Has anybody built a Runabout? I just got one from eBay and can’t wait until it is delivered. Anything I should know about the kit?
Thanks,
Jerry
Helped my son build his, so I could learn when/if I build mine. The kit went together fine, as far as Ertl is concerned, my only complaint is the lack of a interior. It really needs one for the size and the windows in it…
Millenia Models Int’l has a detail set for it, and I think they were coming out with the interior in the near future. Their are also lighting kits available.
The two phaser emitter pieces (one on each side of the forward section) is not fully molded on the bottom. You may want to fill it with putty or cover it with a cut piece of styrene. Other than that it’s a pretty good Trek kit. Try visiting some Sci-Fi modeling sites like www.starshipmodeler.com or www.culttvman.com for seeing how some people built theirs.
I’ve built it and and in my opinion it is one of the best Trek kits out there. I agree with Aurora-7 about the phaser emitters; they need some attention. An interior set would be really nice with those big front windows, or you could cheat like I did and backpaint the windows black ! [;)] The fit is pretty good but the paint scheme is fairly elaborate. It looks great when done however; it’s worth the time and effort.
Ex-Astris Scientia has a drawing of the bridge (probably from one of the Star Trek magazines) at:
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/bridges/danube-bridge.jpg
There are also floorplans available at Gilso Star Trek Schematics at:
<http://www.gilsostartrekschematics.co.uk
There a reference photos of the aft portion of the Runabout somewhere on the internet.
Scratchbuild the interior! It would be fun!
Someone sells a pair of PE phaser emitters. I bought a set for mine that may get built some day.
Thanks for the responses. I hope to get mine built someday soon…I was lucky after finding one on ebay for a price that I was willing to pay, a friend of mine just gave me another Runabout the other day. Woohoo! [:D] I will have lots to practice on now…and possibly experiment with too.
Jerry
They were running $6.99 at a Big Lots/Odd Lots closeout store in Alabama back in the late 90s. I bought a bunch of them.
Fun kit to build, even without the interior ,back painting the windows works pretty good. mine is hanging from the hobby room ceiling in our house. it was also my first try at weathering a space kit. I hit it pretty hard with the black artist chalk , but I like it. fresh built it just looked to clean.