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Star Trek model kits- Galileo Shuttle
Hi all. I know all of you 1701 Club members are anxiously waiting to find out what is going on. Update #8 is finished and should be sent out soon. Many have been asking when we will ask for payment information and you may be assuming the worst that delivery has been delayed… and unfortunately it has a little bit. Fear not though. All development is complete and the kit is currently in production. Details will be in the update.
This blog post might not fill the void left from the above statement, but still we must carry on.
Hopefully you have had a chance to review our Wonderfest video that went live as of my last post. If you stayed tuned in until the end, you found out that the winner of our poll was the 1:32 scale Galileo shuttle! It seems that the Galileo benefited from a grassroots movement that made it the clear winner. I was surprised, but not shocked by the result.
All of the candidates were strong contenders. Some have made the point that with so many great subjects to choose form, some kind of cannibalized the votes of others. If, say, either the Reliant or K’tinga had been left off the ballot that the remaining 1:1000 scale craft would have drawn the votes of the other and therefor put it over the top. I purposely tried to stay out of the nomination process. As long as the winning kit would fit what we had in mind for the size and budget, I knew whatever won would do well. But, I didn’t want to limit the choices in any way. Why? Because I wanted the modeling public to get a taste of the decisions we have to make when it comes to our product line. Our range of choices are also nearly unlimited. Whether it is another Star Trek kit or any other license there are tons of great subjects deserving of being made into a great kit. Figuring out where to start is the trick.
You might wonder if any of the other contenders could get made someday. I threw out several ideas at the presentation covering several types of kits from many properties. In the perfect world of my mind, they would all get made some day. The disappointing truth is that I doubt that 100% of them will get done, but they are all on a list of kits I pull out each year to determine what we will do next. I’ll need to weigh our tooling budget and licensing responsibilities against popular demand.
When it comes to creating brand new kits, we need to hit a home run every time. With reissues, if something doesn’t sell well, we are only out the time it took to create the packaging, etc. But if a newly tooled kit fails, the chances of getting another one made lessens. We have heard the demand for NEW kits and we are putting a plan into action to create new tooling. It will be up to you guys to vote with your wallets to tell us you want more.
Getting back to the Galileo, Gary has already begun digging into the project. As you know getting the interior set to fit within the craft as seen on the show is impossible so our work is cut out for us. We have already started discussions on what kind of details we hope to include in the kit. We will do our best to get the kit finished and on store shelves by the end of 2013. I’ll keep you updated as we progress.
Next week… Wolverine…
I’m sure Gary knows about this but you might want to look it over too. Not definitive by any means but it’s a good starting point.
http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STShuttlecraft/GalileoTop.htm
Check out the “Design Study” and “Model Building Plans” links.
Hi Jamie,
You’re right. Anxiously looking forward to 1701 update!
I really like how Wolverine looks like the classic comics I read and can’t wait to buy it.
Also looking forward to Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. Hallmark Ornaments did one in SDCC based on the pose of Batman leaping with the girl Robin. Maybe there can be a vote what pose from the comic should be used?
1) The first cover of Batman and the lightning bolt. He can be painted in colors or all black. Bolt can be clear plastic.
2) Batman getting his arm broken by the gang leader. It’s a powerful scene but maybe too dramatic for a kit.
3) Batman and Carrie leaping. Though Hallmark has done this Batman pose.
4) Batman leaping downward in the splash page where he says he’s born again.
I hope you guys do a Ready to Run 1/25 1966 Batmobile slot car in a sixties style orange/black box.
Thanks for listening.
I know that w/ new kits you have to have a success…that’s why I was surprised the shuttle won. The 1/1000 Reliant would be the sure thing as it can be built as is or kitbashed into other ships which translates into more sales! There’s not much you can do with a shoe box w/ wings.. I say that and I like the old shuttlecraft!
Hi talesin- Though I was surprised by the winner, I DO think the Galileo will do very well for us.
I was surprised by the winner, too. I voted Reliant, but I’m also looking forward to getting a Galileo (assuming it has an interior). I want to redo a diorama I did years ago – this time better, I hope! I’m sure Gary Kerr will do a great job!
Man, Model Man has a you tube review of the Big E and all of the accesories on Hobbytalk. Part 1 is up now. I feel like a kid waiting for Xmas. Jamie how soon for the next letter. I am busting out the seams. The packaging looks amazing.
The Update should have gone out last week. I’m looking into it to try and get it sent out today.
I just wanted to say that I’m happy the shuttle won, but in all honesty I would have been happy with any of the choices winning. They would all (and hopefully still will someday) find a home in my ever-growing model collection. 🙂
Jamie , are you still sending the club emails. I still havent gotten mine
Jamie – I have read that some club members have received the Number 8 update while others (including myself) have not. I am not sure if all the updates go out at the same time or not. I am just making you aware in case you did not know.
It was sent out. I’m looking into the matter.
As an FYI, some on the Hobbytalk web site reported receiving it and they claim to not be club members.
I haven’t recieved the update either.
Also when I log on, website keeps forgetting password.
Jamie, not sure how much you’ve been following the post on HT regarding the 1/350 TOS Enterprise and it’s accessory packs started by Modelman Tom. The subject of the gridlines has been a main topic. While I feel it was a good decision on you and Round 2’s part to include them, some, well one, very vocal member does not. He brought up the question as to wither or not Round 2 would release a revised version of the saucer parts without the engraved lines in the future. Figure I’d come to the source and ask, if you want/are allowed to answer, would this be something you guys would consider doing at some point? Anyway, thanks to you, Gary and the rest of the gang at Round 2 for this kit, it’s everything THIS modeler has been hoping for and more (looking forward to the Galileo too)!
Hi Spock. ok. Two points to address here…
First, the simple one. Will we ever remove the grid lines? We have no plans to alter the tooling once it is complete. We’ve worked on it too long to think about what else we could do to it right now.
Hobby Talk… (though this was spurred by Spock62, it is not necessarily directed at him, but at the larger subject in general)
The ability to construct civil discourse is one of the strengths of this nation. I believe it is also a binding agent of this particular hobby. Relatively speaking, there aren’t that many people around that do what you guys do. Nothing beats meeting someone else that appreciates the work you put into your craft and is willing to help you become better at it. Online forums are can be the perfect opportunity to share ideas at the very least and at most develop lifelong friendships with fellow modelers across the country and the world. That said, some people overstep their bounds, becoming negative and insulting. People like that are perfect to add the drama needed to reality TV shows, but in “real life”, there are too many other more important things to do than to have to defend ourselves in a place where we just was to have fun and share interests. We have hobbies to distract us from more consequential matters in life. People are born, get sick, hate their jobs, lose their jobs and in the worst of cases die every day. Bringing out a 1:350 Enterprise isn’t going to save anyone’s life, but it might make some lives better (maybe not “better”, but more enjoyable at least) while all that other stuff is going on. As much discussion as I see on the boards about models, we rarely see what each of us has going on behind the scenes. As long as the “discourse” remains “civil”, I think everyone will get out of it what they want.
As a manufacturer, I try to keep my ear to the wind and pick up on what you guys want and expect. I did a lot more of that in the beginning, but the longer I’ve been around, the more I’ve heard the same things over and over. I get it and know what you expect without having to ask (or if I do need to ask, I know who to ask). The opposite side of the coin is that I have responsibilities to tend to to get product done. I don’t have time to get caught up in the discussion. I need to establish my goals at the beginning and work towards them. If I changed things along the way to please the most outspoken person on a message board, nothing would ever get finished. I established an understanding of the modeling audience some time ago. I can please 80% of you with the contents of a kit. 15% of you will take a kit and rework it until you are satisfied. The last 5% just can’t be pleased. Those are rough numbers and I think the more time I am allowed to put into a product, the happier you guys will be. It just comes down to letting myself kick the dust of that 5% off my heals and keep moving ahead.
So my workload and familiarity with my market allows me and YOU the benefit of staying out of forum discussions. I have no authority there. The forums are for you guys to talk about the hobby and subjects you love. Debate, wish, share all you want. If you have a question for me, feel free to come ask me on this blog or by sending an email in through our website. Meanwhile, I hope to keep you updated here on new product coming down the pipe.
Thanks Jamie for your answer. I agree 100% with your take on forums, how people conduct themselves on them, what’s really important, etc. Sometimes we, the customer, looses sight as to what it takes to produce these kits and what is truly important, I know I have at times.
As I said before, I think you and everyone else that is connected with bringing the “Big E” to the market should be congratulated. You guys really did go above and beyond my expectations of what the kit would be.
Just inquiring about the update, as I also never received it. This is the only one I haven’t received.
Hey Jamie,
Was just wondering if anything more has been done with your planned 1:32 TOS Shuttlecraft “Galileo”? I’m sure I would not be the only one interested in knowing how you guys are coming along with this project. Thanks in advance.
We’ll be talking about the Galileo at Wonderfest in May.
Hey Jamie,
Just happened across this blog entry again, and was wondering what if anything happened with this planned kit re-release? How close it is to production? Or has it been delayed for the time being?
We are close to getting it started. Gary Kerr recently finished his plans for the ship and we are starting early stages of development.
Glad to see this project hasn’t been dropped. I’m very interested in getting my hands on it. Any more news on the proposed release date? I assume we’re now looking at 2015.
Likely late 2015.
Hi all. I’ll have more to say about the Galileo next week when I get some time to write up my Wonderfest blog. Until then, please be patient, as I am also anxious to get this kit released. As always I pass along info when I feel I can with the most amount of certainty. That’s rarely as often as either you or I would hope for, but I don’t want to over-promise anything as has happened in the past.
Please be aware that in this business, things get pushed as other opportunities within the company as a whole arise. Sci-fi model kits aren’t the only thing we have going on and Star Trek isn’t the only license we have. I can’t count the amount of factors that affect when kits come out.
To those of you who have been patient, we appreciate it. Our intention as always is to produce the best kits we can.
where is this kit…. we have all waited enough.
Sorry to have you wait some more.
years, or months?
will you ever answer the questions put to your company. i understand if you can’t pull it off. but really, after three years, we at least deserve a straight answer.
in addition, you already have the licence for star trek. have you ever thought that there were at least ten other shuttle craft models in the star trek series.not to mention work bees, tugs,and other transports. this would keep round 2 in the star trek business for another ten years
Until we have a mockup to show everyone, there is nothing to say. We don’t doubt the demand for the Galileo kit and even other shuttle craft.
And we’re not going to get an answer for a while as in the latest Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller issue, they list the next six months of releases and not a peep of the Galileo. I love Space 1999, but I’ve got to say I’m a bit miffed that in the time they could have just released the Galileo, they picked up a whole new project and brought it to market. I think if we *ever* see this model, it won’t be until Christmas. If we keep getting a non-answer from Jamie, I think it may be time to get a 3-D printer and just make my own Galileo!
Well said, rob. I truly believe that round 2 had no real intention of releasing this kit. In the past, I have been in close contact with round 2 by e-mail. At that time, I got the impression that if they ever answered the e mails, it was just lip service to get me to stop writing to them. With the fiasco of the bridge panels to the bad scale sizes of the enterprise b model, I have just about given up on round 2 in its entirety. Right now, the only thing that I would consider buying from them would be the new 22 inch eagle model. but that is only a shaky thought
any comment Jamie?
let’s blog awhile about the release of the space 1999 deluxe eagle with booster and lab pod.
1) the resin parts on the whole look nice, although, every part needs adjustment to fit in it’s assigned space. pins and all that.
2) the lab pod bottom plate is off almost 1/8 inch. i had to sand off this material to make it fit, then I replaced the bottom trim. about 2 hours of work that I shouldn’t have had to do( the extreme amount)
3) also on the lab pod. both extensions had to be reworked to make them fit properly.
4) also on the lab pod. the doors are not to scale with the rest of the kit
5) the eagle, I have not started as of yet, but I see that it is the same molding as the one I bought when I was eleven years old, so much for new tooling.
6) as usual for this kit, you will have to scratch build all the additional engine tubing, support structure. in addition, you will have to sand off all the spine on the front and back section. then scratch the ladder supports and finally the rungs of the ladder. (this will allow you to install piping front to rear, and wiring harnesses)
In all this is, in my opinion, a pretty much worthless kit. Too many flaws in the original kit, and for the price you pay for the resin, too expensive for the normal builder to buy
Mr. Larkin, I make it a rule to post every constructive comment that gets sent to this blog, and I’ve decided to approve your review of our Deluxe Eagle kit. I hope you take my willingness to do so as a gesture of the transparency I have tried to maintain on this forum. Your recent barrage of commentary has not gone unnoticed. I ask you kindly to adjust your tone when commenting in the future.
In response to this particular comment, I think you may have misunderstood what the product was. It was always advertised as being the old 12″ plastic kit with resin pieces included to create the lab pod and booster pack. If you ended up with seriously mis-shapen parts it was an anomaly and you should have issued a request for new parts through our wesbite. As with any product, if you are unhappy with it, you should return it to the retailer that sold it to you.
did you know that when the model is opened, the retailer will not take them back. they state that the manufacturer has do adjust their inventory by sending out the defective part. additionally, I am impressed that you answered this post, I only wrote it today.
which reinforces my belief that you only answer a post when you are pressed to do so. And my tone would be more flattering if you updated you blog section on a weekly basis, so your company would not be bombarded by posts
In regards to returns, we usually give a discount to distributors that covers return products. Every case is different, and that is pretty far out of my purview, but my understanding is that how that kind of problem is taken care of.
Historically, I post when I have something worthwhile to say and have the time to organize my thoughts into a coherent post. Beyond that, I try to review comments on a weekly basis. I would love to keep a regular weekly schedule, but I have a very limited amount of time to put into this. I don’t want posts to become generic “hey, look at this kit that we are re-issuing” posts. I’ll admit you got my dander up and I’m not a guy that is easy to upset. Your timing was perfect in that I’m having an otherwise bad day. I’ve checked back regularly to see if I’d have to take the unprecedented step of having to outright ban someone.
Btw, We’ll be posting more regularly, but not at your prompting. It was something already in the works. It won’t just be posts about sci-fi kits anymore if everything goes as planned.
we in the builders world spend hundreds is not thousands of dollars on model products. as for me, I kit bash, and have around two dozen of the same kit in storage. when I want to do a kit, I want it rather bad. now, I am only allowed to buy once for the year. when I saw the promised kit, and have waited not a year, but several, there is something wrong with the system. it might have been easier on both our parts, if polar lights said that this particular kit would be held up for the next year or two, due to other concerns or better projects, this “scuff ” might not have ever have happened. I just hate to be ignored, and I assume that there are like minded people out there too.
This is exactly why I won’t discuss kit development in the future without something tangible to back it up. If you don’t see a mockup, don’t expect anything to come for at least a year. Even that kind of time frame is optimistic sometimes. That is the systemic change I’ve made in the last year or so. I’m going to make an exception to this rule and address the status of the Galileo in my next blog post. Mine may not be the first you see though.