The T'Liss-class Romulan Bird-of-Prey was a type of space vessel that was in service with the military of the Romulan Star Empire during the late 23rd century. Surviving ships of the class continued to appear in various capacities through the 24th century.

In terms of the TV series, this is one of the original ships from Star Trek's TOS. It appeared in the episode 'Balance of Terror' which was the first time we were introduced to Romulans. It is also, I believe, the first time that the cloaking device was introduced to viewers. Its distinct bird markings on the underside make it a favorite with fans.

Polar Lights has done a series of Star Trek model kits. Many of them are snap kits and many of them are in 1/1000 scale. This allows a collection to be compiled. Having them as snap kits also makes them something that would be useful for youngsters. Molded in white plastic to allow them to be paint free, the kit comes with a stand, a somewhat unusual addition when it comes to modern plastic models of any kind, but a good choice for a space ship which wouldn't have landing gear.

It has a low parts count, which again makes it perfect for its intended audience. As you can see from the parts layout, which is actually the construction part of the instructions, there are only 14 parts to the ship with three more for the stand and mounting post. The forward part of the engine nacelles is clear, but this can be painted with a clear color if one so desires.

As mentioned, the single sheet instructions have a single exploded view for parts attachment. On the back is a decal placement guide. It suggests perhaps cutting the 'wings' portion where it meets the nacelles as it may assist in placement as that decal is fairly large. The decals are indeed decals and not stickers as Polar Lights has provided with some other kits and are very nicely printed. The sheet also includes window decals for the saucer.

Probably the biggest surprise on this kit is the price. Frankly, had I not won this at a raffle, I would have to think hard about forking out that kind of money for this kit. Chalk it up to someone who used to buy 1/25 car kits for $1.00 and is somewhat surprised at what kits cost today. Here in the US I might well blame tariffs as this was made in China, along with the licensing fee paid to whomever now owns the Star Trek francise (which I believe is one of the arms of state regime media - CBS).

July 2026