A wooden model of Starship Enterprise 1701 from the iconic TV show 'Star Trek' has been authenticated. [Credit: Willrow Hood/Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
The original Starship USS Enterprise model, personal property of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry and missing for over 45 years, was positively identified in 2023 after appearing on eBay.
Designed for publicity for the 1964 Star Trek pilot, the model disappeared around 1978 after Gene Roddenberry loaned it for a production and it was never returned.
Gene's son, Rod Roddenberry, confirmed its authenticity, which was further verified by Star Trek model makers, with plans for its preservation and public display in a museum.
The first model of Star Trek‘s Starship USS Enterprise that was the personal property of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry and has been missing for more than 45 years has been positively identified as the real deal.
The model showed up on eBay in 2023, but the auction was quickly taken down when the seller learned the model might have been stolen.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![A wooden model of Starship Enterprise 1701 from the iconic TV show 'Star Trek' has been authenticated. [Credit: Willrow Hood / Shutterstock]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_2246864759-scaled-e1698961374375.jpg)
