Fans of the original Star Trek series will recall such classic episodes as The Galileo Seven, where one of the Enterprise’s shuttlecraft, the Galileo, and her (7) crew members are trapped on an alien planet and are being attacked by mysterious hairy beasts with weak pole-throwing abilities….

Anyways, while we have had model kits of the Galileo in the past in 1/35, this is the first time I recall seeing one in 1/72 scale. Cozmic Models are a small company in Britain producing science fiction-related items from some of your favourite shows and this kit is one of their range of Star Trek models in various scales. 3D printed resin is the media of choice and the hull is cast/drawn(?) in one hollow piece, with a total of 19 parts including two clear ‘Bussards’. Also in the solid cardboard box are a colour laser-printed decal sheet, a basic instruction sheet and four very nice 3D printed standing crew members, who include Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and a Redshirt just waiting to be speared by a pole-throwing hairy alien.

Assembly started with a good sanding of the shuttle in an effort to remove as much of the printing lines as possible – luckily, the main surfaces are all flat as the TOS Galileo wasn’t renowned for its sinuous lines….

All the parts were then primed with a light grey primer coat, which also served as the main colour for the craft, as it was light grey in ’real life.’ The warp nacelles and their pylons were constructed, painted medium grey, and attached to the main body – these do need some careful trimming to ensure a good fit. I left off the clear ‘Bussard’ parts until the end to avoid masking them – these also need careful trimming for fit.

Once construction was complete, the whole was given a coat of Future prior to applying the decals. The decals are laserjet-printed and therefore have a continuous carrier film, so careful trimming is required. They were rather fragile and prone to curling, so I needed lots of care and patience to get them applied – once you place them, they aren’t going to move. I lost only one decal – luckily it was on the rear so is not easily visible. Once dry, the whole was sprayed with a coat of matt varnish to finish the model.

The four figures are 3D printed resin and the detail is excellent, even down to a tiny flip-top communicator and handheld phaser. Painting these was simple, and they were finished with a coat of matt varnish. These figures ideally complement the shuttle kit and are great for dioramas or for tabletop gaming.

I also received a set of figures for the Star Trek Voyager TV series, these comprising 12 in all – 8 standing and four seated. The set includes: Tom Paris (seated and standing), Harry Kim (seated and standing), B'Elanna Torres (seated and standing), Tuvok (seated and standing), Janeway, Neelix, Kes, and Seven of Nine. All are easily recognizable and feature fine detail, though Seven’s, um, assets are perhaps a little exaggerated. Again, all are easy to paint, though the clothing colouring for Seven, Kes and Neelix needs a bit of research as their costumes changed frequently. The seated figures are intended for Cozmic’s 1/72 Delta Flyer kit which is available separately.

The final item included for review is a small pre-printed acrylic base with generic Starfleet-style markings, ideal for placing the Galileo on.

These items are a terrific addition to the range of Star Trek models and figures in the Cozmic range and if you have any interest in the shows, or DS9 for that matter, do take a look at their website. There are also kits for Battlestar Galactica and Space 1999 if those shows were more your thing. My sincere thanks to Cozmic Models for the review samples.

Incidentally, for those concerned about licensing, Cozmic handily provides the following disclaimer: “The product is to be considered "fan art" and is not officially a licensed product. The product is protected under the FAIR USE Act. It is meant to parody the original product. Money paid is for services, time, and materials provided and not for commercial profit.”