Die Cast Lighted 1/350th TOS Enterprise (TOMY crowd funded)

Plugs didn't bother me. The stand and need for saucer support was my big issue. And yeah, someone will probably come up with a fix for that but it bugged me to buy it like that since that was not mentioned until this point in the entire process. Just kind of turned me off with the way we all found out.
 
Any internal pictures of the neck? Maybe the raw parts early on?
Appears to be diecast. Although you can’t see how the screw connects.

From the February update:
IMG_4638.jpeg


From the June update:
IMG_4637.png
 
Agreed. They will sell them all in time.
As many people that went whoah, look at those plugs! Also went whoah look at those lights! Both are valid reactions.
They'd be crazy to sell for less at least initially. I would up the price to $899 and sell internationally. I suspect they'll fly off the shelf. Those guys aren't as anal as us Yanks.
 
but it bugged me to buy it like that since that was not mentioned until this point in the entire process. Just kind of turned me off with the way we all found out.
It wasn’t a last minute surprise. The stand has been known about since March when they delivered the instructions on the 3/16/23 Email. Nobody got in an uproar until photos of the stand were released by the Australian buyers.

IMG_2922.jpeg
 
There are two square posts on the dorsal that fit into two recesses in the dorsal section attached to the saucer, then the one screw. View attachment 1744934View attachment 1744935


Is the top of the dorsal plastic piece? if not then simply drilling and taping additional screws may be enough. One between the two white "bumps" ( turboshafts?) - One might b able to add a slotted screw at the forward angle as well. that you tpretighten to fit into a slot you make in the saucer at that same angle..
If that top secion is plastic, I think I would try carefully drilling into that forward angle at the top of the dorsal , trying to avoid the window next to that "1" - and then epoxying (or loctitie and baking soda) a metal rod in the hole on the main hull side. Since they have left us the ability to disassemble the model.. one may be able to fashion a second support for the rod inside the dorsal near where it connects to the main hull- or perhaps even further... Perhaps even add a whole pipe in there with a metal rod that goes inside the pipe. Slide that rod into a similar hole/pipe on the saucer side drilled into the angle and you will have a much firmer linkage and support that extends at a 45 degree angle toward the center of the saucer, which should do a lot to support it . You may have to shave the rectangular bumps to the same angle to allow connection - depending on how much "play" there is in the rod system.

Using such a pipe/rod arrangement would allow you to remove the rod when separated for display--you might need to 3d print some sort of plug for the holes on either side, thus preserving the "feature" -Again , why Tomy didn't look at this for more than 5 seconds and make a small design change like adding a diecast channel in the dorsal for such a rod, is beyond me. "Oh Yeah, hey guys, I know we promised connection with one screw, but turns out the saucer was too heavy, so there is a rod you insert and slide down at a 45 degree angle, which can be removed, and the holes plugged with this little plastic bits. We had to modify the bumps slightly ( they are supposed to be on the plans as actual model detail) but this eliminates a clumsy and ugly stand, so we hope the modification to the bumps is acceptable to most.." Since most didn't ever intend to display the saucer separately , very few would have cared.

OF course those rectangular inserts provide surface area to glue to depending on how well that bit at the top of Dorsal is attached for those seeking a permanent solution. But if that section is plastic.. I am less optimistic about that holding over time.

I can't wait to see the brave soul who is going to disassemble the model and show us the guts :)
 
Last edited:
It wasn’t a last minute surprise. The stand has been known about since March when they delivered the instructions on the 3/16/23 Email. Nobody got in an uproar until photos of the stand were released by the Australian buyers.
Yes! TOMY also released pictures of the production sample with the seams and plug holes highlighting ahead of time. People just didn't want to believe it was the production version. It was a surprise, but not exactly last minute.

TOMY's explanations should have been more specific, but they did update us during the process and are delivering a nice and original product for the price in a timely manner.

That is better than many other companies working in the collector space. Watching the backlash, this is a difficult group to produce products for, especially at a reasonable cost. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be answering the emails coming from customers about the seams and plugs! TOMY was not able to deliver exactly what they said, but they are refunding money to those who are disappointed. Not fair to keep people's money for a year, but they were working on the product we backed.

I would love to have MARK M3's beautiful Enterprise or one of FE's models, but they aren't producing anything for me or people with my resources. TOMY did and I am glad, otherwise I wouldn't be getting an Enterprise to enjoy.
 
It wasn’t a last minute surprise. The stand has been known about since March when they delivered the instructions on the 3/16/23 Email.

That's true, but I (and, I suspect, given the uproar, most people) assumed that the saucer stand was mainly for displaying the saucer separated from the drive section and was not really necessary for displaying them together.

Also, it's easy for things like that to not register in your mind from a simple black and white technical drawing of the model versus the real thing in photographs.
 
It wasn’t a last minute surprise. The stand has been known about since March when they delivered the instructions on the 3/16/23 Email. Nobody got in an uproar until photos of the stand were released by the Australian buyers.

View attachment 1744986
Nobody got in an uproar because in the videos for those who had been following along, we were led to believe that the saucer support was only necessary when displaying the ship separated. That's what everyone understood until last month.
 
It couldn’t have been more clear.

I take your point, and in hindsight we all should have realised sooner, but given that it has come as a surprise to what appears to be almost everyone who's posted in this thread, it obviously could have been clearer.

I'm not suggesting that it was deliberately hidden from us for any malicious reason, and part of me wonders if it ever occurred to those folks at Tomy that people would have a problem with a second stand. They may well not have done, which would explain why they never drew attention to it or designed a way around it.
 
Well they have it on their outlet website as well. Not for sale yet but I can't see them lowering the price much or at all. Many people still want these, even with stand, plugs and seams. Lol $600 is better than well over 1k for a MR or something similar..
You get what you pay for. MR was $1000 for a reason.
 
It wasn’t a last minute surprise. The stand has been known about since March when they delivered the instructions on the 3/16/23 Email. Nobody got in an uproar until photos of the stand were released by the Australian buyers.

View attachment 1744986
They knew about it before the campaign finished!!! That's the part I'm still pissed about...
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20230930-120623.png
    Screenshot_20230930-120623.png
    847.4 KB · Views: 150
You get what you pay for. MR was $1000 for a reason.

Well sure. They were signed... :p Haha.

But both have their pros and cons. For example I like the lighting on the Tomy much more than the MR blue tinted lights. I like the Tomy's little detailed shuttle bay and bridge. I like the heft and material used for the Tomy. The MR has a better nacelle effect and the little blinker lights on the sides of the saucer and no seams or plug holes.....

But still $600 for what Tomy gave us is still a bargain imo. Was I disappointed in the seams and plugs....YEAH. But after I thought about the fact it's diecast my disappointment subsided somewhat.
 
Back
Top