Looking For Some Sci-Fi Model Recommendations, but Not SW or ST

Gimpdiggity

Gimpdiggity

Master Member
Hi!

I'm looking for some recommendations for some sci-fi models, but not the mainstream Star Wars or Star Trek kits. I will eventually build a 1/350 Enterprise, and may even do it as my next project, but I would prefer to try something different.

I personally like larger starship type vehicles...Pillar of Autumn or Forward Unto Dawn from HALO, I'm finishing up a 2001 Discovery One right now, the ship from The Black Hole...things like that.

They don't particularly have to be from a franchise or film...I would gladly put together just a generic model of a cool starship.

So, anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
The Moebius Battlestar Galactica is a good size at about 14" or so and I think you can get a photo etch set for it. Otherwise, there are some interesting classic sci-fi kits out there like the Martian war machines from War of the Worlds, Forbidden Planet Space Cruiser, Lost in Space Jupiter 2, etc.

Other than that, how about some real space models? There are some cool large scale Saturn Vs out there, although they generally need work to accurize them.
 
Galactican said:
The 1/48 scale Space 1999 Eagle transporter is another fine choice. It's big and cool. And studio-scale.
Click to expand...

One member of our modelbuilding club bought one at a 100€ opportunity at a modelshow over in UK - i havn´t seen it yet, but some others did.
Not beeing SF builders they judged by appearance only, without influenced by being a fan - and all said the kits quality compared to the requested price is not up to todays quality standards.
 
Another vote for the 1:48 Eagle. It is accurate to the filming model so some perceived shortcomings are due to following the source material closely. it is a well designed kit and if you add the aftermarket photoetch it is a really nice build.

The Moebius Galactica- not the new series but the original show. Parts fit so well together that seams disappear- just be careful because dry-fitting the assemblies sometimes becomes almost impossible to take apart. Lot s of great detail and ready for lighting.

Pegasus has a whole line of SciFi based models. One thing to watch for though- most are out of ABS plastic instead of styrene- it takes special glues to put them together. Aside from the ones mentioned above, they also have kits of the Hunter/Killers from Terminator, both the ground and aerial vehicles plus scaled endoskeletons to go with them. These are fairly large models and they are adding chromed versions of these soon.

MonstersInMotion.com has a nice resin kit of the Roger Young from the film 'Starship Troopers', IIRC they also have some kits based on video games such as 'Mass Effect' and 'Halo'- they have a fairly good search engine on their site.
 
1/48 eagle is a good one for sure. if you've got the $$ the Salzo BSG is incredible, as well as Randy Coopers kits (some star wars, and trek). The pegasus terminator models are great too...

For inspiration I'd go here: http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=66844 Lots of kits advertised here - some (lots) will not be available but it gives you an idea of whats out there...

Jedi Dade
 
The Moebius 1/72 Range from Interstellar and the Round 2 1/48 Eagle and the Pegasus 1/144 Martian warmachines are some of my favorites

I also love the Bandai Space Battleship Yamato (aka Starblazers for those in the US ) line as well as the Moebius Battlestar Galactica line

The Yamato line is pretty much all capital ships, cruisers, battleships etc..

Check out the various categories here
https://starshipmodeler.biz/shop/index.cfm/category/7/shop-by-subject.html
 
also perhaps consider designing and building something from you own mind utilizing all the above as inspiration?
i should maybe follow my own advice on that one....
 
Lots of good suggestions here guys, thanks!

I like the Roger Young from Starship Troopers, the Ranger, and the Space Battleship Yamato sets.

I havent seen Space Battleship, because the new series is SOOOO expensive, but the ship looks awesome.

The Eagle from Space 1999 is sweet, as is the Jupiter 2. I found a cool bubble ship from Oblivion on Monsters In Motion, too.

Basically, I like every suggestion here. :lol
 
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Lichtbringer said:
One member of our modelbuilding club bought one at a 100€ opportunity at a modelshow over in UK - i havn´t seen it yet, but some others did.
Not beeing SF builders they judged by appearance only, without influenced by being a fan - and all said the kits quality compared to the requested price is not up to todays quality standards.
Click to expand...

Um, say what? The kits quality compared to the requested price is not up to todays quality standards. Say what? It's over 300 parts and it goes together perfectly. And all that for less than $100 how can it not be up to todays quality standards? I'm confused! How do you figure?

15697903_10209402720597243_6315193543484012993_n.jpg15727363_10209402719637219_2919454799653215691_n.jpg26550228673_5880215d9c_o.jpg15420940_1497350643611580_5045940637120411404_n.jpg
 
Scifitodd said:
Um, say what? The kits quality compared to the requested price is not up to todays quality standards. Say what? It's over 300 parts and it goes together perfectly. And all that for less than $100 how can it not be up to todays quality standards? I'm confused! How do you figure?
Click to expand...

As said above, i havn´t seen it myself - hope he brings it end of next month to our monthly meeting.

But i also know that we fans usually have a biased opinion on their beloved stuff. We all know that a good modeler can even make a bad kit shine, it only depends on how much work he is willing to invest. They only judged on the sprues. And everyone of them told me more or less the same, not based on knowing anything of the eagles than what they have seen - sharpness of parts not up to date. None of them is a beginner, everyone has next to or more than 40 years experience (some of them are known for writing reviews) and has seen the developement of models quality over the decades.

Additional we have to judge on our local prices. I have seen the kits in the US around 80 USD - but we have standard prices for the naked kit without any addons between 130-150€, sometimes more. So we can say our prices are over 150 USD, and importing them from the US would be kitprice + 50 shipping + ca. 30 for customs. Not better.
I´m still interested in that kit, but i will not order it before i have seen one live .... to be able to make my mind if it really is worth the around 150 i would have to pay.
 
So, I showed my wife some of the options and I'll share with you guys her responses. I always ask for her advice on these things because...well, honestly she could not possibly care less.

So...

I showed her the Ranger from "Interstellar." She said "You haven't seen that yet." I said "I've got it on DVD but haven't had the chance." She said "Clearly you don't care or you'd find time to watch it. I say no to that one."

I showed her the Roger Young from "Starship Troopers." She said "That's the one with Doogie Howser and that gross thing that sucks that guy'sbrain out through a straw, right?" I said yes. She said "That's a cool one."

I showed her Space Battleship Yamato. She just said "What? No."

I showed her Jupiter 2 and Eagle 2. She asked what those were from, I told her. She asked if I had ever seen them, I told her I had probably seen every episode of each as reruns as a kid. She laughed and said "You're old." I'm only 18 months older than her.

I showed her her the Oblivion bubbleship. She said "Oblivion was okay...but I don't think a model from a Tom Cruise movie is something I want in the basement." She knows that Cruise is like my "guilty pleasure" actor, so I know she just said this to irritate me.

After pestering her her some more she said Eagle 2 or Jupiter 2. I'm looking into options including lighting and such for each. I've also got the Tripod from War of the Worlds heavily on my radar.
 
Lichtbringer said:
As said above, i havn´t seen it myself - hope he brings it end of next month to our monthly meeting.

But i also know that we fans usually have a biased opinion on their beloved stuff. We all know that a good modeler can even make a bad kit shine, it only depends on how much work he is willing to invest. They only judged on the sprues. And everyone of them told me more or less the same, not based on knowing anything of the eagles than what they have seen - sharpness of parts not up to date. None of them is a beginner, everyone has next to or more than 40 years experience (some of them are known for writing reviews) and has seen the developement of models quality over the decades.

Additional we have to judge on our local prices. I have seen the kits in the US around 80 USD - but we have standard prices for the naked kit without any addons between 130-150€, sometimes more. So we can say our prices are over 150 USD, and importing them from the US would be kitprice + 50 shipping + ca. 30 for customs. Not better.
I´m still interested in that kit, but i will not order it before i have seen one live .... to be able to make my mind if it really is worth the around 150 i would have to pay.
Click to expand...

Ok, I see it was others that told you about the kit. I can tell you that my Facebook group Space 1999 Props & Ships has over 6,000 members that will tell you it's a fabulous kit engineered by the guys who studied the Eagle for the last 25 years, Chris Trice, Jim Small and Daniel G Prud'homme's blueprints. I am a fan but I would be the first to scrutinize the kit if it weren't worth the price. I saw the test shots, actually held it for a photo and they even improved upon it since then. I do understand that $150 is not a drop in the bucket but there are kits out there way more expensive than this one. The photos in my last post are my 22" eagles and they are very nicely detailed and can even be built box stock no paint and match the original eagles color. They did everything but build it for us. You should take the plunge and get one. I would bet you would love it. I would buy it from you if you didn't, that's how much I know you would like it. But the one thing about your statement that your friends said is bothering me, " They only judged on the sprues. And everyone of them told me more or less the same, not based on knowing anything of the eagles than what they have seen - sharpness of parts not up to date". I can only say to that, aren't we model builders? If there wasn't sanding, cutting, adjusting and painting while building these kits it would be boring and every kit built would win first prize! Then maybe it should be snap together kit. Let me know when you do take the plunge and get one, I really want to get your review of the kit. It's not perfect, but it's close. Stop by my FB group and say hi, we have one guy who has built 18 of these this year!..........:)

77d32929-43f7-4600-8491-b2bedf146949_zpsmq54cpdo.JPGIMG_9629_zpshbolix7w (2).JPG

https://www.facebook.com/groups/space1999propsandships/
 
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To be even more fair: the 1999 Eagle kit can be had for $89.00 delivered to the US (without the extra metal parts).

Would have helped if I had read more of the exchange above. :(
 
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I don´t do facebook, but i´m am a member of eagletransporter.com - and read already a lot about the 22" there.

I want one, but i will wait until i have seen one in real. Then i can decide up to what limit i may be willing to pay.
 
Well guys, since I'm just starting to get back into modeling, I think I may start with something a big easier to get my sea legs back. I used to build planes and cars ALL THE TIME as a teenager, but I haven't put anything together (other than some RC stuff) before the Discovery One I'm working on now.

So I think I'm going to go with this...it's a generic looking starship and I personally think it looks pretty cool.

modelkit_zpsamvht7z2.png


It will give me a chance to work with a full on plastic kit for the first time in a long time, and I'll be able to use some putty and filler and practice some sanding and then paint it up however I want it just to get some of my techniques polished up.

I'll also probably find something else to 3D print and work on. I found a pretty cool 3D model of the sentry gun from Oblivion that looks like a pretty great print, so I can do that then fill/smooth it and paint it.

After these, I'll most certainly be moving on to some of the suggestions here...
Jupiter 2
Eagle 2
Space Battleship

...and who knows what else!!
 
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