[Guy Schlicter]

Hi,I've noticed the Bandai Star Trek models don't seem to get too much attention on Cultmans modeling page.Is it that their not popular or that people really don't consider them models.My friend and I talked about this,he considers the Bandai Star Trek models almost ready made models,as a matter of fact he calls them minatures not models.I have built only one so far the Bandai NX-01 and the snap feature worked o.k.I have seen the Bandai Enterprise E built and it looked good.I plan to build the Bandai Enterprise A soon,once I'm sure the lights work I may glue the Parts together,I really don't care for snap tite features.If any one knows of fit problems they encountered with the Bandai Refit Enterprise,please let me know.On the subject of it being a model,The Bandai Star Trek models are decent well painted versions of the ships they are supposed to represent,Thats my opinion,and I wish they were a bit cheaper,Thanks,Guy Schlicter

 

[jgoldsack]

I don't have or intend to get the NX-01 Bandai, but I do have both the Refit and the E versions. They are OK, with the refit being the better of the 2. I would not even THINK of gluing it, because unless you were planning on filling in the gaps and seams, it would still LOOK like a snap model, even if you glued it, plus you could still modify it in the future if you needed. Both models have fit issues, and the Ent-E is just WRONG on many features, where they tried to make the model a mix of both movie versions of it, plus some extra stuff which just doesn't belong.

I have seen a few of them show up on Cult's site, but I don't think that many people consider them true models, which I do not myself, simply because it is (in my opinion) just an expensive toy. If I do not have to paint it, or glue it, I don't consider it a true model.

They are still nice pieces of work, and some people have been able to fix them up quite nicely, but the fit issues are still a problem, most noticeable where the pylons join the hull, the fit is not flush at all (pylons sit higher than they are supposed to), and the seams around the saucer when you attach all the window sections. Those are my biggest complaints, but I still like it sitting on my desk at the office

I still want to tweak it some more, maybe replace all the lights with LEDs but we will see....

 

[cobywan]

A photo of the Bandai Trek kits is just showing off Bandai's work. Not the builders. There was very little satisfaction for me from putting that kit together.

 

[John P]

^What Coby said. Took me about 3 hours to stick the refit together, and I had no sense of accomplishment.

To me, it's a toy that require asssembly. Just a little more assemnbly than the average toy. I have it on a display shelf near some die cast cars and action figures. That's where it belongs.

HOWEVER! Having said all that, if someone were to go the full route - strip the paint, glue it, fill the seams, do a faboo paint job, get custom decals made.... THEN, yes, you've just built a model.

Maybe the line's a bit blurry there.

 

[justinleighty]

Personally, I have all four of their Trek kits. I'd call them models, but there's definitely not nearly as much of "me" invested in them as in my Polar Lights or old AMT kits (though I did a few minor modifications to the Ban-Dai Refit). I'm about 2/3 done masking and painting my PL NX-01 kit, and it's going to be VERY satisfying once I'm done. However, with the first three Ban-Dai kits, it was just nice to sit down, put the models together and have a nice-looking, finished piece. My others aren't so much on the finished side of things, so it was nice to have those kits done.

With the Ban-Dai 1701-A, I'm going to put a little more "me" into it, by opening up the arboretum and officers' lounge windows and by filling the saucer seams and painting those seams. But even then, it'll be a far different category than the big PL Refit will be. I'll probably have a lot more to say about my PL build than I will about the Ban-Dai build.

 

[chiangkaishecky]

Well, me guess it's belly up for Voyager
http://www.usskyushu.com/up/img-box/img20040915183833.jpg
http://www.katoots.com/tritone/trek_voyager3.jpg

 

[PerfesserCoffee]

I would be tempted to get them except for the size and cost. I agree that it sounds like an in-between category of model/toy but would make an interesting addition.

It looks to have even less work than I did on the '50s JL Batmobile that itself seemed a little TOO easy to be considered a kit despite the gluing and assembling involved.

 

[John P]

Well, me guess it's belly up for Voyager
http://www.usskyushu.com/up/img-box/img20040915183833.jpg
http://www.katoots.com/tritone/trek_voyager3.jpg

Whatchu mean belly up? Is it cancelled? One photo of the model and one link that gives me 20 pages of code doesn't tell me much.

 

[Dr. Brad]

Whatchu mean belly up? Is it cancelled? One photo of the model and one link that gives me 20 pages of code doesn't tell me much.

I was wondering the same thing! "Belly up" seems to mean it's cancelled.

 

[chiangkaishecky]

The following thread at Katoots has the other Voyager pic
http://www.katoots.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8918
stolen gif? my word!

 

[Guy Schlicter]

Those Voyager mock up pictures depict what might be one of bandais best kits,Looks damn good and may breath life back into the Voyager for me,Guy Schlicter

 

[John P]

Shecky, what the hech ya talkin' about? Belly up? Stolen gif? WTF? Make sense, man!

 

[El Gato]

[Beavis]Heh, heh, heh, heh, it's showing legs, heh, heh, heh, heh[/Beavis]

José

 

[Zombie_61]

I'd have to agree with the general consensus that the Bandai kits aren't much more than glorified toys. I picked up the three Enterprise kits only after I'd seen them assembled and saw how good they looked, but I still consider them more toys than kits. Fit and accuracy issues aside, they make a reasonably attractive collectible, and it's about the only way I'll ever have a lighted version of any of these ships since I'm "electronics illiterate". :drunk: But I know there won't be that feeling of accomplishment once I've put them together, that sense of ownership that comes from all the work involved in creating a unique piece of three-dimensional art.

 

[Trek Ace]

I bought the refit mostly out of curiosity. I still have it......unassembled.

 

[justinleighty]

I know there won't be that feeling of accomplishment once I've put them together, that sense of ownership that comes from all the work involved in creating a unique piece of three-dimensional art.

Yeah, I've had that issue a bit with the first three kits, though I just got the Enterprise-A kit and am modifying it a bit; I opened the VIP and botanical lounges' windows, modified the ports on the saucer to make them bigger, drilled out the spotlights on the engines and pointing up from the secondary hull, drilled out thrusters on the engines and on the deflector housing and even on the saucer. I plan to putty the saucer rim gaps, too.

In short, I'm making this one more "mine," though it ultimately won't look very different from the refit kit. Still, it's nice to give myself more of a sense of accomplishment.

 

[Zombie_61]

In short, I'm making this one more "mine," though it ultimately won't look very different from the refit kit. Still, it's nice to give myself more of a sense of accomplishment.

Very cool! I've thought about opening up the arboretum windows on the Refit, but for now I've settled for using DLM's blue deflector dish replacement part. *yawn*

 

[justinleighty]

It definitely adds something, though I ended up having to replace one divider that came out as I cleaned up the cuts. Oh, well. I also screwed up the fantail name decal, and had to create a new one with letters from several of the other decals on the sheet. Oh, well. That, too, looks pretty darned good (and, for what it's worth, Squadron White putty dries to almost the exact same shade as the hull paint!).