Those are awesome. The original vipers and raiders are so much cooler than the repops.

Scorpiomikey

One day someones going to put viper in the subject line and its actually going to be a dodge viper.

I'd imagine that would have happened already.

Over in the automobiles forum.

I saw one of the Viper models in the LHS yesterday. I've seen them before but I have to admit I'm getting more and more interested in building one.

I have to build the rest of my small stash (including a Dodge Viper) first though. By then I should know if I'm going to stick with the hobby or not.

The new Starbuck is cute, But she can't hold a candle to the old Athena played by Maren Jensen. lol...  I saw original cylons, original raiders, and an old original style Base Star in the new show, but the oldest Viper I saw was the Mk. II.  I didn't like the new show very much.  They really tore the concept to pieces and messed with the characters too much.  They seemed t play on the negative side of every aspect of the concept.  The characters were so messed up, that there wasn't one character that seemed like they had anything positive about them.   Too many of these re-imagined shows try to make the show edgy, and completely lose the point of their original ancestors.  The first show was pure space opera, a bit campy, but hey, it was 1978 after all.  The point is that the characters in the original series were characters you could actually care about, and did.  There wasn't a dry eye in the room at my house when Serena died.  The Galactica looked ten times better than the new one.  In the old series, she was a proud state of the art ship, and not some antiquated  pile of scrap with 90% of her armor plate stripped off and a hull that was barely holding together.  Well you get the idea.  I have one of all three of the Vipers that are currently out, a couple of old series Raiders, and one Base Star.  I'm going to have a ball lighting that Base Ship when I get around to building it. lol

Rich

Griffin

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

Wrong Starbuck.  The MK 1 viper is actually the Viper from the classic Battlestar Galactica from 1978.  Starbuck was played by Dirk Benedict in that series.  Watch it sometime.  It's a lot more interesting than the new remade one.

 

Yeah - I know. I used to watch the original series when I was a kid. I loved it.

I did, however, love the re-imaging too! (And the new Starbuck was way hotter!) I think there was an old MK 1 Viper in the new series too.

Sparrowhyperion

Wrong Starbuck.  The MK 1 viper is actually the Viper from the classic Battlestar Galactica from 1978.  Starbuck was played by Dirk Benedict in that series.  Watch it sometime.  It's a lot more interesting than the new remade one.

Yeah - I know. I used to watch the original series when I was a kid. I loved it.

I did, however, love the re-imaging too! (And the new Starbuck was way hotter!) I think there was an old MK 1 Viper in the new series too.

One day someones going to put viper in the subject line and its actually going to be a dodge viper.

Sparrowhyperion

Wrong Starbuck.  The MK 1 viper is actually the Viper from the classic Battlestar Galactica from 1978.  Starbuck was played by Dirk Benedict in that series.  Watch it sometime.  It's a lot more interesting than the new remade one.

 

 

Griffin:

 

Starbuck's boobs were bigger in the show!

 

 

But if this had been the new series I wouldn't have needed that much padding for the female Starbuck.

Wrong Starbuck.  The MK 1 viper is actually the Viper from the classic Battlestar Galactica from 1978.  Starbuck was played by Dirk Benedict in that series.  Watch it sometime.  It's a lot more interesting than the new remade one.

Griffin

Starbuck's boobs were bigger in the show!

Starbuck's boobs were bigger in the show!

very sweet !!

^^^

Thank you very much Gents for the kind words.

And I finally finished up the Viper Pilot. Although I should have dusted the canopy before snapping?

Hard to tell but he has his shield down too.

And with the Cylon firing at close range, he might need it!

Very cool indeed!

Now that is cool.

Super cool! Great looking models and the display came out great!

I think I'd turn both fighters so they're flying straight at each other in the classic 'chicken' pose though

Great Work man!!!! now a challenge is to take a picture with a black background without lights

could be a great effect with manual setting on the camera

Some shots to show them powered up and the controls on the base. Each vehicle can swivel or be interchanged with control functionality being the same.

Gerry

Really nice looking. Great detailing on the 'dirty' bits

I too have done this model a couple of times. After completion, I'm always tempted to attach it to one of those modelers rockets and launch the sucker.

You too? Or is that just me

Well, THEY don't let me play with fire and especially not explosives. But it sounds like mayhem. Which is fun.

And progress so far. Not much left really.

Really nice looking. Great detailing on the 'dirty' bits

I too have done this model a couple of times. After completion, I'm always tempted to attach it to one of those modelers rockets and launch the sucker.

You too? Or is that just me

Thanks Rich,

 I like to make thin brass overlays that have had rivets rendered by a Ponce Wheel. More uniform than any other technique I've tried. I'll save the lighter fluid trick for a day I feel braver and whenever they let me play with fire again?

Applied decals and the canopy then some more weathering. Here's where it sits.

I have a few suggestions.  I have built att least 3 dozen of this kit over the years, and I have picked up a few tricks that really help to give it an authentic look.

First.  I use a few different techniques for weathering.  The trickiest, but most effective is lighter fluid.  I will brush on a thin coat of lighter fluid on the engines, right behind that heavily detailed (open) area.  I don't use much at all.  Then I will (this is the tricky part) light it for about 5-10 seconds and douse it with a bit of water.  he great thing about lighter fluid is that the heat seems to go straight up, so if you hold it so the flame is going straight up and the surface is pointing in that direction, it will not harm the plastic unless you leave it lit too long.  Once you put it out, you will see some blackening.  Use a soft DRY cloth and wipe it lightly backwards toward the engine exhaust. If you did it right, it will blend in and look like a somewhat streaky greyish smudge.  After that, I usually dullcoat it and then do a regular wash with some super thinned acrylics over it.  I use about three different shades of greay to give the smudging some detail and shadowing.  If you weather the detail area in front of the scoopy with a super thinned black acrylic, the effect is very cool.  You can do washes of all the exposed surfaces to get them to match and it's incredible looking once done.   I wouldn't recommend any pre shading on panel lines.  If you watch the show, the ships are actually kept in very good condition; Much better condition that the new BSG Vipers.  The panel lines are barely visible and the overall weathering is not nearly as pronounced as the MK.II, and MK.VII.  Another suggestion.  Watch some close up shots of the original BSG and you will notice that the canopies on the Viper are framed panels and there are small rivets on the frames.  Duplicating this detail is very tricky and you need super steady hands, great eyesight, and a bottle of super thick CA glue; The gap filling slow set kind.  Using slow set gives you time to clean off any mistakes before they dry.  This takes patience and is a slow process, but the end result is worth it. 

First sand down the existing frame ridge on the canopy, so it is flush with where the glass will be.  Next, scribe thin lines just a tad in from the edges, effectively delineating new canopy frame lines, thick enough to complete the next step.

Next.  You need some of those super micro fine glue applicator tips you can get opn eBay for about $2 for 6.  The plastic ones work best.  What you want to do, is on each frame strip, make a row of small (and I mean really, really small.) glue drops to simulate the rivets.  Watch an old episode and freeze frame it on netflix or something to see the proportional size and spacing.  Like I said before, using the super slow set glue allows you to scrape any misshapen or misaligned ones off before they set up.  Once this is done, just mask and paint.

I hope you can use these ideas.  It's looking great so far!  Good work.

Rich

(typographical errors included at no additional cost.)

MrSquid2U

So the weathering begins. Brought out the panel lines and applied wash to areas.

So the weathering begins. Brought out the panel lines and applied wash to areas.

Thanks Yamato!

I've got the Viper on the bench applying weathering. I hope for some progress pics soon.

this viper come great man!

The grey striping was painted on the engines and then the remaining orange stripes which butted up to them.





It's starting to look like a Viper now.

After waiting out some unbearably hot weather which wasn't nice for painting I finally got to the stripes. Of course there's still the grey stripes to paint along with all the weathering. But here's how it looks out of the spray booth.





 The "chipping" on the stripes was done with 'masking fluid' and a fine tip brush.

Hope you enjoy.

Sparrowhyperion

I wish we had some of those mom and pop's left around here.  Radio Shack is expensive. lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately that's true. I can pay my "lil shop" fifteen cents for the same item Radio Shack wants about a buck or more for. Sure, no fancy mounting on a bubble pack card but I can deal with that.

I wish we had some of those mom and pop's left around here.  Radio Shack is expensive. lol

MrSquid2U

"Sparrow"^^^

Sounds like you have some neat plans! Besides the normal electronics stores and autostores which I keep an eye on, I am lucky to have a "ma and pa" shop nearby. This gent has "everything". That is if he'll let you loose in his stockroom and then if you have the patience/time to dig. Luckily again, I'm allowed both at his place and so I can usually source up the lil odds and ends I need for projects.

 

The Viper has it's base color coat of grey on and I'm masking the stripes now. Hope to post some updates soon.

"Sparrow"^^^

Sounds like you have some neat plans! Besides the normal electronics stores and autostores which I keep an eye on, I am lucky to have a "ma and pa" shop nearby. This gent has "everything". That is if he'll let you loose in his stockroom and then if you have the patience/time to dig. Luckily again, I'm allowed both at his place and so I can usually source up the lil odds and ends I need for projects.

The Viper has it's base color coat of grey on and I'm masking the stripes now. Hope to post some updates soon.

Beautiful LED work.  I am in progress on the 30th. Anniversary Raider kit now.  I'm a bit stalled on it though.  The clear diffuser pieces were fogged somehow so I am ordering new ones from Revell.  I have a two LED light kit I am making for it.  I still need to get some switches and some power connectors and jacks.  You guys wouldn't have any suggestions for a cheap sources for the switches and jacks.  I basically want a switch in the stand and a power line which can be plugged into a jack on the bottom of the raider. 

I have another kit I made for the Viper with three bright blue LEDs for the engines and one white one to light up the cockpit a bit.  I will be starting the Viper (MK. I) as soon as the Raider is done.  Then I will be doing a Cylon Basestar from the original series and then the MK.II and MKVII Vipers from the new show.

MrSquid2U

Having built a pair of TOS Raiders I turned to building the RevelloGram Colonial Viper. Here's where it sits today, awaiting paint. Lighting was added for the engines, guns and cockpit. All power was routed through a modified kit stand into a base with controls.