Moebius-1 part 5

Along with some more styrene sheet and kit part detailing, I have added a piping layer to the underside of the Flat Top.

The large pipes are made from 8mm ABS solid Rod from Hobby King with mid sizes from assorted plastic knitting needles. These were heat bent using a hot air gun and a simple right angle made from a slightly rounded corner of a scrap of 9mm plywood. The solid works well for heat bending as it maintains its profile while bending unlike tube that would collapse and fold in on itself.

Some short pieces of Evergreen Styrene tubing were used on the 8mm rod for joints. The small size pipe is from the usual pvc sheathed copper single core electrical cable at 4mm.

Then, to see how how well it is looking and whether any more detailing is needed it was time to spray some grey primer.

I think it is probably enough detail for now, the rest can be done in paint.

It is time to get started on the hull and cockpit bubble.
More soon...

Moebius-1 part 4

I started paneling and detailing the flat top side of the moebius-1 project.
It's still a work in progress.

 
The long grey finned panel at the rear above where the engines sit is a paper guide from an inkjet printer. The two red panels are from the transformers SCVNGR toy.

The rest is an assortment of kit parts, evergreen panels and strips, black 2mm, 1mm and 0.5mm styrene and 3mm and 6mm foamed pvc sheet.

There is still more paneling and piping to be done as well as a fine detail pass.

Thanks for looking.
More soon...

Moebius-1 part 3

Thanks to a reader comment I have finalised  the design and construction of the forward pontoons.
The reader suggested that the original Battlestar Galactica flat top pontoons were made from Bolton Paul defiant fuselages and that lead me to look at other suitable aircraft kit donors. I was originally thinking submarine hulls but couldn't find anything cheap enough or the right length to width ratio. Finally I found some 1/144 scale Kawanishi " Emily" flying boat kits at the right price and importantly the right size for my needs on Hobby link Japan.

The fuselage sides are cemented to a central spine made from two layers of 2mm styrene sandwiching a core of two layers of 1.5mm styrene. The two layers of 1.5mm styrene leave a 3mm wide pocket for the support struts made from heat bent 3mm PVC sheet.

A section of fuselage was cut away for some recessed nurney kit part detail.

 Here they are with the first coat of grey primer. There is still a bit of spot puttying required here and there to be done, along with some detail on the struts but for the most part they are done.

And finally here they are in position on the spaceship hull.

Thanks for looking, more soon...