Leif Ericson Scout Craft Vega

In 1967, following the success of its 1:650 scale 'Star Trek' U.S.S. Enterprise model kit, AMT models tasked 'Star Trek' art director Matt Jefferies with designing an original line of starships under the 'Strategic Space Command' banner. In 1968, the first kit, the 'Leif Ericson,' was launched. This ship, later inspiring the U.S.S. MacArthur in Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle's 'The Mote in God's Eye,' featured a large shuttle bay housing a small, in-scale scout ship, the 'Vega.' The 'Leif' echoed other Jefferies designs, notably the S.S. Botany Bay, while the Vega took inspiration from Jefferies' Klingon D-7 battlecruiser. Despite its popularity among sci-fi modelers and reissues as the 'Mystery Ship' and 'Glow in the Dark UFO,' sluggish sales halted further 'Strategic Space Command' releases. Models & Model Kits are typically supplied unpainted and unassembled unless otherwise noted.