Eaglemoss has made their first tentative step into adding electronic features to The Official Starships Collection — after producing years of static, non-functional Star Trek models — with arrival of the ancient Planet Killer, the powerful alien vessel from “The Doomsday Machine.”
Despite only appearing in one episode, the Planet Killer has been an object of fascination for fans and licensed works in the Star Trek universe, including appearances in several novels and video games. An ancient weapon of enormous power and unknown origins, the Planet Killer is one of the most iconic space vehicles of the Original Series.
Released as part of the midsize ‘special’ lineup, the Planet Killer model measures approximately eight and a half inches long, which is probably a bit smaller than is necessary in order to convey the awesome size of the ship — but likely about as large as the ship could have been produced given its shape without significantly increasing costs and therefore price.
The decision to add a lighted component to the model is a welcome one, as without it, the Planet Killer is decidedly lacking in interesting details. But with the addition of the built-in yellow LED housed inside the destructive maw of the ship, the Planet Killer takes on the personality of the ship seen in “The Doomsday Machine.”
The light is battery operated, and the both the battery compartment and light switch are cleverly hidden within the underside of the Planet Killer. The cover of the battery compartment is held in place by strong magnets, which hold the cover firmly in place unless pulled apart by hand. The model requires two LR41 batteries in order to operate, which are not commonly available in stores and will need to be purchased online, which is inconvenient.
The compartment is obvious when examining the Planet Killer in your hand, but when on the stand it is not as noticeable. Given the added light adds so much interest to the model overall, it is a small sacrifice.
The Planet Killer model is bifurcated between the top and bottom, and the seam lines are quite obvious, even with the light and dark blue patterning across the hull. The top of the model is die cast metal, while the bottom of the model — including the battery compartment — is plastic.
The model perches atop its stand, and requires a little maneuvering in order to find the most stable position. I found the weight balanced best when the battery compartment was placed in between the two supports on the clear stand, but gravity more than anything holds the Planet Killer in place on the stand.
This will be an easy one to knock off, but given you’ll want to at least occasionally take it off the stand to turn the light on and off likely the most sensible design for this model.
The Planet Killer is a decent model, and Eaglemoss is to be applauded for trying something new with the added lighting component. The company has already revealed that the upcoming ISS Charon model from the Star Trek: Discovery model line will include a similar lighting component — here’s hoping that such experiments are as successful as this one in the future.
While currently sold out, if you want to add the Planet Killer model to your fleet of Star Trek starships, you can order it for $54.95 in the United States, and for £29.99 in the UK webshop when it’s back in stock.