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Saturday, May 11, 2013

The U.S.S. Enterprise Exploration Set

Here are some images of AMT's 1/1.35 scale(?) U.S.S. Enterprise Exploration Set from Star Trek the original series.
Ah to be a kid again!
Back in the mid 1970's if you were an 8 to 11 year old kid the Exploration Set was a must have. Many of us kids back in those days did have and had built this kit, and man did we use them. All sorts of adventures.
Now of course upon opening this kit today, the first thing one notices is the size. They're so small.
Back when I was a kid the Tricorder, Phaser and Communicator all looked life size. LOL!
One tends to forget that sort of thing after 35 years of not seeing the kit.
Another obvious thing I noticed is the lack of accuracy. They look as though they were designed by a drunken gorilla with a slide rule and coke bottle glasses.
But as kids if one were to tell us the inaccuracy of this kit, we wouldn't have cared. It was Star Trek man!
Looking at it today regarding accuracy I still don't care. It was part of our childhood, mine included.
I've been led to understand that Round 2 models will be re releasing this kit again in the near future.
This time with upgrades and photo etch parts. I suspect there will have to do some new tooling as well.
But hey! All I can say is that it was sure great to be able to track down one of these old kits.
I realize this kit unbuilt has a collectors value but I don't care. It was sure great to relive a small part of my childhood again building this.
Ah memories!

8 comments:

Manchu said...

These toys are stylized like contemporary art object, I find, it's quite surprising....I'll try to find them :)

-Warren Zoell said...

Be warned It's an expensive kit.

Anonymous said...

man, how cool. i had and build that very same ST kit back in the 70's. also had an electronic phaser (not a kit) toy that had a light bulb that lit up where the beam would come out, and phaser sounds (more like a chirping bird). but it was Star Trek!

-Warren Zoell said...

Heh! Indeed. I also had a Star Trek Phaser that shot round propeller type discs. Loved it!

Manchu said...

Wow! saw one on Ebay, actually rather expensive!

-Warren Zoell said...

Indeed. I was lucky to find a kit for $75.

Anonymous said...

I feel pretty guilty, as I had this kit as a kid and nver built it. Even though I could tell it would look really good finished. The tri-corder needs a strap.

-Warren Zoell said...

It does need a strap.