Moebius Viper MKII build

[Dean O]

Well from my profile I see it's been over three years since I've posted on the RPF, so first off, hi guys, it's good to be back. It's been even longer since I've tackled one of the many kits I've been hording under my house for years, but watching my Battlestar DVDs again has made me want a viper so I decided it was time to dust off the old hobby box. And since I haven't horded a viper kit yet I still haven't tackled any of those kits under my house!

After two hours trying to find all my tools, supplies, and paints, I took over the dining room table and began my work. BTW, I'd also like to add here that the last time I built a model there were at least 4 hobby stores within a reasonable driving distance that I could pick up whatever paints plastics, glues etc that I needed. I stinks to find that I'm now reduced to the "kids crafts" section at Micheal's.

I bought the photo etched detail kit and canopy masks as I really wanted to add a little extra to this model, but I've decided that I definitely won't be lighting the kit. As much as I'd love to have it lit, I know that adding even more complexity makes it even more likely to end up in the unfinished kit pile I also have under my house.

This was my first experience with photo etched parts, WOW are those gauges tiny! I'm happy with the kit and how it's coming along so far. I spent all weekend working on the cockpit and pilot. I went back last night after taking these pictures and repainted a few of the buttons on the dash to be more accurate, but overall I'm happy with my progress so far.

Now that I'm ready to move on to the rest of the kit I can't decide if I want to build her with the gear up or down. Anyone have opinions on the matter or pics of your own to help me decide? I'm also considering painting the stripes on versus using the decals but the jury is still out on that as well.

Enough chatter, here are the pics.

 

[division 6]

Making some nice progress and I'm glad you got the helmet color right, most people paint it green or gold.

I have one started but at the moment am scratch building part of the ejection seat.

I hollowed out the helmet and found a head in my parts box to fit in side with a little trimming on the unseen sides.
I also cut off the left arm to reposition it so he doesn't look so static, I will probably have him flipping a switch or something.

If your interested the gloves also have grey and yellow on them and originally had metallic green as well.

There are quite a few images of the fighter out there including auction images and pictures from ZOIC.
Ragnar Anchorage has a lot of screen caps as well as Caps by Emma Jane.

 

[Dean O]

I'll definitely be adding that detail to my gloves. I'd love to see how your pilot turns out.

Thanks for the links to the screen caps, much easier than scouring the DVDs myself for reference.

I'm currently trying to come up with a way to modify the landing gear so that I can display it both up or down. I just can't between one way or the other.

 

[division 6]

If there is any reference you need let me know and I will see if i have it.

I have 2 models and am planning on doing one in the hanger and the other in flight.
Someone is starting to produce a few knuckle dragger's to go with the models.

Here is a link to pix of the full scale prop auctioned off.
More pix here
Heres an interactive tour of the G where you can go into the hanger and look around the vipers and sit in the cockpit and look around.

 

[kca832]

Did you use the color mix listed in the instructions for the color of the FS? I just started painting my kit and want to paint the pilot. Yours looks great. I only hope my cockpit turns out half as nice as yours

 

[Dean O]

Thanks for the compliment. For the flight suit green I did the recommended 3 parts interior green to two parts gold. For the brown vest I mixed my own color using medium brown, gold, and black, but I don't remember the amounts specifically, then darkened the same paint even more for the darkest part on top of the vest.

 

[division 6]

A couple weeks ago I picked up a bottle of metallic green paint at Michaels that looks right. (Dazzling Metallics Elegant Finish - Festive Green DA261)

At one point I was planning to make the costume but after over a year and only have in half the parts I decided to sell it all off and use the money on other things.

The vest is a dirty buff color with black matting (used on scales) that is misted in gold and gold trim on the upper plate.
Cuffs on wrists and ankles are a gunmetal or steel silver with antiqued brass snaps, silver watch on left wrist.
The back and side scales are a copper bronze metallic fabric.
Zippers and pulls are antiqued brass.
Webbing is black.
Gold painted fastex clips on the vest.
There is also the silver neck ring over the same gunmetal fabric used as a neck seal.
Detail bits in the right leg pockets are painted silver.

 

[kca832]

Thanks for the compliment. For the flight suit green I did the recommended 3 parts interior green to two parts gold. For the brown vest I mixed my own color using medium brown, gold, and black, but I don't remember the amounts specifically, then darkened the same paint even more for the darkest part on top of the vest.

Thanks... I'm hoping to hit the hobby shop on the way home from work...

I'm having the same hang-up on how to do the landing gear too

 

[division 6]

Not really much to show on this guy but here he is.
Helmet chopped off and hollowed out to accept figure head or to just sit on the viper.
Left arm removed to be repositioned.
He still need some putty work and the check list pocket window added.
I will also be adding the neck ring to the body.

I might try running fiber optics up into the helmet to get it to light up, doing that to light the wing tips also.

I also modified the angle on the back of the cockpit going into the upper engine intake.
Would be cool to build one as Huskers as he ejects.

 

[Dean O]

Nice work on the pilot, he's going to look much better with a face and a visor. Will the slope behind the cockpit even be visible when the model is finished? good work though.

I added some detail to the gloves. At this scale I felt like I was putting too much yellow but if I didn't it would never show up.

 

[phase pistol]

Dammit! I am so SICK of these TALENTED people and their FANTASTIC work! :angry

Makes me jealous is all.

Karl

 

[division 6]

Looks good.:thumbsup

To an extent the slope will be seen plus there is less seam to putty now.
I still need to make the turbine that goes in there and the inner walls of the cowling slope in as well (that part is almost done)

For the side "rescue leaver" will you be going with the decal (mini series) or the regular series with the metal cap that is off a car.
This detail seems to stay on the CG version throughout the show and I'm pretty sure the model is based on the CG version since it has all the tells seen very clearly in the ZOIC images.

A few other things on the fighter.
In the inset details on the side the "3" vertical braces curve inwards near the top and there are actually 4.
Again the ZOIC images show them flush with the fuselage.

Also the round hole towards the front of the slot is different on the starboard side.
The port side sometimes had a red cap on it other times it was missing it has also had a fueling hose attached to it many times.

If going gear down don't forget to add the catapult hook on the front of the nose gear.
Many times it's not on the set pieces accept in launch sequences and more regularly seen towards the end of the series.

 

[b26354]

Also, on the full sized viper, the text is different on the starboard side and reads "communications service panel all power mains..." (if you look closely at the kit decal it reads "all power trains"). And on the starboard side the "cannon locks must be inserted" decal is at the rear.

The round detail in front of the RESCUE arrow is actually a fuel cap from a motorcycle.

I'm building one right now and redrew all the text. Still have a few decals to apply and it needs some weathering...

also trying to resurrect the old revell kit :wacko

more pics here:

Vipers, new and old

 

[Dean O]

Thanks for the tips. I didn't know about the rescue lever. Is there a particular part used for this fuel cap or have people been making this piece themselves? I have a few sport bike models that I'm willing to sacrifice if I have to.

I'll definitely be doing some work on the inset details on the kit. I have the photo etch parts but it looks like I'll be doing some more work on it in addition to that.

I noticed a difference in the nose gear as well, with the catapult hook it has solid front instead of the oval cutouts on all four sides like the CG and model kit have.

I still haven't decide on which way to go with the gear but it looks like I've got lots of work to do on detail and modifications that will keep me busy for a while.

One request, do you have any good reference for the tubes/wiring around the engine openings? I have some good pics of larger scale models that others have made but I would be better off basing my own work on screen caps. I'm trying to decide how much I want to use the photo etch parts for this work too. Since the parts would be flat and not 3 dimensional as they should be.

 

[b26354]

I just made a decal (black over silver) for the rescue lever.

 

[division 6]

There are a few good pic of the ship auctioned here and here.
Mainly just the Port side.
the last picture in the second link is a nice close up of the rescue cap thing.
I saw that one person had made one from sheet styrene, probably what I will do.

Who ever took the pix was clueless about getting all the details or just didn't post them.

I looked though my pix and found these.
Note that there are differences between port and starboard,
Port has extra piping and that distributor cap thing that was removed off Starbucks ship in the mini series to get the engine to start.

I forgot to post this little hatch earlier.
Seen in the mini where Apollo shows up after everyone thinks he died with Colonial One.

The details at the back of the ship especially the lower area between the 2 bottom engines is patterned after the CG model where the set piece has a lot of tubing and stuff, there are a few good pictures in the auction links.

On the bottom of the fuselage is the missile launch tubes (kinda like and X-Wing) with 4 missiles per tube.

Posted over on Hobby Talk in the Moebius section.

According to Special effects supervisor Gary Hutzel, the missile launchers are internal , carry eight rounds , and the tubes are located underneath , mid nose where the fuselage flares downward. Two indentations are molded into the front face of the bottom on either side of the long oval indentation. Gary said two external hard point mounts are located on the wings where the notches are on the leading edges , external pylons would have been mounted to carry external stores. Merely hinted at, we never saw them on screen. There you have it folks straight from the folks who would know.

The missiles are seen under the wings for a few seconds in "The Hand of God" just before Apollo releases some bombs into the Cylon mining facility.
That episode also shows them dropping decoy canisters while approaching the facility.

 

[Dean O]

I was looking at the inset details on the kit and it appeared to me that there were four vertical braces but that the detail on it was pretty mushy and faint. I carved away a little plastic to make that rear most brace stand out a little. Here are my results so far but it still needs a little clean up along with finishing the other three.

 

[division 6]

That's what I did on mine.
Took forever and I'm still not happy with it.

To bad the parts aren't separate, the engines to.

 

[cylon75]

Iv done 2 of these myself ,one battle damaged and one pristine. there fun to do, like what your adding- keep up the good work.

 

[Dean O]

That's what I did on mine.
Took forever and I'm still not happy with it.

To bad the parts aren't separate, the engines to.

I realized I wouldn't have been happy with it either so I started carving it out more. I'm trying to decide between making a new completely new part or just adding the details on to what I have now. This copper wire seems about the right diameter for the tubing. (on second glance, it may be a bit large, but I can easily get smaller wire)