Emperor's War Rocket

from "Flash Gordon" (1980)

Scale: 1:144
Initial Release: 2022
Medium: Resin
Kit Rarity: 2

About the Design

One of the many big-budget sci-fi features greenlit in the wake of 1977's "Star Wars," "Flash Gordon" (1980) was an attempt to recreate the look and feel of the Art Deco-infused Universal serials of the 1930s. Central to the movie's climax was Emperor Ming's "War Rocket," a massive flying gunship that perfectly captured the Depression-era ethos the creators were gunning for.

Although the ship was billed a "rocket," it was clearly not a space-going vessel as it featured exposed exterior walkways that would be of little use in the vacuum of space. 

About the Kit

After two years of development, the "Emperor's War Rocket" was released by Fantastic Plastic Models in early 2022. This highly detailed 1:144-scale kit was one of the largest models the company had produced to date -- it was more than 19 inches long -- and featured clear resin cockpit and "greenhouse" windows as well as an array of photo-etched brass details, including dozens of teeny-tiny exterior handrails as per the original filming miniature.

This kit was built from an original issue.