Imperial Death Star from "Star Wars" (1977)

SCALE: 1/1,000,000,000

INITIAL RELEASE: 1998

MEDIUM: Polystyrene

RARITY: (2)

ABOUT THE DESIGN

ABOUT THE KIT

The "size of a small moon," the Imperial Death Star was the Galactic Empire's "ultimate weapon," a space station/starship equipped with an energy-weapon capable of instantly blasting a planet to rubble.

Adhering to the Empire's penchant for geometrically shaped spacecraft, the Death Star is the simplest of all vehicles appearing in the original "Star Wars" (1977); it's just a sphere with a concave depression representing the energy weapon. 

Historical Trivia:  Pre-production versions of the Death Star had the energy weapon situated at the sphere's south pole and then on its equator. (It still appears on the equator in the computer "read-out" carried by R2-D2.  Makes one wonder how reliable the rest of his data is, eh?) 

Odd Design Anomaly: The Death Star can move from star system to star system with relative ease although it boasts no visible engines or other means of propulsion.  Curious.

Released in 1998, the Imperial Death Star was the last of the classic "Star Wars" kits produced by AMT/Ertl.  Although one might expect it to be brimming with detail, it isn't.  Only the largest panels are molded into its eight wedge-shaped pieces.  The fit is poor and gaps abound.  When completed, the model resembles little more than a discolored, dimpled basketball. 

This model was built from an original issue

Original Box Art by H. Ed Cox