Bandai is issuing it’s new Star Trek model kit in March or April. This is the first time a high quality model of the shooting miniature will be produced by a major kit maker as represented in the first three movies (AMT, AMT/Ertl’s attempt was so poor that I can’t really count it). Although the pics don’t show it, I’m sure there will be decals to represent the NCC-1701-A as seen in the end of the third movie and Star Trek IV through VI. Here’s a link to some pics.
http://www.hlj.com/stann.html
Man, I hope Bandai keeps expanding their ranges from Gundam to other kits. I’ve built some of their stuff and it is beautiful.
If only they would finally release the Heavy Gear models for the license they bought a couple of years back.
I have never heard of the Bandai line (forgive me I don’t get out much) is it available
in Calgary? Does this mean AMT has givin up the Star Trek contract?
I built the AMT kit, the one with the lights and tho’ I don’t think it was a bad reprisentation, it definatly could have been better.
It was very weak where the warp pylons connect to the secondary hull and was very front heavy, which you unfortunatly you don’t find out until you try to put it on its stand which is then to late to add any weight. A heads up by the way if anyone is in the progress of building one. The detail could have been better as well, its currently in the “need to be repaired” pile.
Any possible guesses on price or size? alittle larger than the AMT would be nice.
Keep me updated I’m keen
Madd Dawg [:p]
bandai is a Japanese company. You’ll find most of their stuff online. You can find their anime kits in most china towns (and Toys r Us, Zellers, Walmart)
They make a lot of Anime kits, high quality, nice hard plastic, injection-molded, nice detail. Usually lots of gimmicks in their kits, like posability. Crap decals (usually silve foil stickers)
A good hobby shop that stocks sci-fi kits wouldn’t go wrong with a Bandai enterprise kit. Personally I dislike the ships from Star Trek, but if I think of all the bad experiences I’ve heard about from from trek modelers, a kit from a different manufacturer would be looked at with interest, and once word of mouth got around, it’d fly off the shelves.
In fact, go in to your local hobby shop and ask for one. Tell your friends about it, have them ask for one, the hobby shop will get the message.
The Bandai kit will be smaller than the old AMT/Ertl offering, but larger than the upcoming release of the 1/1000 TOS Enterprise from Polar Lights. It will be about 14.5 inches long, and is 1/850th scale.
It should be available for about $50-$60, more or less.
The link ignatz provided above shows prototype photos, but apparently the release has been pushed back a month or two for tweaking. Just let them get it right! [:D]
Qapla’
SSB
AMT/Ertl and Revell-Monogram did not renew their option on the Star Trek licensing quite a while back. Polar Lights now has the domestic licensing and will premiere new, more accurate models starting this year. No mention of a TMP or 1701-A Enterprise yet.
What the Bandai one lacks in overall size will be more than made up for in accuracy. There’s been reams of information documenting the innaccuracies in the AMT one and how to fix them. The innaccuracies have spawned a small industry of aftermarket producers specializing in resin accurizing bits to try and whip that model into shape! The nacelle pylons are a case in point. As AMT engineered the kit, they are nearly half the thickness that they should be! There’s no excuse for the lack of attention to detail and accuracy. Although a little expensive, it the Bandai one is prepainted and will include a lighting kit. Heck ,after buying an old AMT kit, all the resin accurizing bits, painting templates for the aztec paneling, and accurate decals, you’d wind up easily spending double the price of hte Bandai kit.
Bandai kits are not pre-painted, but come molded in the appropriate colours, often with multiple colours on a sprue.
check out http://www.starshipmodeler.com/mecha/tp_death.htm
please forgive the bad grammar and spelling. I don’t know why I did such a horrible job on that review.
Hi Iggy, Hi S.
I believe Mega Hobby said the kit will sell for $57?
Yo John! That’s the lowest price I’ve heard yet! Those guys are good.
The Enterprise that Bandai is putting out, from what I’ve heard is a prepaint, with parts molded in black plastic to facilitate the internal lighting. Check out this link:
http://www.hlj.com/ths/ent/index.html
I hope the Bandai kit will be everything it’s being promoted to be!
Accurate would be GOOD! [:D]
However… here in Canada, I fully expect this model to top $100Cdn. That’s quite a bit of coin for a smaller model. But I guess I will have to wait and see once it arrives.
Looks like you can pre-order them for an April delivery at around $55 at Hobby Link Japan. Here is the link:
quote:
Originally posted by rossjr
Looks like you can pre-order them for an April delivery at around $55 at Hobby Link Japan. Here is the link:
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Thanks, John, there goes another hundred bucks! [B)]
Yep, that’s another $100 out of my wallet as well. [:D]
Sean
Just put in my pre-order as well! Gonna be a great yaer for Trek models.
I have to admit …the price is not bad at all! for what you get!
I’m not Fluke…really!..He is my Brother who could not embrace the traditional model methods of our elders…If he ever claims that he can remove your decal pains…don’t let em touch your models![:p]
Hope they do a TOS Enterprise.
What about a slightly larger but more accurate TOS Shuttle? Now that would be cool![:D]
Hi, folks.
I’ve seen quite a bit of info on this kit here (Japan) in the hobby shops and in the hobby mags, and it does indeed appear to be the real deal. As far as I can tell, it is pre-painted (not molded in colors) with the aztec pattern and all markings. It is also a snap-together kit, and they tout their use of “under gates” as not requiring any touch up, since the finish will not be marred when removing from the sprues. And of course the whole thing lights up beautifully. Retail price here is set at 6,500 yen, and it should be out in mid-March (post-poned from January).
Oh yeah, I’ma gonna get one, yessiree!
Brian
I too am excited about this release but in looking at the recently released photos of the production kit the colors are wrong! The Bandi kit uses many shades of BLUE instead of Gray! The top of the engineering hull/Dorsal connection and the sensor array ore the largest exceptions (they should be dark Grey) and also the pylon vents should be either dark grey or black, on the kit they are again BLUE!
Although I will still get this impressive looking kit I think My airbrush will be getting a workout before the ENTERPRISE goes on display in my Office!
Check out June’s Hobby Japan for an in-depth look and lots of photos of their new Enterpise kit.
Haven’t seen any on the shelves here as of yet, but I’m looking…