Does size matter?

[USSCoriolis]

I have recently got into collecting models of Star Trek ships, after years of just watching Star Trek.

But for me I am trying really hard to keep my models scaled to each other (my Oberth is 1/6 the length of my Sovereign) but then again, it seems hard to find as many companies don't seem to make models that are scaled properly to each other.

Does anyone else try to do what I'm doing and keep things proportionate?

If so, are there any model companies you recommend that are perhaps well known or older? (Eaglemoss is obvious, but only a few are the right size for me)

So far I have only found a handful that are the right sizes.

Cheers

 

[NCC-73515]

Depends on what you wanna include. If you want a V'Ger, an Ent-J, a Borg Cube, and a shuttlepod all in scale, it's gonna be difficult. I'd split it into subgroups so that the shuttles are to scale with each other, the bigger ships also with each other, but not across all. The EM Akira, Steamrunner, Saber, Norway, and Nova for example seem pretty similar in scale (just my impression). The Galoob MM Ent-D might be in scale (somewhat) with the EM Warbird. That's how you could combine ships from different companies at different scales.

 

[F. King Daniel]

It's not like the shows and movies go to any lengths to create sizes that make sense (see: Oberth, Excelsior etc which are both extremely undersized compared to the windows on the models) let alone depict them accurately so I say just have fun.

 

[at Quark's]

Ah, I thought this was going to be about in-universe sizes (e.g. 'how can the Defiant be so small and yet so powerful?')

No opinion on the question as asked, since I don't collect ship models.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

It's not like the shows and movies go to any lengths to create sizes that make sense (see: Oberth, Excelsior etc which are both extremely undersized compared to the windows on the models) let alone depict them accurately so I say just have fun.

Agreed. It's too cumbersome and expensive for the series to make sure the ships are to scale with one another, especially before computer generated graphics could be implemented on a wide scale. The physical models were what they were. Of course, it's often silly what we see on screen: ships wouldn't sit within a kilometer or two from one another. IRL, keeping things to scale would mean forgoing models with better detail.

If you are interested, WizKids will be putting out a miniatures game (based on Star Wars: Armada), which seems like is trying to do a better job of scale.

 

[The Wormhole]

I remember when I was a kid playing with my Trek toys, if I were to have a shuttlecraft approaching the Enterprise D, I'd use the Playmates Enterprise D and the Micro Machines shuttlecraft. Even that doesn't give a completely accurate scale, the shuttle was still larger than any of the D's shuttlebay doors, but it was the closest thing to accurate scale I could pull off with my toys.

 

[valkyrie013]

Depends on if you want to build and paint your own. There are model kits available, plastic and Resin ones, and they are released in scale to each other. 1/1000, 1/1400, 1/2500 etc. eaglemoss aren't really scaled to each other.

 

[Forbin]

It's possible to get most of the ships in 1/2500 which is way too small IMHO. Polar Lights has them as plastic kits in various sets. When PL started releasing their own after they bought AMT, they stuck to the 1/1000 scale of the AMT/Ertl Excelsior, so the TOS, refit and Reliant are 1/1000. That's currently the popular scale, I think, with many resin kits in it. Back when Ertl released the 1701-D in 1/1400, Starcrafts Models released the rest of the Enterprises in 1/1400 in resin kits (they may still be available at Federation Models).

 

[Arpy]

Is there a good site/chart that has the ships to scale by window size? Honestly I’m my mind/head canon that’s mostly what I go by.

 

[Dukhat]

I’ll ask my gf and get back to you.

 

[drt]

eaglemoss aren't really scaled to each other.

Yeah, they're scaled to the box. Way too late, but it would have been cool if they'd done smallish ships at the Starships Collection scale, medium sized at the Special scale, large ships at the Disco/Uni scale, and huge ships/starbases at the XL scale.

 

[NCC-73515]

Whenever I find the time and space to build my diorama, I'll put ships that are too small in the back and ships that are bigger than they would be in the front. Then they're all correct simply in perspective

 

[Forbin]

I swear I once saw a list of what kits were available in various scales, but damned if I can find it now. I thought it was on Starship Modeler, but I'm coming up dry there.

 

[Forbin]

Whup - got it!
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/trek/trekscales.cfm

 

[Qonundrum]

Well, what I've read on dating profiles aside, a tangibly-sized model is nice to hold. The Ertl kits from the 1990s had it just right, at least for bookshelves and dinner table decor if you're really into it. The smaller table-top size ones don't stand out, don't have much of the way of internal lighting, and as people don't often use paper anymore they're not all that grand as paperweights. A lot of smaller ones are given less attention to detail as well, though others are of impressive adornments.

Now for those 3-incher Playmates action figures, a scale model of every major set... would cost way too much. but who plays with 1-inch figures?

 

[The Wormhole]

Who was it that made the die cast metal replicas of the ships about a decade ago? I got as gifts the Enterprise D and a Klingon Bird of Prey, though they're both pretty much the same size. At first I thought it odd having them displayed together, then I just decided I'd pretend the BoP was one of those giant ones we see show up in TNG The Defector and all's been good ever since.