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Eagle Transporter


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Hello all,

 

Like many of us of a certain age, I grew up watching Space 1999 in the 70's. Looking back at it now, it's pretty cheesy, but the classic design of the utilitarian Eagle Transporter endures. I was smitten as a kid, and had the Dinky Eagle, in lurid green paint, and restored one a couple of years ago. I also got hold of the old Airfix 1/72 kit a few years ago, but when the 1/48 scale MPC Eagle kit was announced, I just had to have one. I was saving it for my retirement, so now's the time!

 

Here's the box:

trans1_zps2h8tw1c9.jpg

 

..and for those interested, here's the sprues:

trans2_zps1abi6tkz.jpg

That's what the sprues look like when you spend three consecutive evenings cutting off and cleaning up 308 parts, many of which are round rods with a mould seam up both sides. I'm not sure how visible those seams will be on the finished article, but better safe than sorry. 

 

I separated the parts into plastic containers so I wouldn't get them mixed up:

trans3_zpstvsmkvmq.jpg

 

Comparing the beak to the 9" long Dinky toy I restored gave me my first impression of how big it'll be - referring to it as the 22" Eagle is all very well, but it's only when you get the bits in your hands that you start to wonder where on earth (or moon) you're going to put it afterwards:

trans4_zps90wcc0eq.jpg

 

I hd a glueing frenzy last night, and many of the subassemblies are ready to have their seams dealt with...more when that happens...

 

Cheers,

Dean

Edited by Deanflyer
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Great stuff, I just had a small token of appreciation from my employer which resulted in amazon credits and this was the kit that first popped into my mind! Its ordered and on its way!! I'll watch your progress with interest.

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I look forward to seeing your build :) I've built three Eagles so far, two Transporters (one with red stripes!) and one cargo - its a fabulous kit that we had to wait 40 years for but the result was worth waiting for!

 

Are you going to light it?

 

You can see links to my previous builds from the link in my sig that takes you to my profile page, I won't clutter up your build with pics of mine!

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I remember 'flying' my Dinky Toy Eagle with cotton thread whilst lying on the flat roof of the garage and using the cargo pod magnet to try and pick up the radioactive waste canisters from the patio below.

 

I think the 22" version may be a little bit too big for a whoosh moment though!

 

However I think I better finish off the MPC 'Little' Eagle before the bigun' makes it on to the workbench.....can't wait, I think it might be a queue jumper!!

46722942035_00a173f1b5_b.jpg

 

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The 22" kit is so much better than the old MPC/Airfix kit, I would leave the 'little un' and get on with the proper kit :)

 

There is a rumour that Round 2 this year will release a new tool of the 12" Eagle, just like last year they produced a new tool of the Hawk. Personally I WANT a 22" Laboratory Eagle :D

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On 4/18/2019 at 7:03 PM, Kallisti said:

The 22" kit is so much better than the old MPC/Airfix kit, I would leave the 'little un' and get on with the proper kit :)

 

There is a rumour that Round 2 this year will release a new tool of the 12" Eagle, just like last year they produced a new tool of the Hawk. Personally I WANT a 22" Laboratory Eagle :D

Oooo, I hope they do release a smaller Eagle! I’d love to build the big Eagle, but I don’t have the shelf space or the money for one.

 

@MarkSH, I like your progress on the little Eagle (Eaglet? 😁)!

 

Ben

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2 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

Oooo, I hope they do release a smaller Eagle! I’d love to build the big Eagle, but I don’t have the shelf space or the money for one.

 

@MarkSH, I like your progress on the little Eagle (Eaglet? 😁)!

 

Ben

Thanks, I had neither the money nor the space, until my little windfall,....so I decided to ignore the space issue and let my wife worry about it!

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On 18 April 2019 at 7:44 PM, Kallisti said:

I look forward to seeing your build :) I've built three Eagles so far, two Transporters (one with red stripes!) and one cargo - its a fabulous kit that we had to wait 40 years for but the result was worth waiting for!

 

Are you going to light it?

 

You can see links to my previous builds from the link in my sig that takes you to my profile page, I won't clutter up your build with pics of mine!

Nah. Lighting is not my thing. It was me you were chatting to at Cosford when you said I was cheating by using the weathering decals, by the way... 🙂 

 

I've got a lot of the subassemblies together now, and got a wash on the front and rear walkways. I'd also weathered the gubbins that sits just outboard of these, but the wash showed up how badly the two halves were joined, so I've washed it off and am going to clean them up and repaint them before I go much further. Pictures when I get round to it.

 

Cheers,

Dean

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Hi Dean!!    :bye:

 

Long time no read!!

 

How are You!

 

Congratulations on Your Retirement!!:envy:

 

Love the Eagle, We must be of a similar vintage then!

 

(I want a 44", I want a 44",I want a 44"......):)

 

Will be following along with this!

 

Keep Sticking!

Cheers,  Pete (From up the road!)

Edited by morty_3333
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Hi Pete, I'd love a 44" Eagle too, but I'm watching this one get steadily longer and wondering where I'm going to put this!

 

Anyway, as promised, here's a couple of pics of the progress. First, the rear section and engines...none of this structure is glued yet, it's all just held together by the engineering of the kit. Pretty impressive that the manufacturers can do this on the one hand, and can't get some relatively simple bits to fit properly:

trans6_zpsvjsnbgwk.jpg

 

Both front and rear walkways;

trans5_zpsibjoxhoh.jpg

 

The bits inside the walkways were highly detailed, but looked stark when painted in Mr Surfacer White Primer 1000:

trans9_zpsu4f5kgzv.jpg

 

So I slapped on some pastel wash to bring out the details, an added a few decals from the spares box:

trans12_zpsepejwkxi.jpg

 

Good job I didn't go mad - once these bits are encased in their cages not a lot of it is visible, but it all adds to the general busyness of the thing:

trans13_zpsniwud9op.jpg

 

Need to get the cages painted next, so I can glue all these bits together permanently.

 

More when it happens,

Dean

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hi Dean!

Ooo,  Shiny........ well, It's not actually shiny but You know what I mean!!

 

I love it when the wash goes on and pops the detail!

 

Great progress and....

 

Keep Sticking!

 

Cheers,  Pete

 

PS.  

 

 

"I'd love a 44" Eagle too, but I'm watching this one get steadily longer and wondering where I'm going to put this!"

 

Easy -  launch pad, elevator and hanger! :wicked:

 

 

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Thanks chaps...

 

Right, progress. I've finally got the ladder section spine together, and the massive passenger pod. Both have been given a squirt of white primer to show up areas of concern:

trans14_zpso5dzjiez.jpg

 

The forward and rear walkways, with their undercarriage pods added:

trans15_zpswj5ctxbo.jpg

 

Connecting the two temporarily with the spine gives this:

trans16_zpszkw9zot3.jpg

 

And adding the passenger pod gives an idea of how bulky the finished article will be:

trans17_zpstrkesupu.jpg

 

trans18_zpsxzyyzhvq.jpg

 

The engine bells have been assembled and painted with AK Xtreme metal paints, and some streaking has been added to their interiors, just visible here:

trans19_zpssfxybkth.jpg

 

They were painted in dark aluminium for the narrower sections, polished aluminium for the rest, and pale burnt metal near the rims, all freehanded:

trans20_zpsvgnb0dgr.jpg

 

The rest of the vertical thruster bells were painted in polished aluminium too:

trans21_zpsiyz5we9o.jpg

 

Next step is to get the command module together, and sand the filler on the awful gaps on the landing gear feet. 

 

More when it happens,

Dean

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  • 2 weeks later...

Right, I've been away but I've not been idle. I had a minor disaster with the command module, as I'd just put the last wet gloss coat on it when I dropped it, only for it to roll beneath my workbench and pick up every bit of dust and fluff in the multiverse. I think I invented three new swearwords that evening. Anyway, after a good sanding and repaint, it's looking good again:

trans26_zpsp4v18nra.jpg

 

The decalling process began using the weathering decal sheet, which has three and a half million small squares and rectangles in different shades to add life to an otherwise white model. I spent a while trying them out on the passenger pod:

trans24_zpsgaubhsvq.jpg

 

trans25_zpsxgcmmjvg.jpg

 

It's just slow going, that's all. I next turned my attention to the undercarriage pods...each one has over 30 decals and took an hour and a half:

trans23_zpslyarqz9f.jpg

 

And I've done all four now:

trans22_zps6fiebkot.jpg

 

The command module is half decalled, so I'll post up pics of that when it's done. I've counted 286 decals on this so far! 

 

More when it happens,

Dean

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