| The following are reader's opinions of the USS Enterprise (refit/Enterprise-A) made by Polar Lights. |
| Reviewer | Steve Hein |
| Date Reviewed | Jun 1, 2005 |
| Overall Rating | 
Well worth getting.
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| Comments | This kit is bar-none, the best Enterprise-Refit kit to come out so far! I've seen and built the AMT/Ertl ST:VI kit, Bandai kit, the Starcrafts kit, and a few others (not all mine), and this Polar Lights model is worth the hype. I've always liked large scale model kits, and this one is HUGE. Few things match the surprise at the actual size of this ship as when you pull the saucer section out of the box for the first time, still wrapped in its bag. It was a "wow" moment. The saucer is 16 inches wide. That's only 2 inches shorter then the ERTL 18 inch long Enterprise kit. For just the saucer! The quality of this model beats the heck out of anything else. I bought the ST:VI Ent-A ERTL kit recently, and I can tell you not to waste your money on it unless you really like it, or really want it. The Polar Lights Ent-A has none of that "panel garbage" that came on the later ERTL kits. It's all smooth and beautiful. It makes for a very nice surface to create a convincing "aztec" panel detail. The same day I got it, I started work on the interior pieces. A beautiful cargo bay is included in this kit (remember the aftermarket cargo bays for the ERTL kit? This one's better!) as well as the officer's lounge, and the botanical garden. If you got some 1/350 figures in these areas, it would really give the ship that extra pop.(even though it has one heck of a pop anyway) Another piece I was very impressed with was the decal sheet. This was extensive! It looked like an aftermarket sheet. It has every marker line, every concievable name/registry decal for the 1701 or 1701-A, AND includes things like wall art for the officer's lounge, and detailed doors in the cargo bay. There's even decals for life boat hatches inside the bay that you will NEVER see when looking in, but they're there, and the text is sharp and clear! I actually got this off of ebay (embarassed) for $43. If someone tries to sell it to you for $60 (some were priced that high....), it's still worth it, but you can get it for $45 if you look hard enough. The detail on thie ship is absolutley stunning. If you have been fed up with the old ERTL kits, and the difficult time you have to find them anymore (not to mention the fit of parts on them...*grumble*, then give up and get this! You will get FAR more for your money by buying this Polar Lights kit. Parts fit together very, very nice. There were a few spots that I had to putty and sand, but no more then with any model you will buy. They all have to have seams after all. The major parts (IE: Saucer, Secondary hull, pylons, and engines) had pins to lock them together, or were engineered to stay in place while you permanently secure them. That was most welcome. I've struggled with pylons, and saucer connections many a time with other kits. The only problem with this kit..... is that I don't know where I am going to put it. It's so big :) But if that's the only problem, then darn if I won't build it! So, happy building! Buy this kit! |
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