Explorer part 6

Finally after over 5 years this project is finished. Most of that time it was just sitting there, the last time I did any major work on it was 2014. All it needed was a cockpit and a paint job and finally it has both bringing it to a better late than never conclusion.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

I had always planned for it to have a predominantly NASA white colour scheme and I ended up going for a cream off white colour which was then heavily weathered in the usual way with one exception. This time  after the poo juice and white dry brushing I brushed clay powder over it, getting it to gather on horizontal crevices and then spraying it with iso-propyl alcohol to set it in place. I suspect it could be easily wiped off again but for now it is doing the job imparting a realistic dusty appearance.

 

The lighting is working better than I expected, particularly the cabin interior light coming from the control console. It really lights up the occupants well. I also took some photos at night with all the room lighting out so the figures are just lit from the model's own light.

If you have followed along with this project from the start the main issue has been the weight of the scratch built body. I used a lot of plywood in the structure. Now five years on I would do it differently, choosing foamed pvc sheet or even high impact styrene which can be built a lot lighter and it's easier to prime as there is no grain. The weight gain at the front once the cockpit was added meant I had to add a second extension spring to each side of the suspension arms to hold it up without sagging.

I've got one more model I would like to complete before Supanova, the Reverse Trike. I'm not sure I'm going to make it as I am having some difficulty with the low-tack masking tape ripping the top coat off the primer, which is a new one for me, usually if the tape is going to lift the paint it takes the top coat and primer leaving the bare plastic surface. The other problem is the wet winter weather here at the moment is not conducive to painting at all.

Thanks to all the readers who have stayed with this project from the beginning, its been a marathon.
Thanks for looking, more soon...