# New Round 2 Kits Announced



## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Courtesy of GreenDragon on BritModeller.com Forum:

Cult TV Man has some news from Round 2 about some new kits due before end of 2017. First up is a 1/1000th scale snap kit of DS9's USS Defiant. Rather more interesting to me is a Space 1999 1/48th Nuclear Waste Area #2! Set will include Moon Buggy. 8 Lamp stands with bases and lighting kit, some of those hexagonal crates they had everywhere, Nuclear waste covers and 10 figures. Also thrown in is 1/24th Moon Buggy with figures. Also coming is an accessory set of nuclear waste canisters for the cargo Eagle and a fully built display Eagle.

Round 2 News! New Space 1999 and Star Trek kits! ? CultTVman Fantastic Modeling


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Well, that's something at least. 

It kind of goes to some of my thoughts from other threads, that is, Round 2 can't conceive of doing something until someone shows them, then it's a great idea. 

I suspect the genesis of the Waste Area 2 set comes from what they did when they were exploring the box art for the Cargo Eagle kit. It was all showcased on their blog, how Small had made some area lights/laser fence posts and waste pit covers to act as background elements in his photoshoots. I wouldn't be surprised if people started to post comments along the lines of "hey, I want to buy that!" and since the hard work of creating the masters was now done...

But it wouldn't have happened if Small hadn't whipped those parts out for his own sense of desire. He could have just as easily have photoshopped the model kit onto a background from the episode.

And 'throwing in' a 1/24 scale Moonbuggy kit with figures. Man, who has been arguing for exactly that for a couple of years now? This guy. But no, can't be done but whoops, yes it can. Now I wonder if it'll be the Banana Splits buggy or a new tool. 

1/48 Moonbuggy and astronauts is actually very surprising to me. Welcomed and joyfully so but a surprise. 

And I'm sure a new kit of the DS9 Defiant is very exciting to some.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Hopefully they'll have a prototype build up for each during Wonderfest next month.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Wow, could they spend any less on Star Trek items than a 1/1000 waffle iron?
Well, yeah, I guess they could.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

They really seem to have back burnered the Trek line...


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Richard Baker said:


> They really seem to have back burnered the Trek line...


Well, again, it seems the wrong people (the beancounters) are making the big decisions. 

If the ONLY way you look at things is in terms of current trends and so on, there's no need to do anything with Star Trek now. They did 'all' that hard work for the 50th Anniversary (some of which still hasn't hit shelves yet) so that's over and done. Star Trek is not a current thing.

Now, you and I and most everyone reading this fully understands that Star Trek is an 'evergreen' license. There's never a bad time to release Star Trek stuff. Some things will sell better than others and that is true of ANY license but to use what used to be a common expression, "Star Trek Lives!". 

The 'Nuclear Waste Area 2' set is another fast turnaround kit. Really, think about it. The Laser Fence posts- one tool shot x times for however many they'll include. Same with the pit caps, the cargo boxes, probably even the astronauts. It's a kit that will have a very good return on investment. A 'safe bet' if you will. The only risky parts are the Moonbuggies. Those are 'one use' molds (altho they clearly could re-pop the 1/24th scale buggy as its own kit, it would sell).

It's a pity that R2 won't go for the license for 'The Orville'. Turn Gary K loose on the miniature they've built and make the most amazing starship kit ever. Sadly, if they DID get the license the show would probably be cancelled before the model kit could come out. (no reason other than the usual 'Fox Curse' on SF TV  )


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

The money to be made is in their automotive kits.


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## edge10 (Oct 19, 2013)

John P said:


> Wow, could they spend any less on Star Trek items than a 1/1000 waffle iron?
> Well, yeah, I guess they could.


That's OK, between Bandai and Fine Molds there are four 1/144 kits of a steam iron!

That's Slave 1, to you, if you're nasty.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

scooke123 said:


> The money to be made is in their automotive kits.


Yes. previously established.


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

So why not make the sci-fi kits to get a quick turnaround of profits since trek kits can be issued whenever? Companies have to make money or you get 0 kits if they go out of business.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

scooke123 said:


> So why not make the sci-fi kits to get a quick turnaround of profits since trek kits can be issued whenever? Companies have to make money or you get 0 kits if they go out of business.


Because it appears that R2 is still thinking 1960s-70s in terms of design, prototyping, engineering, tooling and production. That seems to be how the Chinese turn-key manufacturing works. Gotta have plenty of lead time. 

A huge amount of the lag in production would be solved by manufacturing in the U.S. There would still be delays caused by licensing approval (and that can be agonizing) but at least it wouldn't take a month of calls and emails to correct something, which only results in something ELSE being wrong. 

I don't know if they're making all those AMT and MPC car kits in the U.S. or not. I know they're making a selling point that Lindberg kits are made here. That's at least half the battle.


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

While I think the Nuclear Waste Area kit is a good deal, price wise, for what you get, it's really only for people who a) purchase the Eagle with cargo pod and b) those same people have the display space required to do a diorama using both kits. Willing to bet most people don't have the space for "b". So, it's a kit for the few die-hard Space 1999 fans out there. The rest of us will pass.

I'd much rather see new spacecraft from Space 1999, instead of R2 reissuing different versions of the 1/48 kit. Also, why not make the Moon Buggy kits available separately? I hate how you have to buy the whole kit just for 1 or 2 items you really want.

As for the Star Trek release, why pick the Defiant when there are other, more popular choices, that could have been produced? Starting to wonder if they give a crap about the ST license at all.

Hopefully, R2 will surprise us with other new kits at Wonderfest. If they think the kits announced so far are "grail" kits, they're sadly mistaken!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Yeah, I'd probably buy the buggy separately, but I don't want the diorama parts.


I'd be surprised if the Defiant is more than a half dozen parts. THAT's why they picked it.


Hey, here's a good accessory for the buggy: The Banana Splits in 1999 moon suits! :lol:


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

John P said:


> I'd be surprised if the Defiant is more than a half dozen parts. THAT's why they picked it.


Plus, since they previously did it in 1/2500, they have the design info required, so it's probably a lot easier for them to scale it up to 1/1000 then to make an all new kit in the same scale, like say a K'tinga...which, I'm willing to bet, is what a lot of people would had preferred. And like you said, it's got to be a low parts count kit. All of which makes the bean-counters happy. :|

Hopefully, R2 will release the Moon Buggy kits (1/48 AND 1/24) as _separate_ kits (including figures) in the very near future, i.e. before I get too old for it to matter!


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

John P said:


> Hey, here's a good accessory for the buggy: The Banana Splits in 1999 moon suits! :lol:


And they can save costs by reusing the figures for an 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes' diorama


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

*I think Round2 should have done the HAWK/space1999

*


spock62 said:


> While I think the Nuclear Waste Area kit is a good deal, price wise, for what you get, it's really only for people who a) purchase the Eagle with cargo pod and b) those same people have the display space required to do a diorama using both kits. Willing to bet most people don't have the space for "b". So, it's a kit for the few die-hard Space 1999 fans out there. The rest of us will pass.
> 
> I'd much rather see new spacecraft from Space 1999, instead of R2 reissuing different versions of the 1/48 kit. Also, why not make the Moon Buggy kits available separately? I hate how you have to buy the whole kit just for 1 or 2 items you really want.
> 
> ...


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

RMC said:


> *I think Round2 should have done the HAWK/space1999
> 
> *


Couldn't agree more strongly!:thumbsup:


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## MartyS (Mar 11, 2014)

I'll probably build the DS9 Defiant to add to my 1:1000 collection. It's not a bad looking ship.


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## RogueJ (Oct 29, 2000)

Considering their track record, I wonder just how many of them will actually get produced. And how long?


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## phrankenstign (Nov 29, 1999)

I know there are a lot of people here who love working on spaceship models---including plenty of Star Trek ships of course. I've always preferred figure models. Do you guys know if there are rumors of any figures Round 2 may be releasing soon?


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

John P said:


> ...Hey, here's a good accessory for the buggy: The Banana Splits in 1999 moon suits! :lol:


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## phrankenstign (Nov 29, 1999)

Tra la la tra la la la
Tra la la tra la la la
Tra la la tra la la la
Tra la la tra la la la


One banana two banana three banana four
All bananas make a split so do many more
Over hill and highway the banana buggies go
Come along to bring you the banana splits show


Four banana three banana two banana one
All bananas playing in the bright warm sun
Flipping like a pancake popping like a cork
Fleagle bingo drooper and snork


Making up a mess of fun
Making up a mess of fun
Making up a mess of fun
Lots of fun for everyone


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## bigdaddydaveh (Jul 20, 2007)

What scale was the original Banana Splits buggy kit? I wouldn't be surprised if this is the same tooling they use if it still exists.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

It was indeed the same tooling, IIRC.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

bigdaddydaveh said:


> What scale was the original Banana Splits buggy kit? I wouldn't be surprised if this is the same tooling they use if it still exists.


The original Aurora Banana Splits Buggy was listed as 1/25 scale. I wonder if that means that the Round 2 version is an all new kit or just a straight re-pop with the scale just stated as being 1/24?


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## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

It's only a 4% difference. I mix 1/24 and 1/25 all the time. Not worth worrying about.


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## Capt. Krik (May 26, 2001)

phrankenstign said:


> I know their are a lot of people here who love working on spaceship models---including plenty of Star Trek ships of course. I've always preferred figure models. Do you guys know if there are rumors of any figures Round 2 may be releasing soon?


If I recall correctly, Round 2 is out of the figure business with the exception of the above mentioned Space: 1999 diorama. They had planned to do several superhero kits like Thor, Batman and Robin and there was even mention of doing the Fantastic Four. Not sure what their reasoning was for cancelling the above projects. Perhaps Wolverine and Superman did not sell that well and that cancelled future figure kits.

It's too bad about the Thor kit. The computer models for the kit look really great. They even had the box art for the kit. I would have certainly bought one had it made it to production.

For right now it seems that Moebius is the only one coming out with figure kits. Possibly Atlantis will do some more figures. though they seem to be fixated on flying saucers right now.


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

You are right - Superman and Wolverine both tanked in sales and they decided to pull the plug on other figures.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Too bad - the Wolverine model was damn good! I'd have love a Thor.
But their John Byrne Superman was just awful. Maybe word of mouth on how bad it was killed sales.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

John P said:


> Too bad - the Wolverine model was damn good! I'd have love a Thor.
> But their John Byrne Superman was just awful. Maybe word of mouth on how bad it was killed sales.


Not really into figures but just curious- what about the Superman kits was so awful? In this day and age of computer mastering it would be extraordinary to have a replica fail so big...


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Soft detail, as if the sculptor hadn't finished yet. The face was so indistinct that it was hard to make out his features to paint. Some folks managed to do a good job despite that, and at least one guy did a magnificent job of painting it in stark blacks and bright colors to look like the comic book cover. But I wasn't up to it.


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## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

John P said:


> Too bad - the Wolverine model was damn good! I'd have love a Thor.
> But their John Byrne Superman was just awful. Maybe word of mouth on how bad it was killed sales.


John Byrne Superman? Don't remember that one. I did see the Neal Adams Superman based on the cover for the Kryptonite Nevermore story from 1971 with Supes breaking out from Kryptonite chains.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I thought that was John Byrne art.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Comic Coverage: Simply the Best: Kryptonite Nevermore!


Don't know how I made THAT mistake! :lol:


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

I think the head was kind of doughy.

https://www.mcgovernsmodels.com/round-2-models

Also wondering if static, need-to-assemble kits just aren't selling in these times of poseable action figures as well as really neat maquettes ... that _parents_ are buying for kids now, so budget isn't the same issue as it was when we saved up from our paper route.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

SteveR said:


> I think the head was kind of doughy.
> 
> https://www.mcgovernsmodels.com/round-2-models...


Unfortunately, Mr. McGovern's photos aren't the best example because his paint work makes the kit look considerably more detailed than it really is.

On the kit I received the hairline makes a vague transition to the adjacent areas on the face and neck, and the eyes are not much more than two lumps with the delineation between the eyes and eyelids barely discernible. John P. was right when he posted that it looked "as if the sculptor hadn't finished yet". Either that, or the master sculpt somehow melted a little before they made the molds.


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## Captain Robert April (Jul 5, 2016)

John P said:


> Comic Coverage: Simply the Best: Kryptonite Nevermore!
> 
> 
> Don't know how I made THAT mistake! :lol:


Well, Byrne started off aping Adams (just check out his "X-Men: Hidden Years" run for an example of when he deliberately doin' ol' Neal).


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

John P said:


> Comic Coverage: Simply the Best: Kryptonite Nevermore!
> 
> 
> Don't know how I made THAT mistake! :lol:


Even though I have the kit, that artwork never made much sense to me. The chains are _under_ his arms--how did he break them, by inhaling superhumanly deeply?


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## PsyBear (May 17, 2004)

I'd like to see a 1/48 Hawk, Swift, and Super Swift, and a 1/350 Klingon D7 and Romulan Bird of Prey.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Zombie_61 said:


> Even though I have the kit, that artwork never made much sense to me. The chains are _under_ his arms--how did he break them, by inhaling superhumanly deeply?


I think so- he swelled his manly chest and snapped the links...

The comics always had him doing odd dramatic things - part of the style I guess...


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

So, based on the Round 2 Facebook page, it looks like this year is potentially another bust for Star Trek or any sci-fi franchise kits for that matter. Aside from the 1/1000 Defiant and the Space 1999 Nuclear Waste Site accessory kit we already know about, R2 has nothing else new, just more reissues. Also no mention of producing 1/72 Space 1999 kits, that scale having clearly won in their recent poll.

According to the Facebook page, they have other new tool kits in the works, but nothing is at the point where they can talk about it. Based on their past performance, I'll believe it when I see it.

To me, they're doing almost nothing with the Star Trek license, just re-utilizing the 22" Eagle kit w/different pods & accessories and have no interest in exploring other sci-fi franchises (what happened to Alien for example). How is it that a smaller company, with (most likely) less capital to spend, Moebius, can do more in a year then R2 can do in 2 years???

I get that reissues are their bread and butter, but their slow pace for new tool sci-fi makes you wonder if anyone at R2, with the exception of Jamie Hood, really gives a rats-a$$ about anything sci-fi related!


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## JeffBond (Dec 9, 2013)

In defense of R2, remember that nobody had any idea they were doing a huge Eagle until it was practically out the door. They may have interesting stuff in the works but have learned not to announce before things are ready to go. Having said that, I'm a big fan of Moebius and am really looking forward to their Star Trek line. Frank is an expert at marshaling his resources and getting projects produced.


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## Daniel_B (Jun 28, 2016)

JeffBond said:


> Having said that, I'm a big fan of Moebius and am really looking forward to their Star Trek line.


Dude, me too. I look forward to their upcoming Franklin, Enterprise, and Kelvin kits. So awesome. Might even do the jellyfish, we'll see.


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

Now that I just dropped almost $400 on the Bandai Falcon, I'm actually fine with Round 2 and everyone else not releasing anything cool until, oh, maybe next year some time. :grin2:


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

I'm really liking the Space 1999 diorama kit! I may have to keep the build up in the shed, but its better than not having it! Wish they would do some U.F.O. stuff, I would be all over that! The other eagle will be a must. They should just put the "pods" out separately and maybe a season 2 eagle and hawk (1/48 of course).
Best,
Jim


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

PsyBear said:


> I'd like to see a 1/48 Hawk, Swift, and Super Swift, and a 1/350 Klingon D7 and Romulan Bird of Prey.


Whoa!:surprise: I missed this post somehow. Our tastes are exactly the same! Been dreaming of all of these!:smile2:
And any and everything Gerry Anderson.:grin2:


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