nude bot
nude side
nude top
black front
black side
black top
blue
camo dark
camo dark redux
spots
top
bottom
bottom nose
side
another side
nose in the dark
nude bot
nude side
nude top
black front
black side
black top
blue
camo dark
camo dark redux
spots
top
bottom
bottom nose
side
another side
nose in the dark
I started this ship when I heard Alfred Wong had mastered a kit of the Scorpion kitbashed fighter from the old Buck Rogers TV show for Scale Model Technologies. I used different kits, of course, since I can't bring myself to copy anything completely. The head is a dome of some sort capped with the lopsided bottom of a 1/35 scale tank turret. Another 1/35 scale tank provided the middle section, and a 1/72 scale A-6 Intruder was the source for the tail. Beneath the tail is a Matchbox 1/72 scale F-4 Phantom upper fuselage, placed bottom-to-bottom. The same F-4 kit supplied the wings. See if you can count the number of engines. I lost track after eight.
Paint was a coat of Floquil GN Big Sky Blue, followed by NYC Jade Green. I've used this color combination, or one close to it, many times, starting with Big Blue and most recently with Interdictor Reaver. I usually prefer the greyer Model Master Intermediate Blue and Light Green, but I decided to go with something brighter this time.
Took John Lester's advice and scatter some French Chestnut splotches about the ship. Did the bottom first and thought it made the ship look sadly cursed with adolescent acne, so I did fewer splotches on the top. Did some Earth-colored splotches off to the side of the brown ones to simulate stones-and-shadows. Suddenly, the top looked a little bare, and the bottom, pretty close to perfect. Sigh. Added more to the top.
The wash was black and brown chalk, scraped into a shot glass, mixed with water and a drop of dishsoap; Brushed on then wiped off. Looks good on the grills and some of the detail parts in the center of the head, but otherwise too subtle for the time it took. Drybrushed Light Gray to bring-out some of the details.
In general, I'm pretty pleased with this guy. Yes, it could have used a bigger gun. And some missiles. Maybe sandbags, armo boxes, and a net on top, but that would have made it a hovertank instead of an interstellar interceptor. Would have explained the bizarro camo, though.
Dimensions: 17x9x6 inches.
First place, Category 604, Scalefest '06.
