Star Trek III & IV Spacedock "Tug" Shuttle

The shuttle was actually used for more scenes than just space dock. There is one bit where the thing is hovering over Kirk and company on the submerged BOP.

I don't think they are X-Wing pilots at all since the arm positions on those don't look quite right. The helmets though are almost reminding me of Kenner X-Wing pilot figures (the vintage ones).

As for the bigger figures, my off the cuff guess would be Tamiya F-1 driver figures (either 1/20 which might have been available by late 1986 or the older 1/12 ones). Fujimi also had a figure set with a driver figure in 1/24, but I can't recall when it came out exactly.
 
On the first page of the thread, JMChladek mentions 1/32 scale after he referenced his Hasegawa kit. But since they used different scale pilots in the two movies, who knows? As far as that goes, maybe they decided that the pilots weren't visible enough in ST:III and opted for larger scale pilots in ST:IV.

I'm really not good at waiting for stuff. When I ordered my fighter kits, I ordered both 1/72 and 1/144 just to see which would turn out best. TimeSlip, SRS, or whoever, better be doing a larger scale or I'm going to be a little perturbed at wasting my time fiddling around with a kit bash of sorts.

Does anyone know if the "air-cooled engine fins" on the back are from some sort of kit, or scratch built? They don't look too difficult to make, but I can't see if there is any detailing between the fins.
 
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YES!!! Thank you for posting this!

Like Captain Finney, this is one of my all time favorites. I've recognized the F-16 intakes for years but never could see any other details enough to consider doing a competent job on this.
 
Looking at the pics of the larger pilots, they almost look like the crew from the Monogram 1/24 scale Gemini II space capsule kit, except the suits were painted up like the SR 71 and Space Shuttle suits. That's my take on them anyway.
 
stevielewis said:
Looking at the pics of the larger pilots, they almost look like the crew from the Monogram 1/24 scale Gemini II space capsule kit, except the suits were painted up like the SR 71 and Space Shuttle suits. That's my take on them anyway.
Click to expand...

The helmets don't look right for the Gemini figures though and they should also have their arms molded to their sides with the hands on the their laps. These still look like some kind of race driver figures with their arms straight as if they are reaching up to grab a steering wheel.

I'm thinking the drivers could be from this set...

http://www.mfpilot.com/plastic-mode...s-team-set-1970-1985-tamiya-1-20-9-figure-kit

Granted the arm positions don't quite jive, but this figure set does give a lot of possible donor arms. I also seem to recall Tamiya had one or two of their 1/20 car kits from 1982-84 time period with driver figures included (such as the Nelson Piquet Williams F1 car).
 
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The top of the dash looks to be F-16 wheel well bulkheads as well.

Like to know what the main body is made from. I'ld like to give it a try in 1/32 scale as a base.

Tracy
 
All that stuff is buried back on page 1. The engine area looks to be Tamiya 1/32 F-14A based while the intakes are Hasegawa F-16A ones (and indeed the wheel well bulkheads are being used as control panels in the cockpit). Not sure what the main body pod is though (it reminds me a little bit of the old Mego toy walkie talkie communicator bodies from the 70s, although the bulked up "van" shaped section where the cockpit sits hints at something else). Wish I had Bill George's email as he probably knows exactly what was used.

It sounds like studio scale resin kit in the works from Timeslip. I have their Ranger 3 and it is a great casting, so I expect this one to be a beauty as well. Although in my case I would love it if I could just get a body and a windscreen as I've got almost all the other bits I need to do one of these (and the guys at the local IPMS club would go nuts if they knew I carved up a Tamiya F-14 to make it). :D
 
I was watching ST4 last night.
It's in lot's of scenes including one sitting on the ground outside Star Fleet HQ.
Looked to have the smaller pilots.
 
Be careful making scale estimates using matt paintings (especially in ST IV). I just worked on a Bird of Prey, and was rather shocked when I studied the matt shots early in the film. The live action people loading gear into the ship were either 12 feet tall, or the vessel was a lot smaller than it was when facing down the Enterprise in ST III.

The same matt painting also shows the ship's landing gear coming out of the wing, which it most surely does not.
 
johntrek said:
Be careful making scale estimates using matt paintings (especially in ST IV). I just worked on a Bird of Prey, and was rather shocked when I studied the matt shots early in the film. The live action people loading gear into the ship were either 12 feet tall, or the vessel was a lot smaller than it was when facing down the Enterprise in ST III.

The same matt painting also shows the ship's landing gear coming out of the wing, which it most surely does not.
Click to expand...

Well the BoP changes scale in every scene in every movie and show it is seen in.
Here is an article on it. ;)
 
division 6 said:
Well the BoP changes scale in every scene in every movie and show it is seen in.
Here is an article on it. ;)
Click to expand...

Yup, and that infamous size changing is what lead to FASA coming up with three different sizes and classes of BOP back when they were doing the Trek RPG and miniature combat games in the 1980s (I think they documented no less than 5 different sizes they encountered and TNG threw in two more).

I came up with my own Treknobabble excuse for the size differences as I figure a ship with a cloaking device could play with the settings not only to bend light to make it look invisible, but also refract it to make a ship look BIGGER than it is. So like the Cat in Red Dwarf, a Klingon Bird of Prey sees an enemy ship and goes "Uh oh, I'd better make myself look BIG". ;) So, only one size of Bird of Prey is out there and the rest of it is just down to Klingon propaganda. :cool
 
I like that explanation a lot better than trying to swallow 7 different sized versions of the exact same design... Great idea! That is now part of my personal Trek canon!

Very cool shuttle too, if someone can figure out the main hull this would be a good one for beginning studio scalers to cut their teeth on. I know I'd give it a shot.

Mark in Okinawa
 
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