The high-end collectibles manufacturer is launching a subscription service allowing fans to create a massive replica of the Enterprise-D.

Hero Collector continues to boldly go into the world of replicas with the upcoming release of a new build of the Enterprise-D, the starship at the heart of seminal science fiction series Star Trek: The Next Generation. They’re releasing a die-cast model of the legendary starship, which you acquire one piece at a time via a subscription and assemble yourself.

Measuring over 28 inches long, this die-cast metal model is based on a careful study of the original shooting models. The makers of Star Trek: The Next Generation actually used three different models of the Enterprise-D, all of which were subtly different. ILM built a six-foot version that could separate, and a less elaborate two-foot version that could be used for more distant shots In TNG’s third season, the VFX team built a new four-foot version that was easier to use.

This version of the Enterprise D pulls elements from all three of these original models, and comes with fully functioning lights and has been designed to look as much like the onscreen version as possible.

The NCC-1701-D was the Enterprise from the launch of The Next Generation in 1987 through the release of 1994’s Star Trek: Generations, in which the ship was destroyed. The ship was designed by Andrew Probert. His work updated the iconic design of the original ship from the 1960s Star Trek, designed by Matt Jeffries.

In a statement, Next Generation VFX producer Dan Curry said that the Hero Collector build is “such good quality that we could have used it for some of the shots we created for The Next Generation. Nowadays visual effects are mostly done with CG. This reminds me of the incredible models we used to work with for traditional effects, which were built by master craftsmen.”

The model replicates every last detail of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, from its phaser strips and RCS thrusters to the Captain’s yacht, including:

• Expert colour-matching to the starship’s on-screen appearance
• Decals to capture the tiniest details of each component
• Saucer and stardrive sections that can be cleanly separated for display, just as seen on screen
• Working internal lights that match the original studio model, illuminating the ship’s windows, engines, navigation lights, and main deflector
• Separate power sources for the stardrive and saucer sections, to keep both lit

Issues will also feature assembly instructions and features for Star Trek fans, including interviews and artwork from the crew that worked on the show itself.

The new Enterprise-D build is the latest announcement from Hero Collector, the high-end collectibles manufacturer that has previously released scale models from properties including The Expanse, Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, among many others.

Hero Collector is a division of Eaglemoss, known for their quality replicas of famous science fiction and fantasy vehicles (and unfortunately for poorly packed shipping as well, with some fans on Facebook and YouTube showing pictures of their models arriving broken). The subscription to the service is about £455 a year, which suggests that it may take longer than that to acquire all the parts needed to build an entire model of the Enterprise – and in fact the whole kit is purchased in 31 installments, spread out over three years.

-30-