Literally making a splash of an introduction in Star Trek Beyond the hero ship the USS Franklin was considered lost in deep space, but now has come home as the latest Special Issue in the line of Star Trek Starships Collection from Eaglemoss
Who could have seen that coming! In its first act of the last franchise installment of the space epic Star Trek Beyond directed by Justin Lin, Captain Kirk (Wonder Woman’s Chris Pine) leads his crew of the USS Starship Enterprise into the heart of uncharted territory where suddenly their legendary vessel (in the midst of its first five-year mission) is spreading to bits by an unknown assailant. Leaving Kirk and company no other choice but to launch in their escape pods onto the surface of a nearby planet.
There they learn the truth: the crew was lured in an attempt to launch a genocidal attack upon the Federation by one of their own! A one-time major in the Earth’s military MACO army, Balthazar Edison (Idris Elba) has festered in hate and is seeking a vendetta that will — he hopes — bring down Starfleet once and for all. Fortunately, the ever resourceful crew of the Enterprise have uncovered a means to manage their escape and prevent Edison from exacting his revenge. Their salvation is delivered to them in the form of the USS Franklin NX-326 Edison’s original command.
It’s ironic that Edison’s own ship, unbridledly powerful, is used against him in the climax of Star Trek Beyond. The vessel’s background is meant to evoke the grand history of Starfleet and its bid to push mankind into uncharted space. An early 22nd Century vessel of the “Starship Class” the USS Franklin is among the first ships in space to reach Warp 4 and predates Captain Jonathon Archer’s own NX-01 by a decade. Originally designed and designated as a “scout vessel” in the script, its designer Sean Hargreaves had the unique experience of creating the hero ship.
The Eaglemoss model, its latest in the line of “Special Issue” releases which stand apart from the regularly sized and packaged subscription offerings, is perhaps the best in the recent models to be produced and delivers on its promise to provide Star Trek collectors with a unprecedented collecting experience. The very well-crafted and sturdy model measures approximately 8 inches long, and is accurately detailed. From the heft of the model, most of its die-cast parts are properly weighed on the saucer section which is intricately detailed with the ship’s registry engraved.
From holding the model, it’s clear to imagine that such a ship would have withstood the rigors of planetary reentry and launching back into space to prevent the invasion of the nearby Yorktown space station. The magazine included with the model lends great detail to the artist’s design approach, which was well-rooted in the original designs of Matt Jeffries who designed the first USS Enterprise featured in the Original Series. The USS Franklin gives a whole new meaning to “tough little ship” and undoubtedly make a handsome piece to any starship collection.
USS Frankin NX-326 is part of The Official Starships Collection from Eaglemoss Collections. For more details goto www.startrek-starships.com