'When Worlds Collide' Space Ark

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

'When Worlds Collide' Space Ark

Pegasus Hobbies kit No. 9011

My first review for Britmodeller (in fact, my first kit review anywhere), and what better to start with than a model I have wanted since I was a small boy. When I was about eight, having not long seen Star Wars for the first time, I was hooked on science fiction, watching and reading everything I could find. I saw ‘When Worlds Collide’ on television, and thought it was fantastic. The tale of how the earth was doomed to collide with a rogue star, Bellus, mankind’s only hope was to build Space Arks to carry people, plants and animals to Zyra, a planet orbiting Bellus. Hopefully Zyra would both escape the destruction and prove to be habitable. This ground-breaking 1951 movie had it all – gripping story, great model shots (winner of the Oscar for special effects), and a giant silver rocket-ship. What more could a small boy want, except a model of the ship? Well, after waiting about thirty years, the model has finally arrived.

Pegasus Hobbies have carved themselves a nice little niche in the hobby, making some very interesting sets of military figures in 1/72 scale, vehicles to go with them, 1/48 snap-together WWII fighter planes which can hold their own with the best makes, and science fiction models. Someone at the company is obviously a fan of the works of producer George Pal, as they have previously made kits from his 1953 version of H G Wells’ ‘War of the Worlds.’ Now they have followed those up with the Space Ark from Pal’s classic ‘When Worlds Collide.’

Packed in a traditional top-opening lid and tray type box, with a colourful and attractive photo of a built model on the lid, the kit comprises 26 parts, moulded in ABS plastic (except for the vacform base and styrene rod nose probe), so you will need superglue, Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, or similar for assembly.

The parts are fairly simple (as befits the subject), and cleanly moulded (although there were one or two very minor sink marks on the rear of the hull on my sample).

To a scale of 1/350, the Ark itself is made up of 15 parts, plus 3 for the launch sled.

There's also an impressive one-piece launch rail which sits on five separate pylons, and the aforementioned base, with a moulded name plate. I dry-fitted the launch rail and pylons to the base, and test-fitted the hull to see how it goes together, and the fit is very good.

There are traditional locating pins and holes for the hull, as well as a tongue on one half, with corresponding groove on the other, that run the whole circumference of the parts, ensuring positive location. The rest of the components assemble in the traditional manner.

I’ve not been able to find dimensions for the original filming models, but the kit looks to capture both the shape and proportions of those quite well. Panel lines are few and far between on the movie Arks, but all the necessary surface detail is present on the kit, nicely engraved. The kit is designed to be assembled on the launch ramp, or in flight, as it does not include the landing gear from the final scenes. The boarding hatches are also moulded closed, but neither these nor the undercarriage would be difficult to add, were you of a mind to.

The instructions are the traditional pictorial type, with captions in English, and are both clear and easy to follow. There is also a painting guide, but no decals, as none are necessary – the ship in the movie has no markings. The Ark is overall silver (natural metal) but the movie models have little in the way of variation between panels, so painting should be quite simple. You can really go to town on the base, though. There is plenty of moulded detail to pick out, and it would be quite simple to enhance that with scatter, flock, miniature bushes etc. You could even add some 1/350 figures (designed for ship models) to give a proper sense of scale.

Incidentally, the launch rail in the kit does not depict the start of the run, which was built on the top of a concrete bunker. Instead, it appears to be a section from somewhere along the run, or possibly (if you built an inclined support for the base) the very end of the ramp, which ran up the side of a mountain. It would be relatively easy to show the ship in the process of leaving the end of the ramp, complete with flames from the rocket motors. That could make for a great looking diorama.

If you wish to build the ship under construction, Paragrafix have a conversion kit out, made in etched metal, which includes the internal structure and bulkheads of the ship, plus a few figures. It also contains styrene rod, and resin connectors for the rod. There is even a 1/350 scale wheelchair for Sydney Stanton! To model the under-construction scenes accurately, you would still need to make the concrete bunker, though.

Link to Paragrafix

In conclusion, I think Pegasus have done a brilliant job with this model. It is simple, but no more than it needs to be; it looks the part; fits together well; and is an impressive, but manageable, size when completed. I have no hesitation in recommending this model, which is suitable for ages 13 upwards. You don’t even have to have seen the film to appreciate how cool 1950s rocket-ships are.

Review sample courtesy of Amerang

Edited December 10, 2010 by Mike

[Shar2]

Very nice review Obi. Looks to be a nice kit too, always loved the film, and since I haven't any sci-fi stuff it might be a good kit to start with.

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Very nice review Obi.

Aww, shucks!

[Fifer54]

Well done, Obi-Jiff!

Anyone would think you'd been writing reviews for years!

[Smiffy]

I'm gonna have to get one of these.

Always liked this movie.

Nice review OJK.

[Madam I'm Adam]

I keep making big hints for santa

[PHIL B]

Spiffing review Obi-Jiff! You'd think you were a fan of the movie or something...

Phil

[marty_hopkirk]

Good man, Obi Jiff.

I have this kit and he ParaGrafix "under construction" set. I'm interested really how you get 'on' with the ABS styrene.

Marty...

Edited December 9, 2010 by marty_hopkirk

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Thanks guys, you're all too kind.

I'm interested really how you get 'on' with the ABS styrene.

Haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know.