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Orion III: Pan Am Space Clipper


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Just some quotes from Moebius that you may have seen but might clear up some questions asked.

Same size as Aurora - No bogus atomic engines - no interior - More accurate wings - corrected engine exhaust shapes - overall better details - basically an all new kit based on the Aurora...

the real shooting miniatures for the movie were mostly smooth with much of the surface detail portrayed by paint not engraved details - the plan is for the final Moebius model to be faithful to the shooting models and it will not have engraved panel lines that were never on the actual shooting models-Only the engraved lines that were present on the shooting model are planned for out kit..

Plan for now is to have the kit available 1st qtr 2011

to much cost and too little return on investment in Discovery, Aires or the Pod... @ this date Orion will be the end of the line for us.

As we see it, there are too many ways to spend the same tooling and development money to produce much better results for us today.

This could change at some point in the future but I wouldn't count on that.

If Discovery is a "must Have" for you let me suggest that you start exploring resin kits as I don't see it anywhere on our future projects list.

As you state, this is a 13" kit, there's no amount of huge detail that can be included in something like this.

I give up, time for me to keep off the boards for a while. Some of this has gotten so silly it's almost hard to believe. It's a plastic kit, in a very small scale. It will never be perfect, but it's the best styrene Orion that's been out. I'm not going to argue the point when everyone is an "expert" on it. Have fun with it all!

All of this reported further back up this thread.

Marty...

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Here are some pictures of two Airfix Orion spacecraft which I built some time ago.

I added parts from the Airfix Space Shuttle kit as can be seen.

I know that the film was supposed to depict an atomic powered spacecraft but I don't think that

any commercial company would be allowed to fly such craft especially after the real space shuttle

broke up while re-entering the atmosphere over the USA. therefore I chose to make them chemically

powered.

I also chose to streamline the area around the side windows and to make them circular.

BOAC01.jpg

BOAC04.jpg

BOAC03.jpg

BOAC02.jpg

PanAm03.jpg

PanAm02.jpg

PanAm01.jpg

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Cult is now shipping the Orion. His price is $22 (£13) plus shipping - it will be interesting to see how the price translates when it lands on this side of the Atlantic.

At that that price I have gone for three.

I note AJA are making a booster set for it, I know it's not cannon but it looks cool.

http://ajamodels.webs.com/apps/webstore/pr...ts/show/2157893

Marty...

Edited by marty_hopkirk
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks f' t'link, Marty. I like the idea of the BOAC and KLM ones. Thinking of KLM led me indirectly to Braniff, as I have some old Airfix Big Orange Jumbo decals going spare that I could use...

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  • 2 weeks later...

My three Orion's arrived courtesy of Cult a few days back, apologies about being a bit tardy in posting anything - I have busy with other 'things' of late.

The first thing that struck me was how small the box is in comparison to other Moebius kits, the Aurora box athough was a different aspect ratio was larger. Moebius future emphasis appears to be on smaller kits.

A cursory check against my references looks good. Although the fuselage profile does not kick-up just behind the flight deck. It is a kit of few parts - counted 21 excluding the stand which are curiously numbered 45 and 46. Possibly indicating the kit was slated to have more parts at one time. The engine section and the glazed parts come thoughtfully wrapped in a protective wrap. I do like the predominantly smooth nature of the kit which allows it to be canon to the filming miniature. It also allows those who wish, to either scribe or draw the panel lines on - although the decal is cool. Note, the Pan Am decal is NOT included.

It's a very good kit and would appear fundamentally accurate with lots of scope. However, my view is the Stargazer is still the most accurate kit of Orion out of the box. I guess there will be those who might gripe with the UK RRP of twenty nine spondulaks for a relatively small kit with few parts. Given Cult's price converts to £13 and even with international post come in at well under £20.

...anyway here is what one gets, the box.

395793715.jpg

On opening the lid. Note the large decal sheet and instructions are "bent-in".

395793722.jpg

395793724.jpg

The contents of the box spread out. Note the Aurora styled stand.

395793726.jpg

The contents with the aftermarket bits and bobs I have accumulated. Shed and TDSC decals. Paragrafix etch (which is surprisingly large) and Easy LED.

395793729.jpg

The front fuselage section, placed on top of the large decal sheet.

395793742.jpg

A top view of the large wing piece.

395793737.jpg

The wing piece flipped and the rear fuselage section as it arrive with the engine insert.

395793730.jpg

The two upper wing parts - note these are smooth as most of the kit is.

395793711.jpg

The large decal sheet. My view is this will excellent and with a fine mist over with the primary colour(s) it will give a look faithful to the filming miniature.

I don't know when I'll make a start on Orion, as the Moonbus has stalled of late and I would like to push on with that first.

Marty...

Edited by marty_hopkirk
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There are some VERY interesting images of Orion on Ian Walsh's site:

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/detail/windscreen%20detail.jpg

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/detail/windscreen.jpg

I can't recall seeing this external shot of the flight deck set before, very revealing.

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/detail/winds...l%20%281%29.jpg

A close up showing the detail around the flight deck area of the fuselage - the Stargazer kit is the only one that tries to replicate this profile correctly.

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/ORION%203%20...dio%20model.jpg

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/ORION%203%20.../orion%20st.jpg

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/ORION%203%20...test%20shot.jpg

This his res image demonstrates clearly that the filming miniature had really quite a smooth finish.

Marty...

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  • 2 months later...

Yes, please post them here as the SSM thread has already dropped off.

I got this kit last week as a Review model for IPMS/USA. I did order the Pan Am decals from Cult and they should be here this week. Since it is a review kit I will probably go ahead and use the kit decals for the paneling so I can report how that goes.

Planning on starting this soon.

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  • 1 month later...
It's been out a while now, it would be nice to have a front page review.

Marty...

Sadly it didn't happen :shrug:

Care to review yours for the good of the Sci-Fi lovers & stir my jealousy? :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Hi marty!

Thanks for the vote of confidence - allbeit several months ago.

Enjoying the correspondance and the photographs which keep popping up.

Just for reference - the studio drawings of which I had copies all those years ago - differed greatly from the model which was produced. Harry Lange's original drawings which he shared with me had a much more angular feel to them - the modelmakers did a cracking job as I'd say the finished article looks much sleeker than would have been had they slavishly followed the original plans and concepts. Of all the plans produced, the plan view had most in common with the actual miniature.

Keep up the good work.

Regards,

Simon Atkinson.

I'm not sure the original MGM art dept drawings will be as useful as you you think. Because, Modelmasters who made the filming miniatures did not slavishly follow the drawings as issued to them. The models were almost certainly modified when they arrived in Kubrick's model makers workshop as well, the later being undocumented. Simon Atkinson's drawings, I believe are far more accurate than most give them credit for.

You really do need to contract both Ian Walsh and Scott Alexander (Chris Trice has done a lot of research as well) as I believe they may have had sight of MGM art Dept drawings and done a shed load of research on the models. Knowing Adam Johnson who mastered the forthcoming Moebius Orion kit, I have no doubts it will be on the money - his Aries I-B was nigh on perfect.

Marty...

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  • 4 months later...

Now I've finished the Aries 1B on the Science Fiction Group Build I also took the opportunity to finish an Aurora Orion I started some years ago. I made a limited number of mods to it, and filled all the panel line trenches, but also used the panel line decals from the Moebius kit - that kit now on its way to a friend of mine with some spare Pan Am decals. The Pan Am roundel is from the Aurora kit but the 'Pan American' text broke up in the water bowl, so I supplanted some spares from elsewhere. As can be seen I also added other panel lines and some shading of individual panels.

No display stand for it (yet) 'cos I've something planned for it... Just wanted to show it and the Aries together - hope no-one minds me using this thread for the purposes.

100_1824.jpg

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Great to see some wonderful Orion builds with the panel decals on, so they really do work after all?

I have the very old Airfix kit, picked up at a boot sale for a couple of quid with all the issues involved, I have addressed the nose angle and altered the cockpit window and even thought about cutting the cabin window sections out completely and scracthing new inserts? Clearly not worth resolving at all, as the Moebius redention, looks a very nice kit indeedy?

Best use my bargin as a lighting test rig and give Mr Cultman a call?

Great thread, learned a lot.

Cheers

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