# Moebius Models to produce Trek ship models



## swhite228

Steve Iverson has posted information that Moebius has gotten the JJ Trek movie rights.
Moebius Models announces new Star Trek license! - CultTVman Fantastic Modeling


----------



## Bwain no more

That is FANTASTIC news!!! I know that Frank has been working with the licensing folks for a VERY long time on this, I'm glad it has finally come to pass! I thought Revell did a great job on their JJPrise, but I look forward to what Team Moebius will bring to the table ! :smile2:
Tom


----------



## Lou Dalmaso

now that the cat is out of the bag, I can say that Frank is using the build I did last year for his display model. I am very honored.


----------



## Richard Baker

This is fantastic news!
Still don't care much for the NuE, but I would love kits of the other ships shown on screen!


----------



## spock62

Great and unexpected news! The Revell version is very good, but I'm looking forward to the Moebius version and whatever other Trek ships they produce.


----------



## Hunk A Junk

Great news! There's high respect for Moebius' level of quality and accuracy, so the new kits shouldn't be the aftermarket magnets that the old AMT kits were (and even the Revell JJprise). We might now actually GET kits of the Kelvin, Franklin, etc. If Moebius wastes our time with nonsense like the air car that Khan uses to shoot up Federation headquarters in Into Darkness, however, that will be a shame. Guys? No Kazon torpedoes or Scorpions, please! This news should also be a wake up call to Round 2. New kits. Accurate kits. Make. An. Effort.


----------



## djnick66

Of course by the time the kit from Star Trek 3 is out, the franchise will be on Star Trek 19 (based on the length of time to get most kits out)


----------



## Bwain no more

djnick66 said:


> Of course by the time the kit from Star Trek 3 is out, the franchise will be on Star Trek 19 (based on the length of time to get most kits out)


But STILL before we see R2's Galileo. >
Tom


----------



## John P

Great news for people who actually like these ships.


----------



## sliuman

Looking forward to this. Saw it a few hours ago. If I'm not mistaken the saucer looks taller and the angle is steeper. On the lookout for better images.


----------



## Zombie_61

Richard Baker said:


> This is fantastic news!
> Still don't care much for the NuE, but I would love kits of the other ships shown on screen!


This is true for me as well. I'm hoping for kits of the Klingon D4 Bird of Prey from _Star Trek Into Darkness_ and the U.S.S. Franklin from _Star Trek Beyond_.


----------



## swhite228

Zombie_61 said:


> This is true for me as well. I'm hoping for kits of the Klingon D4 Bird of Prey from _Star Trek Into Darkness_ and the U.S.S. Franklin from _Star Trek Beyond_.


They showed 4 ships they plan to release at comic con...
the Kelvin
the U.S.S. Franklin 
U.S.S Enterprise ... the Beyond version
and the Jellyfish.


----------



## spock62

swhite228 said:


> They showed 4 ships they plan to release at comic con...
> the Kelvin
> the U.S.S. Franklin
> U.S.S Enterprise ... the Beyond version
> and the Jellyfish.


Other then the Jelllyfish, I like their choices. I'd rather have the Klingon D4, as was mentioned, in place of the Jellyfish.


----------



## Daniel_B

It would have been nice if they'd thrown in the 1701-A from the end of Beyond, but I'll take it. The Kelvin and Franklin will be AWEEESOME. I might also do the Enterprise and Jellyfish too at some point.


----------



## Zombie_61

swhite228 said:


> They showed 4 ships they plan to release at comic con...
> the Kelvin
> the U.S.S. Franklin
> U.S.S Enterprise ... the Beyond version
> and the Jellyfish.


Thanks. I suppose this list makes sense--release the "good guy" ships first, and see how that goes before getting into the more obscure (i.e., less screen time) ships.


----------



## Xenodyssey

I wonder who might get the license for the new Trek TV/streaming series. The USS Discovery looks interesting at least.


----------



## Radiodugger

The USS Discovery is different, that is for sure! I do wonder if Moebius is gonna snatch that up?

Doug


----------



## Bwain no more

Radiodugger said:


> The USS Discovery is different, that is for sure! I do wonder if Moebius is gonna snatch that up?
> 
> Doug


It looks like a nod to the McQuarrie Enterprise design for ST:TMP (right down to being constructed in a spacedock nestled within an asteroid.) As for Moebius, I'm sure they will be part of the discussion, along with R2 and perhaps even Revell Germany. :smile2:


----------



## JeffBond

This ships shown at the display are potential products; nothing's set in stone yet but certainly we're getting an Enterprise and I would think there's a very good chance of the Kelvin for starters.


----------



## borz666 (redux)

Really want a Kelvin, in scale with the Revell Enterprise. Would be cool for you guys in the US because Moebius and Revell of German have been trading kits for a while now (Revell release the BSG stuff in Europe FYI) so you may get the 2009 E legitimately now. Its a really nice kit and goes together beautifully.


----------



## Steve H

borz666 (redux) said:


> Really want a Kelvin, in scale with the Revell Enterprise. Would be cool for you guys in the US because Moebius and Revell of German have been trading kits for a while now (Revell release the BSG stuff in Europe FYI) so you may get the 2009 E legitimately now. Its a really nice kit and goes together beautifully.


Ah? Wait...WHICH BSG kits?

If it's just the vintage kits, that's just Revell using their ownership of Monogram to do repops. If it's the New BSG stuff, then yes, that's subleasing from Moebius.

Oh, wait, let me...OK, never mind. I see that people are importing the NuGalactica from Revell Germany, so that answers that.


----------



## spock62

borz666 (redux) said:


> Really want a Kelvin, in scale with the Revell Enterprise. Would be cool for you guys in the US because Moebius and Revell of German have been trading kits for a while now (Revell release the BSG stuff in Europe FYI) so you may get the 2009 E legitimately now. Its a really nice kit and goes together beautifully.


I was wondering if Moebius would just rebox the Revell JJprise since they have a similar arrangement with their BSG kits. Hope not, I'd rather see Moebius do their _own_ take on the JJprise and hopefully the -A version.


----------



## JeffBond

I'm just about positive there will be a new tool which will mean the possibility of at least three Enterprises in the same scale--the Revell version which is seen in the first two films, the refit seen in Beyond, and a certain other version shown off in the new movie.


----------



## RB

I wonder if the initial group of proposed kit's were chosen based on well they would look lit? Cult's post did mention that they were thinking of releasing lighting kits as well...
Funny how R2 gets roundly criticized for a paucity of new-tool trek kits. Moebius announces FOUR at once and we've already got second-guessing, albeit well-mannered. I'll take that Jellyfish, at least it's different and figured in the climax of the first film. It'd be cool if it had a Spock figure too...both of him. Speaking of, since it's Moebius, we might possibly get some figure kits.


----------



## Daniel_B

With Star Trek Beyond not doing so hot at the box office, I hope Moebius doesn't get cold feet on making these kits. I MUST have the Kelvin and Franklin. Heh.


----------



## Zombie_61

Daniel_B said:


> With Star Trek Beyond not doing so hot at the box office, I hope Moebius doesn't get cold feet on making these kits. I MUST have the Kelvin and Franklin. Heh.


I think there are enough fans of the Enterprise and the Kelvin in the U.S. (and maybe worldwide) for Moebius to recover at least some of the money they spent to get the license, if not break even or hopefully make a profit. I'd guess it's too soon to tell about the Franklin, and have no idea about the "Jellyfish". Time will tell.


----------



## Havok69

Petition to have Moebius make the Galileo anyone?

:grin2:


----------



## Richard Baker

Havok69 said:


> Petition to have Moebius make the Galileo anyone?
> 
> :grin2:


They bould do a really nice job with that...

oh well


----------



## Xenodyssey

Well, while they have the license they could do one of the shuttlecrafts from the JJverse at least. And yes I would get a Jellyfish, especially if it had a Spock figure piloting it but that might be another can of fish as they might not have his likeness included in the license.


----------



## Zombie_61

Xenodyssey said:


> Well, while they have the license they could do one of the shuttlecrafts from the JJverse at least...


This forum _really_ needs a "vomiting" smiley.



Xenodyssey said:


> ...And yes I would get a Jellyfish, especially if it had a Spock figure piloting it but that might be another can of fish as they might not have his likeness included in the license.


I've read the license is for ships only, but considering the Jellyfish is one of the few smaller craft in the Trek universe I suppose there could have been special consideration to include a figure.


----------



## Lou Dalmaso

you have to wonder what kind of legal hoops they had to go thru to put figures in the scorpion kit.

but yes, figures for the jellyfish and (hopefully) the Krall swarm ship would be icing on the cake


----------



## Daniel_B

I remember a time when model kits were ready to go as soon as a movie hit theaters. I wish Moebius could have done that for Beyond.

The only movie recently that had kits with the movie debut was Force Awakens.


----------



## terryr

In the 70s Star Wars stuff came out about a year after the movie.


----------



## Steve H

terryr said:


> In the 70s Star Wars stuff came out about a year after the movie.


Yes, but that was 1977 (78), Star Wars was a completely unknown quantity, and while it didn't INVENT licensing to death an I.P. it really got up to speed fairly quick. Boy, Kenner et al didn't waste ANY time getting cranked up. 

Star Trek, the JJ version, is part of modern media 'instant hit even when not' culture. They could have worked with Moebius to time kit releases, if not in concert with the theatrical run (like Japan does), at least with the home video release.

(that is, assuming contracts were in place, giving Moebius the data needed to create the kit. Conversely Moebius could have worked with Revell Germany to get the existing kit a legit American release)


----------



## Richard Baker

IIRC ST-Beyond changed course in production, sacked the first team and the movie which hit the screens had a production time of about 18 months. The final designs of the ships was not known for quite a while and that was lost time for Moebius to produce any models even if they had the license early enough to do something with it. Aside from the Franklin the other three ships are from the 2009 movie- I hope Moebius does an all new tool and makes the NuE 1/1000 scale. The official size of the reimagined Enterprise is pretty big so a 1/1000 kit would result in a good sized model and display nicely with the Round 2 ships.


----------



## Jodet

I hope they do the NuTrek 1701-A. I haven't seen the movie, just pics of the 'A' and it looks to be a big improvement over the original 'Nu-Prise'.


----------



## Daniel_B

Jodet said:


> I hope they do the NuTrek 1701-A. I haven't seen the movie, just pics of the 'A' and it looks to be a big improvement over the original 'Nu-Prise'.


It looks about like this in the final movie.


----------



## TAY666

Daniel_B said:


> I remember a time when model kits were ready to go as soon as a movie hit theaters. I wish Moebius could have done that for Beyond.
> 
> The only movie recently that had kits with the movie debut was Force Awakens.


Frank actually kind of touched on this subject during the discussion at WF this year.
At the time it was in relation to the new Independence Day movie and the license they had. Someone asked if they were considering doing any of the new ships.
Frank said it would be great to be able to put out a new kit to go with a new movie, but sadly legal crap pretty much puts an end to that type stuff now.
First they would have to get clearance to even see the designs for the new ships, which most studios keep under wraps for the surprise factor.
Then, if they got that, they still wouldn't be able to do any publicity pics of the kit until the studio gave the ok. Which pretty much kills any interest from the distributors. And if the distributors don't want your product, it makes it very hard to sell, and much more risky to undertake.
That was one of the problems they had with the ship from Interstellar.
They couldn't show what it looked like until just before it was released.


----------



## Daniel_B

Yeah, but we've known what the Franklin has looked like for months and known what the 1701 has looked like for 8 years.


----------



## Richard Baker

Daniel_B said:


> Yeah, but we've known what the Franklin has looked like for months and known what the 1701 has looked like for 8 years.


What we saw of the Franklin was one proposal sketch which caused some confusion due to the over sized bridge window throwing the scale off somewhat.

Who knows what was happening behind the scenes with Moebius negotiating for the NuTrek license. They may not have gotten it at all so the expense of developing the tooling for new kits would not have made much sense. Since they are good at converting digital assets it will not be a real long road, but converting a mesh made for film production into something that can be broken down into part sprues and then going back and forth between the fabrication company and their staff okaying prototypes will take some time. 

It does not matter how long a movie has been out, it depends on when they start serious production and how long that process lasts. One thing though- Moebius does not cut corners and rushes out a kit just to fill shelves. Nothing in mass market production is going to be perfect, but they really strive to make a kit for builders to enjoy.


----------



## charonjr

While the secondary hull bottom shape, the rear side "hook", is a hallmark of the JJ 1701s, I still find it curious that its only purpose is to allow rear facing photon torpedo launchers. 

The TOS 1701, of course, had that scooped out section under the hanger bay. It seems strange that JJ 1701A couldn't have harkened back to that shape and just installed the photon launchers there.


----------



## Zombie_61

charonjr said:


> While the secondary hull bottom shape, the rear side "hook", is a hallmark of the JJ 1701s, I still find it curious that its only purpose is to allow rear facing photon torpedo launchers.
> 
> The TOS 1701, of course, had that scooped out section under the hanger bay. It seems strange that JJ 1701A couldn't have harkened back to that shape and just installed the photon launchers there.


Something like this?


----------



## Richard Baker

That does look better- the secondary hull is the _Engineering_ section- it should look like it contains sufficient hardware to support and propel the ship. IIRC that aft cut out part of the TOS hull was supposed to help with the warp drive which used the ship's geometry to help shape the fields...


----------



## Lou Dalmaso

Zombie_61 said:


> Something like this?


that certainly would give enough room for the brewery and that huge warp core:grin2:


----------



## Zombie_61

Lou Dalmaso said:


> that certainly would give enough room for the brewery and that huge warp core:grin2:


Considering this ship is supposed to be 4,000 times the size of the original Enterprise, they'd also have room for a football stadium...and a shopping mall...and China.


----------



## charonjr

Zombie_61 said:


> Something like this?


PERFECT!:laugh:


----------



## charonjr

Come to think of it, that would be the one mod I would seriously make to a 1701A kit! Should it ever come out. 

The other thing I might change is to create a curve in the aft edge of the engine pylon which would start at the angled intersection close to the engine, then curve back outwards to join at the engineering hull just forward of photon launcher cutout, at the line of the currently depicted join. The bottom of the pylon curve would have the illusion of continuing its curve to join up with the bottom edge of the cutout. This is the best I could do on Illustrator. Not good with it yet, but it gives you the idea I am thinking of.


----------



## scotpens

Richard Baker said:


> . . . IIRC that aft cut out part of the TOS hull was supposed to help with the warp drive which used the ship's geometry to help shape the fields...


IRL, it was designed that way to be reminiscent of the stern of an 18th-century sailing vessel.

And even with the changes, I still think the JJ-prise is butt-ugly. YMMV, as they say.


----------



## Neverendingmods

*Any possibility of ST TOS figure kits?*

Given the fact that Moebius has done such a nice job with their monster and superhero kits, I think it'd great if they could do a trio of Trek figure kits -- they were going to do action figures at some point. Wouldn't you like to have a Kirk-Spock-McCoy Trinity posed beneath the 1/350 PL Big E?


----------



## Zombie_61

Neverendingmods said:


> Given the fact that Moebius has done such a nice job with their monster and superhero kits, I think it'd great if they could do a trio of Trek figure kits -- they were going to do action figures at some point. Wouldn't you like to have a Kirk-Spock-McCoy Trinity posed beneath the 1/350 PL Big E?


Not a bad idea, except that Moebius is currently licensed to produce kits of subjects from the last three theatrical movies only. So their figure kits would be a Chris Pine Kirk, a Zachary Quinto Spock, and a Karl Urban McCoy.


----------



## Neverendingmods

Aha. . . Well. . . Maybe their license will expand someday. . . A guy can dream!


----------



## Zombie_61

Neverendingmods said:


> Aha. . . Well. . . Maybe their license will expand someday. . . A guy can dream!


Only if Round 2 relinquishes it. They're not doing anything with it anyway, so I suppose it _could_ happen someday.


----------



## Richard Baker

Zombie_61 said:


> Only if Round 2 relinquishes it. They're not doing anything with it anyway, so I suppose it _could_ happen someday.


Eh- Round 2 is doing things with the prime Trek license. They are just not doing things fast enough or subjects desired enough for most fans. They really screwed up an opportunity with the Fiftieth Anniversary which will be hard to forget but they are releasing Trek kits still.


----------



## Zombie_61

Richard Baker said:


> Eh- Round 2 is doing things with the prime Trek license. They are just not doing things fast enough or subjects desired enough for most fans. They really screwed up an opportunity with the Fiftieth Anniversary which will be hard to forget but they are releasing Trek kits still.


You're right. I should have written, "They're not doing _much_ with it anyway..."


----------



## Radiodugger

Richard Baker said:


> Eh- Round 2 is...just not doing things fast enough or subjects desired enough for most fans. *They really screwed up an opportunity with the Fiftieth Anniversary* which will be hard to forget but they are releasing Trek kits still.


Round 2 suffered setbacks. They are _incapable_ of financially profiting on this. Look at the opportunity they had with the 1:32 scale Galileo! Not happening. WHY? No money to risk. The sure thing was the No Grid Lines Saucer. The 50th has come and gone. 

Some time back, someone posted that a thief set Round 2 back YEARS! They may never recover. This is speculation on my part. I really don't know jack. But, I am happy we have the 1:350 ships! TOS, Refit, NX-01...That's enough to keep me busy for years! :thumbsup:

Doug


----------



## Richard Baker

I am so tired of that 'Thief' excuse for Round 2's situation. The money was stolen over such a period of time they did _not even notice_ it until much much later. The sign company I work for lost even more than that amount with a major client going bankrupt and we are doing OK- and we have seven employees.
Round 2's big issue is that they produce a vast product line of which the SciFi kits are considered a very minor part. IIRC they bought Praying Mantis/Polar Lights for the automotive kits and diecast- the Trek line was just part of the package. 
I consider it a miracle the 1/350 TOS-E was ever produced- that project had been talked about and shelved a couple of times before they got serious with it. The 1/48 Eagle was a cautious entry- the buying public had to prove their desire by buying the repopped MPC kit first.
Round 2 squandered a perfect opportunity with the 50th Anniversary. Instead of a major kit commemorating the event, we got some new box art, a bundle with F-104 Hawk kit they had lying around and as capper, a tiny 1/2500 NX bundled with the rest of the Enterprise kits in a special box.

Jamie wants them to do more but the people who control the money don't want to spend it on Trek- we have gotten some enhanced re-released kits but for the most part they look at sales figures and Trek just does not bring in the income car kits do.

I like Moebius- they are a small company but they are focused on the model builder above all else. They give aftermarket company's preview kits so when the kits hit the shelves there extras prepared to help enhance for those who wish to, instead of having to wait or buy a second kit to really take it further. I am glad they have the NuTrek license and look forward to what they produce from it.


----------



## Radiodugger

Richard Baker said:


> I am so tired of that 'Thief' excuse for Round 2's situation. The money was stolen over such a period of time they did _not even notice_ it until much much later.


I understand. That's the part that stood out to me. I have a morbid hatred for thieves. I have been the victim too many times. But yeah..dead horse.



Richard Baker said:


> I consider it a miracle the 1/350 TOS-E was ever produced- that project had been talked about and shelved a couple of times before they got serious with it.


Boy! They did get serious didn't they? Two different saucers now, grid/no grid! And an included shuttlebay with Galileo! Included bridge! Whoa! :surprise:



Richard Baker said:


> Round 2 squandered a perfect opportunity with the 50th...but the people who control the money don't want to spend it on Trek.


Nope. You're right, the S1999 Eagle was a sure fire profit. Even marginal. But the Galileo _wouldn't be?_ They say no. OK. Round 2 does not rate Star Trek's 50th to be worth the money. We must accept that, although not without protest...



Richard Baker said:


> I like Moebius...


I do too. They have had their issues too. You are right. They _are_ focused on _the model builder_ above all else.

Doug


----------



## Steve H

I don't want to derail things too much but I feel the need to point out, I am convinced one of the main reasons the 22 inch Eagle kit got produced was they were able to engineer it in a way that assembly was very modular, just like the concept of the ship was, and THAT created savings in tooling costs which should make the kit have a really good return on investment. 

Much desired as the Galileo is, much as we want it, as lovely as it might be given recent knowledge and all that, it's still a butter dish and a camping cover- two key parts that require deep steel for the mold. the one way I can think of to reduce those tooling costs would be design the shuttle the same way Bandai has been designing some kits recently (kits that would otherwise require a deep draft mold)- frames and panels. But if you build a Galileo with frames and flat panels you pretty much kill having an interior in it. 

And THAT is, of course, the other sticking point. That gosh darn 'can't really fit in there' interior. So, do you revise the interior to fit inside the shell (thus not screen accurate), do you enlarge the shell to fit the interior set (no longer accurate to the stage prop as seen), do you do the interior as a separate kit (more cost, more tooling), do you just s**tcan the interior, or worse just copypaste the old AMT interior and let the Aftermarket deal with it? Ohhh, I think the torches and the pointy Frankenstein rakes come out if THAT option was chosen. 

So, I see R2 having a real Catch-22 going on with that Galileo. Heck, even if they did the 'MPC Eagle' thing of re-releasing the old cruddy AMT shuttle to 'gauge interest' there likely would have been a firestorm of hate. 

But, as we all know, what it really takes is WILL. Money, yes, but the WILL to move forward, to take some risks, to even *gasp* solicit opinions. I don't think Jamie has the support from higher up, so, what is is what is. 

And it's not going to get any better. Oil prices keep flopping around, China keeps upping the prices of work, Transportation becomes even more costly (including delays at the customs intake), it's not going to be any cheaper to do these things in the foreseeable future. 

It is a pity to have lost such a grant opportunity as the 50th Anniversary. 

But then again we need to see how well Moebius executes, don't we? Wonderful to announce, but how long til kits get to market? Time will tell.


----------



## Richard Baker

The interior fitting into the exterior has already been worked out. I forget the details, but it was made to work and even had some nice additional touches added to the barely seen engineering compartment in the rear. Drawings were made and submitted to Round 2 and things were ready for the next step.

Then it was shelved indefinitely.

I agree the Eagles construction design made it cheaper to kit, that was probably one of the reasons they chose to proceed. What really baffles me is why, when the Galileo was blueprinted and ready that if they got cold feet and didn't want to commit to a large model with an interior for the 50th Anniversary, why didn't they just make an exterior kit in a smaller scale, say 1:72 and use that to both give us something special and to help determine market viability? Yes it would have been small and people would have clamored for a larger one, but Round 2 could see, as with the MPC Eagle repop, that it would be a subject popular enough to consider a larger version later. 
Instead, we got nothing . The multi-ship display they are releasing is aimed at who?- those the like the 1:2500 scale and already have the entire set aside from the NX? The collector who craves a special edition (like the steel boxed kits)? IMO it is a cheap way to have something besides the Hawk F-104 combo to point to and scream that we are so special they wish to honor this historic anniversary. Pardon me if I do not wet my pants with glee.

Moebius is a serious company focused on making kits people want and designed to be easy to enhance for those who want to take things up a notch or two. They do not sit on their licenses- they try to give us the kits we want to have on our shelves. I wish I could have at least one of each kit they produce, but I have to pace myself with money and display space. Moebius also recognizes this limitation and has released some subjects in smaller scales. 
Everyone assumes the NuTrek E will be a reboxed Revell- it might be or it might not. We do know the other three kits announced are going to be new tools. It this series of kits sell well I think we may see more- Moebius, unlike Round 2, considers the SciFi subjects to be important and wants to fill demand. I am so glad they do have the NuTrek license!


----------



## Radiodugger

Richard Baker said:


> ...we got nothing . The multi-ship display they are releasing is aimed at who?...


Good question. May as well get HeroClix ships. 1:2500 is hard to detail/light. Maybe they are aimed at "desktop collectors". _Space at a premium_, that sort...



Richard Baker said:


> IMO it is a cheap way to have something besides the Hawk F-104 combo to point to and *scream that we are so special they wish to honor this historic anniversary*. Pardon me if I do not wet my pants with glee.


I'm with ya Richard! I am taking a step back. I really got upset over a different situation. I vented, and members here showed me how trivial it really is. I'm _going ballistic_ over _a model spaceship?_ 

Well, yeah. I had a hundred bucks tied up for two weeks, because Moebius couldn't (or wouldn't) release the 1:35 scale Space Pod/Chariot when it was _stated everywhere_ May 31st (or whenever)! _Monsters In Motion_ kept the stated release date without an update. So, I put in a PayPal order.

Immediatly I'm put on PRE-ORDER status! "When and IF this is EVER released...", MIM stated (emphasis is mine)... Yeah. I was upset. Then it was pointed out how foolish it is to expect anything from these companies! Dave Metzer stated it plainly: "It will be released when it is RELEASED." Right. OK.

But not one company, Cult TVman, MIM, Starship Modeler, etc were notified of ANY delay! I checked my main source: HobbyTalk.

Well, no one else _had a CLUE!_ You had to go to F*ckBook, sorry, _Face_Book to get ANY info! HobbyTalk? _Why_ would we _EVER_ come _here _for that? OMG! _You don't use FaceBook???_ Horrors! "You're outta the loop!" I was an idiot for not following the damn FaceBook discussion! Oh, _EVERYONE_ uses FaceBook! Not! 'Nuff said about _that!_

Now, I realize it's just _a damn hobby_, of which I have many. _No other_ hobby or pastime has gotten me this upset! I had to laugh at myself! One really is asking for trouble _expecting anything_ from these companies! Regardless of their promotional teasing!

I have definitely taken a step back. I'm making small purchases...die cast cars and stuff. Hey, Auto World and Greenlight have their problems, same as the sci-fi model industry. _People are upset!_ Promises were made that were not/could not be kept! WalMart ain't stocking the "G" series (or whatever)!

So Moebius has the Trek license (albeit limited). I am fascinated by the direction this _could take!_ I continue to watch and learn...

Doug


----------



## Steve H

Richard Baker said:


> The interior fitting into the exterior has already been worked out. I forget the details, but it was made to work and even had some nice additional touches added to the barely seen engineering compartment in the rear. Drawings were made and submitted to Round 2 and things were ready for the next step.
> 
> Then it was shelved indefinitely.
> 
> I agree the Eagles construction design made it cheaper to kit, that was probably one of the reasons they chose to proceed. What really baffles me is why, when the Galileo was blueprinted and ready that if they got cold feet and didn't want to commit to a large model with an interior for the 50th Anniversary, why didn't they just make an exterior kit in a smaller scale, say 1:72 and use that to both give us something special and to help determine market viability? Yes it would have been small and people would have clamored for a larger one, but Round 2 could see, as with the MPC Eagle repop, that it would be a subject popular enough to consider a larger version later.
> Instead, we got nothing . The multi-ship display they are releasing is aimed at who?- those the like the 1:2500 scale and already have the entire set aside from the NX? The collector who craves a special edition (like the steel boxed kits)? IMO it is a cheap way to have something besides the Hawk F-104 combo to point to and scream that we are so special they wish to honor this historic anniversary. Pardon me if I do not wet my pants with glee.
> 
> Moebius is a serious company focused on making kits people want and designed to be easy to enhance for those who want to take things up a notch or two. They do not sit on their licenses- they try to give us the kits we want to have on our shelves. I wish I could have at least one of each kit they produce, but I have to pace myself with money and display space. Moebius also recognizes this limitation and has released some subjects in smaller scales.
> Everyone assumes the NuTrek E will be a reboxed Revell- it might be or it might not. We do know the other three kits announced are going to be new tools. It this series of kits sell well I think we may see more- Moebius, unlike Round 2, considers the SciFi subjects to be important and wants to fill demand. I am so glad they do have the NuTrek license!


Richard, I can't disagree with anything you've said here. The only modification I would add is Moebius needs to put more time and effort in policing the Chinese factories they use to not let mistakes slip past. 

From what I see (and it's an admittedly limited view) Moebius has people like Gerry K putting insane careful work into crafting the instructions, or maybe that's only on select subjects. I recall much agony over various of the NuGalactica kits-wrong details, soft details, omitted details- things that shouldn't have happened.

Then we have delays. That 1/35 Chariot/Space Pod set has been 'coming soon' for how many years now? I would think it's way past time to re-think the original concept of that (mixed media plastic/resin/photoetch instead of full styrene plastic) and just s**t or get off the pot. 

So, I don't think Moebius is 'better' or more 'fan friendly' or more 'pure in intent' than Round 2. They're both boutique makers in a niche market struggling with limited resources in an increasingly hostile* manufacturing environment trying to sell product to a shrinking retail world. Mistakes get made and there's very little margin. 

So, again, bravo to Moebius for getting the license. Now we have to see how well they execute. The bar is pretty high. 

*hostile in terms of increasing costs not tied to rational planning. Fluctuations occur in micro time (daily, hourly) instead of rational, traditional macro time (quarterly, annually) making long terms plans near impossible when one has limited resources. Nobody can exist if they have to anticipate up to a 50% price increase within the first 3 months of a project.


----------



## Radiodugger

Steve H said:


> ...I don't think Moebius is 'better' or more 'fan friendly' or more 'pure in intent' than Round 2. They're both boutique makers in a niche market struggling with limited resources in an increasingly hostile* manufacturing environment trying to sell product to a shrinking retail world. Mistakes get made and there's very little margin.


I could not have said it better! They ARE both _boutique makers_ in _a niche market_ struggling with _limited resources_! It ain't getting any better! Or? Trying to sell product to a shrinking retail world, is a lost cause in my opinion! 

I wonder where this will all be ten years from now? Fifteen? 

Doug


----------



## Richard Baker

This is a hobby for our enjoyment- it is easy to lose sight of that at times. I am trying to teach my son that while aiming for perfection in a build is OK, the most important thing is to enjoy the process. 
Some of my most pleasurable builds have been the Bandai Trek kits- people look down upon them because they are prepaint/snap kits. The way those kits were engineered the pieces fit together like a watch. I didn't do much extra to them as with other subjects normally but it was a really fun couple of evenings.
I feel the same way about how the Moebius TOS Galactica is designed. The pieces fit together just perfect to hid seem lines and allow a maximum amount of detail without a sky high parts count.


----------



## RB

Steve H said:


> Then we have delays. That 1/35 Chariot/Space Pod set has been 'coming soon' for how many years now? I would think it's way past time to re-think the original concept of that (mixed media plastic/resin/photoetch instead of full styrene plastic) and just s**t or get off the pot.


I can't find the quote, but I believe they made an announcement to that effect, that both the chariot and the pod would be completely styrene kits, not mixed media.


----------



## Steve H

RB Mk.2 said:


> I can't find the quote, but I believe they made an announcement to that effect, that both the chariot and the pod would be completely styrene kits, not mixed media.


Did they? If so, I cheer them for doing that. 

See, what I recall, the reasoning behind the mixed media idea had to do with expected sales (low) and the thought that by using resin and photoetch with limited injection plastic (maybe none, actually) they would be able to get the kit to market faster. Also I made the assumption that by using 'commercially produced' mixed media they could charge 'garage kit' pricing and make a large profit bump. 

So hooray for styrene plastic! Hope the kit comes out in my lifetime.


----------



## charonjr

In the meantime: I just ripped apart my Revell 2009 JJ-prise. Decided to change the proportions and alignment of the parts. I'll let you know how it turns out.


----------



## Richard Baker

charonjr said:


> In the meantime: I just ripped apart my Revell 2009 JJ-prise. Decided to change the proportions and alignment of the parts. I'll let you know how it turns out.


Be sure to start a thread with pictures!


----------



## Steve H

charonjr said:


> In the meantime: I just ripped apart my Revell 2009 JJ-prise. Decided to change the proportions and alignment of the parts. I'll let you know how it turns out.


To be clear. You intend to modify your JJ-prise in such a way to be more pleasing to your eye and not necessarily 'screen accurate'? 

I applaud your boldness and vision! Please do share your build!


----------



## Zombie_61

Steve H said:


> ...From what I see (and it's an admittedly limited view) Moebius has people like Gerry K putting insane careful work into crafting the instructions, or maybe that's only on select subjects. I recall much agony over various of the NuGalactica kits-wrong details, soft details, omitted details- things that shouldn't have happened...


Don't forget companies like Moebius and Round 2 are constrained by what is approved by the licensor. Who, with regards to _Battlestar Galactica_, is Universal Studios. My guess is that Universal is/was responsible for the wrong/soft/omitted details, not Moebius. I'm hoping Paramount will allow them to be more detail oriented with whichever Trek kits they produce.


----------



## Steve H

Zombie_61 said:


> Don't forget companies like Moebius and Round 2 are constrained by what is approved by the licensor. Who, with regards to _Battlestar Galactica_, is Universal Studios. My guess is that Universal is/was responsible for the wrong/soft/omitted details, not Moebius. I'm hoping Paramount will allow them to be more detail oriented with whichever Trek kits they produce.


While I don't doubt NBC/Universal/Comcast may have dithered around in the approval stage, I just can't see them caring enough to insist that incorrect detail or anything like that be mandated. OTOH if they were the caretakers of the production archives and they didn't release data or drawings or whatever source material would be useful, well, that's a dick move I could believe them doing. 

But there's a TON of information out on the web in this modern world. And various experts of the Gerry K stripe.

I can't speak with any authority on NuGalactica kits, not my meat, but I do recall some outrage over various releases (more than just simple internet bitching and whining, actual valid complaints) so a ball got dropped somewhere.


----------



## Richard Baker

Moebius had an issue trying to get their first Ironman model kit approved by Marvel. 
IIRC Marvel would not let them use a pose which might infringe on another licensed production replica and the limbs could not have any position options because that would infringe on the deluxe action figures.
They ended up having a pose which made Ironman look like he was sneezing with his arms stiffly downwards.
The later kits were easier to get approvals on but since Marvel owned the property nothing could be done without them signing off on those either.

Moebius had access to the mesh used for the CGI FX Galactica, but that was a mesh- a lot of the great detail was in bump and texture maps which show up only when rendered. That is one of the reasons the ship seemed devoid of detail- it wasn't in the 3D mesh used.


----------



## charonjr

Steve H said:


> To be clear. You intend to modify your JJ-prise in such a way to be more pleasing to your eye and not necessarily 'screen accurate'?
> 
> I applaud your boldness and vision! Please do share your build!


Darn tootin'! Didn't think about a thread. Better take some pictures!


----------



## Daniel_B

After getting a much better look at this new 1701-A in detail, I REALLY want a kit of this ship. It's so beautiful. I know they did some radical changes in some spots that some folks don't like, but I really love it. I emailed Moebious just putting my wish for this kit in their thoughts. Not sure how much customer requests factor into their kit plans, but I just thought I'd do it.


----------



## Zombie_61

Steve H said:


> While I don't doubt NBC/Universal/Comcast may have dithered around in the approval stage, I just can't see them caring enough to insist that incorrect detail or anything like that be mandated. OTOH if they were the caretakers of the production archives and they didn't release data or drawings or whatever source material would be useful, well, that's a dick move I could believe them doing...


I couldn't say whether or not these kinds of mistakes are/were deliberate. I just imagine some guy sitting at his desk somewhere at Universal staring at a stack of paperwork that has to be completed by the end of the day, then picking them up one-by-one, giving each of them a quick review, deciding, "Ehhh, that's close enough," and signing off on them. Now, I'm sure that's not at all how the approval process goes, but...well, we modelers are passionate about our specific fascinations; to them it's just another day at the office.



Daniel_B said:


> After getting a much better look at this new 1701-A in detail, I REALLY want a kit of this ship. It's so beautiful. I know they did some radical changes in some spots that some folks don't like, but I really love it.


I like the new NCC-1701-A more than I like the previous versions, but it's still a bit like saying _this_ pile of dog waste in my front yard doesn't smell quite as bad as _that_ one.


----------



## Daniel_B

I appears Moebius does listen to customer requests for kit interest. I sent them this email...
*
"I don't know how much customer wishes factor into your kit plans, but I'd just like to put in a voice that I, along with many other Star Trek customers, would love a kit of the 1701-A from the end of Star Trek Beyond in your upcoming Star Trek line up.

Looking forward to your other Trek kits with great enthusiasm. Thank you."*

They responded...

*"We look at all customer requests, they do impact what Moebius chooses to put out. I will forward your request to the product manager.

Thank You."*

So, I guess if you want to put your two cents in, they'll take it under advisement.


----------



## Steve H

Daniel_B said:


> I appears Moebius does listen to customer requests for kit interest. I sent them this email...
> *
> "I don't know how much customer wishes factor into your kit plans, but I'd just like to put in a voice that I, along with many other Star Trek customers, would love a kit of the 1701-A from the end of Star Trek Beyond in your upcoming Star Trek line up.
> 
> Looking forward to your other Trek kits with great enthusiasm. Thank you."*
> 
> They responded...
> 
> *"We look at all customer requests, they do impact what Moebius chooses to put out. I will forward your request to the product manager.
> 
> Thank You."*
> 
> So, I guess if you want to put your two cents in, they'll take it under advisement.


Wellll, I guess one can take it that way. I see a boilerplate 'pat on the head now go away' response there. 

But who knows? Stranger things have happened! For one recent example, the LiS Derelict kit. Who'da thunk, right?


----------



## Bwain no more

I know for a fact that Moebius is CONSIDERING an Enterprise A. Frank himself was WAY too busy this summer to even SEE "Star Trek Beyond" but the last time I had him on the phone I RAVED about it. But when he asked ME what I thought about the A, I told him it barely appears onscreen and I don't understand the love people have for it. When I had the project manager on the phone Sunday night I had just come home from a Horror Con, so we mostly talked about the upcoming Michael Myers kit. But that's just ME speaking for ME. ONE voice. NOT the HUNDREDS of people online weighing in on what they would like to see (or by the same token the DOZEN or so people on some of the forums saying the SAME thing HUNDREDS of times). 'Tis NOT a complicated process the folks at Moebius use; mostly, it just seems they do what THEY want (which SEEMS to have worked out PRETTY good for the most part! :smile2:
Tom


----------



## Richard Baker

Odd man out here.

I think producing the Enterprise-A right now would be a mistake.
Remember when we saw the rebuilt Enterprise at the end of 'Into Darkness'? People poured over the handful of frames, looking for revisions and new elements. IIRC the only ones that could be seen was a very minor change to the warp nacelles and the expanded impulse deck. Then when we saw the 'same' ship in 'Beyond' there were a host of changes- resized nacelles, swept pylons, narrowed connecting dorsal, etc...
The 'Beyond' ship was tuned and revised to look better on screen and fit the movie narrative. If you were to put the two ships side by side there are a lot of changes made- any kit based on what we saw at the end of 'Into Darkness' would not match the movie version. Most builders figured that a new resin impulse engine part would update the existing kit, now we know different.

I feel the same thing is playing out here. The 1701-A seen at the end of the film is obviously much different but the views are clouded. We see a fantastic SFX sequence of it's construction but when it is seen complete it is at a fair distance and not that clear. I believe this is to give the producers of the next film some 'wiggle room' in the final design. Coming up with a brand new ship in all of it's magnificent detail is complicated. They know a LOT of people did not care for the first NuE, this is their chance to recreate it, to make a more sellable product that people would crave to own. I do not think this is something you just slap into the end of a film as a final product. 'Beyond' had a lot of production difficulties, it changed directors and scripts- they lost a lot of time. 

I think the ship seen at the end of the movie is not truly final, but a solid promise as to what the next one should look like. When the fourth film is released I feel will see the same basic ship, but tuned and adjusted. They have shown a serious attempt to return the design to the more traditional but with updated elements. I hope they really spend some time doing it right, the Enterprise needs to become a central character once again instead of a temporary ride until the next battle.

Just like the last ship changing in between movies, this new one will be changed as well, I would much prefer a model kit of the tuned version instead of the one glimpsed at the end of Beyond.


----------



## JeffBond

I have a feeling we'll see the Refit well before the A, and the A will definitely depend on it being featured in a new film. There's no doubt plenty of time before we get a new movie if we get one at all. In the meantime, I think there is a market for the refit, particularly since the original JJprise has been available, even if a bit difficult for U.S. purchasers to track down.


----------



## Steve H

JeffBond said:


> I have a feeling we'll see the Refit well before the A, and the A will definitely depend on it being featured in a new film. There's no doubt plenty of time before we get a new movie if we get one at all. In the meantime, I think there is a market for the refit, particularly since the original JJprise has been available, even if a bit difficult for U.S. purchasers to track down.


Of course the next movie may well destroy or otherwise seriously damage the Enterprise again, thus rendering a model made before the release sadly out of date... 

I think the SAFE thing for Moebius to do is wait until production on the next film begins, and get in on the ground floor, work out the timing,get the designs, make sure they're final, ramp up the prototype and get that manufacturing going so the new Enterprise (in whatever form it eventually ends up) is on shelves when the new movie opens. 

Not gonna happen of course. Movie production can run faster than Moebius can prototype, secure approval, send the data to China, wait for the factory to screw up, send corrections, wait for THOSE to get screwed up, send more corrections, finally lock the model down, and wait for the container to dock.


----------



## Richard Baker

It is always a roll of the dice- Bandai got the data for the Falcon but the mesh continued to be revised before the SFX was shot.

If we do not get the model on the shelves in time for the movie to hit the theater no big deal- we have had most movie based kits show up months or years after the film was released. Right now I am waiting for Moebius to produce the Proteus and 2001 kits- how long a wait was that?


----------



## Daniel_B

Maybe Moebius could sell a separate photoetch set of the Enterprise-A internal skeleton and construction towers to re-create a diorama of the shot at the end of Beyond. Ha, I kid. That would be insane.


----------



## fluke

The TOS Galileo shuttle craft would be one of the best. second would be an accurate tos Eterprise Bridge....a tad larger than its predecessor.

There are way too many dang Star Ship class models out there already...gods ...it's like a other bloody p-51 or tiger tank model....get on with some needed Star Trek kits!


----------



## Richard Baker

edit to null


----------



## Daniel_B

fluke said:


> The TOS Galileo shuttle craft would be one of the best. second would be an accurate tos Eterprise Bridge....a tad larger than its predecessor.
> 
> There are way too many dang Star Ship class models out there already...gods ...it's like a other bloody p-51 or tiger tank model....get on with some needed Star Trek kits!


The only have the license for the Abramsverse Star Trek as far as I'm aware.


----------



## fluke

Rats! Then the shuttle craft used in the 1st Abr film....they are pretty cool.


----------



## Daniel_B

Today was WonderCon and Moebius had their future kit line ups displayed. Based on this photo, you can see the Star Trek kits now listed as 2018, and no longer 2017. Oh well. 

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=5d981230e90138fd593f9ee369bbfff6&oe=59954D2F


----------



## John P

...which probably actually means 2020, given the usual unexpected delays that everybody encounters.


----------



## JeffBond

I wouldn't be so glum--from what I understand at least two Trek kits from Moebius are well into development. 2017 will be a very big year for them and if the Trek ships are slated for 2018 I would think they may show up earlier than expected.


----------



## Daniel_B

JeffBond said:


> I wouldn't be so glum--from what I understand at least two Trek kits from Moebius are well into development.


Source?


----------



## JeffBond

A good reporter never reveals his sources.


----------



## Daniel_B

JeffBond said:


> A good reporter never reveals his sources.


No problem. Some people just like to make stuff up and call it a fact. As long as it's more than you just making it up, I trust you.


----------



## drmcoy

looking forward to these kits...and at the risk of being taken too seriously, I never understood the cat and mouse game that sometimes plays out with info and/or "sources" related to release dates. these are model kits, not nuclear codes...and while I understand that some info may be important to keep under wraps as far as the model industry operations go, these kits have been announced quite some time ago, so I can't imagine that stating "when" they will finally be released is going to jeopardize profits. but maybe i just don't understand the cutthroat world of model manufacturing -- must be more James Bond than I figured.


----------



## aurora-7

Someone could loose their job if it slips out on developing products before management makes an official announcement in their own good time.


----------



## drmcoy

aurora-7 said:


> Someone could loose their job if it slips out on developing products before management makes an official announcement in their own good time.


not doubting that this could be true, but why? what's at risk? they announced the kits a year ago, right? supposed to come out in 2017, no? then company states they will not be out until 2018 and then someone on this forum suggests they have a "source" that says it might be earlier...why would someone lose their job if the company manufactured the kit within the time frame originally announced?? i wonder if someone lost their job because the kit was delayed from original release date?

anyways, please believe me when i say I was not trolling for a debate -- just puzzles me why such a mystery in this particular case. regardless, hopefully they WILL release the kits sooner rather than later as I would REALLY like kits from the JJ Trek universe.


----------



## Steve H

drmcoy said:


> not doubting that this could be true, but why? what's at risk? they announced the kits a year ago, right? supposed to come out in 2017, no? then company states they will not be out until 2018 and then someone on this forum suggests they have a "source" that says it might be earlier...why would someone lose their job if the company manufactured the kit within the time frame originally announced?? i wonder if someone lost their job because the kit was delayed from original release date?
> 
> anyways, please believe me when i say I was not trolling for a debate -- just puzzles me why such a mystery in this particular case. regardless, hopefully they WILL release the kits sooner rather than later as I would REALLY like kits from the JJ Trek universe.


FWIW I'm with you on this. 

It's one thing if they were to announce a kit before the proper licensing was secured, that's embarrassing. It's another thing if there was some danger that if they announced a specific release date and by missing it (due to any number of factors completely beyond their control) they were opened up to lawsuits for breach of contract or some nonsense. 

On the gripping hand, Round 2/Polar lights got themselves burned back at the first JJTrek movie, having invested all that money into prototyping, they may have actually gotten to the point of cutting steel and creating the tooling (in China), then WHAM the Great Wall of Silence came down and it was suddenly as if they never had the license at all. It was not to be discussed. It would be perfectly understandable that Moebius would not want to duplicate that experience. 

Still, I just assumed they would be reboxing the Revell Germany kit under license.


----------



## Daniel_B

Steve H said:


> Still, I just assumed they would be reboxing the Revell Germany kit under license.


I don't think so, because the placard specifically said the Enterprise version they are working on is the refit from Beyond. It's quite different than the Into Darkness Enterprise made by Revell Germany.

Also, Moebius mentioned the U.S.S. Kelvin, U.S.S. Franklin, and Spock's Jelly Fish ship on the roster of their upcoming kits.


----------



## Zombie_61

I hope they're going to be reasonable about the scale. I know a lot of modelers like bigger kits, but I don't have room for a two-foot-long starship model...or a model of anything else, for that matter.


----------



## spock62

Daniel_B said:


> I don't think so, because the placard specifically said the Enterprise version they are working on is the refit from Beyond. It's quite different than the Into Darkness Enterprise made by Revell Germany.
> 
> Also, Moebius mentioned the U.S.S. Kelvin, U.S.S. Franklin, and Spock's Jelly Fish ship on the roster of their upcoming kits.


Are they going to produce the refit seen at the very end of Beyond? Originally, when Moebius first announced the Trek kits, they showed the original Enterprise as seen in all 3 movies, which I assumed was the Revell kit.


----------



## Jodet

Steve H said:


> FWIW I'm with you on this.
> 
> 
> On the gripping hand, Round 2/Polar lights got themselves burned back at the first JJTrek movie, having invested all that money into prototyping, they may have actually gotten to the point of cutting steel and creating the tooling (in China), then WHAM the Great Wall of Silence came down and it was suddenly as if they never had the license at all.
> 
> Still, I just assumed they would be reboxing the Revell Germany kit under license.




Massive props for obscure Larry Niven reference.


----------



## John P

Obscure?


----------



## Fury3

I myself would like the to see the JJ universe version of the 1701-A. I really like the lines of that ship.


----------



## Daniel_B

Fury3 said:


> I myself would like the to see the JJ universe version of the 1701-A. I really like the lines of that ship.
> 
> STAR TREK BEYOND USS ENTERPRISE NCC 1701 A - YouTube


I'd absolutely love a kit of that.


----------



## Richard Baker

It is the best NuEnterprise yet IMO-
I do feel a kit would be premature though- there is a high likelihood the ship will be tuned and altered some before it's next big screen appearance, just like they did with the last ship.


----------



## John P

Richard Baker said:


> It is the best NuEnterprise yet ...


"That was the best diarrhea I've ever had."
"That was the best gunshot wound yet!"
"That wasn't quite as bad as the _last_ time a skunk sprayed me!"
"That was the best experience being dragged off a United flight ever!"


----------



## Milton Fox Racing

John P said:


> "That was the best diarrhea I've ever had."
> "That was the best gunshot wound yet!"
> "That wasn't quite as bad as the _last_ time a skunk sprayed me!"
> "That was the best experience being dragged off a United flight ever!"


This is the best post I didnt ever finish reading! :thumbsup:


----------



## Capt. Krik

john p said:


> "that was the best diarrhea i've ever had."
> "that was the best gunshot wound yet!"
> "that wasn't quite as bad as the _last_ time a skunk sprayed me!"
> "that was the best experience being dragged off a united flight ever!"


bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Daniel_B

Alexander Klemm has finished modeling his Enterprise 1701-A from Beyond. No textures yet, but I figured you might want to get a look at the details. This model is VERY accurate to the actual film CG model. This is what the 1701 should have looked like in 2009 in my opinion. I hope so badly that Moebius decides to do a kit of this beauty.


----------



## John P

I think somebody said the first kit will be a 1/350 Franklin.
I guess they figure Revell has the Enterprise covered, so they'll start with something different.


----------



## John P

Yup:
Moebius Models announces their first Star Trek kit! ? CultTVman Fantastic Modeling


----------



## Daniel_B

Does anyone know if Moebius Models are usually at Wonderfest? I'll be there this weekend and wanted to keep an eye out for them. I'll post pics of any new things they might have.


----------



## Bwain no more

Moebius TRADITIONALLY has better things to do , but R2 still shows up to take surveys and announce kits that eventually (Galileo Shuttle) get Dis-announced. DE-announced? UN-announced? Shelved? 
Tom


----------



## Jodet

Bwain no more said:


> Moebius TRADITIONALLY has better things to do , but R2 still shows up to take surveys and announce kits that eventually (Galileo Shuttle) get Dis-announced. DE-announced? UN-announced? Shelved?
> Tom


I think that would be 'denounced', as in 'we are denouncing this kit'.


----------



## Richard Baker

Sometimes Round 2 never bothers to even say a kit has been dropped- they just never mention it again.


----------



## Jimmy B.

Richard Baker said:


> Sometimes Round 2 never bothers to even say a kit has been dropped- they just never mention it again.


As in the Alien Queen


----------



## Bwain no more

But SOMEHOW it ALWAYS seems to start with an announcement in Louisville (and NOT the kind that EVER ends up as the START of something like a "triple crown winner"). A curse? Who said that? CERTAINLY not me; my curses involving Louisville are GENERALLY profanity laced and directed at person or person(s) unknown.*
Tom




* At least to THIS forum. I DO remember back in the day sharing some anecdotal info with a fellow UMAer who used SIMILAR verbage; hey, for argument's sake let's just call him, "Gary Verbage", he and I shared a tale SO RIDICULOUS yet NEARLY identical, we just both decided it HAD TO BE TRUE.
We also agreed eBay was just a better venue for maximizing profit, but when he started PMing me to make fun of the moderators on the forum the SAME exact way he did the fine folks who had his back all those years at his table in Louisville, I just decided enough was TOO much and called it quits. The pms, NOT the forum; after the CH, the UMA is my second favorite go to, then a few 1966 Bat-forums then if I have time I stop in here mostly to fact check, slow some spin or attempt outright damage control. >


----------



## Chuck

Bwain no more said:


> But SOMEHOW it ALWAYS seems to start with an announcement in Louisville (and NOT the kind that EVER ends up as the START of something like a "triple crown winner"). A curse? Who said that? CERTAINLY not me; my curses involving Louisville are GENERALLY profanity laced and directed at person or person(s) unknown.*
> Tom
> 
> 
> 
> 
> * At least to THIS forum. I DO remember back in the day sharing some anecdotal info with a fellow UMAer who used SIMILAR verbage; hey, for argument's sake let's just call him, "Gary Verbage", he and I shared a tale SO RIDICULOUS yet NEARLY identical, we just both decided it HAD TO BE TRUE.
> We also agreed eBay was just a better venue for maximizing profit, but when he started PMing me to make fun of the moderators on the forum the SAME exact way he did the fine folks who had his back all those years at his table in Louisville, I just decided enough was TOO much and called it quits. The pms, NOT the forum; after the CH, the UMA is my second favorite go to, then a few 1966 Bat-forums then if I have time I stop in here mostly to fact check, slow some spin or attempt outright damage control. >


----------



## Bwain no more

Hey Chuck; of Gary I will say this; he was a KITBUILDER back in the days when sniffing a little glue was still part of the charm...:wink2:
Tom


----------



## Daniel_B

Entertainment Earth has a preorder page up for the U.S.S. Franklin. Seems to show some new box art? Some kind of art anyway.

Star Trek Beyond U.S.S. Franklin 1:350 Scale Model Kit - Moebius Models - Star Trek - Model Kits at Entertainment Earth


----------



## Richard Baker

Interesting that it is described as both a snap and a glue kit...


----------



## John P

It is also both a wave and a particle!


----------



## Richard Baker

'..."and new Shimmer is both a floor wax and a dessert topping!"


(Classic SNL bit)


----------



## John P

I bought that on sale with the Bass-O-Matic


----------



## RogueJ

Richard Baker said:


> '..."and new Shimmer is both a floor wax and a dessert topping!"
> 
> 
> (Classic SNL bit)


For the best shine you've ever tasted.


----------



## Daniel_B

In Beyond, you can't see the 1701-A very well because of the darkness and also seeing one angle. Here is the ship as it is fully lit and from all angles. This is built by Alexander Klemm (nightfever) and he was gracious enough to allow me to post my renders of his model. I would love for Moebius to do this one!


----------



## Daniel_B




----------



## Daniel_B

According to the official Star Trek site, Moebius will be unveiling their U.S.S. Franklin kit at Comic Con this weekend.

Star Trek Exclusive Products, Signings & More Set for SDCC


----------



## Daniel_B

A display of the Franklin prototype at Comic Con.


----------



## Daniel_B

The Franklin was originally going to be released in Dec, but I guess that's not happening now since we haven't heard anything. Probably delayed again.


----------



## electric indigo

January release, according to Hobbysearch

Star Trek Beyond U.S.S. Franklin NX-326 (Plastic model) - HobbySearch Gundam Kit/etc. Store


----------



## Xenodyssey

Looking at the box art popup photo from Hobbysearch it's just struck me how large the bridge window is as well as the bridge itself compared to the rest of the ship.


----------



## John P

Yeah, the Franklin is a very _small_, very ugly ship.


----------



## SUNGOD

I haven't seen any of the new Trek films but that 1701A *is* a thing of beauty (unlike said Franklin).


----------



## Zombie_61

John P said:


> Yeah, the Franklin is a very _small_, very ugly ship.


And yet, it's still not as ugly as the NCC-1701-D. >


----------



## JeffBond

Every Trek ship is ugly to someone...


----------



## Richard Baker

Agreed!
My biggest frustration is that a lot of ships I do like rarely are made into kits- I am so glad Eaglemoss has filled a lot of the gaps. Not kits, but at least I have something I can hold and look at that is not trapped on a screen.

A smaller scale (1:1000?) would be great for the NuTrek Vulcan Armada ships- since they are modular the cost of producing them can be spread out along the fleet line instead of being dependent on a particular starship sales.


----------



## krlee

From the Moebius Facebook page:
Just a quick teaser shot until I have time to work on other images. But Franklin is moving towards production, tooling needs a few minor fixes, but we're looking at February if all works correct! But knowing the way things work, my schedule never matches the factories, so look for it sometime early 2018.


----------



## tracy.net

Looks neat !


----------



## Daniel_B

Promo image of the new Franklin kit.


----------



## spock62

One thing I noticed, based on photos and Youtube videos of pre-production kits, is that the name of the ship on the top hull is shown _engraved_ as opposed to _painted on_, like has been seen on Trek ships since the original series. From the few photos I've found on the internet, it seems the name/registration is painted on, not engraved. If it is engraved, this would be the 1st Trek ship that I recall having this feature. Besides, it wouldn't make much sense as every ship made would have to have different metal skin panels produced for all the different names, as opposed to common metal skin panels and just painting on the names.


----------



## JeffBond

My understanding is the hull number is engraved on the actual ship.


----------



## spock62

JeffBond said:


> My understanding is the hull number is engraved on the actual ship.


Sounds odd that the registry number & ship name would be engraved on the “real” ship. What are you basing this on?


----------



## Daniel_B

spock62 said:


> One thing I noticed, based on photos and Youtube videos of pre-production kits, is that the name of the ship on the top hull is shown _engraved_ as opposed to _painted on_, like has been seen on Trek ships since the original series. From the few photos I've found on the internet, it seems the name/registration is painted on, not engraved. If it is engraved, this would be the 1st Trek ship that I recall having this feature. Besides, it wouldn't make much sense as every ship made would have to have different metal skin panels produced for all the different names, as opposed to common metal skin panels and just painting on the names.


The registry is engraved on the CG model, but not near as deep as on the Moebius kit. I plan to just fill the engraved registry with Perfect Plastic Putty, then wetsand it back flush. This should leave a VERY shallow engraved registry that looks more movie accurate. Then I can just place the decals over.


----------



## Lou Dalmaso

it's only engraved on the saucer plating. there are traditional pennants on the nacelles


----------



## spock62

Daniel_B said:


> The registry is engraved on the CG model, but not near as deep as on the Moebius kit. I plan to just fill the engraved registry with Perfect Plastic Putty, then wetsand it back flush. This should leave a VERY shallow engraved registry that looks more movie accurate. Then I can just place the decals over.


Comparing the photo to the kit, it looks like the kit registry/name is way too deep. Also the letters/numbers don't seem to be the correct width and don't seem to have the secondary outline (admittedly hard to tell in available photos of the kit). Filling the letters/numbers completely and using decals (assuming that decals for these areas are included in the kit) would probably look a lot better.


----------



## Daniel_B

Monsters in Motion states this kit will be released on Feb. 28. There are also some new images as well as prototype, but not final, box art. Still cool.


----------



## Daniel_B

Moebius has finally released the U.S.S. Franklin kit. Here is the box art by John Eaves.


----------



## Y3a

Even more ugly than the ship from Galaxy Quest.


----------



## StarCruiser

FAR more ugly than the NSEA Protector...FAR more...


----------



## Zombie_61

I guess I'm one of the few who likes the design, or at least the configuration, but I could do with a lot less surface detail.


----------



## Richard Baker

I like the general overall design but it has a lot of features which make no sense at all except to try and make the ship look like a hot rod. Unfortunately those elements overpower the rest of the ship, I think I wait a while for this...


----------



## StarCruiser

Zombie_61 said:


> I guess I'm one of the few who likes the design, or at least the configuration, but I could do with a lot less surface detail.


The configuration is basically a poor copy of the FASA Loknar design (which in turn seems to be reflected in the NX-01).

It's the details that kill it - the much too fat/tapered engines - very heavy grid/plating (or whatever that stupid mess on the saucer is supposed to be) etc... :devil:


----------



## Zombie_61

StarCruiser said:


> The configuration is basically a poor copy of the FASA Loknar design (which in turn seems to be reflected in the NX-01)...


It does seem to be the JJverse version of the NX-01.



StarCruiser said:


> ...It's the details that kill it - the much too fat/tapered engines - very heavy grid/plating (or whatever that stupid mess on the saucer is supposed to be) etc... :devil:


I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm guessing they don't bother to explain any of it?


----------



## SUNGOD

Does it have an Aztec pattern? On the photo's I've seen I can only see the grid lines.


----------



## Zombie_61

SUNGOD said:


> Does it have an Aztec pattern? On the photo's I've seen I can only see the grid lines.


Again, I haven't seen the movie, but from what I've seen it seems the Franklin has gridlines, heavy weathering, and a boatload of surface detail for no reason other than to make it look "busy", but I don't see a proper Aztec pattern.


----------



## Daniel_B

There is no aztec pattern. Also, I must apologize about my previous post, as I had incorrect information that the kit itself had been released. Only the box art was released as of now. The kit will come out in March. Here are some photos showing there is no aztec. Just light gray and very dirty from sitting on the planet for over a century.


----------



## StarCruiser

So, in about 100 years - the engine nacelles are completely covered by rock and trees..?

Jeez - JJ loves to pick the worst possible writers!


----------



## Daniel_B

StarCruiser said:


> So, in about 100 years - the engine nacelles are completely covered by rock and trees..?
> 
> Jeez - JJ loves to pick the worst possible writers!


Yeah, I normally would have given the movie a 10/10, but that fact ruined it. 1/10...unwatchable!


----------



## charonjr

And Starfleet evidently used Iron to make the outer hull from. It's all rusty!


----------



## JeffBond

In the movie there are unnatural forces shaping the topography and and growth on the planet which would explain how the ship gets buried.


----------



## SUNGOD

At least it'll be easier to finish then if there's no Aztec. To be fair it has grown on me a bit though still not sure whether I'd buy it. Maybe.


----------



## Dr. Brad

Well, I've gone from not buying it to ... probably....


----------



## Daniel_B

Dr. Brad said:


> Well, I've gone from not buying it to ... probably....


It's a fun design I think. I know others don't agree. Honestly the first time I saw the Franklin, I thought it was ugly, but then I saw it in the film and fell in love.


----------



## Richard Baker

Like most of the newer designs, the ship looks better moving on screen than a static shot or being held in one's hand.


----------



## JeffBond

What I like about it is it looks very real and BIG in a comprehensible way onscreen. The idea of finding a starship like this wrecked on a planet surface is kind of a classic fan fantasy going back to the 70s and STB executes that idea very effectively. And I like the idea of having a smaller Federation ship in 1/350 (even better now that we have a K'Tinga coming in that scale).


----------



## Daniel_B

I'm tired of waiting on this thing. Not in a bad way, I'm just excited to get my first new Trek kit in YEARS. I'd love to start on it right away. I think mid-March is the current release date. But again, it's been moved from 2017, to Dec 2017, to Feb 2018, to late Feb-2018 to Mid-March 2018...so who knows.


----------



## Ducks and Witches

Outside of classic Trek (TV series and Movies) this and the NX-01 are the only two "modern" ship designs I've liked going way back to NG. I like the overall shape, but the surface detailing is hideous. Star Wars was a bad influence on Trek esthetics.


----------



## Daniel_B

I don't get everybody complaining about the surface detailing. Literally the only abnormal surface detailing is the radials around the saucer. Just think of them as an ultra primitive phaser array prototype.


----------



## krlee

StarCruiser said:


> The configuration is basically a poor copy of the FASA Loknar design (which in turn seems to be reflected in the NX-01).
> 
> It's the details that kill it - the much too fat/tapered engines - very heavy grid/plating (or whatever that stupid mess on the saucer is supposed to be) etc... :devil:


I see potential in this ship with some modifications, get rid of all of that overly busy detailing on the top of the saucer, close up that bridge viewport, add some proper engine nacelles to it and close up that split in the rear of the saucer between the engines and it may look good. One other thing, do away with the engraved registration numbers and such, makes it look like a toy. If I see one of these in a Cult scratch and dent sale at a good price I might be tempted, otherwise, i'll pass.


----------



## Daniel_B

Doctor Faust put up part 2 of his Franklin pre-release build.


----------



## Daniel_B

Some of you may start getting your Franklin model kits soon.

The bussards are hard to make out in the film so I made this animation to show you what is going on inside. The fans are counter rotating. There are 3 fans inside the bussard. One at the front, that does not move at all. It's pressed up against the dome glass. Then there are another two that counter rotate behind it. The light inside the bussard is cast by 3 concentric rings of orange. This piece is included in the kit as a clear piece and has to be painted black (except for the rings) to get the concentric rings. In this animation I have removed the bussard dome and first immoblie fan so that you can better see what's going on.

https://vimeo.com/259571271/e43b013c1b


----------



## Daniel_B

The postman left this present for me yesterday afternoon. I am working on an unboxing video and hope to have that up tonight or tomorrow.


----------



## Milton Fox Racing




----------



## Zombie_61




----------



## Daniel_B

I seem to be one of the first people get this kit, so I thought I'd make an unboxing video for those waiting on theirs, or for fence sitters about getting the kit. It's a great kit. if you have two minutes, check it out!


----------



## Dr. Brad

Thanks for posting that Daniel! I'll probably be picking up a kit, a decision based in part on your video.


----------



## Ziphead

Looks pretty sweet. Never thought we'd get a kit of the Franklin.


----------

