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Colonial Raptor Interior Set (04217-1/32 for Moebius 1:32)


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Colonial Raptor Interior Set (04217-1/32 for Moebius)

1:32 GreenStrawberry

 

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The reboot of Battlestar Galactica in the noughgties gave us a collection of new Colonial and Cylon ships to lust after, and those kind folks over the ocean at Moebius soon acquired the rights to make models of the ships, with the Vipers and Raiders being accompanied by the Galactica and Pegasus, to name but a few.  The smaller ships have been made in a consistent 1:32 scale, which has been a boon to us modellers.

 

It has taken quite a few years for the Colonial Raptor to be kitted, and we have watched the saga unfold on Moebius' Facebook page and the forums until its recent release along with its separate weapons set, which has pleased many, including myself.  The Raptor is the Colonial gunship and troop carrier, capable of fielding an arsenal of weapons as well as travelling long distance without an accompanying Battlestar.  Moebius's kit was well received, but like most models it can be improved upon, and GreenStrawberry's designers must have been working from the moment the kit was released to come up with this comprehensive interior set.

 

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It arrives in standard GS packaging, with a central piece of hefty cardboard wrapped in a header card and a large Photo-Etch PE brass fret at the front, with two more separated by pieces of black paper to prevent chaffing.  Inside are the instructions that gives you all the information you need to update your kit, plus a piece of acetate sheet printed with instruments, and a piece of thin paper that has the screen and instrument dials printed on it.  The Raptor is well-appointed with sensors, with buttons, switches and large screens everywhere that are visible through both the fishbowl canopy and the large side door where the crew move in and out.  Consequently, the sheets with the screens and such are quite large, and will make the displays come alive once installed.

 

Construction begins with an upgrade to the pilot and co-pilot seats, which receive new side panels and a full set of crew belts that work just like the real things, with buckles that the belts feed through, so anneal the parts to save yourself some hassle when bending them.  The flight crew consoles are next, with a trio of large displays and two addition screens mounted on arms over the main panel, all of which have card or acetate inserts to give them life.  The side consoles are given the same treatment, and small areas of the cockpit must be stripped of detail to facilitate this.  The centre console is shortened and a set of tread-plate skins are added to the floor of both the cockpit and the rear crew area, while a pair of rudder pedals are installed for the flight crew under their new consoles.  The bulkheads between the cockpit and rear are skinned with new detail panels, with jump-seats added, and some minor changes to the shape of the bulkheads achieved in the process.

 

Opposite the crew access there is a large console wall that an operator sits at for tactical, sensor and weapons work, which is strewn with screens.  The kit parts must first be pared away before the new installation can be inserted after layering PE and acetate or paper screens, taking up a substantial part of the interior in the process.  More screens are provided to the left, and the keyboard-centred instrument panel for the rear crew is built up and inserted later in the build once the rear bulkhead is first reduced and then rebuilt with more detail and a serious face-lift, which includes new instruments and another jump-seat, with an angled panel between the rear and side walls.  The right bulkhead between the cockpit crew and the rear is then fabricated and installed between the two areas, which both sides having a loose "grapple net" hanging down.  Finally, a set of roof parts are added to give more detail to that area.

 

Conclusion

When you look at the instructions it's not surprising that there are three large sheets of PE in the packet, as almost every area is treated to a highly detailed and comprehensive upgrade.  Check your references for the colour scheme (any excuse to watch it again), and a superbly detailed interior can be constructed.

 

Extremely highly recommended.

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Review sample courtesy of

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