Located deep in the Mutara Sector of the Beta Quadrant, the Federation research outpost Regula I served as the base of operations for Project Genesis — and now this top-secret facility has joined Hero Collector’s line of Star Trek models!
Originally designed by Andy Probert for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the starbase studio model debuted as the Earth-based orbital office complex, shown in an inverted position compared to all future uses. Flipped vertically and with some other configuration changes, the Regula I station design first seen in The Wrath of Khan would go on to be used in several other appearances, including a number of times in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
After some final modifications — including the removal of the brown and tan ‘barrel’ lower section — the studio model would later appear as Admiral Ross’ Starbase 375, where Captain Sisko and the Defiant crew were stationed after abandoning Deep Space 9 to the Dominion in 2375 (as well as some other DS9-era starbases seen in the latter part of that show’s sixth season).
Hero Collector’s new model brings us this station in its Wrath of Khan configuration, a nicely-sized 7-inch replica based upon Carol Marcus’ research facility from that second Star Trek film.
One of the few space station models in the Hero Collector line, the Regula I model is very nicely detailed for its size, and is produced in the company’s standard mix of die-cast metal and injected-molded plastic material. For this model, the top section of the model is the metal component, while the middle and lower sections (and top antenna) is all plastic.
Like the Star Trek III Spacedock model before it, the Regula I station includes a ring-shaped display stand, a sturdy support base which adds another few inches to the model’s height when on display — allowing the station so appear to ‘float’ over your tabletop.
The mostly-grey top sections are accented by splashes of light green, yellow, and red around its various sensor cluster and round modules, and the ‘barrels’ feature solid striping in a number of shades of brown, tan, pink, and magenta which are nice details to give some technical feeling to its lower section.
While there are a few nitpicks — the underside of the round central modules don’t have the solid grey paint circles a bit smaller than the studio model, and there is a small amount of misaligned window marking on the top section (an age-old complaint) — there’s really not much to complain about with this one.
It’s just a nice, solid build of an iconic Star Trek space station.
While it’s currently sold out for US sales in Hero Collector’s web shop, the station retails there for $49.99 — and it’s still available as of this writing in the UK, retailing there for £32.99.
We’ll be back soon with a look at more of the Official Starships Collection — but in the meantime, let us know what you think about this model in the comments below!