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Mpc 1/72 space 1999 Eagle


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So after receiving a wonderful birthday gift from my good friend @BIG X I am *totally* out of my comfort zone (usually 1/48 ww2 wingy things) with this.

 

I recently got back into space 1999 via britbox and felt the need to build one.

 

so, you’ve probably seen this but the obligatory sprue shots:

 

50859866463_6202ec5c78_b.jpg

 

 

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I’ve made a start on a few bits and pieces but I’d be grateful for any advice on this kit as I don’t want to screw it up.....

 

I’ve sort of got a plan as to what needs to be done out with the scope of the instructions.....

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You lucky bloke! Steve is indeed a very nice man. Go for a look through the previous WIP's for the kit.

There are at least a couple of builds for this and, I think, the bigger version too. Well worth the time taken to study these.

Also, anytime you rewatch the programme it's now in the name of research!

And, here's one to enjoy

 

 

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@Pete in Lincs yes indeed - re-watching for "research"! 😄  LOVE that video!!!

 

I'm half way through the first series at the mo.

 

When I was a nipper my mum was a school secretary and during the school holidays I would sometimes go into the school with her.  Now this is WAAAAY back when not everyone had a tv (or at least not a "big" one) so it was a real treat to be able to watch the school tv (complete with metal trolley - remember those??) so I always remember watching the Dragon's Domain episode (must have been the first time I'd seen it) and being scared witless by it.  Now Space 1999 is one of the few childhood programs I've not seen since and I was actually a bit scared to re-watch this particular episode.  Funny how that memory stuck with me for probably more than 40 years!  The episode Death's Other Dominion where Brian Blessed travels in the Eagle back to Alpha and he pops his clogs is still pretty gruesome - don't think Space 1999 was ever shown after the 9pm watershed?  I also didn't realize there were so many famous people appeared in it.

 

44 minutes ago, BIG X said:

Ooooh - lovely 🎂  I'll pull up a chair - at a safe distance & help myself to a slice of Birthday cake.

 

Steve

 pull up a chair my friend!!

 

I've been having a bit of a hunt round t'internet  the past few days looking for some inspiration and I found a page someone has lovingly created listing all the Eagle losses (in fact Pete I think you sent me a link to a video?) and it seems Eagle 1 crashed or was lost like 6 times.......the attrition rate was real high considering they have a fleet of 29 Eagles (I think) at the time of Breakaway.  Still, I'm glad I've re-discovered Space 1999 as it feels like one of the iconic memories of my childhood....

 

Getting a bit sentimental there! ;)

 

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8 hours ago, Lawzer said:

Space 1999 was ever shown after the 9pm watershed?

In the Midlands it was shown at around 7:00 or 8:00pm I think. 

The loss videos (one for each series) are on the tube. The total was at least thirty odd. 

But then, some episodes were 'dream sequences' or some such and everything was reset back to normal at the end. So they didn't count.

 

The school Telly on the tall trolley. Happy days!

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So I had a bit of a dig and found this beautiful build:

 

@Kallisti hope you don’t mind!

 

so, took an hour or 2 to get to here:

 

50871308522_1b71eb1239_b.jpg

 

 

 

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(thought I’d try some pre-shading)

 

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Time will tell....

 

I went with Ford diamond white.  
 

Engineering wise it’s a bit of an oddity.  A lot of 45 degree angle fits and it might just be me (probably!) but I had to do a lot of sanding and a bit of filling to try and get rid of the literally ridges that appeared on almost all of the parts that were joined.

 

I saw that there’s the rear hull top of a tiger tank incorporated into the original Eagle model for the series. Anyone know what else was used?

 

tia

 

Ian

 

 

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Nice start, will be looking forward to seeing your progress on this!

 

Glad to inspire someone else to have a bash at these fantastic kits!

 

As for parts from other kits, you identified the Tiger and there is also a Panther hull on the other side.

There are bits from the 1:24 Gemini above the doors of the passenger pod, there are various pieces from the Airfix Saturn 5 kit - eg the Lunar Module bits on the top of the walkways and on the underside of the passenger pod. The circular bit with 4 dimples on each leg pod is also from Saturn 5 kit, they are the underside parts from the service module.

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So a bit more progress....

 

50886840243_2bc256e47c_b.jpg

 

very little is actually glued together yet.  I decided to deviate from the instructions for the framework because the engine bell frame you’re meant to assemble in 2 parts then put the bells in then join them but with 8 mounting points to get lined up I decided it easier to do the framework then add the bells. They will fit - I checked!   Same for the 2 “pods” 8 mounting points each.  So most of the sub assemblies are done (bar the rear engine nozzles) so I’ll prime the rest of it today then on with the Ford diamond white.

 

which will lead to my next conundrum. The framework, landing gear pods and well, fuselage pods are all white so how can I get some variation in there? The fuselage pods have some nice detail that I can put a wash over but it’s not like an Eagle would have exhaust staining or other “earthly” dirt and grime on the...... @Kallisti you said you’d used the decals for the bigger Eagle for the variation in the panels - I can’t seem to find them in 1/72?

 

tia!

 

ian

 

ps. As I’ve been looking at pictures ofEagles and watching more of the series I’m somewhat amused by the sheer craziness of the internal/external scale of the Eagles - especially the cockpit.  When seen from outside the cockpit would appear to be akin to a regular aircraft cockpit but in the internal cockpit shots the thing is huge!! 😁

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14 minutes ago, BIG X said:

Looking good mate :thumbsup:


thanks Steve!

 

it’s turned into a more head scratching build than I first thought....

 

other decision is which pod to do. Rescue,vip (looks like an orange colour) or the standard white one...

 

I’m not too sure what colour to do the engine tanks either......they look sort of the same colour as the framework but I’m thinking a light(ish) grey....

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25 minutes ago, Lawzer said:

so how can I get some variation in there?

Ian, You've used a grey pimer. So give it a light coat of the white. Then mask off various panels (The square ones on top of the landing gear pods for instance)

And maybe some of the spine structure. Then apply another coat of white. You can carefully peel off a bit of tape and should see a difference.

It might be best to practice this, but that is the method I've used in the past. 

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2 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Ian, You've used a grey pimer. So give it a light coat of the white. Then mask off various panels (The square ones on top of the landing gear pods for instance)

And maybe some of the spine structure. Then apply another coat of white. You can carefully peel off a bit of tape and should see a difference.

It might be best to practice this, but that is the method I've used in the past. 


good idea!

 

think I have some tamiya x1 somewhere and some “ice white” artists acrylics......

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"!but it’s not like an Eagle would have exhaust staining or other “earthly” dirt and grime"

 

Why not? The Eagles regularly (i.e.) weekly visited the alien moon and planets that Luna passed by each episode. 

 

https://catacombs.space1999.net/main/models/eagle/a2014/w2meagle2014.html

 

Some nice pictures here. 

 

Looking at the close ups, the inner structure has a "dirty" wash over it. 


 

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1 hour ago, Aku said:

"!but it’s not like an Eagle would have exhaust staining or other “earthly” dirt and grime"

 

Why not? The Eagles regularly (i.e.) weekly visited the alien moon and planets that Luna passed by each episode. 

 

https://catacombs.space1999.net/main/models/eagle/a2014/w2meagle2014.html

 

Some nice pictures here. 

 

Looking at the close ups, the inner structure has a "dirty" wash over it. 


 


thanks for the link! 👍

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Good progress so far. The decals I used were originally for the 22" kit, but I chopped them up to use on the smaller 14" kit. Sadly the weathering decals are no longer available.

I don't use them on the 22" kits, I'm quite happy to mask the panels on that even though it does get a bit insane:

 

DSC_8396.JPG

 

DSC_8395.JPG

 

 

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@Kallisti what colour did you use for the grey?

 

I've applied a black wash to the "pods" and the "sparing" use of the ford diamond white (straight out of the can) has sort of given the effect I wanted on the framework.  The nose though is a different story.  It's been done with the white and now I think I'll mask it up as you did.

 

@Pete in Lincs I did a wee test with painting the "different" white then masking it.  It's hard to tell in the crappy light I have over the bench but it does seem to give a bit of variation.  

 

Might mask off the nose then do some grey panels and some "other" white" ones.

 

Landing gear pods are only still primed.  Will need to decide the best way to proceed with those.

 

Had a bit of a disaster while fitting the nose cone well for want of a better word aluminum discs (are they meant to be thrusters).  Put a drop of tamiya extra thin in the hole for them and did 2 of the buggers not bleed basically melting the diamond white :(

 

So sanded those bits down and masked off the discs then the bloody masking tape seemed to have a reaction and left a very noticeable line of residue....maybe didn't leave the paint to dry long enough.

 

This really is turning into a much move involved build that I first thought.

 

Still, I'll have an EAGLE at the end of it! ;)

 

@BIG X might have been easier if we went for the airfix mosquito! 😄

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20 minutes ago, BIG X said:

You'll get there Ian & when you do - you can take it for a flight around the garden :lol:

It's funny you should mention that.

 

My garden is *ahem* unkempt to say the least so an external photoshoot may work ;)

 

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Um I'm not sure, most likely something like XF-20 and then one o the bluer greys, I think I've done it different on every Eagle I've built :) Its not really important it just needs to be two different shades

 

The Ford Diamond White can take a while to completely cure so don't rush things. Its not the same sort of paint as we are used to. I've used it direct from the can as well as decanted into Tamiya paint bottles and sprayed, plus on a paintbrush from the bottle and its is a very thin paint that doesn't cover well in comparison to say Tamiya acrylics.

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39 minutes ago, TonyOD said:

It's looking great. I used to love that show when I was a nipper. I seem to recall having a diecast Eagle but I might have dreamt it.

spooky - we must have had the same dream :sleep_1:

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@TonyOD I was on the bay yesterday and there's actually a couple of "original" 70's ones for sale along with a (newer) resin kit of them.

 

On a side not signed promo cards seem to be big business!

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Just now, Lawzer said:

there's actually a couple of "original" 70's ones for sale along with a (newer) resin kit of them.

 

Stuff That I Had When I Was A Kid That's Probably Worth Lots Of Money Now...

 

My Six Million Dollar Man Steve Austin Doll... all that Evel Knievel stuff...

 

My mum was the enemy. I had a bunch of really old Action Man stuff (pre-grippy hands and fuzzy hair) that she gave to the local children's home. Also, showing unusual foresight for an eight-year-old, in 1977 I bought two of each of the first three "progs" of 2000AD comic, one to keep, the other to preserve intact along with the free gifts. They were already escalating in value when she had a "clear-out" and threw them away when I was away studying at 19. I daren't look now.

 

Sorry to hijack your thread with the nostalgiafest, I'll be following progress with your Eagle.

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