Nostromo research

[Space Jockey]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Yep, great work! Sure you must have seen it or somebody may have told you already, but there are some great reference shots also at http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6146 for the areas you're about to work on...

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Yep, great work! Sure you must have seen it or somebody may have told you already, but there are some great reference shots also at http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6146 for the areas you're about to work on...

Thanks for reminding me Space Jockey! I forgot all about that thread, I tried to remember where is was, Now I bookmarked it. There are some great pics on that site huh????

 

[Space Jockey]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Thanks for reminding me Space Jockey! I forgot all about that thread, I tried to remember where is was, Now I bookmarked it. There are some great pics on that site huh????

There are; unfortunately the thread took a turn for the worse at the end but hopefully one day Phil Rae aka 'Deraenged' can get it back on track... there are alot of people interested in the props and models from Alien. :cool

Actually looking at your photos, one question, what primer are you using for the Nostromo in those pics? I haven't been in the states that long, I'm trying to get familiar with the different brands, and I'm looking for a good sandable gray primer, not solvent based and one I can paint acrylics onto...

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

There are; unfortunately the thread took a turn for the worse at the end but hopefully one day Phil Rae aka 'Deraenged' can get it back on track... there are alot of people interested in the props and models from Alien. :cool

Yeah, I remember that Guy, I have been trying to get hold of him somehow. Im in the planning stages of doing a large Alien Derelict in a kit form, and I had some questions regarding the bottom of the derelict. There is a model of it floating around out there already, but its small, and a little off in proportion, lacking the graceful curves of the derelict seen in the movie...

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Yeah, I remember that Guy, I have been trying to get hold of him somehow. Im in the planning stages of doing a large Alien Derelict in a kit form, and I had some questions regarding the bottom of the derelict. There is a model of it floating around out there already, but its small, and a little off in proportion, lacking the graceful curves of the derelict seen in the movie...

OH MY !!!!!!!
:eek

Just stumbled on this thread a minute ago... THIS IS AMAZING !!!

Can't wait to see more... Very cool project, jtparker !
:love

Fred

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

There are; unfortunately the thread took a turn for the worse at the end but hopefully one day Phil Rae aka 'Deraenged' can get it back on track... there are alot of people interested in the props and models from Alien. :cool

Actually looking at your photos, one question, what primer are you using for the Nostromo in those pics? I haven't been in the states that long, I'm trying to get familiar with the different brands, and I'm looking for a good sandable gray primer, not solvent based and one I can paint acrylics onto...

Actually I am using the cheapest stuff available from the local hardware store, it is $1 a can, and what makes it perfect is that it is so cheap and thin, that it makes a great coat for doing sections of the surface as I do the details. I just spray a light coat on to check my work as I go along. The actual cast model is so heavy (the resin parts) that I actually auto-body filler and putty to clean up any lines where I am joining parts. The model when finished will probably push closer to 15 pounds when it is finished. It keeps getting heavier as I go along, It is kind of crazy, but it is so easy to actuall to super-detail this thing with very inexpensive materials... vinyl sheet, inexpensive precision brass, copper and aluminum tubing, and many tubes of super glue that is about $3 for 5 tubes. To join the actual large parts, I use 2-part 5 minute set epoxy resin, about 3 dollars for the stuff... The final color will be about 3 minor variations of light gray through an airbrush.
aside from the initial investment for the kit, it is rather inexpensive to acually build it. Sure, it is a lot of work and takes time, but this is actually the most fun I have ever had in my 34 years or so of modeling!!!!

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

here is the easy way to make cool engine struts...

It takes just some inexpensive brass rod and aluminum tubing,

about $2 worth to do all of these details:

Tiny brass rod slid into aluminum tubing. holes are drilled into each rear corner of the engine nacelles, between the bell housing cover flaps, then a small hole drilled into the bell housing engines. simply glue in the little "strut" assembly into the holes, then place a little attachment over the rod to make a cool little "hydraulic looking" engine strut.... repeat 7 times for the 2 outer engine nacelles....

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Don't know if anyone as ever posted this, but...

I've found this very interesting Nostromo photo in a Japanese movie program... not the final paint scheme (the radar dish is missing aside the nose, same thing for the antennas on the underbelly and sides of the ship) but look at the ID number on the side of engine...

Could be a good idea for a variant version of the ship, don't you think ?
:love

Fred

PS : These were quickly taken using my camera. If needed, I could provide high rez scans...

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

WOW!!! that is so cool! I have only seen the picture with the number in one low-res Shot!!!! If you do get time and can scan those 2 pictures in particular and send them to my e-mail I would be very great-full !!!

Thank you very much for sharing this with us! The book looks awesome!

Don't know if anyone as ever posted this, but...

I've found this very interesting Nostromo photo in a Japanese movie program... not the final paint scheme (the radar dish is missing aside the nose) but look at the ID number on the side of engine...

Could be a good idea for a variant version of the ship, don't you think ?
:love

Fred

PS : These were quickly taken using my camera. If needed, I could provide high rez scans...

 

[Knightjar]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Wow - interesting photos! I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that hi-res scans would definitely be appreciated.

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Wow - interesting photos! I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that hi-res scans would definitely be appreciated.

Yeah! can you please just post them here???

Thanks!!!!!!

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Yeah! can you please just post them here???

Thanks!!!!!!

No problem, guys !

I'll post it asap... I've already scanned it but now I need to rework the image in Photoshop to make it clearer and sharper in order to see as many details as possible...

Meanwhile, and just to make your wait easier, here is another (way smaller) pic I've found on this Japanese program (on the back cover). It's quite the same... but not EXACTLY the same...
:lol

Fred

 

[Space Jockey]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

That's a great shot and will help with the blueprints, actually...thanks! :thumbsup

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Check this out: Is is the same Nostromo, with more detail, antennas and probes, and a new paint job. I suppose they might have decided the detail was not photogenic enough and then added more details to the surface, painting over the large "180286" with a new paint job, then moving the registration number to the area by the bridge deck observation windows.

The paint seems a little bit more bluish, and maybe darker.

another thing I notice now that I look at it...I dont see the Lower maneuvering Thruster pod mounted under the nose like it should be on these pictures Skin Job66 posted... In fact this looks very much like the Model I am doing, hence, I am adding all this extra detail and the thruster mod I cast myself with three thrusters, These two coincidences may have something to do with each other, the timing of when my old molds were mastered....?

hey Skinjob, Thanks a lot for these pics, these are really cool!

By the way Space Jockey Im up for Blueprints when you get them ready I will be able to buy stuff here soon!!!:angel

 

[Lord Boron]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

One thing I've determined out of my time researching the Nostromo, is out of the different scale versions they built, they are all different. Notice the antenna along the hull appear to be actually made up of 2 antenna in a "v" shape.

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

One thing I've determined out of my time researching the Nostromo, is out of the different scale versions they built, they are all different. Notice the antenna along the hull appear to be actually made up of 2 antenna in a "v" shape.

ya know...your right....
Check this pic of the Middle scale Nostromo, Much heavier detail across the entire surface....

the antennas are just little rods on this smaller scale model...

 

[Space Jockey]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

ya know...your right....
Check this pic of the Middle scale Nostromo, Much heavier detail across the entire surface....

the antennas are just little rods on this smaller scale model...

That is something I noticed too when working on the blueprints, and I'm sure you've noticed it JTParker when detailing your model. Because of this reason I'm never going to get the prints '100%'. But they will be pretty close!!
Regarding the thruster pod on the bottom that's why before I asked about the area around the nose too. Maybe they had to stop work because of license reasons and also because the original model was going to change... who knows. Its interesting though.

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

That is something I noticed too when working on the blueprints, and I'm sure you've noticed it JTParker when detailing your model. Because of this reason I'm never going to get the prints '100%'. But they will be pretty close!!
Regarding the thruster pod on the bottom that's why before I asked about the area around the nose too. Maybe they had to stop work because of license reasons and also because the original model was going to change... who knows. Its interesting though.

Very true about trying to get the detail right, it seemed to be a little different on each model. I know one thing though, I have THOUSANDS of little strips of detail across the bottom of my nostromo model, it extends down the inner side of each engine nacelle. This seems to be from the ship needing the hull to be very strong for atmospheric ops, landings, or whatever they had in mind while designing it. So tons of small plates are covering the bottom hull in a seemingly modular fashion....2/3 the way back towards the trailing edge, on the bottom, there is a thicker area where the starboard wing houses the shuttle hangar bay in the center.

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

You're right, there's many differences between all the screen-used Nostromo models... and we're not talking about the paint job, here !

IIRC Martin Bower's interview on the ALIEN legacy DVD, he said that the main model was repainted at least 3 times ! I'm not sure but I think he also mentioned somewhere that the model first color was yellow, like this Cobb concept...

...or Bill Pearson's early prototype discussed here :

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=3986

Fred

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

That is a pretty good pre-production of what the final ship was... Wow, they did keep adding and adding to the final design in the movie, but actually none of it was in vain or "hokey" The final product is superb in Alien, And only Possibly the "Betty", whom someone else was doing here on the RPF shares its great "heavy-manufactured" looks.

Here is a closer shot of the bottom details, I wish my camera was not a 2-year old under $100 digital camera, for anything under about 2 feet from an object, it is very bad. But anyway, here you can see the heavy hull plating along the bottom, especially between the engines and the "wings" attaching to the super-structure. The 2/3 rear trailing edge is reinforced to the rear hull bulkhead. Thrust dampeners are used on all engines, and attached to the rear bulkhead. The Narcissus Shuttle bay is noted on the picture, I just have decided to finish the hull plating and finalize the bottom of the ship completely before I do it. Because then I will finish the top of the Nostromo, and I will then need to attach the Docking module on top of the ship, So best I get as much of the bottom done as possible first.

Just as a joke, I asked my wife to count all the little panels on the bottom for a blueprinting project., she gave me a look that kind of scared me...