Model madness

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-03-04 05:19pm

I've seen a small number of modelmaking threads on this forum, so I thought I would contribute one of my own.

Most of my early stuff was wood models, mostly liners. All three Olympic class ships, plus the three Lusitania class sisters (well, if you include Aquitania, anyway). Only in the past three years have I gone heavily into styrene kits.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Collection01.jpg
All ten ships: Britannic, Titanic, Olympic, Aquitania, Mauretania, Lusitania, Carpathia, and Californian. The White Star tenders Nomadic and Traffic are up front.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Collection02.jpg
Everything on the top shelf and above is 1:200. Shelf below is 1:288. Bottom to top: STS-100, Energia-Buran, Proton-Zond, Energia-Polyus (missing the Polyus module), STS-107, and Buran. Above, Atlantis, STS-51L, the AMT Man in Space Rocket Collection (with added Columbia STS-50). And Discovery is hanging above.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/1350Collection.jpg
Below the space stuff are a series of submarine kits. All of the ones pictured are Shanghai Dragon, except for the Zvezda K-141 Kursk, and all are 1:350. The Akula behind the Kursk has a modified stern and other features.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/RedOctoberFleet.jpg
All four subs portrayed in The Hunt for Red October. The RO herself is the same kit as the Typhoon in the previous image, but with a new conning tower and added towed array dispenser to the dorsal rudder. All of these are 1:400.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Enterprise-E%20-G.jpg
The E-G is made from wood.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Port02.jpg
1:720 Titanic from Zhengdefu, with a number of fixes.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/FoxModel01.jpg
1:144 MiG-31 Firefox made by a friend. There's another without landing gear.

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Airfix05.jpg
My current favorite. 1:144 Airfix, built into STS-1, with added ET corrugation and other details.

Thoughts?

kheegster · Post by **kheegster** » 2005-03-04 05:30pm

Very cool...I liked all the Olympics and [Mauretanias] together, and the Red October collection. Never realised that the Akula class was that much smaller than the LA class.

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2005-03-04 05:34pm

Nice. I especially like the E-G. How did you make that, if you don't mind me asking, and what size is it?

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-03-04 05:45pm

The E-G's 1:2400 scale, at about 13" long (the E-E's from the three-piece B/C/E set from AMT). I drew up the plans about a year before I started construction, refining them into something I wanted to build into a physical model (a diversion from the ultra-sleek designs we see a lot in Trek). The dorsal and ventral saucer domes were shaped by attaching them to a drill and running along a piece of 40-grit sandpaper, and the middle piece was sandwiched between.

Oh, and kheegan, the boat you think is an Akula is actually Alfa class. Akulas are on par with the 688 lengthwise, but with a wider casing.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2005-03-04 06:02pm

I love the first picture. Can you imagine what the three Olympics and the three Lusitanias would have looked like together in real life?

And that styrene Titanic makes me want to get back into modeling. Awesome stuff.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-03-04 06:38pm

I forgot to include this one. Can't wait to finish her (1:144 Seawolf):

http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Seawolf08.jpg

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2005-03-05 06:30am

It's the one thing I miss since moving into CG modelling, I dont get to have the cool models sitting around my house any more. That's a pretty spanky collection you have there, and I second the comment about seeing the whole line-up of ships, it's quite a site and would have looked awesome in real life. I also love the subs, and the Red October looks pretty dandy. I made a pretty poor CG Typhoon class recently using a tiny line drawing for reference, maybe I should have tracked down the styrene model first.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-03-05 07:41am

If I could sum up why I build and collect models in a single sentence, it would be:

"If a picture is worth a thousand words, a model is worth ten thousand."

What scale is your liner collection, Firefox? It's spiffy.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-03-05 09:58am

1:400. I'd built a few Titanics beforehand, when I was much younger. O and T in the photo were built in 1993, and refurbished in '98/'99, about the same time Britannic was made. The others came later.

Although they're pretty low on detail, it's much easier than kitbashing 3-4 Titanic kits to build her sisters and Aquitania, and there are virtually no kits available to easily kitbash Carpathia and Californian.

Here's a close-up of Aquitania:

Picture.

PFC Long · Post by **PFC Long** » 2005-03-05 10:01am

What is the building process of a ship? I've seen some in the box, but never have had the will to start one. They're at the PX, though....

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-03-05 10:31am

With the 1:720 Titanic, I started with drilling out portholes on the hull. Ship models have subassemblies you can glue and detail separately (and if necessary, make corrections). Basically, you would want to build up a ship as several subassemblies, then paint those before putting them together. Especially useful with things like interior rooms and promenades.

Something along the lines of an aircraft carrier would probably go together a bit faster, IMO, unless you plan to detail out the hangar deck.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-03-05 03:13pm

Firefox wrote:1:400. I'd built a few Titanics beforehand, when I was much younger. O and T in the photo were built in 1993, and refurbished in '98/'99, about the same time Britannic was made. The others came later.

Although they're pretty low on detail, it's much easier than kitbashing 3-4 Titanic kits to build her sisters and Aquitania, and there are virtually no kits available to easily kitbash Carpathia and Californian.

Here's a close-up of Aquitania:

Picture.

There's a really decent variety of photo-etched after market details available in 1/400th to add detail from Gold Medal Models, you might want to give it a try. I'd recommend the merchant ship set, and some watertight doors. He makes a really slick product.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-03-05 03:17pm

I have a couple of Minicraft 1:350 Titanics (one for extra parts), so I'll probably give that a try. I've used GMM's 1:700 Merchant Ship set for my 1:720 T.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-03-05 10:03pm

Some details of a couple of models:

+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Russians01.jpg.

Project 941 Akula on the left, and 705 Lira on the right, with Kursk between. You can see the shrouded props on the Akula.

+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/RedOctober07.jpg

Close up of Krasniy Oktyabr. I chose to depict her without the caterpillar doors open.

+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/B29/B29-X1-04.jpg
+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/B29/B29-X1-05.jpg

1:144 B-29 with XS-1 mounted in the bomb bay. Speaking of the B-29, I'd like to find some "Doc" decals for my second Superfort.

+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Shuttles/Revell01.jpg
+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Shuttles/Revell02.jpg
+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Shuttles/Revell04.jpg
+http://jtrun.mine.nu/cc/fox/Shuttles/NewCeiling01.jpg

Another one I forgot to mention. 1:72 Revell Columbia, STS-1. She's flanked by an XB-70 and MiG-25P. Lego Firefox beneath.