Building and improving three Galactica models: Colonial Viper, Cylon Raider and Viper MkII

Moska

Sr Member
Hello friends.

After finishing my USS Reliant, a project that took me two years of work, I decided that my next project would be easier, something that would not complicate my life. That's why I decided that I was going to build my old models from the original Galactica series: Colonial Viper and Cylon Raider.

My purpose was to build the two models "out of box" without making any improvement or modification, first the Viper and then the Cylon Raider, and thus enjoy a simple and uncomplicated project.

But modelers have the devil in our heads. :devil:

As soon as I started examining the models and gathering information and references in the network, I realized that my plans would inevitably change:

1- I decided to correct the lines of panels to make them incised.

2- Create new windshields that allow to see inside.

3- Make the interiors (cockpits) of both ships.

4- Make the pilot of the Viper and the crew of the Cylon Raider.

5- Put lights in cockpits and figures.

6- Detail the exhausts.

7- Illuminate the boosters.


Finally, I also liked the design of the Viper MKII and decided to also buy that kit and build and improve the three models at the same time.



As you can see, this seems to be what I understand as a simple and uncomplicated project. I don't know if I'm crazy or I'm stupid, but the truth is that I enjoy getting into these messes. :confused:
 
The kit of the Viper MkII is more modern and has a transparent windshield, cockpit, pilot and more detailed exhaust, so the models that will make me work hardest are the two of the original series. I start to plan the pieces as always, using the free 3D Google SketchUp application.

With this application I design and dissemble all the necessary elements with the assurance that everything will fit well when joining the pieces.


Colonial Viper: 3D windshield, exhaust grid and cockpit designs.

Cylon Raider: 3D windshield and cockpit designs.

Colonial Viper: New windshield built with styrene of 0.4 mm.

Colonial Viper: New detailed cockpit with instruments and lower lightbox.

Colonial Viper: New grids for the exhausts.

Cylon Raider: New windshield built with styrene of 0.4 mm.

Cylon Raider: New cockpit with random detailing.
 
The next step is to model the Viper pilot and a Cylon warrior. The Cylon warrior will be cloned using "Blue Stuff" molds and acrylic resin. The acrylic resin is very brittle but has enough hardness for these pieces. It is also easy and quick to use. Once closed the cockpit, the Cylon crew will not be very visible so I did not take too much trouble in detailing the figure. In the case of the pilot of the Viper, the cockpit is also very narrow and will only allow us to appreciate the details of the upper part of the figure.

Colonial pilot: Molding the helmet and the figure.

Colonial pilot: The pilot installed in the cockpit.

Cylon warrior: Modeling the figure over another pilot figure coming from another kit (AMT TIE Interceptor, I think).

Cylon warrior: The figure reproduced in acrylic resin.

Cylon warrior: The three figures occupying their positions in the cockpit.

Cylon warrior: The three painted figures. I got the chrome finish using a silver Edding marker.
 
I start to take care of the lighting system. To illuminate the nozzles of the Viper, I cut and extract the LEDs and their resistances from a led strip of the SMD2538 type. I Directly connect the LEDs to each other with a solder point without using cables between them. So I get them as close together as possible to each other and build a uniform light source composed of 9 LEDs and 3 resistors for each nozzle. I also make 3 cylinders using 0.5 mm aluminum sheet. These cylinders will take in the LEDs circuits and prevent their light from leaving where we are not interested in doing so.

Colonial Viper: The three aluminum tubes fitted in the nozzles.

Colonial Viper: Left: the leds stuck together and ready for welding. Right: the circuit already welded and ready to occupy a nozzle.

Colonial Viper: The three illuminated nozzles.
 
Man I'm going to be soooo disappointed if the three Cylon pilots don't have glowing and moving eyes! ;)

Kidding! This all looks fantastic. I was at a model show in Maryland recently and someone had a OG Raider that was blown in half with some of a scratch-built and on-fire interior showing and a Centurion blown out into space. It was a great model. Can't wait to see all of yours!
 
Hello friends. Thank you very much for your kind comments.

Man I'm going to be soooo disappointed if the three Cylon pilots don't have glowing and moving eyes! ;)
modelerdave, the Cylon warriors will have a small red light on their helmets, but will not move. It would be too complicated on such a small scale.

Greetings.
Rafa
 
The windows of the Viper's cockpit were already marked with the edge of a cutter before building it. If I had cut them completely before folding the styrene, it would have been very difficult to get good angles in those so thin frames. To facilitate the operation of completely cutting the windows, I filled the interior with Blue Stuff. Once the material had hardened, it was very easy to finish cutting the windows without risking the delicate structure.


I decided to modify the lower light box to get the front consoles of the cockpit to receive light more directly. In the light box I placed some pieces of strips of cold white LEDs. I also made a second smaller box with two warm white leds and attached it to the back of the main light box. The objective of this second box will be to illuminate the helmet of the pilot, just as the helmets were illuminated in the original series. That lighting will be done later, when the cockpit and the pilot are already painted.
I also placed an intermittent LED on the outside front of the light box. This LED will illuminate only two or three indicators of the cockpit panels.

 
Hello friends. Thank you very much for your kind comments.


modelerdave, the Cylon warriors will have a small red light on their helmets, but will not move. It would be too complicated on such a small scale.

Greetings.
Rafa
I was just kidding! That's great that you're going to light them. And your cockpit looks fantastic. Great work, and as Analyzer said, very clean.
 

The lighting of the thrusters is now complete. Finally, I used the configuration consisting of 9 flickering LEDs surrounded by 12 standard blue LEDs on each thruster. (y)

By the way, I haven't worked on the Viper MKII yet. The Cylon Raider and the original Viper are giving me a lot of work and I don't know if I can finally build all three models at the same time. :unsure:

Rafa.
 
Very inspirational images. One question though, and a general one that applies to many Viper builds on this board: why did you give the Viper's exhausts grills? I have seen no other images of the TOS-Viper than just a thick walled hollow tube without any interior detail.
 
This thread is more than 3 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top