Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection is a British partworkmagazine and product line that is published by Eaglemoss Collections under its Hero Collector imprint. Authorized and licensed by CBS Consumer Products, it is available in a number of countries worldwide.
Each fortnightly issue includes a hand-painted [1]ABS and die-cast metalscaled replica of a starship from the Star Trek universe. Notably, an unparalleled variety of ship designs have been produced as miniatures for this line, many for the first time, beyond the scope of all other mass-production manufacturers.
Starship models re-scaled to in-universe dimensions
Federation
Alien
Small
Massive
Ben Robinson and his team utilize original CGIstudio models for reference whenever they are available.[2] A Star Trek Fact Files veteran, reference book author, and custodian of his own Star Trek production art archive, Robinson oversees the preparation of the magazines and the selection, commissioning, and decoration of the starship miniatures. John Ainsworth, Hero Collector's Development Manager, assumed many of Robinson's roles for the production of the miniatures after the first 120 issues.
Robinson has also acted as a co-author and co-editor of the magazine content [3], alongside Marcus Riley, another former member of the Fact Files team, and Mark Wright, and continues to contribute starship design articles. [70]
Production stream for a model without pre-existing studio CG assets
Where existing models are unavailable, unusable, or deemed unsuitable for use, many models have been commissioned by the company and wholly recreated by independent contractors including Bonchune [5], Lebowitz, Fabio Passaro's Meshweaver Productions, [6] and Ed Giddings of Cgreactor.[7]
The models are modified, retexturized, and converted into CAD files by these contractors before CAD tooling masters are created at the Holinail Group, [71] Eaglemoss' manufacturing partner in Dongguan, China. 2D renders are often used for the publication's illustrations and newly-created annotated schematics by its art editors in the UK.
Magazine spread
Each accompanying twenty-page magazine (measuring 219 × 284 mm, except as noted) features comprehensive articles about the design, filming, and on-screen appearances of the original studio model(s).
Alongside the use of archival material, new interviews were conducted with a number of Star Trek cast members and production staff for the publication. Reference photographs of studio models, production stills, and concept art reproductions are also used extensively.
Detailed "in-universe" information about the vessel's history, crew, weapons, and technology is explored within starship profiles and in other feature articles. Online versions of many issues are also made available to subscribers.
Bonus, Special, and XL Editions, Shuttlecraft sets, resin dedication plaques, magazine binders, and hardcover reference books are available, separate from the fortnightly releases. Gift premiums were also provided to subscribers.
Standard Edition models commonly measure between four and six inches long and are released fortnightly. A number of these issues have subsequently been re-released in new packaging and can be viewed below under Repacks.
Designing The Borg Cube For First Contact, pp. 10-15
Creating Borg Technology, pp. 16-17
On Screen, p. 18
62 mm³
1:48984
Bonus Edition issues
Cloaked USS Defiant
Bonus Edition issues commonly feature registry variants and "extended canon" starship models, incorporating concept designs, model ships, ships seen only on background displays, and designs originating from comics, novels, video games (Star Trek Online), and Ships of the Line calendars. Some Bonus Edition models feature Terran Empire paint schemes as seen in the mirror universe, and the first of these incorporates unique sculpted parts not found on the original model.
These models are in the Standard Edition size range (about four to six inches long), commonly debut at Eaglemoss' Hero Collector convention booths, and are currently available exclusively from company webshops.
The SS Yorktown and Future USS Enterprise-D releases did not include magazines.
Eaglemoss received licensing to release starships from Star Trek's alternate reality (officially known as the Kelvin Timeline since 2016) as Special Editions, alongside unique starships and space stations from Star Trek's prime reality.
Made of the same materials as the Standard Editions, most Special Edition models are about six to eight inches long, and subscribers receive a small discount when purchasing them. The seventeenth release featured a battery-powered internal LED light.
These larger releases are retailed by the company's webshops and a number of other retailers.
A number of "significant" starships from the Star Trek universe have also been produced in a larger size than the Standard, Bonus, and most Special Editions. Released as XL Editions, these models generally measure between eight-and-a-half and twelve inches long, and are available from company webshops and a variety of other retailers.
XL and Standard Edition USS Enterprise models
Following the successful roll-out of the first three of these "Oversized" (or "Large Scale") issues to subscribers and retail, this sub-line was also marketed as the "Star Trek Starships XL Edition" and was launched as a separate subscription partwork on Eaglemoss' US website. [72] The company has plans for about thirty XL issues in total, as of September 2020. [73]
Beginning with XL Edition 22, a slightly smaller magazine (measuring 227 × 155 mm) is enclosed with each XL Edition, which has been designed to be stored (and retailed) within the box beneath the model. This format was also used for the magazines enclosed with the repackaged Best of XL Edition releases outlined below (in Repacks).
Commonly debuting as "Exclusives" for conventions, Limited Edition versions of a number of XL USS Enterprise models are also manufactured with 18-carat gold-plated exteriors, and are available in limited quantities.
Shuttlecraft models are smaller than the other releases, are made of metallic resin, include a small standardized stand, and are individually packaged within each four-pack box. Presently, shuttle issues are only available for purchase in four-packs, in all markets.
Shuttles may be offered as individual issues and alternate deco (or registry) variants may be manufactured in the future, if further production runs occur. [74]
Set boxes
Schematic sheets
In January 2015, shuttle issues were previewed to subscribers in Germany. By adding the "Premium" subscription option (for a small monthly fee), subscribers received a new shuttle every twenty issues. The first shuttle reached these subscribers in November 2015 [75], and only ships from the first two shuttle packs were included in the offer.
An eight-page booklet (measuring 150 × 210 mm) that contains (exclusively) "in-universe" information accompanies each model. It features master systems display illustrations (okudagrams) newly created for each issue by Mike Okuda.
These schematics are also printed onto translucent plastic sheets (measuring 120 × 80 mm) which can be mounted on (included) plastic clip stands.
Rick Sternbach and Tim Earls designed the sheets for the third shuttlecraft four-pack, while Doug Drexler was enlisted to design them for the fifth and sixth sets. Okuda designed the sheets for the seventh set.
Each set includes a fifty-page booklet (measuring 168 × 216 mm) that contains material covering all of the starships in the set, compiled from the previously released individual magazines, as is detailed above. The booklet for both versions of the third set has sixty-five pages to accommodate the content for the extra (fourth) ship. All models are identical to their earlier releases (as Standard or Bonus Editions) and are packaged individually within the box for the set.
Best of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection
Packaging mockup
Debuting exclusively in North America in February 2018, Eaglemoss re-released twelve of its most popular Standard Edition issues in new windowbox packaging with attached J-hooks, enabling the boxes to be hung on pegs at retailers. The models within are identical to their earlier releases.
Scaled to fit into the box beneath the model, a downsized twenty-page booklet accompanies each starship and its stand. Each "collector's guide" (measuring 145 × 183 mm) has the same content as the original full-sized magazine (as is detailed above) but the issue number is not printed on the cover. This packaging style was later used for the cloaked USS Defiant convention exclusive and other re-releases in the Americas.
In 2020, the "Best of" range was expanded and its availability to the UK and Europe was announced. [76]
Best of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection XL Edition
In 2020, the company began to re-release a number of its most popular XL Edition starship models in new "retail-friendly" premium boxes made of thicker cardboard, with the models within cradled in black foam. Lifting the magnetic clasps and opening the gatefold on a box's front allows the model to be displayed (in a windowbox) while still packaged.
A smaller version of the magazine (measuring 227 × 155 mm) with identical contents (as is detailed above) is included with each model (and its stand) and is stored (and retailed) within the box behind the ship.
Gift premiums (known here as "loyalty gifts") are sent to subscribers and include a binder for holding the magazines, a polyresin USS Enterprise-D dedication plaque, a three-nacelled Future USS Enterprise-D model, and a battery-powered, LED-illuminated PVC Borg Cube. An enamel starship pin was added as a gift in June 2018 but it was superseded by a pair of steel bookends in September 2018.
In Japan, early subscribers received a unique, smaller, LED-illuminated PVC Borg Cube after De Agostini, the magazine's local publisher, "declined" to release the UK version of the Borg Cube and manufactured its own. De Agostini also released a key ring as a gift, in lieu of the UK's free magazine binder.
Initially advertised as subscriber "exclusives", the UK version of the Borg cube, the USS Enterprise-D plaque, and the Future USS Enterprise-D model were later retailed to the general public through company webshops. Magazines were not included with these starship models.
Distribution issues have resulted in some subscribers receiving their gift premiums much later than the scheduled intervals indicated on the magazine's subscription sites. Nonetheless, the magazine's Terms and Conditions state that the company has the right to modify this schedule (and the gifts) unilaterally. For American and Canadian subscriptions, the gift premiums are scheduled for much later subscriber milestones than is the case with all other territories.
Scaling, size, and contents info, cover scans, and some graphics courtesy of Wixiban's Star Trek Collectables Portal[77] *Starship length as measured from bow to stern, where applicable.
† Japan early subscriber exclusive
‡ UK subscriber gift released upon the publication of Standard Edition issue 160
Starship dedication plaques
Painted, scaled, metallic polyresin starship dedication plaques are made available through company webshops and retail outlets, and were designed by Michael Okuda. In late 2018, the company indicated that a "few more" dedication plaques were being planned.
The first release was initially distributed to subscribers as a gift premium.
Commencing in September 2018, US subscribers who opt for a "Platinum" subscription will receive a plaque every ten issues, for an additional ongoing fee.
In October 2016, Eaglemoss Publications premiered the first volume of the Star Trek: Designing Starships series, a line of hardcover reference books that are primarily comprised of starship design articles from the Starships Collection partworks' individual magazines, combined with new artwork, charts, and expanded material.
Published under the Hero Collector imprint, second editions of the first three volumes and all subsequent books in the series were released by Eaglemoss in mass-market editions, utilizing Penguin Random House's Publisher Services division.
A fifth volume is slated for release in August 2021.
Star Trek: Shipyards, subtitled The Encyclopedia of Star Trek Ships, is a mass-market hardcover reference book series that presents an "in-universe" chronological history of canon starships, and is published by Eaglemoss Collections through Penguin Random House's Publisher Services division, under its Hero Collector imprint.
Volumes are principally comprised of starship profile articles produced for the Starships Collection partworks, combined with new artwork, charts, and expanded material. The series was characterized by Ben Robinson as an effort to create "an equivalent of Jane's Fighting Ships for Star Trek". [78] Starships from the alternate reality (Kelvin Timeline) and TAS are not covered in this series, and ships seen only on displays will not be incorporated.
A Special Edition of the first volume included a model of the USS Enterprise from (Standard Edition) issue 50 of the Starships Collection. [79]
In Japan, the first editions of the first two volumes were published by De Agostini and carried its imprint on the covers. The Books-A-Million Edition of these two books bore variant covers and were exclusively retailed by the American bookshop chain, Books-A-Million.
A "limited edition" three-volume box set included a specially-designed slipcase, a fold-out starship size chart (a 35 × 25-inch poster), and the first, second, and fourth books of the series. [80]
A fifth and sixth volume will explore "every" Borg vessel and starship seen in the Delta Quadrant, and the company has created new CG starship models for those few VOY ships that were solely created as practical (physical) studio models. [81][85]
With both scheduled to debut in August 2021, a forthcoming second edition of the second book will now incorporate ships from DIS and PIC, while a seventh volume will cover ships from the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
The first volume of the mass-market hardcover Illustrated Handbook reference series comprehensively explores the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D starship and its history, technology, and crew, incorporating updated and expanded content from the Star Trek Fact Files, alongside some new material and artwork. [82]
A Special Edition of the first book includes a starship model (from the first Standard Edition issue of this partwork), and both editions were published by Eaglemoss Collections through Penguin Random House's Publisher Services division under its Hero Collector imprint. [83]
The second volume features the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A, as they were seen in The Original Series, Discovery, and feature films. [84] A model of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A (from Standard Edition issue 72) is included with the Special Edition.
A third volume focuses on the USS Voyager and was slated for release in two editions but its Special Edition (with a model of the ship from Standard Edition issue 6) was "postponed indefinitely" before publication.
Eaglemoss/Hero Collector also retails the Star Trek Graphic Novel Collectionpartwork, which comprehensively republishes many of IDW's Star Trek titles and a wide range of comics from other publishers.
Premium magazine binders
Premium binders with "Federation" and "Alien" starship illustrations on their covers have been made available to supplement the standard binder design (as seen above in Gifts).
Premium binders
Originally released as a "limited edition" exclusive in December 2014, a "Federation & Alien" binder featuring a silver foil Star Trek logo (left) was only retailed for a brief period and did not reappear (on the US shop) until 2021. [86] The "Federation" binder (center), another "limited edition" release, later became available from company webshops on an ongoing basis.
Marketing
UK test issue 1
UK test marketing
Originally identified as prospective product line during market research for (predecessor company) GE Fabbri's short-lived Star Trek: The Figurine Collection, the first five Starships Collection issues were test-marketed at retail in England's south-west region beginning in May 2012, and the company's website began to solicit UK subscriptions. Due to unexpected heavy demand and the resulting production and distribution challenges, new subscriptions were suspended at the end of July 2012.
Upon receipt of the first five issues, subscribers were advised that the magazine had been suspended and that confirmation of forthcoming issues from the publisher was pending. Gift premiums were not distributed to subscribers. This type of early "test release" is a common practice for partwork publishers, in order to gauge public interest.
UK and Ireland marketing
UK launch promo
Eight-page intro "boost"
In September 2012, a Facebook page was established for the magazine and Eaglemoss subsequently announced that a full UK roll-out of the line was slated for February 2013. New subscriptions resumed on 17 September 2012 and the company confirmed that gift premiums and more issues were forthcoming. Residents of the Republic of Ireland were added to the UK subscriber base in early 2013.
At the very inception of the project, a production run of fifty issues was foreseen, [86] but by the time the project was gearing up for its initial run, the company increased that number to seventy issues and displayed a "provisional list" of ships at the Destination Star Trek London convention in October 2012. A large number of additional issues have been identified by company representatives through social media and interview podcasts.
On 9 January 2013, the company announced that the line would be indefinitely placed on hiatus until a new manufacturer was found, following the closure of their contracted production facility by Chinese authorities.
Early starships promo
A "Shadyprise" variant (right)
Starship models produced with the toolings and paint masks from the closed factory subsequently appeared in large-volume online auctions from Hong Kong. The two USS Enterprise-D models were later dubbed "Shadyprise" variants by collectors, due to their somewhat shady origin. Notably, the early Klingon Bird-of-Prey, USS Enterprise-D and Future USS Enterprise-D models feature paintwork that differs markedly from the official releases.
In early April 2013, Eaglemoss sent emails to subscribers stating that the magazine was back in production at a new factory and indicated that shipping would resume in August 2013. This re-launch date was confirmed on the line's newly redesigned website in May 2013 and the first issue was re-released on 21 August 2013.
Standard-sized boxes
Special and XL boxes
The Standard Edition-sized starship models are produced in "box scale", designed to fit within a standardized box size for sale at a common price point. The boxes for almost all of these starships (the Standard, Bonus and Shuttlecraft issues) measure 168 × 127 × 51 mm. Smaller (and taller) boxes (measuring 123 × 101 × 80 mm) were supplied for Standard issues 10, 58, 94, 96, 109, 127, 146, and 180, and Bonus issue 22. A larger box (measuring 176 × 176 × 80 mm) was made for the Bajoran Solar-Sailor and another (measuring 164 × 138 × 86 mm) encompassed the Xindi-Insectoid Warship. The dimensions of the boxes for the Special and XL Edition starship models vary greatly.
In all cases, the model can be easily removed from (and put back into) the box without damaging the packaging or model whatsoever. There are no holes made in the models for the stands.
In the UK and Ireland, COMAG UK distributes subscriptions through the Royal Mail while DPD (UK) and the Royal Mail distribute webshop orders. Most products are also available through specialty shops.
International marketing
US shop banners
Following the successful roll-out of the magazine in the UK and Ireland, Eaglemoss launched the magazine in a number of other territories worldwide, beginning in late 2013. English-language magazines distributed outside of the UK are identical to the UK releases. [87]
In Japan, the (numbered) Standard Edition issues are published and distributed by De Agostini and carry its imprint on the covers. The first six issues were retailed in 2012 in a test marketing run, similar to the UK's initial test release. The subsequent regular Japanese release was marketed differently as magazine and model came standard packaged within a gatefold box. The German release of the line also had a five-issue test run before its full launch.
John Van Citters, the Vice President of CBS Consumer Products' Product Development division at the time, supervised the production of the partwork for the licensors and formally announced the expansion of the magazine to ninety regular issues at a panel on 2 August 2014 at the Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas. [87]
Further extensions were announced on 11 December 2015 (to 110), 4 September 2016 (to 130), 22 September 2017 (to 150), 25 December 2017 (to 160), and 3 August 2019 (to 180).
A small number of models were manufactured with minor painting errors that were corrected during subsequent production runs. Issues affected include 1, 9, 15, 16, and shuttle issue 08.
Online contests
The Collection was briefly seen in the 2018 "Star Trek" episode of the Netflix documentary series The Toys That Made Us, where it was characterized as an accurately reproduced product line from a latter-day company that is specifically aimed at adult collectors. It also opined that the line is not a toy line nor typical mass-market merchandise, as it caters to a very specific niche in the collector market.
In many countries worldwide, products are available by subscription,[88] at the company's webshops, and through other retailers, where available. Most products are also retailed by newsagents and booksellers, and by comics, collectibles and gaming shops affiliated with Diamond Comic Distributors. Amazon.com, Anovos, Sideshow Collectibles, ThinkGeek/GameStop, and other retailers market a number of releases from this partwork and its Discovery spin-off. Loot Crate also released a small number of models within its Star Trek Mission Crate subscription box line.
Japanese
Japanese box
German
Dutch
French
Spanish
International editions
From 2016 onward, citizens of the EU gained access to the UK webstore, and somewhat later still gained their own EU webshop. It prompted some previously individual webshops, such as the Dutch-language one to close down, which also entailed the cessation of the Dutch-language Collection release. Dutch and Flemish collectors (no subscription service existed for the Netherlands/Belgium) had to make do with the English-language edition henceforth. Incidentally, over the course of the Collection release, most foreign-language editions ceased publication at one point in time or another, switching over to English for their subscribers/collectors. [88] This held especially true for the side collections such as the XL, Bonus, and Special editions which have not seen translated editions, as well as the Discovery and Universe spin-of collections where no foreign language editions are known to exist as of 2021. German and Japanese were two of the few foreign language editions still being released, albeit only where the standard (behind the English-language edition lagging) Collection is concerned.
Future issues
Past prototypes
In a Q&A session on his Twitter page, project manager Ben Robinson wrote, "It's a question of economics, though. If enough people are buying, we'll keep going. We're already doing more ships than anyone ever imagined. Hurrah!" [89]
In October 2019, the company announced that Standard Edition (numbered) issues would conclude with the publishing of issue 180, and later outlined plans to continue to produce more Standard Edition-sized Bonus ships that will reach market "roughly every three months", beginning around "the middle" of 2021. [88]Bernd Schneider of Ex Astris Scientia, the noted Star Trek reference website, has assisted CG modeler Fabio Passaro by providing reference material for many of these alien ships and lesser-known "ships of the week", mainly from TNG and VOY. [89] EAS mainstay and MA admin Jörg Hillebrand also contributed reference material for some of these issues. [90][91]
More "extended-canon" or "soft-canon" Bonus Editions may be produced, including newly-created models based on concept designs, and more cloaked ships are under consideration. "Battle-damaged" versions of some starships may be made as XL Editions, while future starships from the older Star Trek films will likely be released as Special Editions, due to the added costs of producing all-new CG models and toolings from scratch. A few Star Trek: The Animated Series ships may eventually reach production.
Registry, "cloaked", and gold variants may continue to be released as convention exclusives but all new classes of starship will remain available to subscribers and retail. Ben Robinson indicated that the company wanted to ensure that missed con exclusives would "not be too painful" for those who could not attend, while still providing "something special" for collectors who did.
Background starships from the alternate reality (Kelvin Timeline) may be released as Bonus Edition issues, following adjustments to licensing with CBS, and Eaglemoss/Hero Collector is creating new models because the films' producers could not locate some of the original CG files within their archives. Ben Robinson also hopes that the producers of Star Trek Beyond will allow the company to manufacture a USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A model, something they have declined to do in the past due to uncertainty about its future appearance.
A collector's display of releases (2/2021)
Eaglemoss is hoping to produce the classic starship designs created by Franz Joseph as models, and has indicated that his estate is engaged in negotiations with CBS.
As of December 2020, thirty XL Edition issues are planned, in total. A "more fancy" Borg cube, possibly an XL issue, is also planned. [92]
The starship models measure from about fifteen to twenty-five centimeters in length, comparable to many of the Special Editions from this collection. Larger "Special Edition" DIS starship models, similar in size to the "XL Edition" models released in this partwork, have also been produced.
As is detailed above, XL Edition models of the USS Enterprise (as it appeared in Discovery), the USS Shenzhou, and the USS Discovery were also released in this collection, following their release as smaller models in the DIS partwork.
In October 2020, the company announced that its forthcoming starship miniatures from DIS (after numbered issue 33), PIC, and SNW would be combined into a new product line, [96] which was subsequently identified as the Star Trek Universe: The Official Starships Collection.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Build The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D
Made from diecast metal and ABS and incorporating an electronic lighting kit, the model is constructed from 120 individual issues that are released weekly by subscription, with four kits sent together each month.
After a limited retail release of two test issues in the UK in 2019 and the company's decision to retool the model and redesign the magazine art, a March 2021 debut for the partwork was announced in December 2020. Die-cast models of the ship's shuttles (in Standard Edition size, as above) are planned as Special issues of the partwork. [97]
Star Trek Online Starships Collection
On 6 June2020, the company debuted the Star Trek Online Starships Collection, a new partwork featuring four to six-inch diecast metal and ABS starships, similar in size to the Standard Edition models from this series.
After launching with ten, the company announced that the series would be extended to twenty issues in July 2020.
Developed from a design originally commissioned for the game, Eaglemoss has previously manufactured two starship miniatures (in two distinct liveries) of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F (β) as Bonus Editions within the first Starships Collection, as is detailed above.
Star Trek Universe: The Official Starships Collection
Each issue includes a (roughly) six to ten inch-long (150 to 250 mm-long, similar in size to Special Editions from this partwork), hand-painted scaled replica of a starship from Star Trek: Picard and/or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and the line will later serve as a continuation of the Star Trek: Discovery The Official Starships Collection (following the release of its 33rd numbered issue).
Larger Special Edition models will also be produced for the Universe series, and its project manager added, "We're doing what we can to accelerate an XL version of the Disco-A". As the forthcoming XL Edition of La Sirena has been announced as a release in this partwork, the XL Disco-A is listed above. [98][99]
Gallery
Checklist for the Standard Edition issues (10/2019)
Checklist for the Bonus, Special and XL Edition issues (10/2019)
Comparison of Klingon Bird-of-Prey models
Comparison of Special Edition SP2 and SP12 USS Enterprise models
Electronic lighting within the maw of the Planet Killer model
↑The models are painted freehand and with the use of paint masks (templates), alongside pad and tampo printing processes, while electro-plating is employed for the 18k gold-plated Enterprise-D release. The earliest prototypes are 3D printed in resin and, once approved by Eaglemoss and CBS, are manufactured using a variety of injection, vacuum, and compression molding techniques. [1]
↑Ben Robinson has previously used live-action production CGI studio models to create illustrations for other licensed Star Trek print publications, in the process becoming, at least where the Star Trek franchise was concerned, a pioneer by doing so. He commissioned Rob Bonchune (and others) to render these models for use in the Star Trek Fact Files and its US magazine derivative. Robinson served as project manager, editor and writer of many issues of those publications (incidentally published by one of Eaglemoss Collections' two original constituent parts, GE Fabbri), foreshadowing his similar role at the Official Starships Collection. Regarding the availability of production-used digital models, Robinson has stated, "There is an excellent archive of ships from Voyager and Enterprise. Less so with the other shows." [2] To alleviate this shortage of models, Robinson solicited the input of former Digital Muse Effects Supervisor David Lombardi, who turned out to still have a partial database of digital models that Digital Muse had specifically constructed for Deep Space Nine. [3][4] Years earlier, Lombardi had constructed a digital model of the Enterprise-E as Digital Muse's solicitation model for possible use in Star Trek: Insurrection, and it was his model that was used for the orthographic views in issues 21 and XL3 of the Collection, alongside the beauty views of the later Star Trek Nemesis version created by Digital Domain. (See: Sovereign-class model)
↑Ben Robinson stated that he wrote the first magazines of this partwork in their entirety.
↑Some of the designers' background art and material about starship design is based on archival material, and may have been previously published in the Fact Files and its derivatives.
↑As identified online, Rob Bonchune has created 3D starship models and/or renders for issues 4, 10, 23, 24, 26-28, 30-32, 34, 37, 38, 40, 41, 48, 50, 55, 57, 60, 63, 65, 67, 71, 88, 93, 94, 98, 99, 102, 115, 117, 134, 154, 155, XL1, XL4, XL8, and Shuttlecraft Set 1. [5]
↑CG models that Fabio Passaro's Meshweaver Productions has provided for the Collection, as identified online, include issues 12 (not a new build, but a re-rendered version of the Digital Muse model), 14, 20, 47, 54, 56, 61, 64, 73, 75, 79, 80, 85, 86, 91-93, 95, 96, 100, 104, 105, 108, 110, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 126, 127, 138, 143, 159, 161, M1, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP7, SP9, SP11, Bonus issues 05, 07, and 11, and Shuttle issues 05, 13, 14, 15 and 16. [6]
↑Praised by Lebowitz for their high level of detail, Ed Giddings' pre-existing Centaur and Excelsior models, constructed for the canceled 2000 Unseen Frontier reference book project, were deemed as quite suitable for use in the Official Starships Collection, as was his 2010 spin-off build of the refittedExcelsior-class which he had built for Bonchune's USS Enterprise Owners' Workshop Manual reference book. [7] New or replacement CG models that Ed Giddings' Cgreactor has provided for the Collection, as identified online, include issues 8, 40, 42, 46, 52, 59, 90, 98, 103, 123, SP1, Bonus issues 08 and 19, and XL issue 17.
↑The cover of the XL Edition of the Akira-class gives a different "real" ship length of 440 meters long rather than 464.43 meters, resulting in a scale of 1:3667.
↑The "real" Solar-Sailor's length is given as 49 meters on the Starfleet & the Federation scale chart included with the Star Trek: Shipyards - Starfleet & the Federation Box Set, and was published in late 2019. Scale was calculated from this figure, courtesy of Wixiban.com [8]
↑The magazine states that the size of the Prometheus is 126 m (used for scaling here) but other sources (and its onsceen appearances) indicate that a more appropriate size for the ship is 415 m [9], placing the scale at 1:2964. Courtesy of Wixiban.com [10]
↑Scaling is based on an estimate of the armored Voyager set at a length of 360 metres (a 5% increase from the standard hull configuration), courtesy of Wixiban.com. [11]
↑The magazine states the size of the Bajoran Raider is 33.1 m (used here for scaling) but other sources (and on-screen appearances) indicate that a more appropriate size for the ship is 8.5 m [12], placing the scale at 1:71. Courtesy of Wixiban.com [13]
↑The original studio model of the Academy trainer craft bore a (too small to be seen on-screen) Cobra logo (from G.I. Joe) as a nose marking. Hasbro, the owner of this design, "declined" Eaglemoss' request to use it for the starship model so a Red Squad logo was substituted.
↑The dimensions of the Borg Queen's ship are not stated in the magazine. Scale is based on a length/beam of 820.4 m, as published in the Star Trek: Starship Spotter reference book.
↑The remastered Eymorg ship's scale is based on an estimated length of 10 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [14]
↑The scale of Arctic One was based on the magazine's cover which stated the ship's length was 80 meters. As the assimilated version of the vessel is also deemed by the earlier magazine to be the same length, this version would be more appropriately sized at 60 meters, placing the scale at 1:480. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [15]
↑The length of the Warship Voyager was not stated in the magazine so it was estimated at 348 meters long. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [16]
↑A more appropriate length for the "real" Vaadwaur Fighter appears to be about 24 meters, placing the scale at 1:209. However, the stated length from the magazine was used here.
↑According to a scale chart later created by the show's VFX supervisors, the Federation Tug is approximately 66 meters long, placing the scale at 1:733. [17] However, the stated length from the magazine was used here.
↑Although the magazine cover states that the "real" T'Pau is 470 meters long, the 142.5 meter length printed on the poster included with Eaglemoss' Star Trek: Shipyards - Starfleet & the Federation Box Set was used for scaling here, as it appears to more accurately reflect the ships seen on-screen. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [18]
↑The Fesarius' scale was based on an estimated diameter of 2,080 meters. The magazine's cover states the "real" vessel's diameter is "more than 1.6 km". Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [20]
↑As the lengths of the "real" USS Excelsior concept designs are not stated in the magazines, scale was based on the final ship's length of 467 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [21]
↑The size of the "real" D'Vahl is not stated in the magazine so scale was based on an estimated length of 30 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [22]
↑The sticker on the base of the Nebula-class USS Melbourne model's stand has "USS Nebula (Prototype)" printed on it.
↑Like the other Nebula class variants, the USS Melbourne's magazine states that the "real" ship is 442.23 meters long, placing the scale of this model at 1:3810, which is used here. However, due to the ship's extended hull and other configuration differences, Ex Astris Scientia's estimated length of 535 meters would more appropriately set the scale at 1:4612. [23]
↑As the lengths of the "real" USS Excelsior concept designs are not stated in the magazines, scale was based on the final ship's length of 467 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [24]
↑Scale was based on an estimated length of 150 meters for the "real" Orion Interceptor. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [25]
↑Scale of the Concept III model was calculated using the (final) "real" USS Excelsior's length of 467 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [26]
↑The scale of the Karemma starship model was calculated using the Star Trek Fact Files' stated length of 380 meters for the "real" ship, as the ship's length was not provided in the issue. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [27]
↑Erroneously, the sticker on the bottom of the Tamarian Deep Space Cruiser model's stand has "Karemma Starship" printed on it. A corrected sticker was sent to UK subscribers with issue 175.
↑A design chapter is listed for pages 10-11, which however, is not featured in the magazine.
↑Kes' "real" shuttle was estimated as 30 meters long for scaling purposes by Wixiban.com, the length of a previous incarnation of the ship when it appeared in 'Drive', as the ship's length was not provided in the magazine. [28]
↑The "real" Denobulan Medical Ship was estimated as 23 meters long for scaling purposes by Wixiban.com, as the ship's length was not provided in the magazine. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [29]
↑The "real" Xindi-Insectoid Scout was estimated as 140 meters long for scaling purposes by Wixiban.com, based on a concept drawing in the magazine, as the ship's length was not provided in the issue. [30]
↑Courtesy of Wixiban.com, the scaling of Archer's "real" toy ship was calculated using an estimated length of half a meter, as information about the toy's dimensions was not provided in the magazine. The "real" spaceship that the "in-universe" toy ship was based upon was estimated by Wixiban at 18 meters long, which would place the scale of the Eaglemoss replica at 1:200. [31]
↑As no information is included in the magazine, the scale of the Vidiian Starship model was calculated using a length of 500 meters for the "real" ship, as estimated by Ex Astris Scientia. [32]
↑The Bonus Edition issue numbers and sequence shown here were provided by Eaglemoss UK in October 2019, are substantially revised from earlier versions, and do not necessarily list the ships in the order of actual release.
↑The Future USS Enterprise-D model was first released on 28 November 2013 as a gift premium for subscribers and later became available to the general public exclusively from company webshops. A magazine was not included.
↑A model of the apocryphal SS Yorktown model premiered at the New York Comic-Con and the Destination Star Trek Europe conventions in October 2016. [33] Subscribers were able to purchase it at a discount [34] and some remaining "limited stock" was retailed as a webshop exclusive. [35][36] In total, 5,000 models were produced as a limited edition and a magazine was not included.
↑Following a successful online fan petition championed by The Trek Collective and Geekology, [37][38] models of the USS Titan (which primarily appears in Star Trek novels, video games and calendars, but made its first canon appearance in the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode "No Small Parts") were produced. The original CGI model was designed by Sean Tourangeau and constructed by Ellery O'Connell, but the model was modified by Fabio Passaro for this collection.
↑Following a successful online fan petition championed by The Trek Collective and Geekology, [39][40] models of the USS Aventine (which primarily appears in Star Trek novels, video games and calendars) were produced. The ship saw a very limited retail release, outside of Eaglemoss sources. The CGI model was constructed by the ship's designer, Mark Rademaker.
↑Andrew Probert's USS Enterprise-C concept design appeared (in profile) in a six-ship relief sculpture of vessels named USS Enterprise, displayed on a wall in the USS Enterprise-D's observation lounge.
↑The scale of the USS Enterprise-C Probert concept model was calculated using Andrew Probert's scale chart, indicating that that the "real" ship was intended to be 1721 feet (or 525 m) long. [41] This information was not stated in the magazine.
↑The length of the "real" Phase II USS Enterprise is not stated in the magazine so scale was calculated using Kennedy Shipyards' specifications, placing the length of the ship at 301.55 m. [42] Designed for use in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Andrew Probert lengthened the Enterprise refit to a thousand feet (304.8 m), "just a few feet longer than it was", in reference to Matt Jefferies' Phase II ship dimensions. Computer screens also displayed the Phase IIEnterprise design in the first two Star Trek films. (Designing a refit-Enterprise for Phase II)
↑The USS Defiant model features phosphorescent paintwork to simulate the starship's appearance when it became trapped in Interphase. Chronologically, it was the seventh Bonus issue released but it is identified as the tenth in Eaglemoss' catalogs.
↑Scale of the "real" Voyager concept ship was based on a length of 1,250 feet (381 m), as stated by Rick Sternbach on the Unofficial STSS Facebook page on 28 September 2018. [43]
↑Following a successful online fan petition championed by The Trek Collective and Geekology, [44][45] models of the USS Bonaventure, which originated in the 2006 Ships of the Line calendar and its book derivatives, were produced. The CGI model was constructed by the ship's designer, Meni Tsirbas.
↑The length of the "real" Bonaventure is not stated in the magazine so scale was based on an estimate of 265 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [46]
↑Both Enterprise-F models included an A5-sized printed insert bearing a code for a free Tier-5 Odyssey class (β) tactical cruiser and exclusive Ship Material and Ship Upgrade tokens for the Star Trek Online PC game. The magazines contain the same content but have different covers.
↑Both Enterprise-F models included an A5-sized printed insert bearing a code for a free Tier-5 Odyssey class tactical cruiser and exclusive Ship Material and a Ship Upgrade tokens for the Star Trek Online PC game. The magazines contain the same content but have different covers.
↑A limited edition of 2500 cloaked (translucent resin) USS Defiant models debuted on 3 October 2019 at the New York Comic Con, and was also retailed on the 25th of the month at the Destination Star Trek convention in Birmingham, England. A smaller magazine (measuring 144 × 182 mm) is included within its windowbox package. [47][48][49]
↑The length of the "real" Conestoga is not stated in the magazine so scaling was based on an estimated length of 211 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [50]
↑The length of the "real" Klingon D4 concept is not stated in the magazine so scaling was based on an estimated length of 145 meters, equal to that of the Klingon Raptor. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [51]
↑The diameter of the "real" Cardassian orbital weapons platform was not stated in the magazine and was estimated at 120 meters. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [52]
↑Tiny hull markings painted on the outer rim of the USS Reliant Concept's saucer (and behind its bridge) identify the model as the "USS Antares", whereas its other hull markings are correct (for Reliant).
↑From the proposed 8th season of DS9 as seen in the What We Left Behind documentary and named for Emmett Till, a 14 year-old African-American boy who was lynched in 1955. Designed by John Eaves.
↑The Special Edition Deep Space 9 model does not include a display stand.
↑The length of the "real" USS Enterprise from the 2009 film was not stated in the magazine. The ship was designed to be 366 m long but was scaled up by a factor of two for some sequences. 725.35 m (used here to calculate scale) is the length indicated by the film's Blu-ray disc. [53]
↑The magazine's cover states that the Kelvin is 315 m long (used here to calculate scale) but the ship was also scaled at 457.2 m and 655 m during the film's production.
↑Diameter of K-7 is not stated in the magazine. Scale calculated using Ex Astris Scientia's estimated (approximate) diameter of 450 m. [54]
↑Length of the USS Enterprise XCV-330 is not stated in the magazine. Scale calculated using the Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology's stated length of 300 m.
↑The length of the Klingon Warbird is not stated in the magazine so scale was calculated using an estimated length of 350 m, as indicated by Ex Astris Scientia. [55]
↑The "real" Kobayashi Maru's size is not stated in the magazine. Scale is based on Ex Astris Scientia's estimated length of 562 m. [56]
↑Spacedock stands approximately 225 mm high when displayed on its stand.
↑Scale derived from placing the "real" V'ger's length (after shedding its energy cloud) at 78,000 km, as stated in the novelization and seen in a film outtake. The magazine cover states the vessel's length is 300 million km, placing the scale at 1:1363636363636. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [57]
↑The Planet Killer features internal electronic lighting, requiring two LR41 button cell batteries that are not included with the model.
↑The Planet Killer model's scale was based on an estimated "real" length of 5 km. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [58]
↑A full-sized magazine (with a typo in its title) was included with the 18 karat gold-plated USS Enterprise-D model that was released in the UK. The model began to be retailed by the US e-shop on 23 December 2019 but did not include a magazine when first shipped. The model is enclosed in a Standard Edition box, within a printed outer sleeve that correctly identifies the product as the "Gold Model of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D".
↑The size of the "real" Vulcan Warp Sled is not stated in the magazine so scaling was based on the 48 meter length printed on the poster included with Eaglemoss' Star Trek: Shipyards - Starfleet & the Federation Box Set. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [59]
↑Regula I stands approximately 225 mm high when displayed on its stand.
↑The scale of the Son'a Collector was based on a "real" ship length of 5000 feet (1524 m), based on John Eaves' concept drawing, courtesy of Wixiban.com.
↑The final production version of the XL USS Thunderchild model does not have the ship's name printed on the saucer, in line with the studio model's appearance in First Contact. Inadvertently, a small number of models were released (mainly to Brazil) that had purple-painted impulse engines instead of grey. [60]
↑Scale was calculated based on the "real" Akira-class' length being placed at 440 meters, as is printed on the XL magazine's cover. A length of 464.43 meters, as is printed in the Standard Edition magazine, was not used here but would result in a scale of 1:2101. Courtesy of Wixiban.com. [61]
↑The XL Edition Deep Space 9 model includes a display stand.
↑The XL Edition USS Shenzhou model erroneously bears mirror universeTerran Empire markings on its nacelles, rather than Starfleet logos. Beginning with this issue, slightly smaller magazines (measuring 227 × 155 mm) were enclosed with all XL Edition models, now sized to fit within the boxes.
↑The Limited Edition (XL) version of the 18-carat gold-plated USS Enterprise-D is identified as the "Gold USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D" on its box and the "USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D (Special)" on its stand's label. It was made available for pre-order from company webshops (with only 1000 copies available worldwide) as a convention exclusive for the New York Comic Con x MCM Comic Con Metaverse online event (8-11 October 2020), and was first shipped (in a premium "Best of" box) to US customers in January 2021 and to UK customers during the following month.
↑The Limited Edition (XL) version of the 18-carat gold-plated USS Enterprise was made available for pre-order from company webshops (with only 500 copies available worldwide) in late April 2021.
↑The Type-7 shuttlecraft was constructed from Andrew Probert's concept design that appeared on LCARS displays, at the designer's request.
↑The Med Evac shuttle model is marked as shuttle 43, a shuttle that didn't have a red livery in the film.
↑An early production run of this 2018 re-release erroneously omitted the USS Enterprise-B model and included the USS Enterprise-E model. Free replacement ships were provided to customers by the company.
↑The bookends were previously released as a Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection gift premium and were added as gift premiums for new Starships Collection subscribers in September 2018.
↑This enamel pin was previously released as a FanSets product and was added as a gift premium for new subscribers between June and August 2018.
↑In August 2020, Eaglemoss/Hero Collector released a similar shipyard book, entitled Battlestar Galactica Shipyards, that focused on spaceships from the Battlestar Galactica franchise (ISBN 9781858756110), whereas a second book, Battlestar Galactica: Designing Spaceships (ISBN 9781858758008), was announced for release in July 2021. [62] Like their Star Trek counterparts, both titles originate from magazines articles first published in its related partwork from the same publisher.
↑Since it first became available, the "Federation & Alien" binder has been retailed continuously by the company's German webshop and was still in stock as late as 2021. [63]
↑Aside from those countries where it had entered into joint ventures with established outside publishing partners (such as De Agostini in Japan), Eaglemoss has utilized Data Base Factory for its customer service, distribution, translation, and editorial services for the UK and non-English language areas. Data Base Factory is now a subsidiary of CCA International Inc.
↑ 88.088.1Subscription services were not available for the Netherlands, Belgium and most of the other smaller countries, nor was a The Official Starships Collection subscription at the UK mother website available for them, something that was however, for the later (English-language exclusively) starships collections.
↑In conjunction with the expansion from seventy to ninety issues, Robinson later confirmed that former Star Trek Producer Dave Rossi had made the entire starship database of the remasteredOriginal Series available to the publication. [64] From this acquisition, Robinson scored a coup for his project as it constituted the first time that the remastered Original Series ships, particularly those specifically constructed for the production, [65] were made available for products produced for the general public. This availability enabled Robinson to incorporate several of these into the starships lineup past issue 50 (including issues 60 and 63) and the run increase enabled him to slate more for release in later issues. [66] Rob Bonchune contributed new meshes for issues 57 (though strictly speaking, this was Bonchune revisiting the model he had already constructed for Robinson in 1999 which had made its debut in Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 4) and 62 , as the remastered TOS CG models had not reached Robinson by the time the models were first required. However, these models were not quite production-ready, as CBS Digital had used Autodesk Maya software for their CGI effects at the time and the models needed to be converted into LightWave 3D, the software package of choice for the vast majority of Star Trek digital modelers. Robinson assigned Fabio Passaro, among others, to this chore. [67] Ironically, CBS Digital had originally bought the majority of the "hero" ship models from Finnish digital modeler Petri Blomqvist but had to convert them to Maya as he had constructed his models in LightWave. (Sci-fi & fantasy modeller, Vol. 26, p. 48-50) If his models were to be used (such as for the planned Terran Empire Enterprise extra issue), then they need to be reconverted back into LightWave.
↑Following an unsuccessful search and appeal to a number of past Star Trek production artists, it appears that the original CG models created for Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis have been lost, necessitating Robinson's decision to commission all-new models for the Collection. [68][69] Robinson has also commented that some existing models may be in file formats that require computer software that no longer exists, sometimes due to the use of proprietary 3D software in the past. In addition, subsequent upgrades to LightWave software has resulted in alterations to the current appearance of some production-used models, as some legacy features (including some shaders) are no longer supported.
↑Both versions of the Adam/McQuarrie-designed Planet of the Titans USS Enterprisestudy models (that were briefly seen on-screen as unidentified background ships) were slated for production as miniatures and new CG models were created but after years without change in their licensing status by the licensor, Ben Robinson conceded that they "probably won't happen".
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