1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp - DONE!!

moffeaton

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http://www.therpf.com/f11/1-2-studio-scale-offworld-blimp-moving-42705/index20.html#post2253825

FOUR YEARS AGO:

I finally have the final piece needed to make a 1/2 scale Offworld Blimp! The original source advertising material that I can load into two mpeg-cpable lcd screens that I purchased, so that when this model is finished, it will literally play the advertising and audio as seen in the film. A happy coincidence: the screens (at a little over 10" each) work out to 1/2 studio scale! So when I use donor kits like the Quad Gun Tractor, I can use a 1/72nd kit in place of a 1/35th. Good times.

Here's a rough idea of scale, with one of the screens:

P1020406.jpg


A buddy in Japan has a bunch of the original photoetch frets from the Hades set, which coincidentally were repurposed on the blimp for the equatorial "antennas", so I'm scanning the sheet, redrawing them, halving the scale, and getting a sheet etched.

A very talented Wizard is drafting a blimp form for me, which I will make a master for, so I can cast it and also make a non-electronic "first revision" blimp (the one with three screens), and allow the form to be hollow and lightweight.

form.jpg


And here's a tease of the holy grail! I have scrubbed the geisha footage in this file (but you get the idea), and made it quick-and-dirty from my monitor (with a low rent comparison to the film) - it's a teaser after all!

http://www.roboterkampf.com/images/prop/blimp/blimp.MOV
 
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Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Jason....

Words can not describe my feelings about this project... I am in awe.

So... loaded, self interested question... might you consider doing a kit? ;)

Either way, I can not tell you how cool I think this project is and how much I look forward to watching this come together. With your resources, reference and passion the only person I could see successfully completing this project would be you.

Please keep this thread updated! :)

-Bryan
 
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Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Wow man, I am honored you think I can pull it off!

Yes, I'm happy to offer a "kit" so far as I can. What I plan to do is offer up what I have made, and you can "follow along in your book, when you hear the beep, like this"... heh.

Ideally, you'll be able to get a blimp shell, any resin stuff I scratchbuild, and photoetch, and I'll tell you what to buy kit-wise and lcd screen-wise, and I'll also provide the mpeg once I package it up that you can load into the lcd screens.

I got two of these off of eBay last year, and they'll work perfectly:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-10-4-LCD-DI...yZ150043QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They even have stereo speakers ;)
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Nice! A great build thread and a kit hookup! I am all about that!

This is going to be fantastic, I can not wait to see this come together.

So shouldnt you be busy building... like... now maybe... ;)

-Bryan
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Lol - I have to clear the plate first - won't have anything ready until the fall - don't want to rush this one!
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Oh man I can't wait to see what you do with this one! This is a model I have always thought would be perfect with the new mini-LCD screens that are out. The last time I watched BR I couldn't help thinking about the old Goodyear Blimp model with it's rotating drum and paper display and how that could be adapated. :)
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Oh my god!

That's gonna be a hell of a thing :D

We're all rooting for ya! :)


-Mike
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Very cool!

How are you sourcing the video clips? I know the recent box set showed snippets of them clean but not the entire loop, IIRC.
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Unbelievably cool! Can't wait to see your progress. How do you find the time?

I second the question- where was the video sourced?
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Very exciting, Jason! As others have said, we'll all be rooting for you and watching your progress on this thread with interest! :love

And thank you SOOO much for your generosity with the information and the promise of a kit. This is going to make a LOT of BR fans verrry happy!!
1074.gif
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

I lucked out and got the footage from a friend with crazy cool connections... right place, right time, right fan of the right thing!

Nothing bums me out more than people with reference that don't share/hoard it, so I'll always help a fellow modeler out! (But I'm not giving away my time and money for free, either, lol).

I've been given tons of help over the years, and it's made me a better model builder, so I never want to lose sight of the dynamics of the way things should work in the hobby, so I'm happy to help a blimp builder out, as soon as I have something to share.

The blimp is such an off the beaten path subject, and reference is so hard to find!
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

Soooo looking forward to watching your progress here, and the possibility of a kit in the future as welll... just wow!!
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

This was actually a project that I was going to try and tackle, but I just couldn't scrounge up enough reference materials to even start on my own. Like I said, I'm really looking forward to this piece!!
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

The blimp is such an off the beaten path subject, and reference is so hard to find!

Thanks for stepping up to the plate, Jason. In your hands this subject is sure to get the treatment it deserves.

I love your take on the screens. I work for an ad agency, and the blimp would look great hovering over our reception desk. I wonder if I could rig it to play our trailer reel on a loop...
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

I hope to live up to the challenge!

The beauty of these screens is that it'll play any mpeg that you load into a compact flash card, so yeah, you could have it play anything you want!
 
Re: 1/2 studio scale Offworld Blimp

you could have it play anything you want!

Cool! This is shaping up to be a work related expense. Now if I can just find a client I can bill it to...

I'm kidding of course :cool

Please keep us posted on your progress, J. This is gonna be one to watch.
 
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