Polar Lights 1/1000 TOS Enterprise "Pre-deco" Preview

[Steam235]

If it's anything like most toys the factory gets photo etch brass masks that fit tight over the part before its painted one mask and color at a time.

[Moongrim]

Ventral view- completion- Personally I rather like this. It's got the clear coat already applied, and the frosting of the bussard domes gives it a certain 'je ne sai quoi".


Starboard view- with a good look of the 'properly applied' decals in placement.


Here you can see the seam lying underneath the impulse engine ports. A minor point.


And lastly the Starboard side again- with a bit of ventral sides of the kit for better viewing.

Conclusion- it'll be a great 'starter' kit for the beginner modeler. No glue or paint is needed, but I'd recommend just a few dabs of some glue 'just in case". Some of the parts will be needing to be cut off so use a side cutter snips and be sure to have a pair of files for some of the modifications- flat for the warp engines, round for the navigational deflector.

Have this showing up on the shelf, and eventually the modeler will want to graduate into a more involved kit.

[Moongrim]

If it's anything like most toys the factory gets photo etch brass masks that fit tight over the part before its painted one mask and color at a time.

Then that must be what they did here. Because the fine lines are quite good.

[Drop_Bear]

Damn, that looks good!

Thanks for reviewing this kit, Moongrim. I have been looking for a nice, easy model kit for my brother and this one would be perfect for him. He wants to tackle the big AMT kit someday, so this might be just the thing to convince him to take the plunge. If not, it still helps to keep the fire smouldering.

The best thing I can see about this kit is that if you are buying it for a beginner modeller, it saves you a shipping tonnage on tools and supplies you would otherwise have to get to go with the kit!

[DefiantClient]

I was 100% not going to buy this kit. This review may have changed that. I do want to put my own 1701 and Botany Bay together eventually, but this model would be a good placeholder for my cubical "shrine" to Trek at work.

[Moongrim]

Once you've got a new modeller admiring their handiwork with this one- you can demonstrate the next step: painting and decal work. And all of the fun that goes with that.

Then, logically, the conversion kits/parts.
Eventually- they'll be bugging you to get them an airbrush.

I was 100% not going to buy this kit. This review may have changed that. I do want to put my own 1701 and Botany Bay together eventually, but this model would be a good placeholder for my cubical "shrine" to Trek at work.

And you'll have folks oohing and aahing about the fine quality work 'you did' on it.

[Cubey Terra]

The markings look great, and I agree it would be a very good kit for a beginner. Immediate same-day results. How much is it compared to a toy store model though? Both have very visible seams. It would bug me that I can't putty those.

[holt35]

Thanks for the review I however will have to pass on one of these as I just couldn't stand to look at the seem lines. But it dose look like a good kit for beginners.

[Moongrim]

The markings look great, and I agree it would be a very good kit for a beginner. Immediate same-day results. How much is it compared to a toy store model though? Both have very visible seams. It would bug me that I can't putty those.

I'd say- one for one when it comes to seams. This kit seems to use most of the same molds as used by the POL803, with only a difference in - colored plastics for the Primary Hull navigational lights, and a set of non-clear inner bussard domes. Everything else- it's practically the same kit- just no extras for us more experienced modelers to play with.

Even the little spur on the front of the primary hull is there- covered with the 3 white circles.

[DefiantClient]

Why is that spur there? I've never gotten a clear answer on that.