(written from a Production point of view)
Star Trek: The Next Generation Build The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D is a British partwork magazine that premiered in the UK on 13 February 2019, and debuted in the US and Germany during the subsequent month.
Published weekly by Eaglemoss Collections under its Hero Collector imprint, it was briefly available by subscription at the company's dedicated UK website and from retailers in select areas of southern England.
A sister publication of The Official Starships Collection, Discovery Starships Collection, and Star Trek Online Starships Collection, it is authorized and licensed by CBS Consumer Products.
Collectors will be able to build their own seventy centimeter-long scaled replica of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, constructed from hand-painted ABS and die-cast metal parts, and featuring an electronic lighting kit.
The model was designed as an amalgam of a number of the USS Enterprise-D studio models that appeared in TNG episodes and on film. Its sculpting most closely follows the six-foot studio model's design while its paint applications approximate the four-foot studio model's on-screen appearance.
Assembled USS Enterprise -D model prototype
The assembled replica is displayable in saucer separation mode with fully illuminated lighting, and the ship is separated into five components, each containing independent lighting units. This allows the primary hull, "neck", secondary hull, and both nacelles to be illuminated as desired. Upon receipt of the first four issues, it is possible to utilize the lighting system for the first time.
Each release includes parts for the model while its magazine contains a portion of the assembly instructions. Kit parts are designed to easily snap together and only a screwdriver, included with the first issue, is required for assembly.
Ben Robinson with a model prototype
Feature articles about the design and history of this Galaxy-class starship are incorporated into each (220 × 284 mm) sixteen-page magazine. Included with the first issue, a folded (685 × 990 mm) glossy poster depicts a life-sized dorsal image of the model.
Ben Robinson, a veteran of the Star Trek Fact Files and a number of other popular Star Trek publications and partworks, is the project manager for this series.
On 25 March 2019, the UK division of the company announced that the partwork had been suspended after the release of the second (test) issue to retail but stated that it hoped to resume publication "soon".
Introductory "boost"
UK collectors were given the option of returning the released issues for a full refund or awaiting further news. [1] Issues for UK subscribers were not dispatched before the suspension of the partwork. This type of test release is a common practice for partwork publishers, in order to gauge consumer interest.
A second message was sent to UK subscribers on 9 May 2019, stating that the line was still suspended and that further upgrades would be made to the Enterprise model before publication resumes. Updates and a "special gift" will also be sent to early subscribers, if the partwork continues. [2] Issues for US subscribers were slated to ship in late March 2019 but did not reach customers.
In September 2019, Ben Robinson stated that the partwork would re-launch in "about a year", following further refinements to the model. [3]
This publication and its model are not related to De Agostini's similar but short-lived 2011 Japanese partwork. The Japanese publication's model was executed at the same scale as Eaglemoss' but was an entirely different build that involved the participation of Rick Sternbach.
Issues
| No. | Cover | Contents | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Saucer: Main bridge and upper hull 13/02/2018
|
|
| 2 | 
|
Nacelle: superstructure, warp engine field grilles, Bussard collector, and upper hull 28/02/2018
|
|
| 3 | File:Star Trek TNG Build The USS Enterprise-D temp cover.jpg |
Premium base
Premium base
Subscribers who opt for a "Premium Kit" will receive a LED-illuminated mirrored base for the model, measuring over two feet long, for a small additional ongoing fee.
Gift premiums are delivered to subscribers at specific subscription milestones.
| No. | Premium | Delivery | Promo image |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | Free magazine (issue 2) | First |
|
| (2) | Collector's binder | First | 
|
| (3) | USS Enterprise-D thermal mug | Third | 
|
| (4) | Screw box | Sixth | 
|
| (5) | Galaxy Class Starship Development Project t-shirt | Ninth | 
|
| (6) | Enterprise display stand | Twelveth | 
|
USS Enterprise-D poster
An A3-sized (297 x 420 mm) poster of the USS Enterprise-D was offered as an additional gift premium to early subscribers. The CGI art was created by Robert Bonchune and had already premiered on the magazine cover of issue three of the abandoned 2011 Japanese partwork, and has been reprinted in the 2019 reference book Star Trek: The Next Generation: The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Illustrated Handbook.
See also
External links
Official sites
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Build The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D – UK website
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Build The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D – US website
- HeroCollector.com – Eaglemoss Collections' collector-focused web portal
- Ben Robinson (project manager) at X (formerly Twitter)
Collector sites
- HeroCollector Star Trek & Sci Fi Collections Fan Group at Facebook – unofficial fan forum
- TheTrekCollective.com - "Eaglemoss Build the USS Enterprise-D part work launches" article
- Wixiban.com - Eaglemoss/Hero Collector Build the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701- D index