trekriffic
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2012
- Messages
- 953
Origins...
The Leif Ericson model kit was originally introduced by AMT in 1968 in an attempt to cash in on the enthusiasm and popularity generated in the sci-fi realm by "Star Trek" and was the first in a planned series of Strategic Space Command ships.
Matt Jefferies, designer of the original starship Enterprise, was hired by AMT to design the Leif and its accompanying scout ship.
Here are some of his early sketches of the two:
Leif Ericson:
Scout ship:
Interestingly, the design shares some characteristics with the Botany Bay sleeper ship which Jefferies also designed, primarily the submarine-like "conning tower".
I myself built this kit as a boy.
Along with the Enterprise and Klingon models in my collection it was one of the few kits that included light bulbs for the engines.
The kit also came with a vinyl record called "The Sounds of Outer Space" that played 60's era "spacey" music.
You can listen to it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlHzAC_ye28
The Leif Ericson has proved to be an enduring design and it has appeared in one form or another on covers of several sci-fi novels and in CGI.
Most notably it served as the inspiration for the Battlecruiser MacArthur from "The Mote in God's Eye" written by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven.
Sadly though, the model was not a commercial success so it remains the only model ever produced in the Strategic Space Commad fleet.
Over the years, original kits in good condition sold for several hundred dollars on eBay.
The current kit I'm building now was re-issued by AMT in June, 2011 and now features red LEDS instead of light bulbs and is missing the vinly record.
My build will feature lit windows in additon to engines. I will also be building it with ParaGrafix's excellent photo-etch set:
To read more about the history of the Leif Ericson go to this link:
http://www.projectrho.com/SSC/index.html
The Leif Ericson model kit was originally introduced by AMT in 1968 in an attempt to cash in on the enthusiasm and popularity generated in the sci-fi realm by "Star Trek" and was the first in a planned series of Strategic Space Command ships.
Matt Jefferies, designer of the original starship Enterprise, was hired by AMT to design the Leif and its accompanying scout ship.
Here are some of his early sketches of the two:
Leif Ericson:
Scout ship:
Interestingly, the design shares some characteristics with the Botany Bay sleeper ship which Jefferies also designed, primarily the submarine-like "conning tower".
I myself built this kit as a boy.
Along with the Enterprise and Klingon models in my collection it was one of the few kits that included light bulbs for the engines.
The kit also came with a vinyl record called "The Sounds of Outer Space" that played 60's era "spacey" music.
You can listen to it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlHzAC_ye28
The Leif Ericson has proved to be an enduring design and it has appeared in one form or another on covers of several sci-fi novels and in CGI.
Most notably it served as the inspiration for the Battlecruiser MacArthur from "The Mote in God's Eye" written by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven.
Sadly though, the model was not a commercial success so it remains the only model ever produced in the Strategic Space Commad fleet.
Over the years, original kits in good condition sold for several hundred dollars on eBay.
The current kit I'm building now was re-issued by AMT in June, 2011 and now features red LEDS instead of light bulbs and is missing the vinly record.
My build will feature lit windows in additon to engines. I will also be building it with ParaGrafix's excellent photo-etch set:
To read more about the history of the Leif Ericson go to this link:
http://www.projectrho.com/SSC/index.html