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Hero Collector Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D

Things are only impossible until they’re not. Including improving the already incredible 2-foot long Hero Collector Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D.

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Using detailed blueprints and hundreds of reference photos to ensure maximum accuracy, my mods aim to add the missing details this already fantastic model lacks.

Something else you’d like, or a new mod idea?

If there’s something else that you’d like for this model, feel free to get in touch and I’d be happy to discuss and help make it so!

Star Trek USS Enterprise model
Engage!

The original U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D

Star Trek: The Next Generation was a classic piece of sci-fi drama which seemed as though it had always been around when I was growing up. Running for seven series from 1987 until 1994, this follow-up from the original 1960s series was remarkable in many ways. The show was clever and action-packed, and featured a compelling set of characters, such as Picard, Data, Worf and Troi. The Next Generation was both critically acclaimed and hugely popular, earning millions of loyal fans worldwide.

In this series, the space-travelling crew are famously on a mission “to boldly go where no one has gone before” – and the vehicle for this ambitious voyage was the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D. This Starfleet starship, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, was a sophisticated and sleek vessel dominated by an iconic saucer. The dual warp nacelles – the cylinders sitting behind and below the saucer section – powered the vessel on its interstellar journeys.

During the filming of Star Trek: The Next Generation, external shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise used a series of models including a six-foot one for detailed shots, a two-foot version which was easier to manipulate for distant shots, and later, a four-foot model which was a compromise between the two. The realism of the show’s imagery is testament to the design and craftsmanship that went into these models, since the U.S.S. Enterprise-D was such a dominant element of this legendary sci-fi series.

The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D model

Hero Collector’s model of the Enterprise NCC-1701-D starship is a tantalising build-up project, both for serious Trekkies and for anyone who just loves a beautifully crafted and detailed model. It is impressively proportioned, at over 70cm in length, and constructed from die-cast metal. This replica is packed with features like working lights, including dozens of illuminated ship windows. And in a nice imitation of the screen starship, the model has a detachable saucer section, with a separate power source so each part can be lit independently.

Unlike many models, this is based on a craft that was itself filmed from models for the TV. And this replica bears close resemblance to the three versions of the model that were used in making Star Trek: The Next Generation, so it’s almost like having your own copy of the real thing.

The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D comes in monthly instalments, each containing four kits (totalling 120 kits by the completion of the build). Each issue is accompanied by a magazine providing instructions on how to carry out the latest stage of the build. It also contains plenty of behind-the-scenes material, with exclusive stories and images to delight Star Trek fans.

Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D model viewed from above

Modding the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D

Rear view of Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D model

This model from Hero Collector is a stunning representation of the famous Star Trek Enterprise-D. Its large scale really allows for some fine detail to be replicated, and the build quality is decent. I am, however, planning and developing mods and upgrades that will make this replica even better.

Working from original blueprints and close-up shots, I’m on a quest to make details of the starship as close as humanly possible to the one depicted in the TV series. Being such an impressive craft, and one which was painstakingly hand-built by expert craftspeople for the show, I feel it deserves to be recreated as accurately as it can be.

So if like me, you pursue perfection in your model making, watch this space! More mods will become available as I work through the build myself and identify details to improve – and please feel free to get in touch with any mods you’d like me to consider developing, and if it’s possible, and there’s enough demand, I shall make it so!

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