Returning to the Star Trek universe for the first time in quite a while, QMx announced their lineup of papercraft starship models called the Qraftworks Star Trek PuzzleFleet back in February 2022, with eight familiar starships from all eras of the final frontier.
Each 8-to-12-inch model ranges in complexity from about 55 to 85 pieces, and is made of double-sided, highly-detailed gloss paper over a layer of thin foamboard. The initial wave of starships includes the classic original USS Enterprise, the refit Enterprise from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the USS Enterprise-D, the starship Discovery, the California-class USS Cerritos, a Klingon D-7 from the Original Series, and the iconic Klingon Bird of Prey from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
As you punch out each piece from the various boards included in each set, you must match up the numbered piece with the corresponding instruction set for assembly — it’s not a matter of using part 1, then part 2, then part 3 — as the pieces aren’t always near each other on their boards.
Each starship build also includes pieces for a display stand, which supports each ship to varying degrees of success. The stands for the Constitution-class ships seems much more stable than the Cerritos stand, probably because the California-class ship is so front-heavy.
Many of the pieces will also have punch-out slots for other pieces’ tabs to fit into, and these slots can be very small. It’s a good idea to have some small tools to help with those bits, and the QMx instructions suggest an unfolded paperclip to get in those tiny crevices and remove the placeholder foam during assembly.
That certainly helped, though we did end up with a lot of little bits of foam and paper on our table after prepping all the puzzle pieces for assembly – so be ready for a bit of cleanup afterwards.
Most of the assembly work on each ship was relatively straightforward and trouble-free, and will be a satisfying time for those who like building things like the Metal Earth Star Trek models, the wooden IncrediBuilds Trek sets, or the recent expansion of BlueBrixx brickbuilding starship sets.
Once fully constructed, each Qraftworks starship really does resemble their on-screen counterparts quite well, with perhaps the Cerritos bringing the animated style from Lower Decks to life more effectively than the other ships, since the puzzles can’t fully replicate the complex curves or subtle angles of physical studio models.
That said, there are still certainly some drawbacks in this kind of construction method, mostly due to the relatively thin foamboard that makes up the structure of each puzzle piece. In a few cases, the small tabs that were required to fit into sections with tight tolerances — like the wraparound pieces that make up the Cerritos warp nacelles, or the fold-over Bussard collectors on the refit Enterprise — can become easily bent.
Once that happens, it becomes a minor miracle if you can fit them back into their corresponding slots, even with your handy straightened paper clip to assist the process. In two or three instances, we had to use a small amount of clear tape to cover for the loss of tabs in critical assembly points — thankfully however in the final builds, you can’t really see the tape unless you’re looking closely.
These Qraftworks model kits won’t be for everyone — certainly they’re nothing like a ‘screen-accurate’ buildup kit like the sets offered by Polar Lights, or the fully-constructed models from the now-defunct Eaglemoss — but for those of you who might have lower model-building skill levels, or if you want to involve younger people in the build-ups, these could be the perfect little sets to spend an hour on once and a while.
If you’re interested in checking out the QMx Qraftworks PuzzleFleet starships for yourself, all eight releases are available for purchase now.
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