U.S.S. Enterprise Refit

from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979)

Scale: 1:650
Initial Release: 1979
Medium: Styrene
Kit Rarity: 3

About the Design

Billed as a "refit" Constitution-class heavy cruiser, the U.S.S. Enterprise that debuted in 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (ST:TMP) was, for all intents and purposes, a total re-imagining of Matt Jefferies' classic mid-1960s design. Not only was each component significantly altered and "updated" to match America's 1970s aesthetic sensibilities, but a whole new level of detail was added to the exterior, most notably replacing the uniform white/grey paint scheme with a complex, multi-hued pattern that quickly became known as "aztec-ing."  This aesthetic would be carried on well into the 21st century.

About the Kit

Released in 1979 in conjunction with ST:TMP's debut, AMT's 1:650 motion-picture Enterprise kit would see many incarnations over the next decade. In 1982, the "Wrath of Khan" version would find the original smooth hull replaced with a deep "panel-etched" version that many modelers felt resembled a brickyard. (This making the original "smoothie" version that much more valuable.) Gone were the internal lighting components. Also, AMT would abandon the clumsy "rub-on" decals it introduced in 1979 with traditional water-slide decals. In 1989, the kit's "Star Trek V" version added the "A" to the ship's registry and also included an in-scale shuttlecraft, a bonus that would also be included with the "Star Trek VI" release two years later.

This model was built from the Star Trek V re-issue.