How I made the MKll from the new Galactica mini series?

The first thing I do when I build a model is to gather as much reference material as I can find. The Internet is a wonderful resource; additionally I received help from a friend who scanned assorted magazine pictures as well. I used the photo reference to draw blue prints from various angles. I do my best to study the collected reference material to try and get a feeling of the ship. I pay close attention to the lines and curves and how the ”invisible” lines crosses each other. I think it’s very important to get a feel of the ship before actually start to draw the blueprint.

I try to break the model into basic shapes at first. I feel it is the best way to start and greatly helps with the relationships the shapes have for each other. It also helps me understanding the shapes when I build them etc. After I have made a rough drawing on paper, I move my drawing to my computer. I use the program Adobe Illustrator. I feel this is the best program for a task such as this one. If you’re an expert with a 3D computer illustration program this would even be better, but I have not tried 3D yet, so I stick with 2D.

While blueprints are essential for a good finished product, when I initially start building I actually don’t use them much, only as a reference to get the measurements correct. In the blueprint stage I only concentrate on getting the basic shape right and when I have that, I up- or downscale it to the final size.I think many people do not think like this, when they draw blueprints and I hope by writing this article they might be inspired to try it and see if they get a better result.

So,... now I have reference and a good set of drawings, it is time to start building. This is the fun part and I enjoy it very much. Remember the choice of building materials is very important. I decided to use, renshape, styrene and putty to build my MKll. Gluing 10 x 10 x 100 mm RenShape sticks together forming the shape roughly makes the basic of the model. Then I filled the gaps here and there with cheap automotive putty called ”plastic padding” or Bondo which gets really hard and at the same time easy to sand into shape. Additionally I used pieces of styrene here and there to make the necessary details and build that into the renshape/putty form.

The rough shape of the fuselage is made with a huge band sanding machine. Although it is a quick method to get the curvatures, it can be a bit dangerous, because it is very easy to sand too much away. Therefore I sand little by little at the time and do the rest by hand. I touch and feel on the shapes to find any differences, holes or places that needs to be corrected before I am happy with the outcome. I occasionally find it necessary to add more putty and sand it again, I always take my time during this process.

For the wings, I did the basic shape first, and then added a strip of styrene in the middle of each side. It provided the needed angles of the plain shapes. The wing is then filled with resin to get it solid. The tip of the wing is sculpt with putty and sanded to shape.I have only built one wing, due to the fact that both wings are identical will I have a friend cast it for me and use a casting for the opposite side. It’s nice when one can make one master for two parts saving valuable time. When it was time to do the guns, I thought it would be best to have them produced on a lathe. I was lucky enough to have a friends help with that too. He did a nice job and they came out great.

The nose is basically a box sanded to shape

 

-and another view...

The Thruster nozzles proved to be quite challenging. The thrusters look very similar to the ones found on the American F-4 Phantom Jets. The variable part of the thruster is made of individual leaves that allow the thruster nozzle to open and close. A friend told me that they are affectionately known as ”Turkey Feathers” in the US MILITARY.
For the inside, I used thin strips of styrene and glued them around a tube with an appropriate diameter. I used 2 layers to build up the tubes. The inner styrene that is used for the inside of the nozzle is scribed vertically while the outside is smooth.
The scribed line will add detail without requiring a lot of work and gives a nice finished look. I didn’t glue them onto the tube just around it and I let the "ring" dry for 24 hours. Otherwise it will deform. A small plate were glued onto the end of the ring so a small well / barrel was created. All the detailing is made of styrene strips. They are cut to shape and the inside of the engine thrusters / barrels is made with commercial tank kit wheels. It was actually pretty simple, but time consuming taking three evenings to do.All the details on the Viper are made out of styrene, which is the material I prefer to work with. Combined with kit bashing it will create a nice finished result.

A view of the detailing.

  

-and another view, the lined styrene is more visable.

Kit bashing is a great method to add lots of detail that looks like it was meant to be there. The Vipers engine details are made mostly of wheels from assorted tank kits, but also regular Evergreen styrene strips.

  

When scratching details I try to get the effect of something that looks like it SHOULD be there.When you try this technique for your next project, here is some advice from personal experience: Don't add too much!

For the cockpit I have used plain 0.5 mm styrene for the basic shape, with thin styrene strips added to make the frame. The windows are cut out later.

  

-and another view

The engines are made of styrene and putty. I made the vertical and horizontal shapes of styrene and filled the space with putty. I then sanded them to the correct shape. Each air intake is made of cut off pieces from an airplane fuselage.

  

-and another view...
The cockpit interior is made of styrene. The instuments is done by first drilling sevaral holes thru a thin sheet of styrene and cut to shape after. It was an easy way of doing them, but it worked. I love to make cockit interior, it's were you can have you mind playing with ideas but at the same time build something that looks fuctional.

Love those bottons. There is an easy way to do them. Use a thin strip of styrene, add clue and put it to place, cut it up and remove every second and you have a row of bot tns.

The chair is a combination between styrene and Renshape.

 

Fuselage details and gun mount / wing tips

The MKll has it's primer

 

A detail shot of the Air intakes

A view of the nearly completed model. A plain color is added to spot small inperfections which needs to be corrected before I give the model it's primer.

 

Painted

 

Rear, the details on the engine exhaust is clearly visable when drybrushed. I love that used messy metal look

This project allowed me to experiment with other techniques that I had not been able to do previously. Honestly, it has been very fun and educational for me to try. In the future I think I will be using a mix of different materials such as balsa wood, renshape, putty and styrene when I build my models. Balsa is great for making the internal structure, it is light, easy to cut and sand and will give you the shape of the ship pretty quick. Furthermore it is not that expensive either.

Styrene can be added later with contact glue. It is a two-part glue, which is added to each part. Let it dry and press the parts together it will be very strong.Renshape or block material is a bit expensive but a great material. I have been told that it is a high compressed foam that is similar, if not the same kind of foam used to insulate a window in a house. This has been the first time I have tried to build a model with this kind. Fun!

How to get it, well, I got mine from a friend, who has a job as a CNC-mechanics next door to a model workshop. It is not a regular model shop, but a place where they make prototype models of water pumps etc. There is a lot of cut offs, bits and pieces, which is perfect for this kind of modeling. Assorted building material doesn't have to be expensive, most of the material I have, is paid for with a six-pack, cookies, cake or similar. It is amazing how far you get with a smile :-)

Scratching spaceships is only a hobby and should be fun and it’s good to try new techniques.