2001 Discovery from Moebius
- Thread starter robn1
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theprofessor
Well-Known Member
According to Moebius' Facebook page, that Kaiyodo Discovery is 63 inches long (1/96 scale) and will be available as a kit toward the end of the year.
Hopefully, someone from Moebius will be at Wonderfest and can clear things up. Even better, hopefully someone from Moebius will announce, "Next spring we'll be releasing a 1/144 Aries with full interior."
I don't know if it clears thing up, but Moebius shared this post about Kaiyodo's kit, that is on display at Wonderfest:
https://www.facebook.com/jin1000R/posts/1982443001775330
63" long!
edit:
Just noticed this post by Frank Winspur, former owner of Moebius now mostly retired:
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Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
Thanks Edge. Man, I'd love to have that kit, but my wife just got me the Moebius for my birthday and I don't think I have room (or money) in my life for two Discovery kits. I'm happy with the quality of the Moebius, but it's amazing to see the sharpness that Japanese manufacturers like Kaiyodo and Bandai can get in their kits that American companies just can't seem to do.
True. Kaidoyo's kit is about 50% larger, so that doesn't hurt their ability to pack in the details. Moebius also kept their kit around $150. I imagine there might be some sticker shock on the Kaidoyo kit, as Frank alluded to. I added a quote from Frank, after you replied.
Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
Even at smaller scales, though, Bandai manages to get sharp panel lines and details into their kits for relatively little money. It's disappointing, for example, that Moebius didn't even try to put detail on the EVA door that Dave opens to re-enter the ship. It's such an obvious "you need to buy the photo etch to make this look right" move that it borders on cynical. Yeah, I know the Discovery is a kit with a lot of pieces and details, but it's still $150.
joberg
Legendary Member
You get what you've paid for Not saying that the Moebius kit is not good; far from it...and for the price, you cannot go wrong buying that kit (even with the photo etch).
The Japanese will always take an existing product and make it ten times better (that's their specialty, for every product)...but you'll have to spend more money to have that level of model sharpness! Injection molds of that quality don't come up cheap:rolleyes
Not saying that the Moebius kit is not good; far from it...and for the price, you cannot go wrong buying that kit (even with the photo etch).The Japanese will always take an existing product and make it ten times better (that's their specialty, for every product)...but you'll have to spend more money to have that level of model sharpness! Injection molds of that quality don't come up cheap:rolleyes
ajamodels
Well-Known Member
The Kaiyodo kit is going to be amazing. I am honored to have supervised the entire project. The surface details are exemplary, and taken from 70mm frames of the large Discovery model (plus the very few behind the scenes photos that exist) and was 'mapped' on to the 3D model and rendered accordingly. The tankage along the spine has EVERY one completely different - just like the film! The model is dimensionally and proportionally accurate to the MGM blueprints.
Here's just some small examples of the level of accuracy and detail that has been achieved. I do not believe there will be a better on than this.
Here's just some small examples of the level of accuracy and detail that has been achieved. I do not believe there will be a better on than this.
Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
ajamodels, that looks amazing! I've been comparing screen grabs or that engine module area from the film with my new Moebius and... well, they don't match much. Yours seems spot on. Really nice! Love that piping!
And I don't mean this as a major criticism of Moebius, because I'm happy with the kit and I'll enjoy building it, but for me personally there is a bit of letdown going from building the Bandai PG Falcon, where every greeblie is almost exactly the right shape and placement as on the original ILM 5-footer, back to the kind of random, inaccurate "good enough" molded on greeblie patterns we got on most sci-fi kits for, well, decades. It's like, "Oh. I guess I'm back to pretending this is accurate again." Yes, the Moebius is a $150 kit and I get what I pay for, but...
And I don't mean this as a major criticism of Moebius, because I'm happy with the kit and I'll enjoy building it, but for me personally there is a bit of letdown going from building the Bandai PG Falcon, where every greeblie is almost exactly the right shape and placement as on the original ILM 5-footer, back to the kind of random, inaccurate "good enough" molded on greeblie patterns we got on most sci-fi kits for, well, decades. It's like, "Oh. I guess I'm back to pretending this is accurate again." Yes, the Moebius is a $150 kit and I get what I pay for, but...
DarkKnight
Sr Member
I didnt take a picture of the prototype at Wonderfest because i forgot my phone and hate iPhone pics, but do I remember correctly there will be regular kits and a super detailed built up version too?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQu73H-HF9g
This guy gives a pretty good preview of the kit at Wonderfest , starts at about the 12 minute mark. Three versions. I still think the panel scribe lines on the sphere are a bit too deep, but the general detailling is beyond fantastic.
This guy gives a pretty good preview of the kit at Wonderfest , starts at about the 12 minute mark. Three versions. I still think the panel scribe lines on the sphere are a bit too deep, but the general detailling is beyond fantastic.
Updates on Kaiyodo's Discovery 1, that I saw on display at Wonder Festival today, including the estimated price and time frame.
I am not sure if my photos are doing justice to this model, but what is making the looks of this thing so special is that they are using hand-refined 3D printed parts, not just for the prototype but for the end product (for the deluxe-edition that is).
I am not sure if my photos are doing justice to this model, but what is making the looks of this thing so special is that they are using hand-refined 3D printed parts, not just for the prototype but for the end product (for the deluxe-edition that is).
JeffBond
Well-Known Member
I had the Kaiyodo Discovery prototype in my office for about a week. The detail on the engine section is just staggering. I also think the Moebius kit is great. There is a difference between a commercial kit and an expensive collector's item. Moebius initially faced a short window to get their kit out and they had to calculate how much people would actually pay--it's the most expensive kit they've done yet. Every kit would be museum quality if there was infinite time and money to develop and manufacture it but at some point you have to make the kit available and sell it.
So the Kaiyodo product is a preassembled model, not a kit?
JeffBond
Well-Known Member
No, that's not what I'm saying (although the Kaiyodo Discovery will be available both as an assembly kit and as a completed display piece)--the Moebius model is designed to be obtainable by people who are not wealthy collectors--and it's still on the high end of that spectrum because of the costs of producing the kit. It's as mass market a piece as could be created--the Kaiyodo is more of a high-end collectable than the Moebius.
