there's now a special event called Star Trek: Attack Wing coming online. The six-month storyline Organized Play program focuses on  the Dominion War from the Deep Space Nine timeline and looks like a lot of fun (big kid mode engaged).

Pre-orders are now being taken for the Star Trek: Attack Wing Starter Set and first eight expansions packs that launch this August at GenCon 2013. At the event players will be able to experience demos at the WizKids booth as well as limited tournaments to get a first look at the game.

Under license by CBS Consumer Products, Star Trek: Attack Wing utilizes the FlightPath™ maneuver system featuring pre-painted miniatures of iconic ships from the Star Trek universe. Players can assemble their fleet and customize ships with different captains, crew, weapons and tech upgrades.

Now this is where is gets a bit more exciting for fans as the Star Trek: Attack Wing Starter Set includes the USS Enterprise-D, a Klingon Vor’cha-class cruiser and Romulan D’deridex-class ships (featured on the poster above) as well as a rulebook and all the components needed to play. After that initial set up, there are further releases planned with the first eight expansion packs of two each of Federation, Romulan, Klingon and Dominion faction ships leading the charge. Anyone know if these are available in the UK? I just want the ships!

The upcoming release of another item might just help contain my Inner Trekker and give me the ships at the same time however. The Eaglemoss Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection which launches in August 2013.

If you register through the website you can get yourself a free trial of the product which gives you access to view the first issue for a limited time and then choose whether to buy or subscribe. I might be tempted to have a look over the first issue (priced £1.99) and get the Enterprise-D but once the price hikes up to £5.99 for issue 2 and then higher for each subsequent issue I'm not sure if I would be able to justify purchasing this regularly. It might be one of those where only specific ships influence my purchase along the run of 65 magazines promised.

Taking a look at the pages available it appears like a cross between the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual and the Star Trek Factfiles. Blatantly timed with the release of Star Trek Into Darkness this is going to be aimed towards the younger, newer fan market rather than the more seasoned fan as the content doesn't appear that "technical". The preview images are heavy on full colour pictures and low on text but it's more about the model and the quality that they can produce on a fortnightly basis. I look forward to seeing the result in a newsagent near me soon. Upcoming issues (two through five) promise the refit movie Enterprise, Klingon Bird of Prey, Romulan Warbird and the NX-01 from, of course, Enterprise.

If you pre-order then there's a plethora of goodies you'll get alongside the first few issues - binders, Enterprise-D dedication plaque, Borg cube (not full size), a digital copy of the magazine and, probably the best bit, a model of the Enterprise-D from All Good Things... resplendent with third nacelle. Oh, and you have the chance to win an iPad mini.

Eaglemoss are doing a good job with the presentation of the website and the offers to get people onboard ahead of launch but I would personally rather wait and get a better idea once it's had a first issue release as it could all be hype and I've seen this kind of publication before with Bond cars and all sorts of promotions. Certainly all the pre-launch material makes it look super-tempting for new, moderate and hardcore fans and I will endeavour to provide a review of the first issue when it's launched for the budget price of £1.99. No doubt office desks across the land will be adorned with miniature USS Enterprise models from August. While there is that sense of caution I am intrigued as to what will be on the shelves in two months. If Eaglemoss are reading, can you make sure there's every version of the Enterprise, Defiant, Voyager, Prometheus and Dauntless....!

giantfreakinrobot.com

One thing I can say is that their customer service team are on the ball. I've had some issues logging in but Arlene from Eaglemoss has been very helpful throughout the process...shame I still can't get into the trial section however.

Enterprise and Minimates images courtesy of Diamond Select Toys
Star Trek: Attack Wing images courtesy of NECA/Whizkids
Star Trek: The Official Ships Collection images from Eaglemoss