The Romulan Star Empire

This is the Romulan Warbird miniature, first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation's first season finale, "The Neutral Zone." Designed by Andy Probert and built by Greg Jein, the color of the miniature is actually a gray-brown, with some green (although it appeared green in the TV series). There is a lot of air brushing on the miniature to give the impression of a series of curved surfaces. One photo (see the first photo on The IDIC Page - Romulan pg. 2 ) shows the ribbed pattern on a common curved surface of the hull. Which is correct, the illusion on film, or the actual model? It's up to the learned observer and what he/she wishes to believe. The miniature is 3-4 feet in length.

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Pictured below is the original miniature of TOS's Romulan Bird of Prey. The Romulan spaceship was built and designed by Wah Ming Chang. The aggressive and noble nature of the Romulans led to their ship being patterned after an eagle-like bird. An unusually shaped- ship, it looks different from every angle. A beautiful, yet menacing, large red bird of prey was painted on the underside of the hull. The ship was grey, and the engine nacelle tips had lights.

There is conflicting information as to whatever happened to TOS Romulan miniature. The ship first appeared in TOS in the first season episode, "Balance of Terror," and then stock footage from that episode was used for its reappearance in "The Deadly Years." According to legend, it was destroyed or lost, while the series was still in production. This would account for the Romulans adapting the Klingon battlecruiser ship design in third season's "The Enterprise Incident" (in that episode, the Klingon battlecruiser miniature was used in place of the Romulan miniature). Was the original Romulan miniature lost? Perhaps we'll never know for sure, but I was told by a NASM curatorial assistant in 1992 that the miniature was not included in the NASM's 1992-93 Star Trek exhibit because the model was in the hands of a private collector who did not want to give it up for public display. If you have information as to the whereabouts of the original Romulan miniature, please let me know.

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Pictured below is the 1975 box art of AMT's Romulan Bird of Prey model kit. Curiously, this model kit was not re-released by The AMT/Ertl Company (unlike TOS bridge kit, Galileo shuttlecraft, and the Klingon battlecruiser) during Star Trek's 25th anniversary in 1991.

[AMT Romulan model kit box art]

Go to The IDIC Page - Romulan pg. 2 .

Go to "The Star Trek Models of Greg Jein - Romulan Warbird: The IDIC Page - Jein's Warbird .

Return to The IDIC Page - main page .

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