The Surak long range shuttle and the T’Plana-Hath lander, two larger-size special issues from Eaglemoss / Hero Collector’s long-running Official Starships Collection, showcase two very different — but complementary — examples of Vulcan design aesthetic.
The Surak, first seen in 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, is highly geometric and angular, while the T’Plana-Hath lander, introduced in 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact, has organic curves and radial symmetry that evokes some kind of unknown sea creature. Both ships demonstrate in their own way the fact that no one combines utilitarianism and flamboyance quite like the Vulcans.
The 9-by-5 inch Surak has quite a bit of three-dimensional textural detail, especially on the top of the cabin and the underside of the “catamaran keel”; the painted details on those sections are very clean and line up well with the stamped out portions. Even at such a small scale, the registry information is clearly readable in both English and Vulcan.
Overall, the colors of the ship are rather muted, most of the ship being shades of light grey with the occasional red, yellow, or black accent. One aspect of the paint job that’s a little odd is the washing of light tan over the nacelles; this is clearly an attempt to replicate the wear and tear seen on the on-screen model — but it’s not the most attractive color, and up close it makes it look like the model itself needs to be cleaned.
The 8-inch-diameter T’Plana-Hath is a much simpler model in terms of paint, but it does have quite a bit of nice geometric texture work. The simplicity of the paint isn’t a drawback, however, since it’s accurate to the on-screen model and is also a very nice, deep burgundy. The multi-layered paint application also helps give a little more depth to the monochrome color scheme.
Based on a highly scientific “touch test,” I couldn’t find which — if any — parts of the T’Plana-Hath model were made from the typical die-cast metal seen in most of the Official Starships collection series; the whole ship feels like plastic and is lighter than I expected from its size.
That said, it’s a sturdy, well-made model and does not feel delicate or breakable. Though comparable in size, the Surak is the heavier of the two models, and the metal build of the keel is immediately apparent, while the parallel nacelles and the cabin portion are made of plastic.
The T’Plana-Hath comes with the standard stand and base that accompanies all Eaglemoss models, though the design of the ship as a lander means that stand itself seems unnecessary. The model looks fine placed directly on a shelf.
The stand for the Surak, which seems more appropriate to use, is unfortunately not very secure. First off, do pay attention to the instructions for where the stand clips to the ship. I initially had the clip attaching to the back of the keel and facing forward, which caused the model to tilt forward into an undesirable position.
Moving the clip to the correct position — onto the front of the keel, facing backwards — does fix the problem of the drooping model, but the uneven weight distribution of the model means it still wants to slide out, just in the other direction. Thankfully, the design of the shuttle means it can still be displayed without needing to use the stand.
The accompanying magazine paired with the T’Plana-Hath includes an extensive history of the development of the ship and is filled with excellent drawings by designer John Eaves, and the magazine for the Surak includes a similar design history of the shuttle — as well as large, detailed photos of the original filming model taken by Douglas Trumbull’s VFX team.
Both models are striking additions to the Official Starships Collection, and if you’re a fan of the logical race, these Vulcan ships are a welcome addition to the Star Trek fleet.
To bring these models home to your own armada, you can order the T’Plana-Hath lander at Hero Collector’s US webshop for $49.99, and in the UK for £27.99. For the Surak long-range shuttle, the US shop has it in stock for $49.95, while available in the UK for £30.99.
Stick around for looks at more of the Official Starships Collection, as well as an exclusive interview with program manager Ben Robinson, discussion all sorts of upcoming Eaglemoss / Hero Collector Star Trek stuff coming in the next few months!