We are introduced to this ship in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode titled "Acquisition". I call this a shuttle, because it's not a very large ship. It was smaller than the NX Enterprise, however, it was larger than the Enterprise's shuttlepods. I am also deciding to call it a shuttle based on the fact that it was manned by only 4 crew members. The ship is sometimes referred to as "Ulis' Starship".
There really isn't a lot of technical information on this ship. Per Memory Alpha, "Ulis' starship was an unidentified type of Ferengi starship utilized during the mid-22nd century. In the early 2150s, this ship was owned by the Ferengi merchant Ulis. This vessel was used by Ulis and his crew in raiding other starships of their valuable contents. Among the raids for which this vessel was utilized was a raid on a Gavarian starship and another on the Earth starship Enterprise NX-01 in 2151."
And that is almost half of the entire Memory Alpha article. The Eaglemoss magazine at least had more text to read about the ship and the episode that this was aired in. They even talked briefly about the design process of creating the ship for the show.
And that is almost half of the entire Memory Alpha article. The Eaglemoss magazine at least had more text to read about the ship and the episode that this was aired in. They even talked briefly about the design process of creating the ship for the show.
If you would like to read more official stuff on this type of ship, feel free to check out the following links:
22nd Century Ferengi Starship Information: Memory Alpha LINK and NO Memory Beta LINK
The first one was introduced to us WAAAY back in issue number 16 in the form of the Ferengi D'Kora Class Marauder. You can read my review of that ship at THIS LINK.
Back when I first reviewed the D'Kora Class Marauder, the Eaglemoss model actually didn't impress me as much as the cheaper made Furuta model. There were some technical issues with my model that ruined the over all look. Let us see if Eaglemoss learned from thier past mistakes.
Right off the bat, the new ship looks very much like some sort of beetle. This isn't Eaglemoss' fault, but I felt like pointing it out anyway. I even read in one of the FaceBook fan groups that it was referred to as looking like some sort of alien phaser. I can see that too.
How did Eaglemoss do with thier rendition of this ship? Well, anytime a relatively small ship is rendered down to Eaglemoss' standard release sizes, the model usually benefits when Eaglemoss is given a larger "canvas" to work with. This is most definitely one of those models that have benefited.
From a distance, the ship looks deceivingly bland and unimpressive.
I think it's the paint job that throws your eyes off for a second. The top of the ship is one uniform brown color, which is extremely accurate, especially when you look at on screen appearances of the vessel. Let's face it, there wasn't much going on as far as coloration, especially from the top side.
When you finally take a nice up close look at the model though, you find that that brown has a bit of metallic flake mixed into it, thus giving the ship a tiny bit of a sparkle effect. From a distance, you also don't notice that several of the panels have been painted a slightly different shade of tan either.
The one big noticeable part on the "top" of the model can be seen from the rear, where Eaglemoss has given the engine exhausts a nice paint job to allow them to stand out,
When you flip the model over, you are treated to a very cool visual surprise. There is so much going on down here and this really sells the model for me. There is a LOT more paint work on the bottom which does a super job of highlighting the important details of the ship. We'll come back and explore those details in a minute.
The sculpt and mold work are a thing of beauty on this model. As I stated before, from a distance, it's hard to tell that there is something really awesome sitting on your display shelf. And then you saunter up to the model, pick it up for a closer inspection, and all the model's greatness just smacks you in the face. The molded details are crisp and clear and precise. The top of the ship is criss-crossed with lots of panels lines and grill like intakes.
As you start following the ship down along it's sides, you come to the first interesting detail near the front. The ship has extended stabilizer fins, and while there really isn't much to them, they do contrast enough with the smooth top side of the model. Eaglemoss' choice to include these has given the model just a little extra finesse.
As you continue your journey to the back of the ship, you come to the model's next intriguing detail. Eaglemoss has done a fantastic job of detailing the docking hatches. They almost look like you could reach out, grab the tiny door handles and actually open the ship up. It took me a while to put my thumb on why I liked these so much, but it finally dawned on me that they remind me a lot of the docking rings on the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.
When you finally reach the rear of the ship again, you find that the paint isn't the only cool thing about those engines. Eaglemoss did a lot of great detail molding back here as well.
Let us flip the model over onto its back again and continue to be wowed. Flipping the model over for the first time is a lot like flipping over a log in the woods and finding a whole ecosystem living under there.
Building off of that bug image, LOL, one the first two things that caught my attention immediately were the landing gear. These things look like tiny legs that have been tucked underneath the body of the ship. These have been rendered out really well with thier molded detailing and the various paint colors really grabbing your attention.
The second thing that grabbed my attention is some sort of dish assembly that sticks out from the belly of the ship. It is rendered well with molded plastic. Sadly, the magazine doesn't explain what this thing is.
The rest of the underbelly of the model continues the tradition that the top half of the model has with a plethora of panel lines and occasional offset colored panels.
The joins and seams are blended really well too, so that they just seem like part of the ship's natural look.
WARNING!: The stand is one thing that is a bit dodgy. Although the model sits in it and holds for a while, I don't feel like the stand has a good grip of the model. I've caught my model several times trying to make a get away, enough that I'm probably not going to display it in the stand when we reach our new starbase. Since the review focuses on the model itself, I'm not going to deduct points for this, but I wanted my readers to beware.
And that is all I really have to share at this point on this type of ship. As for pricing, I will continue with the tradition of rounding up the most inexpensive Buy-It-Now prices from eBay at the time of this article's (re)writing (March 2018).
Eaglemoss = $28
NOTE: Prices were researched last on March 24, 2018. As of the writing of this article, you can also currently order the Eaglemoss model right from the company themselves for around $23 (shipping unknown).
I write these reviews and then give my opinion on whether I think the model is worth the money. I'm not going to beat around the bush. The answer is a "Yes.", plain and simple. The molded details are some of Eaglemoss' best work and the paint work is applied in just the right proportions to make this model a thing of beauty. The ship will provide you with a very nice looking model that will grab the curiosity of those that stop to check it out in your alien fleet. And this shuttle is WAAAY better than the first Eaglemoss Ferengi Marauder model.
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:
Other Reviewers Take On The Eaglemoss Model:
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:
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