MPC 22" Eagle Transporter

[fightersweep]

Hi Guys!

 

I'm usually a builder of prop aircraft, mostly WW2 stuff, but I've always had a soft spot for Sci Fi having grown up on Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Space 1999 etc. I haven't really ventured into Sci Fi kit building (except for a badly built X-Wing when I was about 13) but I think this is about to change.

 

I was wandering around the Malvern flea market on Sunday (my full time job) when I came across a boxed MPC 22" Eagle Transporter on a vendors table. Well, I was drawn to it like a moth, and once told that it was £50, I decided I had to have it. After bartering it down to £40, I walked away with what I considered a bit of a bargain even though I wasn't totally sure of the RRP. Having got back home, I looked inside the slighty tatty box to find all the sprues still bagged and sealed and not only that, also in the box were the two, sealed aluminium accessory sets released for this kit. A bit of Googling revealed that I had bagged myself about £250 of Eagle Transporter heaven. Not bad at all for someone that normally wouldn't win Jack in a lucky dip!

 

I thought about selling it on, but truth be told, I can't get rid of this beauty and want to build it. I've just ordered a lighting kit, some aftermarket decals and I'm considering the photo etch set. I want to get the paint mask set too, but one of the questions I have is if there is anywhere in the UK that I can obtain these aftermarket sets? Most of my Googling only throws up US suppliers.

 

I'm also wondering if there are any hints and tips on building this kit. It looks like a nice model in the box and I'm looking forward to starting it. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance;

Steve

[StevieB]

You are the luckiest man on this forum.....!

 

That is a result in anyone's book!

 

There are quite a few threads on building this beauty, including my own finished result. Plus plenty more online, including the Space 1999 Props and Ships group on Facebook.

 

Good luck with your build and let us know how you get on.

 

Steve

[Kallisti]

Don't waste your money on the photetch set - there is NOTHING in it that adds to the build. The kit is simply superb as it stands. You were very lucky with the aluminium accessories, whoever sol d it to you for that price is frankly an idiot!

 

If you have a printer you can print your own decals - join the Space: 1999 Props & Ships group on Facebook and there are a set of files you can download and print off extra decals. You really don't need them however as there are hundreds of decals already included in the kit.

 

I've been showing mine at model shows all year and it always gets a lot of attention, its the kit we've been waiting 40 years for! This is mine alongside a 12" Product Enterprises die-cast:

 

 

 

 

[fightersweep]

Thanks Steve and Kallisti for the replies, and yes! It would seem that I am a bit of a jammy sod! Love your builds by the way. Lots of inspiration to be had there along with some useful tips.

Thanks also for the advice re: the photo etch set. My finger was hovering over the order button, but that was quickly retracted! I may well go for the mask set as it looks quite useful and I was also wondering if there were any detail sets available for the pax pod interior...or maybe that wouldn't really be necessary? Had a quick scan of the instructions, and it looks like I need to have my wits about me. Maybe it's just because I'm used to Spitfire and 109 shaped things, but it looked a little daunting! I'm certain I want to light this thing up. There was a light up strip (looks a bit like a sticking plaster) that has been test fitted to the cockpit roof and looks quite effective when lit up. I'm not sure if that was originally in the box, or has been added. I have ordered a lighting kit, so that could prove interesting.

Is it worth adding any extra detailing to the cockpit? It seems a lot more basic than I expected, just the two pilot figures glued to the bulkhead. I imagine not much can be seen, but I am considering at least a floor with seats and console.

 

Anyway, enough of my rambling for now. I may have to crack open some sprue bags and start this thing!

 

Best regards;
Steve

[Kallisti]

Not much can be seen from the windows and the model is representing the authentic 44" studio scale model - the two Gemini pilots were stuck on the rear bulkhead just like that. The studio set had the pilots sitting way down lower in the cockpit, so low tin fact that they would never have been able to see out of the windows, let alone fit the studio cockpit into the model cockpit! i did a very simple lighting rig in my first Eagle that was just a single Orange LED 

 

[fightersweep]

Thanks Kallisti;

 

I did not know that! So far better to reproduce what the actual studio model had. See what you mean about the studio cockpit interior. I was watching a few episodes last night, and it occurred to me too that the seats must have been far too low to see out of the windows. I will build mine as Gerry Anderson intended!

 

Best regards;

Steve

Edited October 12, 2016 by fightersweep

[Kallisti]

Studio set - you can immediately see there is no way this would fit into the model

 

[fightersweep]

Thanks! That's a superb reference shot and will come in very handy!

 

Best regards;

Steve

[Richard Baker]

There is a resin Pod Interior available- I thought about getting it myself for my build. The only problem is that most of the overhead windows would be blocked so you would no t be able to see much after all that work.

 

I decided to build my own custom interior. The studio sets changed around a lot and while just about all Eagle Pods were identical on the outside the interiors were specialized so you can do pretty much anything you want, jsut keep in in style with what has been shown before.

 

I think the deal you got is incredible! Looking forward to seeing your build of this great kit.

[Kallisti]

The "transparent" rectangles on the pod aren't really windows because, as you pointed out, the studio sets had cupboards and consoles in those areas. Some people reckon they are actually solar panels which is why I painted them black on the inside.

 

Personally I don't see the point of a pod interior as unless you cut the door open, you can't see it. Also its where I put the batteries for my lighting

[fightersweep]

Thanks again for the extra feedback. I think my best route is using the pod as battery storage as I intend to use a lighting kit. I suppose it would be a simple task to rig the pod so that batteries can be changed if necessary. 

 

Interesting observation that cupboards and consoles were placed where the windows were. Either it wasn't thought out properly, or they were solar panels. I quite like that idea.

 

Best regards;
Steve

[Richard Baker]

There are a lot of ambiguities with the Eagle design- are the lower cockpit windows really windows as used in helicopters for better vision when landing or just black panels for some sort of sensors. The upper pod windows are matched at times to interior ceiling illumination panels- we have materials now which can shift from opaque to transparent to illumination as needed (even flatscreen TVs which are totally clear until they are turned on). 

A lot of the Pod interior set configurations we have seen ignore them entirely and have storage lockers of equipment where they are.

I am going to build mine with clear windows and an open door- 

http://imgur.com/Z58QNmy

This ramp was designed by someone on the EagleTransporter.com site and while not canon, looks both feasible and interesting.

[fightersweep]

Hi Richard;

 

I often wondered about those lower "windows" too. Extra visibility would make the most sense I suppose, but was that part of the cockpit seen in the series? It's been a while since I watched all the way through, but I have just started again from episode 1. Quite intelligent and forward thinking science fiction all told.

 

As much as I would like a detailed pod interior, and I don't shy away from a good bit of scratch building, I may just go the battery storage route. However, the temptation is to go all out on this beauty!

 

Best regards;
Steve

[Richard Baker]

Logically from a design point of view, having identical symmetric shapes usually indicates similar function. It would make a great deal of in universe sense to have a craft designed to repeatedly land on the moon to have way for the pilots to directly eyeball the landing point on descent. One thing that made the Blade Runner Spinners seem so real was including clear floor panels into the design. 

 

It is though a Gerry Anderson Craft and sometimes those vehicles have features which are there just to make it look cool. I believe about 2/3's of the builders talked about painting the lower cockpit windows black as well when the kit first came out. 

[Caerbannog]

As with most Sci-Fi hardware in movies the outside and inside are only vagely related. I should look interesting in the first place and if people took care it appears plausible as long as you do not try to build a detailed modell. I am also torn regarding the pod and cannot decide to put an interior in or not. If I do, then I will keep the windows transparent, where there is anything to be seen inside. The remaining will be black on the inside. Not all are covered by consoles, some were covered by lockers and some not at all. The reason for beeing black can be solar panels as said or maybe even something like LCD shading. What do I know about the future in 1999 ;-)

For the lower windows in the beak I already puzzled me when I saw 1999 in the late seventies what these should be good for. At least they are not well designed for a pilot looking out. I would prefer to place some sensors and cameras behind them. What shall it - it is one of the coolest SciFi hardware and the beak with the four windows adds a lot to this :-D

 

Rene

[Richard Baker]

The lower bay cockpit windows would work fine if the pilots were in the same position as the interior sets show. 

On the other hand, Anderson did have some large windows in the sides of the lower nose section of Thunderbird 2 which ere dedicated to observation cameras.

 

Space 1999 has a lot of questions when you really think about the hardware and how it really functions like lot of older shows. The important thing is to remember you are building it to have fun- just choose your interpretation and start enjoying it.