P/Review 2018 Release 1:72 Runabout (with scratch built interior and lights).

[Steam235]

Round2 is finally re-releasing the runabout model kit. It's a great opportunity for those of use who missed it when it came out. This kit was originally released back in 1993, I've never had this kit before, but from what I can see from other builds is that Round 2 has added it's standard dome base to the kit. There wasn't much need for the kit to be updated as it looks pretty accurate to the filming model. The kit comes with 42 parts including clear parts for the nacelles, and an optional sensor pod. (Producers of DS9 put the pod on when they had an episode with 2 runabouts so you could tell them apart.) The kit builds to be 12.5 inches long.

I was excited to build the K'T'inga because it was a wonderfully built new kit, I'm excited for this one because I love the subject. DS9 is my favorite series and I loved the runabout in that show.

My first impressions of this kit is that it's a blank slate. It doesn't look like it has many gaps or problems, the two main halves fit together will. There are lots of open areas to install lights and run wires. Modelers can do what ever they want with this kit.

I'm planning on building an interior for the ship, adding a cockpit and a lounge in the rear. I'm going to light the kit's nacelles, sensor pod RCS thrusters, running lights, and lighting the cockpit and lounge.

[Steam235]

Wonderful box art. This box continues the unified design motif used in almost all licensed Trek products this year, featuring My favorite, Captain Sisko. Like they did on the K'T'inga the inner box has full color pictures of the runabout to be used as painting and color guides.

[Steam235]

The decal sheet includes names for several ships.

Very simple instruction sheet. Looks very clear and easy to follow.

I personally like what they've been doing with the color guides. They've been giving us multiple, nice full color illustrations on the box as seen above. But, it's not always as easy to follow as some of the older guides, which have had a paint by number style diagram.

[Steam235]

Pretty simple parts break down, The parts look clean with only the smallest flash. The sprues, have large connections to the kit parts that will take more work than modern kits, but that's to be expected with a mold made 25 years ago.

[MEATLOAFr]

Did they change anything with the molds? I remember the grills were a pain to get to stay on

[Steam235]

Did they change anything with the molds? I remember the grills were a pain to get to stay on

Which grills are troublesome? I don't think there were any changes outside of the dome style base.

[Richard Baker]

I had hoped with the re-release of this kit Round 2 might have thrown in a new sprue for a cockpit/rear bay interior as rumored. There was a great aftermarket one (I forget who produced it and I am not sure if it is still in production).
When I built my first kit I painted the entire interior black so you could look through to the windows in the sides but with all that window space it would really shine with something to see inside.

[Xen]

i believe steam is putting together a ''building on a budget'' version of how to scratch build your own interior. the kit will also be lit.

[Steam235]

https://youtu.be/qY0PrLpOlx8

I did build a simple interior on a budget. I've often looked a kits I liked and worried about how much after market items I'd have to buy, and when I looked at the run about I looked at a lot of options everything from just painting the windows black to buying a $75 after market resin interior.

I decided in the end it wouldn't be too hard to cobble together an interior using pretty common modeling supplies. I spent just under $20 and I have about half of the strips and sheets left over.

I put together a video going over what I did for my interior build that I'm linking below....


[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY0PrLpOlx8[/youtube]

[Steam235]

Yes, for this build I've decided to make an interior for the Runabout.

I thought it would be fun to add a simple cock pit and lounge in the ship. I also wanted to show that scratch building something like this doesn't have to be hard or costly.

The first thing I did was to look for some good seats for the cockpit. The Runabout is 1/72, So there are dozens of choices for seats in you local hobby shop. I found a pair of seats made by Squadron in 1/72nd scale for $5.99

Because these were made for fighter jets, they have a harness and extra detail that we don't need. So I used a file to remove a lot of those details and to make it more of a Starfleet style seat.

IMG_0261.jpg (88.28 KiB) Viewed 2141 times

If you just want to have something behind the cockpit windows resin seats like this are a nice and easy solution.