Reader reviews of a kit featured on Starship Modeler.

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Your Two Cents: USS Enterprise (refit)

The following are reader's opinions of the USS Enterprise (refit) made by Bandai.

Reviewer   David Buckley
Date Reviewed   May 8, 2003
Overall Rating       Good kit, but with some problems.
Comments I couldn't wait to get this kit, with the initial photos being posted here on Startship Modeler News some months ago. And now, that it's built, I must say it makes a nice little display piece, but it is not what I would call a great kit.

A great feat of engineering, to be sure. It is thought out very carefully and has a lot of plusses, especially the ease of assembly. Except for the real pain of the secondary hull, it goes together very nicely, with only the wiring being a problem, it does not like to stay where the designers want it to go. Glue it in to the little holders if it doesn't like where it should be as if it is not EXACTLY where it is designed to go it will not fit together very well.

Some of the seams are quite evident, even on the box the model comes in. The front of my Enterprise's saucer section resembles Lauren Hutton's teeth, which I'm sure dates me. Younger folks should think Mike Tyson, or Austin Powers, perhaps.

The lighting is ingenious, and looking at pictures you'd never guess that there are only six lightbulbs inside the model. However, the biggest windows on the Enterprise are not lit. The rear of decks 2 and 3, just beow the bridge, and the large windows on the side of the secondary hull are painted blue. Also, light transfer to the dorsal attaching the saucer to the secondary hull is weak, resulting in many unlit or dim windows in the center.

The wires running down the outside of the engine pylons is just stupid.

All in all, it's a kit that should take just a few hours to build, (I took less than two, but I've always been very good with my hands.) It looks pretty good when done, and needs just a modicum of skill. Experienced modelers desiring a beautiful film-quality type model should look elsewhere, however.


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