Daunting--whoa, heck yeah--but exciting too.
I looked for this model not to build an Enterprise (got Enterprises, want something else) but to build my own Destroyer. :) The box showed up with a puffing, bent-kneed postman and I knew something was up. This beast is HUGE. The saucer section alone is larger than any of my cats; assembled (even as the Destroyer I have in mind), this thing is going to need its own zip code (and the decal sheet was nearly as large as my bed!).
Tech specs: the box is a solid 16.5"x16.5"x5". Colorful model details on all six sides. The model itself is bagged up in no less than _eleven_ separate sections. A huge saucer section (itself pretty much the size of the box), each engine separate, the engineering section, and several subassemblies for various places (some of which will barely be visible once the whole model's put together). The assembly sheet folds out to bigger than the box, one side with details for the assembly, the other with instructions for where to put the decals (and you want those instructions, believe me).
Most places charge a little for this behemoth. Believe me, you're getting your money's worth. Assembled, this thing's going to be nearly a yard in length; make sure you've got somewhere nice (and roomy) to display it.
The good is that this thing's complete in itself. Take a little time, excercise a little patience, use a little skill, and you'll have something to show off with pride. Not exactly the _bad_, but certainly the _exasperating_, is that there are numerous aftermarket improvements for this thing--lighting kits, photoetch detail kits, aztec painting kits, decal detailing kits--you don't _need_ any of them, but they are out there, and can easily triple the cost of this dinosaur if you let it. Exercise good judgement. :)
And DON'T make this the first model kit you ever assemble. And DON'T give this as a birthday or Christmas gift to someone who's just starting out modeling. It WILL require better-than-beginner modeling skills to properly assemble, and it WILL be a chunk of change down the drain if they can't properly assemble it. (Me, I'm saving up to get another one; I'm gonna use the leftover engine and parts from this one and the new one and make myself a Dreadnought. :) No photos 'cause it's now in line to be assembled behind the TDS Scott Tracy and the new Zoids Iron Kong. "Everything in its time."
--DjRead full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
