BSG 1/32 scale Viper

[spacewolf]

I just picked up two of these kits! Been a BSG fan since day one in 1978!!!!

 

Your build is very inspiring and I am following with great interest!

 

Oh, and put me down in the Nu BSG Boomer column

 

Max Bryant

 

Thank Max, the kit has some issues with sink marks, most serious around the top VEN, the side engine intakes and the underside of the nose. Some kits seem worse than others so check yours carefully. The landing gear legs have issues too... get out your putty and MR Surfacer ! The decals do not respond to setting solution very well (heard this from several forums) so you might want to check the forums at starshipmodeler.com... there are a few aftermarket decal sets out there... also I'd recommend you get the photo etch set, if only for the cockpit, it's amazing.

 

And, just to keep you inspired...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spacewolf]

For Barry, Max and all those who are looking at building this ship a few words concerning detail... I've mentioned that with each ship you have the possibility of building one of two versions...the CGI or prop version. Well... it just got a bit more complicated. A bit of detail that my friend Bill has added to his kit got me looking at ref and I discovered several things. He had scratch built this fuel point that is on the full size prop pictures we have.

 

 

 

I was all set to either do the same or hit the hobby shop to see if I could find a race car photo etch set with something close but then I found this promo pic from the first season, and saw a few screen caps that show it in the first season.

 

 

So.... I was off on the hunt and this is what I found;

 

The kit very accurately depicts the CGI Viper

 

As far as I know the CGI version was unchanged throughout the run of the series except for fuselage numbers.

 

The full size prop was painted and detailed very close to the CGI Viper for the pilot.

 

The fuel point was just a decal as per whats in the kit, but changed either at the start of, or mid way through season 2.

 

The engine tubing detail was changed from the CGI type used in the pilot to what we have for the first season and stayed the same to the end of the series.

 

The cockpit as it is in the kit is accurate to the CGI version, but if you want the full size prop version you either have to get the photo etch set or scratch build the extra detail as I am.

 

The rear engine panel at the back of the fuselage is accurate to the CGI version but will need to be modified if you want the prop version.

 

The same thing goes for the landing gear.

 

One other thing is the fuselage numbers... they change for each pilot and sometimes the letters are first and the numbers after.. then sometimes it's the opposite.... check the ship you are building closely.... mind you, no one but us anal types are likely to know if you get it wrong !

 

Cheers

 

Vaughn

[3d-builder]

I just looked through the entire thread love the work so far!

Nice detailing and painting on the engines and other areas,

I am looking to pick this kit up!

 

Regards,

Michael

[spacewolf]

I just looked through the entire thread love the work so far!

Nice detailing and painting on the engines and other areas,

I am looking to pick this kit up!

 

Regards,

Michael

 

Thanks Michael, very much. It's a nice kit OOB with lots of room to detail/ improve.

 

Cheers

 

Vaughn

[spacewolf]

The cockpit is interesting. It is accurate to the CGI version but needs help to do the prop version. Moebius molded the outer sidewalls separate and of course put two ejector pin marks on the side that's visible....

 

 

The upper console needs to have the area molded for the CGI scope opened for the gauges and switches on the prop version.

 

 

The pilot is molded in resin (result of a mix up in communication between Moebius and the manufacturer) and is very nice, however you only get the faceplate not a face and while the figure is holding the stick you can see it's a bit high....

 

[spacewolf]

Overall interior color was dark ghost gray, panels in flat black and armrest area in engine gray I added the keypad on the left panel by nipping off tiny squares of sheet and gluing them in.

 

 

The upper console was filed open and a shaped lower section cut from sheet and glued in. The red warning light in the top center was a bit of sprue cut and glued in. The switches were stretched sprue carefully glued into position. The gauges were robbed from another kit.

 

 

The seat has two hoses at the top, there are holes for them but the hose is not provided. I made mine by again wrapping fine wire around a larger one and gluing them in with super glue.

 

[spacewolf]

The worst problem I found was the rear corners where the sides of the panels do not meet the seat edges and the upper rear corners don't come close to the fuselage edge.

 

 

I used bits of scrap sheet to build up and fill the gaps. I added more to thicken the top edge as it would be needed to be filed back.

 

 

I positioned the cockpit and marked the upper edge with a pencil as a guide to how much to remove.

 

[spacewolf]

Once both sides were done it looks MUCH better.

 

 

The decals are ok but are not accurate to the gauges used in the prop. If you want them to be accurate you are going to have to get aftermarket ones. Also, the decals do not respond to setting solution very well (I had a hard time with getting the main screen to tuck in at the corners) and the carrier film is a bit thick.

 

 

 

It does build up nice though and looks good.

[DaveJ]

Great stuff!!

 

I'll be adding this kit to the stash for certain! I need a good viper to go along with my old-school Cylon Raider I did a while back.

 

[joker]

I've been waiting for the Mark II since the show was aired, Great to see Mobius taking this on.

 

The cockpit looks a bit odd to me I don't remember the side panels and the 3 dial gauges the come up between the pilots legs were from the local auto supply house, Lordco I think. I think the fuel filler came from a boat place. The Viper ejection seat came from an F 104 . The seats in the Rapter are from an F-14, man are they heavy.

 

If you look at the publicity photo with Adama, Starbuck, Apollo and Boomer the pilots name on the side of the ship is 'Joker", thats me. No one noticed that "Joker" was the pilot until most of the publicity stills had been taken. They had to take a bunch of new ones, but some got out. In some shots you see Adama or Starbuck, but in the early ones you'll see Joker, taken in the hull of a BC ferry If I remember correctly.

 

I designed and fabricated the graphics on the show.

 

From badges to squadron crests, wine labels to money I was able to design 90% of the graphic look of the show. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have that much creative freedom.

 

As Vaughn stated the fuselage numbers change with the pilot, I do have the list somewhere.

 

Recently there was a big BSG auction, and lots of the stuff I had fab'd was going for big bucks, some one paid $250.00 for Jokers nameplate....I think I have spare somewhere...

 

Looking forward to seeing this build up, looks great so far.

 

Joker

[spacewolf]

I've been waiting for the Mark II since the show was aired, Great to see Mobius taking this on.

 

The cockpit looks a bit odd to me I don't remember the side panels and the 3 dial gauges the come up between the pilots legs were from the local auto supply house, Lordco I think. I think the fuel filler came from a boat place. The Viper ejection seat came from an F 104 . The seats in the Rapter are from an F-14, man are they heavy.

 

If you look at the publicity photo with Adama, Starbuck, Apollo and Boomer the pilots name on the side of the ship is 'Joker", thats me. No one noticed that "Joker" was the pilot until most of the publicity stills had been taken. They had to take a bunch of new ones, but some got out. In some shots you see Adama or Starbuck, but in the early ones you'll see Joker, taken in the hull of a BC ferry If I remember correctly.

 

I designed and fabricated the graphics on the show.

 

From badges to squadron crests, wine labels to money I was able to design 90% of the graphic look of the show. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have that much creative freedom.

 

As Vaughn stated the fuselage numbers change with the pilot, I do have the list somewhere.

 

Recently there was a big BSG auction, and lots of the stuff I had fab'd was going for big bucks, some one paid $250.00 for Jokers nameplate....I think I have spare somewhere...

 

Looking forward to seeing this build up, looks great so far.

 

Joker

 

Holy Frak !!!

 

Hey Joker, great to have you on the forum. Thank you for the work you did on the show, some of the best SI-FI ever made. I got a bunch of my ref from pics that were taken at the auction that were posted on line. I remember the wine bottle labels from several episodes, not to mention the exec's bottles he always had around.

 

Any ref you do have re details, pilots/tail numbers ect would be greatly appreciated by all I'm sure. Also if someone were to come up with a nice raised crest or colonial emblem for the bases of our models I'm sure they'd be popular...

 

Now I gotta go find some decals with the name Joker.

 

Cheers

 

Vaughn

[spacewolf]

Time to get out the glue and putty. The intake grill fits into an angled slot and locked in place when the two sides are put together. I painted it with MM chrome and Tamiya flat black.

 

 

In gluing the hull together I found I had to clamp the top turtle deck just behind the cockpit but other than that there was no problem. I filled the slot in the belly plate as this one will be on her gear.

 

 

I boxed in the nose bay with a bit of sheet, it goes against my grain to be able to see gaps into the interior of a model.

 

[spacewolf]

After I got the fuselage together I couldn't help myself... the rear fuse is like a jigsaw puzzle and holds together without glue so I fitted everything together... D*** it looks good !

 

 

 

The fitting of the rear sections brings up a bit of a problem. It has to be built in sequence or it's very difficult to get it together. The intakes go first, then the wings followed by the base plate which helps set the angle of the wings as well the vertical pillars lock the wings in place.

 

 

The problem was that in fitting the intakes and belly plate I found the seam at the front of the intakes would need filling. As well there was a 'step' between the belly plate and fuselage that would need filling as well... trying to do this with the wings in place would be a royal pain. I verified that I could squeeze the wings past the vertical posts and get them positioned ok, then glued the intakes and belly plate on.

[spacewolf]

Filling and sanding.... the upper joins are not too bad.

 

 

The bottom has some sink marks and a bit of miss alignment but a bit of putty and Mr. Surfacer fixed it up quick.

 

 

The biggest pain was these seams, the intake ones cleaned up easy, the 'step' under the intake took a bit more work but all the filling and sanding only took an hour or so to clean up.

 

 

The intakes have a bit of a sink mark where the 'intake fans' meet the outer skin. Again, very easy to fill and clean up.

[spacewolf]

With the belly plate on, next thing was to fit the gear and see how she looks. Not bad but there was a problem with the mains.

 

 

The plastic of the gear opening is rather thick and holds the gear up off the mounting pins.

 

 

Shave the plastic down about half way and everything fits. The raised tab on the top of the gear leg glues to the wall on the rear of the fuselage helping to support and position thing correctly.