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Star Trek Model Kits: U.S.S. Defiant update
When we offered a re-issue of the AMT U.S.S. Defiant from STAR TREK: Deep Space Nine a few years ago it turned out to be a nice solid seller for us. It offered a substantially-sized kit at the odd scale of 1:420. However, the sweet success was short lived. After just a few production orders for us, the tooling was catastrophically broken. It was going to cost us the price of a new kit to fix it. So we decided to do just that!
It took us a while to get to it, but when it came to deciding on our next 1:1000 release, the Defiant seemed to be the perfect choice. As a kit, the subject is simple from the tooling standpoint. We aren’t just making a smaller version of the old AMT kit though. We are making sure that this one is nicely accurate even if it is smaller. 1:1000 puts the overall length at about 6 5/8” long based on an established length of 170 meters. (Yeah, I know the ship was infamous for changing size to meet the need of the shot.) We had Angelo Bastianelli draw up the CAD model which was based on the filming miniature.
The mockup looks great. It features some pretty fine engraved panel lines which the factory states they can match in production. We’ll see how it looks when we see test shots. They captured some nice greebly detail in just the right spots. The kit will include clear parts as needed unlike the older kit where things like Bussard collectors were merged into opaque bulkhead parts. The forward-facing weapons on the nacelle cowls, front “mouth” (did they refer to is as a deflector? It obviously isn’t a “dish”) and round exhaust vents on the back are also clear.
I have to admit I like most of ST:DS9 less than other incarnations of Star Trek. I was one of the viewers the show lost by the time the stakes were raised around the Dominion War. But I have to admit the more I look at this mockup the more I appreciate this ship. If the details translate into the test shots, this will be a great looking little kit!
Looking at those photos it looks to have 9 clear pieces. Too bad the other molds got damaged, guess I’ll go out and buy me one another before they disappear.
Looks like another excellent kit on its way. Will the model come with decals to make all the different panels ?
We plan to include decals for the colored panels.
EXCELLENT.
This is awesome news!! Would it be cool to share the news on my website?
Sure thing!
Hey there…so just so that I am clear…Round 2 does not intend to retool / remake the AMT U.S.S. Defiant in the original 420 scale ever again?
I would never say never, but chances of retooling the old kit are very slim.
This is both great news and sad news. It’s sad to hear that the 1/420 molds were destroyed. I would assume that would mean no chance of ever seeing that kit released again without creating brand new molds from scratch. But the good news is that we will be able to get a new Defiant kit in 1/1000 scale which can be placed next to the other 1/1000 Star Trek kits, like the Enterprise and Reliant. Now if we could just get a 1/1000 scale Enterprise C, D & E (HINT,HINT!).
The detailing looks great. Any chance of colored plating decals/Aztecs being offered for this kit? Or are the models angles too sharp to make this possible?
I’ll show off the decals once the art is done.
This looks really promising. Making the original kit a snap together made for some compromises, especially around the “nose/cockpit” area. That area looks more true to scale in this version, even though I’m guessing it’s still a snap kit? While not a huge fan of lighting models myself, I’m sure many will be pleased by clear parts.
I was long a “larger scale” snob but the nice detail in previous 1:1000 kits (and my smallish living quarters) have brought me around to the smaller scale.
Looks nice but, it’s really small. And, based on the forums I frequent and your own polls that you do from time to time, isn’t the DS9 Defiant pretty low on the list of Trek subjects that modelers would like to see kitted?
Staying with 1/1000 at the moment, do you guys honestly feel that this would be a better seller than a K’Tinga or Akira?
How about the 1/32 Galileo? Or “mid-sized” (1/500, 1/600 or 1/700), accurate Enterprises (TOS & refit), Reliant (Wrath of Khan) and Klingon battle cruisers?
What happened to the idea of 1/72 Space 1999 subjects, for those of us that have neither the room or cash for the 1/48 kits?
After updating us on sci-fi kits we all knew were coming out, can I assume the next post will be about NEW sci-fi kits in the works?
The old kit was actually a great seller for us. So we know modelers like the ship and figured a more accurate (though smaller) kit would find its audience. It was a more affordable option to pursue compared to some of the other kits you mention considering some of the other new kits we have in the pipeline. And yeah, just “stay tuned”. We will be announcing TWO BRAND NEW KITS over the next two blog posts… and I have yet to decide when to announce a third brand new kit we have in the works right now.
A 1/350 Botany Bay to go with the TOS Enterprise would be a great model. The 1/1000 one that came out a few years ago was great, just needs a bigger brother!
Didn’t realize the old kit was that popular. So the new 1/1000 should do as good or better, especially based on the photos.
Kind of figured the two ships I mentioned would cost more to tool up. Hopefully R2 will be able to offer one or both in the future.
Two new kits and a third to come? Sounds good to me, looking forward to see what you guys have come up with!
It is a nice start, but looks like to be to thin.
well, the camera takes 10 pounds off a girl…
Will wallpaper decals be included with the kit?
Not “wall paper”, but the colored panels will probably all be on the sheet.
Any chance to get a top and side view?
I’ll try to remember to post some the next time I write about the ship. It will be soon.
Love this! I built the old AMT Defiant and its shape issues are well known. Looks like this one is much closer to the studio model.
I’m sorry to hear about what happened to the original molds, but glad that we’re getting a new, and more accurate kit as a result!
Round 2’s silence on the Star Trek front has unfortunately led to a lot of speculation that they’re no longer interested in the Star Trek license, so I’m happy to hear that additional kits are in the works!
Regarding the TOS Shuttle – Have you considered releasing a 1/72 scale kit instead of the 1/32 one originally proposed? That would be in scale with the DS9 Runabout, and a line of shuttles in 1/72 would make for a great sized collection!
Best,
-Tomh
Though I no longer have time in my day to day to track the buzz that might be going on out there, I realize we’ve directed some development away from the Trek license to establish a foothold with Space:1999. It has always been our intent to do more Trek stuff, and I think everyone will be happy with what we have cooking.
These pics are awesome. Will this model come with decals, so the modeler can name name the ship as DEFIANT, VALIANT, or SAO PAULO? Having only 1 name for the model is very limiting.
This is so awesome! Right off the bat, this one looks much better than the 420 and pretty much all the other replicas out there, especially since most of them are based on the weirdly shaped CG models. I need at least 4 hahah, Defiant, ISS Defiant, Valiant, Sao Paulo…
I can’t wait!!! Awesome work!!
will there be landing gear? just asking. CR
I’m not aware of an instance where landing gear was shown… but no.
Landing gear could be seen on the MSD but it was never used in the show.
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/scans/other/defiant-okudagram.jpg
I think we need some enemy ships for her to destroy now.
Maybe they could do a new Cadet Series kit with the Defiant, a Klingon Bird of Prey, and a Jem Hadar “bug” style attack ship.
😜
Beautiful! Will definitely be getting 2 or three of these. Is there any chance at all of the DS9 Station making a re-appearance? I hope they get re-released — they’re worth a fortune right now!
I hope to see the Defiant come out in 1/350 scale, to go along with the other 1/350 ships