Polar Lights 1/1000 scale Star Trek USS Voyager plastic model kit review

Whenever a new Star Trek movie or show premieres, one of the first things I want to see is the ships. I usually like what I see (except for the Enterprise-D), but I was especially drawn to the USS Voyager from the series Star Trek Voyager. It’s sleek and different from other ships seen up to that time.

While Monogram produced a 1/677 scale kit of Voyager when the show was new, the arrival of the Polar Lights 1/1000 scale kit is great because it fits with the rest of the brand’s constant-scale Trek kits and gives a sense of the ship’s size compared to others in that universe; it’s bigger than I expected.

Molded in light bluish-gray plastic that matches the ship’s hull color and designed to snap — or more accurately push — together, Voyager is accessible for new and less-experienced builders.

Good painting instructions with detailed color information are on the sides of the inner tray and the extensive decal placement diagram is a separate sheet. Sharply printed, the decals provide some of the larger windows, lifebuoy covers, various hull plate, stripes and registry numbers, and a bunch of stencils. Come to this project prepared to spend plenty of time adding decals, because there are many.

Assembly is straightforward with large tabs and overlapping joins for a mostly-clean finish. However, I had to use plenty of filler and sanding to eliminate the seam between the upper and lower halves of the primary hull. It is front and center, so take your time making it as good as it can be. Pay special attention at the rear of the primary hull where the gap moves underneath; it is difficult to sand after the secondary hull is attached.

The warp nacelles have clear inserts for the Bussard collectors and intercoolers. Sandwiched hinges allow the nacelles to pivot about 45 degrees to display the ship going into warp. I left the engines separate for painting.

Using a masking set from Aztek Dummy (No. AD-73), I painted several areas with Tamiya Light Gray (XF-66). After adding masks, I airbrushed AK Interactive Real Color Light Sky Blue (No. RC240), then masked panel edges and sprayed MRP Light Sky Blue (No. MRP-397), which is a hair darker and sprayed feathered lines to match the filming miniature.

I hand-painted details and hit it with clear gloss before moving on to the decals — so many decals. I spent about 12 hours adding all the markings. The decals fit molded detail perfectly, but I had to use stronger setting solutions to settle them. A coat of clear flat unified the finish before I added a couple of details and peeled the masks.

The finished model looks great and makes a handsome addition to my Trek collection. It isn’t difficult to build, but you need to pay attention at crucial junctures to build it into the best model it can be.