TF01 3,Ertl 1995 Guide 4,by Sven Harvey Ertl 1995 Guide ----------------- A Modelling Star Trek Special ------------------------------- by Sven Harvey ---------------- 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!