The crown jewel of the Star Empire the Romulan Warbird has never looked more impressive — or menacing — than in this beautifully crafted model part of Eaglemoss Collections special XL Edition releases.
At the conclusion of the inaugural season of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the now-classic episode entitled “The Neutral Zone” Captain Picard and his crew of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D are called in to investigate a mysterious crater left on a planet on the fringes of Federation space. Where once there existed a settlement, there was now nothing but an empty canyon, as if the entire city and its population were cut out of existence and whisked away! The Enterprise’s investigation does not go unnoticed!
With the flagship of the Federation parked so close to the edge of the Neutral Zone, an area of space that borders between friendly territory and the Romulan Star Empire, it was only a matter of time before Starfleet’s ancient adversary revealed themselves again. The Romulans are known for operating in secret and often track through the galaxy in the starships cloaked to prying eyes; as if right on cue the Romulan Warbird makes its presence known. Materializing right before their eyes, the vessel is three times as big as the Galaxy-class Enterpise and every bit ferocious!
I can still recall the impressive sight of the incredible ship model as it coalesced into existence on the screen, it’s winged predator-like beak staring down the bow of the elegantly smooth and new Starship Enterprise. With its swept-back shell and interior negative space that gave an impression it was more a city-ship than a battlecruiser, the Romulan Warbird moved up the ranks of one of my favorite designs by the series’ ship and scenic designer Andrew Probert. I was caught in the thrall of rapture and thrilled when the Romulan operative declared: “We’re back.”
Ship of the Line
For its translation to the XL Edition, Eaglemoss Collection does a wonderful job of reinterpreting their initial 4” release with this much beefier extra-sized version that comes in at an impressive 8.5 inches in length, with an appropriately scaled wingspan of 5.5 inches overall. The D’Deridex Class ship (as it is most accurately known) has a surface detail that gives the Warbird her bird-of-prey like appeal. In the notorious green-scaled tone of the hull coloring it appears to also present as a fierce dragon with the crest of the Romulan Star Empire emblazoned across its brow.
The model is perhaps one of my most favorite releases, and I’ve developed a new appreciation for this design by Probert. Responsible for giving the First Season of ST:TNG much of its look, including the new dramatic redesign of the USS Enterprise, Probert had a distinct skill for sprouting designs that appeared lopsided or weighted against practical conception, which made them much more interesting. The Romulan Warbird is no exception. The ships made up the bulk of the empire’s fleet and it’s evidently clear as to why they were feared throughout the quadrant.
Check out the turnaround model of the Romulan Warbird here:
Romulan WARBIRD | Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection | XL Edition | Eaglemoss Collections | $74.95 available from Eaglemoss Collections here.
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