1980s

If the 1950s was science fiction's Golden Age, then the 1980's was its Silver.  

The premiere of "Star Wars" in 1977 and the further success of its sequels, "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983), took what had been a cult genre and launched it solidly into the commercial mainstream. Suddenly, every studio was in the science fiction business. In the movies, the resulting products ranged from the cheesy (e.g. Roger Corman's "Battle Beyond the Stars" - 1980) to the witty (e.g.  Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" - 1985) to the technically innovative (e.g. Nick Castle's "The Last Starfighter"- 1984)  to the classic (James Cameron's "Aliens" - 1986).  But regardless of these films' narrative qualities, most produced vehicle designs that would do any model collection proud.

Following the critically panned but financially successful "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," Paramount kept its franchise growing with "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982), "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984), and the most successful sequel of them all, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986).

In 1987, after the studio failed to launch a "fourth network," it entered the brave new world of first-run TV syndication with "Star Trek: The Next Generation," helmed by the Great Bird of the Galaxy himself, Gene Roddenberry. With a new ship and a new crew quickly gaining audience acceptance, Paramount realized it had a cash cow that it could conceivably milk all the way to the new millennium.  And fantastic model builders had a whole new lode of spacecraft designs to mine.

This same decade saw the birth of several "garage kit" companies, small operations that created and distributed limited run resin and vacuform kits based on favorite sci-fi subjects -- many of them from the 1950's and 1960's -- that had not previously been captured in miniature. 

Click Photos to Enlarge

TRITIUM-CLASS STARSHIP FROM "STAR TREK SPACEFLIGHT CHRONOLOGY" (1980)

 - Garage Kit -

1:000

REBEL SNOWSPEEDER FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" (1980)

- MPC -

1:35

T-47 SNOWSPEEDER FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" (1980)

- Fantastic Plastic Models -

1:72

REBEL TRANSPORT FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" (1980)

- MPC -

N/A

ALL-TERRAIN ARMORED TRANSPORT (AT-AT) FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK"

- MPC -

N/A

ALL-TERRAIN SCOUT TRANSPORT (AT-ST) FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" (1980)

- MPC -

1:48

TIE BOMBER FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" (1980)

- JMJ Models -

Studio Scale

TIE BOMBER FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" (1980) (1:72)

- Fantastic Plastic Models -

1:72

SLAVE ONE FROM "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" (1980)

- MPC -

1:72

QUEL-QUALLIE FROM "MACROSS" (1982)

 - Imai -

1:720

U.S.S. RELIANT FROM "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN" (1982)

- AMT/Ertl -

1:535

FLYING SAUCER FROM "THE THING" (1982)

- Fantastic Plastic Models-

1:350

LOKNAR-CLASS FEDERATION FRIGATE FROM "STAR TREK  ROLE PLAYING GAME" (1983)

- Polar Lights/Starship Modeler Kit Factory -

1:1000

BLUE THUNDER HELICOPTER FROM "BLUE THUNDER" (1983)

- Monogram -

1:32

TIE INTERCEPTOR FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- MPC -

1:51

SHUTTLE TYDERIUM FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- MPC -

1:72

REBEL A-WING FIGHTER FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- MPC -

1:48

REBEL "ARROWHEAD-WING" FIGHTER FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- Fantastic Plastic Models -

1:72

REBEL "B-WING" FIGHTER FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- MPC -

1:144

REBEL "BLADE-WING" FIGHTER FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- Fantastic Plastic Models -

1:72

SPEEDER BIKE & RIDER FROM  "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- MPC -

N/A

IMPERIAL SUPER STAR DESTROYER FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983)

- Crazy Details -

1:57000

MINERVA FROM "CRUSHER JOE" (1983)

- Takara -

1:500

SIREN FIGHTER FROM "CRUSHER JOE" (1983)

- Takara -

1:1000

VISITORS FIGHTER FROM "V" (NBC-TV (1983)

 - Garage Kit -

1:72

VISITORS TRANSPORT FROM "V" (NBC-TV 1983)

- Garage Kit -

1:72

DORVAK PAM-74C "DUNC" (1983)

- Gunze Sangyo -

1:24

AIRWOLF FROM "AIRWOLF" (CBS-TV 1984-1986)

- AMT/Ertl -

1:48

BRITANNIA II FROM "LENSMAN" (1984)

1:1000- Tomy -

 

NOSHA-BUCAMING FROM "LENSMAN" (1984)

- Tomy -

1:1000

HARKONNEN ORNITHOPTER FROM "DUNE" (1984)

- Revell -

1:48

KLINGON B'REL-CLASS BIRD-OF-PREY FROM "STAR TREK III - THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK" (1984)

- AMT/Ertl -

1:650

U.S.S. EXCELSIOR FROM "STAR TREK III - THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK" (1984)

 

- AMT/Ertl -

1:2500

AERIAL HUNTER-KILLER FROM "THE TERMINATOR" (1984)

- Horizon -

1:35

T-800  ENDOSKELETON FROM "THE TERMINATOR" (1984)

- Tsukuda Hobby

1:6

GUNSTAR FROM "THE LAST STARFIGHTER" (1984)

-Fantastic Plastic Models-

1:144

DELOREAN TIME MACHINE FROM "BACK TO THE FUTURE" (1985)

- Aoshima -

1:24

THE SULACO FROM "ALIENS" (1986)

- Halcyon -

N/A

COLONIAL MARINE DROP SHIP FROM "ALIENS" 1:72  (1986)

- Halcyon -

1:72

COLONIAL MARINE DROP SHIP & APC FROM "ALIENS" (1986)
- Fantastic Plastic Models -
1:144

COLONIAL MARINE APC FROM "ALIENS" (1986)
- Halcyon -
1:35
U.S.S. ENTERPRISE-A FROM "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME" (1986)

- AMT/Ertl -

1:535

U.S.S. ENTERPRISE-D FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)

- AMT/Ertl -

1:1400
FERRENGI MARAUDER FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)

- Macro Trek -

1:1400

U.S.S. STARGAZER FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)

- Furutra -

1:7000

ROMULAN WARBIRD FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)

AMT/Ertl -

1:3730

ENTERPRISE "C" FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)

- - AMT/Ertl -

1:1400

KLINGON VOR'CHA CLASS ATTACK CRUISER FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)

- AMT/Ertl -

1:1400
TYPE 15 SHUTTLEPOD FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)

- UNCL -

1:32
NEBULA-CLASS STARSHIP FROM "STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION" (SYNDICATED 1987-1994)
- Furutra -
1:7000

.

BATMOBILE FROM "BATMAN"  (1989)
- AMT/Ertl -
1:24
BATWING FROM "BATMAN" (1989)

- AMT/Ertl -
1:25

ECTO 1A FROM "GHOSTBUSTERS 2" (1989)

- AMT/Ertl -

1:24

 

  

 

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