Rewrites: June 2016 & November 2018
That means that I get to review the Klingon D4 Class Bird of Prey a little sooner than expected. We are introduced to this ship in the movie, Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).
My JJVerse D-4 Kligon Bird Of Prey collection currently consists of an Eaglemoss and a Hot Wheels model.
Per Memory Alpha and Beta, "The D4 class was a type of small Klingon patrol ship used by the Klingon Empire in the alternate reality in the mid 23rd century."
If you would like to read more official stuff on this type of ship, feel free to check out the following links:
D-4 Class Information: Memory Alpha LINK and Memory Beta LINK
Eaglemoss vs. Hot Wheels
I write this particular series of articles to give a good side-by-side comparison of the various pre-built and pre-painted small scale starships available to a collector. I found that there was a serious lack of material showing what they looked like next to each other thus not giving me a good informed choice on what to buy. I decided to start providing this information myself since I ended up buying the different manufacturer renditions of the same ship.
So now I present to you what I like to call "the gravy shot", a series of pictures I wished I had seen long ago, and the main reason I started this blog.
Eaglemoss vs. Hot Wheels
Eaglemoss
I continue to be unhappy about them having to do these JJverse ships in such grand scale. This one clearly could have been done in thier normal size, especially after seeing thier great work with the Romulan Holo Drone.
The sculpting for the metal and plastic pieces are excellent. The ship is covered with all sorts of panels and jagged edges.
All the little greebles, like antenna and gun ports add to the final look and were well thought out.
Do be very careful handling the ship though, as those greebles seem pretty delicate.
The main engine grill on the back of the model is pretty well done. I also I did not realize that the engine housing was hollow like that so that made for an interesting surprise when I received mine.
All the detailed molding does a great job of hiding the joins and seams on the model.
Honestly, I am a bit disappointed in regards to the painting of this thing. I think the paint job on the ship is rather plain and lacking. I think the reason that I feel this way is due to the sheer size of the model. The in-universe ship is not very big, but when represent the model at this larger scale, the details are more spread out. While this larger scale has worked for some of Eaglemoss' other Star Trek models, it just doesn't seem right for this one.
I'm not a fan of the gunmetal gray/green that they went with. I always envisioned the ship to be darker, dirtier and more foreboding. Sure, they added some paint to a couple of greebles, but overall, it just looks plain, especially when sitting next to my other model of this ship.
The off-orange markings on the top of the ship don't help the cause either. The underside is even worse when it comes to a lack of painted details and is even missing the orange paint. They could have done a better job of making this look like a working class ship by doing some weathering.
Even if they had added a little bit of paint to the wingtip weaponry, it would have made a world of difference.
The only clear plastics on this model are at the very end of the ship and I guess represent the impulse engines. I honestly think that they should have used clear plastics on the cockpit windows instead of that ugly lime paint.
Overall, I was actually kind of disappointed with Eaglemoss on this one. I think the size is what was the detriment to me liking it. The bigger size made the lacking paint stand out in more contrast for me. For the price, they could have afforded a little more paint.
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels had done thier own line of Star Trek starships for a little while. They even did several of the JJverse ships too. One of the things I particularly liked about the Hot Wheels ships was that if the vessel had movable parts, like the original Klingon Bird Of Prey, then they had a tendency to replicate those movable parts on thier models. Check out my review of the the original Bird Of Prey at THIS LINK to see what I mean.
Hot Wheels really outdid themselves with this model. Not only can the wings swing up and down, but they also rotate to simulate the VTOL abilities of the ship too.
ATTACK MODE
LANDING MODE
VTOL MODE
As far as the sculpting goes, Hot Wheels molded lots of good details into the ship and even added on those extra special greebles to thier model.
While the antenna assemblies are not as intricate as on the Eaglemoss model, the manufacturer did try to show some sort of representation of them.
The upper guns mounted on the wings are present, and once again, while not completely accurate, do give you a sense of what they are there for.
I liked the painting on this model too. Although the ship doesn't look weathered, the pattern they used on the wings and back and belly of the ship helps keep it from looking as plain as Eaglemoss' model.
It almost looks like they were shooting for a cross between aztecing and the feathered look of future Klingon vessels.
Like it's Eaglemoss cousin, the Hot Wheels model also has non-pained wing tip guns. However, unlike the other model, the guns are a different color than the wings, so a least they stand out more.
As I aid earlier, the coolest thing about this model is that is has movable parts. Unfortunately, that fact also creates the only glaring problem that I have with the model. I never like to see "hollow" parts. When I see this, it screams "lazy" or "cheap" at me. On the bottom of the wings, where they join to the rotation bearing, there is a pretty noticeable part that is hollow.
Granted, this piece is on the bottom of the model, but it still bothers me every time I see it.
While this model does not have any clear plastic parts, the cockpit area is blacked out which is something I rather see if a company is going to paint in this section of the ship.
WARNING: One last note about the Hot Wheels ship. I used to think it was just an issue with one of my other ships, but as time has gone by, it appears to be a manufacturer issue with all of thier different types of ships. The stand fits very snugly into the underside of the ship. I started noticing that my one of my ships was gradually tipping forward as the front of the ship was much heavier on the model. I would periodically readjust it. After the third time of removing the model for pictures, the stand snapped off, leaving the ball joint stuck in the ship. Obviously, these models are not meant to be "played" with and are for display purposes only. Given the shape of most ships, once the model breaks off the display stand, they will not look so graceful in your display case.
Conclusion
And now, let us do a quick check on eBay to get some prices of the ships I've shared with you. I typically will just round up the most inexpensive Buy-It-Now prices (with shipping included in that price) from eBay at the time of this article's writing.
Eaglemoss = $55
Hot Wheels = $20
NOTE: Prices were researched last on November 10th, 2018. As of the writing of this article, you can also currently order the Eaglemoss model right from the company themselves for around $45 (shipping unknown).
We now come to the part of my article where I like to give you my opinion of which ship gives you the "best bang for the buck", which is my rough way of telling you which one is the best one to get, for the best price. To put this in a nutshell, when I write these, I am trying to give my opinion of which model is the best for the least cost.
The Eaglemoss model was definitely a WOW in my book. The size was impressive. Honestly though, if it wasn't an Eaglemoss ship, I probably would not have bought it as the special edition ships tend to run larger than what I like to collect. It is very detail oriented. Was it worth the money? Maybe?
I base this on the fact that you can get the same type of ship, although slightly smaller, for less than half the cost of the larger model. This fact makes it an easier decision for me on the recommendation. I love that Hot Wheels made their ship have the variable geometry wings. For that alone, I would pay more than $20 for the model. So it looks like for this particular type of ship, Eaglemoss loses out to the company that made my favorite toy cars when I was a little lad. I feel very comfortable recommending Hot wheels and think that you would be very happy with that model sitting in your Klingon fleet.
BONUS ROUND!!!
Every once in a while, I'll have a little extra stuff to share with you that sort of fits in with my comparison articles.
For years after I initially reviewed this type of starship, I often wondered what a JJverse Romulan Bird Of Prey would look like. I eventually got my hands on a toy that inspired me to build just such a sarship.
I present to you the Romulan Lunala Class Bird Of Prey and you can read it's story at THIS LINK.
As always, I hope you found this article useful and informative. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment below.
So for now, "Live long and prosper!!!"
Additional Links To Photos Of My Collection:
Eaglemoss Hot Wheels
Comparative Shots
Other Reviewers Take On The Eaglemoss Model:
Some Kind Of Star Trek
Star Trek Starship Collection
Comparative Shots
Other Reviewers Take On The Eaglemoss Model:
Some Kind Of Star Trek
Star Trek Starship Collection
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