Sign in to follow this  
Vic

Eaglemoss Uncloaks Two New Enterprise Models

Recommended Posts

thumb_2b2e9f85c5fefe99341ebbf2402af0f413

Eaglemoss has just uncloaked two new entries in their Official Star Trek Starships Collection, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Phase II Concept) and the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C (Probert Concept). Today, we take an in-depth look at the development of both ships…

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Phase II Concept)

Enterprise designer Matt Jefferies created two versions of his iconic ship, only one of which appeared on screen. In the late 1970’s, the prayers of Star Trek fans seemed about to be answered. A TV sequel to The Original Series was finally underway, one that would see Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise’s set off on a second five-year mission aboard a redesigned and upgraded Starship Enterprise. Gene Roddenberry reached out to Matt Jefferies, the designer of the original U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, to update the ship for its long-awaited return to prime time.

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Phase II Concept)

The ship itself had already become a pop-culture icon and Jefferies had no intention of veering too far afield in the redesign. Since the story opened with the Enterprise in orbital dry dock and undergoing a refit, he wanted it to be clear that it was still the same ship. Subtle changes were made to the shape of the hull and saucer sections, with Jefferies completely redesigning the warp nacelles which were interchangeable units that had been upgraded.

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Phase II Concept)

For a variety of reasons, Paramount decided to skip the new TV series and instead opted to make Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Jefferies’ upgraded ship was abandoned, but it formed the basis of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 that would turn up on the big screen.

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Phase II Concept)

Jefferies’ lost Enterprise is the basis of this Special Issue model available only from Eaglemoss Collections. It has been painstakingly crafted under the supervision of Star Trek expert Ben Robinson and is based on Jefferies’ original blueprints and the half completed shooting model. Officially authorized by CBS Studios, this post-TOS/pre-Motion Picture variant of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 is die-cast in a specially formulated metallic resin and hand-painted. It comes with a display stand and comes with a magazine that tells the story of Jefferies’ design and explores what the abandoned Star Trek TV series would have been like, including the story behind Xon, the Vulcan set to replace Spock. 

Fans who’d like to add the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Phase II Concept) to their collection may do so online at shop.eaglemoss.com or check in at their favorite comic book shop.

The version of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C that appeared on screen in the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise” was not the ship the ship the producers had originally planned. In fact, a silhouette showing a different version of the Enterprise-C had been on the wall of the Enterprise-D’s observation lounge since the first season.

probert_Inset1.jpg

That version of the ship had been designed by Andrew Probert at the same time he was creating the Enterprise-D. Roddenberry had wanted to show the evolution of the different ships called Enterprise. Probert assumed the Enterprise–B was an Excelsior-class ship and he carefully created the Enterprise-C as a hybrid between that and his own design for the Galaxy class. But when it came to turning Probert’s ship into a physical model, the art department feared it would be too complicated to build on a TV schedule, so they opted for an easier-to-make design.

Probert Concept

Probert’s version of the Enterprise-C became a fascinating “lost corner” of the Star Trek universe. Probert’s concept appeared in The Art of Star Trek and in the Ships of the Line calendar, and now Eaglemoss have turned into a 5.5” model.

Probert Concept

This special Issue is available only from Eaglemoss Collections. Also, drafted under Ben Robinson’s supervision of Star Trek expert Ben Robinson and officially authorized by CBS Studios, this variant of the Enterprise-C is die-cast in a specially formulated metallic resin and hand-painted for accuracy. It comes with a display stand and in-depth magazine focusing on Probert’s revolutionary design work during TNG’s first season.

Fans who’d like to add the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C (Probert Concept) to their collection may do so online at shop.eaglemoss.com or check in at their favorite comic book shop.

View the full article

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this