Rewrites: NONE YET
We are going to take a break from the Standard Edition series of Eaglemoss models and take a look at something from their Bonus Line of models, or as I like to call them, "The Extras". This series of models is a subset of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection and consists of ships that are either non-canon in nature, or in some cases, ships that are a little more special, like glow in dark models or "cloaked" models.
And for this review, we are going take a look at the Jeffries Concept model for what later evolves into the Class F shuttlecraft that we see throughout Star Trek: The Original Series.
Per this Memory Alpha LINK, "The original shuttlecraft as originally designed by Matt Jefferies was to have a more rounded look to it, much like the initial shuttles of the later spin-off series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his original design Jefferies commented, "Basically it was a teardrop thing, and the whole side panel, the outside door, would slide back, and you could just step right off on the ground. The seats were like bicycle seats mounted on each side of the keel.""
As stated earlier, this model evolves into the Class Shuttlecraft.
Per Memory Alpha and Beta, "The Class F shuttlecraft was the standard issue Starfleet shuttlecraft during the mid-23rd century. During the mid-2260s, Class F shuttles were based at starbases and aboard Constitution-class starships, which were standard equipped with four shuttles of this class, along with other shuttle classes."
If you would like to read more official stuff on that type of ship, feel free to check out the following links:
Class F Shuttle Information: Memory Alpha LINK and Memory Beta LINK
I also reviewed Eaglemoss' Class F Shuttle, as well as several other manufacturers' versions way back when I took a look at their very first Shuttlecraft Collection set. You can read that review at THIS LINK.
Jumping right into the review, I have to say that the sculpt and mold work is really well done on this model. The sculpted details are very busy on the topside of the ship, showing off window, doors and engineering areas of the vessel.
The bottom of the model is not as detailed though where sculpt work is concerned. The only real details that are shown are the bottoms of the side doors and the rear landing gear hatch. The rear of the ship has some nice details molded in showing the impulse engine exhausts.
Moving our view back to the top of the model, we find that the paint work is very lively. The cockpit windows are painted black and the ship's registration is painted on clearly. My one gripe is that the ship's name, "Al-Biruni", should have been either done in an easier to read font, or made larger. I could not read it and had to go look it up online to figure out what it said. With the previously mentioned engineering section painted as well, when you look down on the model, you can't help but think the word, "colorful".
And then when you flip the model over again, you are greeted with a stark and barren area, devoid of any color. Honestly though, this was the way it was with most shuttles in Star Trek so we can not fault Eaglemoss on this.
I am happy to say that Eaglemoss did a fantastic jobs of blending the joins and seams within the edges of the model.
There are no clear plastics on this model like on other Starfleet vessels, which is a shame since the actual Class F shuttle from Eaglemoss does have them for the bussard collectors. I'm even more disappointed with this fact because this model is slightly more expensive than the rest of the Standard Edition models so, in my opinion, they could have at least used the clear plastics for the bussard collectors. Since the lack of clear plastics drew my attention to the nacelles, I noticed that the paint work on my bussard collectors is a little messy.
And that is all the pictures and comparisons I have to share on this ship at this time. 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 writing (June 2020).
Eaglemoss = $50
NOTE: Prices were researched last on June 16th, 2020. As of the writing of this article, you can also currently order the Eaglemoss model right from the company's US WebStore for around $30 (shipping unknown).
Luckily, you can get this model in the WebStore because I really don't feel comfortable paying more than $30 for it. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice looking model that is well built. It is a unique looking ship that will stand out in your collection. But let's face it, it is a Standard Edition sized model, therefore, it should not cost more than the other Standard Edition models. I just don't see enough WOW Factor to warrant wanting to pay more for it.
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.
What good would a review of a concept model be without showing it next to the final product?
What good would a review of a concept model be without showing it next to the final product?
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:
Very nice. I'm so used to the one used in the series that anything else looks odd to me, but it's still a good-looking shuttlecraft
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