Naboo Starfighter

from "Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" (1999)

Scale: 1/48
Initial Release: 1999
Medium: Polystyrene
Kit Rarity: 3

About the Design

"The Phantom Menace" was the first "Star Wars" "prequel," and as such producer George Lucas wanted to provide his key vehicles with a decidedly "retro" look.  No vehicle achieved this goal more than the Naboo Fighter, which looked like something a Ford Motor Company design geek might have dreamed up back in 1958.  Sleek, smooth and aerodynamic, the fighter's stingray-like profile and Turtle Wax finish were a far cry from the clunky "used future" look of the ships featured in the original trilogy. 

About the Kit

Like most of the "Phantom Menace" kits released by AMT/Ertl, the Naboo Fighter was a simple "snap" kit that could be assembled in minutes.  Painting requirements were minimal.  The kit was also released in a pre-painted die-cast version in hopes of attracting a more youth audience; it didn't.

This model was built from an original issue.