1:72 Round 2 Laboratory Eagle [Finished!]

[Kallisti]

The latest in Round 2/MPC's ongoing Space:1999 kit series is the smaller scale Laboratory Eagle as a follow up to the 22" kit they release 3 years ago which you can see my build of here:

 

This is the 1:72 scale version, although if you've read enough of my posts about the Eagles, you'll know that the scale is just a nominal value as the original 44" was NOT 1:24 scale even though they used the pilot figures from the 1:24 scale Gemini kit. The figures are too big to fit through the various doors and the TV people were not interesting in accurate scale representation but just on size, so they should really be called the 44", 22" and 12". However, modellers are obsessed with scale so we get the 22" - nominally 1:48 - downscaled to 1:72 and end up with a 14" long Eagle rather than a 12". I really don't care to be honest even though it might sound from the above that I do  

 

Here is the box:

 

 

This is not a big box, 9" wide, 12.5" long and 3.75" deep but it contains a LOT of plastic!

 

 

As usual for Round 2 they use the sides of the lower box for the paint and decal guide

 

 

and a large instruction sheet

 

 

 

There is, naturally,  a lot of commonality with the 22" kit but the major changes are

 

No spring loaded legs - you get a choice of landed or flying posed feet:

 

 

The spine is not split into two halves legth-wise and you don't need to assemble it strut by strutm it comes and two pieces, upper and lower

 

 

The walkway cages are partially joined together unlike the 22" where you need to assemble the angled sides

 

 

Apart from these major changes, the construction is very similar to the 22" so lets get cracking!

 

The initial assembly is lots of subassemblies that will eventually be assembled - here for example are the 4 leg pods and the command module, all of which build up almost exactly the same as in the 22" the only difference being no transparencies for the cockpit windows

 

 

The leg pods are handed, so you can see my notation on the struts to identify their location for later - hopefully I'll remember NOT to paint over them later! Assembling the legs themsleves is tricky as the sprue gates for the foot part are really complicated and hard to detach  - I ended up using a razor saw!

 

 

The main walkways were assembled and the joints needed some filler to smooth them out, this is exactly the same as the 22"  Also the engine combustion bottles later neded a bit of filling at the sprue gate attachment points as the sprue cutters I'd used caused some stressing of the plastic on the part itself.

 

 

Spine went together well - there is a little bit of fettling required for some of the angled joints as there is a tiny fillet of plastic that needs removing from some of the more acute angled joints.

 

 

Various other bits, filling and sanding also required here

 

 

Laboratory pod went together well, although the triangular protrusions were a tight fit to get onto the main body if you follow the assembly instruction sequence. It all fits well without the need for any filler

 

 

Lots of bits for the booster pack that will eventually site on the spine. The joins of the various pieces do need some sanding and that is not easy with the amount of surface detail present

 

 

and finally from this update, some primer went on last night so when this is cured, I'll be inspecting the various joints for potential tidy up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Kallisti

[Pete in Lincs]

Eagle. You have my attention, Sir. Please carry on.

[The Chief Smeg]

Oh enjoying this one so far👍

[Kallisti]

More progress this last few days, moving onto the paint... first off the engine nozzels getting Alclad gloss base...

 

 

Then to start applying Halfords Diamond White to the main components. This time I'm doing it straight from the can as I can't be bothered to decant it and use the airbrush, partly because the shed is so damn cold at the moment I want to spend as little time as possible out there  I've found I can use the aerosol can just outside the back door as its very sheltered so that is easier to do that running down to the end of the garden to the shed each time!

 

 

 

Primer onto the sensor dishes and smaller engine nozzels

 

 

So lots of components painted ready for further assembly and decaling... oh boy, there are a LOT of decals for this kit

 

 

More soon!

[Kallisti]

Spent all day Sunday applying decals... something in the region of 120 decals went onto this, most the ones supplied in the kit but some coloured panels sourced from the remains of the original weathering decal set for the 22" Eagle I bought some years back. This set has been able to decorate 2 14" Rescue Eagles, the small scale Hawk and now this one, and there are still lots of panels left for more 14" Models

 

Here is the pod

 

 

Next is the booster pack - you can see the connector pipe still held in the tweezers - this decal is a pain to get to conform. I ended up splitting into 3 pieces and used LOTS of Micro Sol!

 

 

Next is the Command Module - note that I've left off the two decals that represent the windows of the cockpit. These will be applied at the end after the matt varnish has been applied so that they remain glossy and shiny.

 

 

 

Next is the spine and engine assembly - lots of stripes on the spine...

 

 

...and I forgot to take pics of the leg pods

 

The next step is giving everything a dirt wash to bring the colour down a notch. This has been done - the house stinks of enamel thinner so watch out for pics very soon

 

[Kallisti]

So now the varnish and wash has been applied and dried and final assembly can begin so here are some pics post wash... first the spine booster

 

 

Next is Command module - you can now see I've added the final window which shows up glossy as opposed to matt

 

 

One of the grubby leg pods

 

 

All four grubby leg pods

 

 

Here she is after final assembly, with the earlier 14" Rescue Eagle built here: 

 

 

 

More completed pics to follow...

 

[Kallisti]

So here are the finished pics

 

 

 

 

 

I'm really rather chuffed at how well the engine bells came out!!!

[Pete in Lincs]

Excellent and as smart as a smart thing. I'll take a dozen by next weekend. Ta.

[Thom216]

Man, I hope we make spaceships/shuttles that look like that! Great job!

[The Chief Smeg]

This series must surely be due a reboot - it would be awesome (but with a slight name change obvs)

[Kallisti]

Oh god no, the whole premise behind the show is utterly ridiculous, but at least they might get some people in who could act and some decent script writers

[Galligraphics]

Extremely neat job . I am reminded that I have a semi-started 22” version languishing on the Shelf of Doom which I really ought to get on with… If only I didn’t have nine other half completed kits sitting around awaiting attention . Now that the workshop temperature has risen above freezing, I have no excuses for not trying to clear some space on the workbench .

[Kallisti]

Nope, get on with it

[Galligraphics]

11 hours ago, Kallisti said:

Nope, get on with it

[phillip1]

Kallisti-Very well done!

 

Phillip1

[Peter2]

On 18/02/2023 at 21:40, Kallisti said:

Oh god no, the whole premise behind the show is utterly ridiculous, but at least they might get some people in who could act and some decent script writers

Having rewatched the series a while back, a major flaw was the need to keep on introducing 'new worlds and new civilizations': unlike Star Trek, say, Space 1999 lacked a supporting set of recurring organisations and regular recognisable space races. But there were many experienced actors in the series: Brian Blessed, Peter Cushing (with a golden face!); Christopher Lee; Roy Dotrice; and the voice of Bernard Cribbens spring to mind. Also Patrick Troughton and David Prowse (per IMDb). Actresses included Catherine Schell and Joan Collins. Many appeared once only: part of the problem. All these persons have held some sci-fi acting credits elsewhere, it should be noted. The dialogue is often very 'Received Pronunciation' (RP) in its English accents, but as with 'UFO', that was part of the ruling ethos of 1960s and 1970s UK TV drama, Gerry Anderson productions included.  A favourite moment of mine was when an external window on Moonbase Alpha was opened, a window that seemed to be recycled from a 1960s family caravan! A bit weak for cruising through the vacuum of space, I thought.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Peter2

[Richard E]

11 hours ago, Peter2 said:

A favourite moment of mine was when an external window on Moonbase Alpha was opened, a window that seemed to be recycled from a 1960s family caravan! A bit weak for cruising through the vacuum of space, I thought.

 

That was part of the fun of watching Space 1999: playing spot the repurposed 1970s era picnic accessories and the goodies from the local DIY emporium's bargain bin which had been used to finish the sets 

 

[Kallisti]

@Peter2 Yes the guest actors were usually very good it was the main cast who were poor, in particular Landau and "I have one facial expression" Bain who were obviously just doing it for the money.

[Peter2]

In fairness, possibly the scenarios and dialogue may not have suited Mr Landau and Ms Bain, who were married I believe, and had starred beforehand in the Mission Impossible TV series.

Like the rest of the M.I. team, they appeared to be brilliant linguists, as they could converse fluently with the locals no matter where in Europe, South America, you name it, they were sent.

[The youthful me all those years ago never queried why most people in the world spoke English to the American agents: maybe they were just welcoming the I.M team which was always trying to overthrow the country's corrupt leader (who often wore an unruly, big moustache).

The Landau-Bain pairing carried over their polyglot wizardry into Space 1999 where they could easily understand the fluent BBC English spoken by dozens of alien races (together with a number of Earth's 7,100 languages, depending on which TV region you watched it in - unless your Leader had a big moustache, in which case you had to watch a different TV programme entirely, showing happy local folk dancing, where moustaches flourished regardless of gender). 

Some Anglo-aliens wore 1970s style Nylon clothing - amazingly, the static electricity thus generated by those manmade fibres didn't blow up Moonbase Alpha (again) - though parts of that Station kept blowing up regularly, from a myriad of causes.

Someone should have told the Alphans: don't leave Earth orbit without a Health and Safety Manager. 

[Kallisti]

I'm pleased to say that this model won a silver in the SciFi OOB class at SMW 2023 last weekend! Very chuffed!

 

 

The 1:48 scale X-Wing got a commended, you can see more of that here:

 

 

[Galligraphics]

5 hours ago, Kallisti said:

I'm pleased to say that this model won a silver in the SciFi OOB class at SMW 2023 last weekend! Very chuffed!

...And quite right too! You made a lovely job of that, Andrew - hard to believe it's the 1/72 version.

 

Nige