New USS Enterprise Model Is A Must-Have For Any Star Trek Fan
The USS Enterprise can soon be yours, as long as you want it to be premium diecast metal and 1/350 scale. Still pretty awesome, though.
If you have ever wanted to command a real-life version of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise but are willing to settle for a 32-inch version of it, your compromised dreams have potentially come true. Prominent toymakers the Tomy Company has announced they have designed a version of the iconic starship of that size (weighing 20 lbs) made of diecast metal, and that they are accepting pre-orders for the ship. The limited-edition replica is a highly-detailed 1/350 scale version of the ship most famously captained by James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner). Given that it is a fictional ship, it is worth mentioning that it is specifically a scale model of the USS Enterprise currently at the Smithsonian Institute, which itself is 11 feet long. Check out this video of the Tomy replica:
The designers at Tomy worked with modeler and Star Trek consultant Gary Kerr on the USS Enterprise replica, who ensured the authenticity and precision of the model. It has over 70 individual LED lights and the saucer section can separate from the rest of the model, which was referenced as a capability in The Original Series but never actually seen on screen. However, since Star Trek fans are nothing if not sticklers for the detail of canon, this version of the USS Enterprise can do so.
The TOMY USS Enterprise scale model is being offered for $599 and the company has begun a crowdfunding campaign for pre-orders to last through early July. If 5000 pre-orders are met by that point, they will go into production on the orders. The company is also planning to produce other Star Trek toys and memorabilia, so if fans get this version of the USS Enterprise in production, we can probably expect Enterprises A-E, the Excelsior, and maybe a Discovery or two to get out on the market.
While Star Trek does not have quite the same long-time association with merchandising as its eternal rival franchise Star Wars, it has its share of memorabilia and assorted products. As the flagship of both the fictional Starfleet and one of the most iconic symbols of Star Trek, the USS Enterprise is perhaps the most recognizable element of the series and thus a prime target for toyification. It also does not hurt that the original USS Enterprise is back for the first time in decades, with the hit series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds following the adventures of the pre-Kirk starship.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds features the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). The show also features a younger version of Leonard Nimoy’s original crewmember Spock (Ethan Peck ) as well as Number One (Rebecca Romijn); the series was spun-off from Star Trek: Discovery and premiered to immediate universal acclaim. Given that there are more Star Trek shows concurrently airing (or streaming, as it were) than ever before, it seems doubtful that Tomy and other toymakers will run out of material any time soon. But better get on that pre-order fast if you want one.
