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Land of the Giants SPINDRIFT build.

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  • Member since
    December 2013
Land of the Giants SPINDRIFT build.
Posted by Jim Kirk on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 9:04 AM

So, As a favor to build one of these for a friend, I asked for a model of this craft for myself.

This is NOT the old Aurora kit or any of it's reops.

It's not the little Moebius kit released some time ago.

I do not sell Them.
I do not know who sells them/makes them. I was supplied with the kits...
I do not know how much they cost.

I do know...
It was made from files cast off of the actual "HERO" Miniature seen in the series Land of the Giants.
I love it because it is dead on...warts and all! It has ALL the flaws and subtle mistakes the original has without someone correcting them.
It's hollow and YES I am going to light it. It will also be painted and lit per the filming miniature. This is my personal Spindrift and will be worked on a little at a time between other projects.
It will be like my custom Jupiter 2, as in it will have a practical interior...Like the miniature has/had. IF motivated, I may scratch build an interior...


I am glad I waited for this. I know of a larger kit that gets attention, but the thing is all wrong. I am dull and boring that way.

I have supplied pictures of it next to my Custom Moebius Jupiter 2 and a Flying Sub I am currently working on for a friend.

The last photo shows the cockpit windows/passenger windows cut out...as well as the are under the dome.

The final Photo is an old Lunar Models Spindrift I built years ago, with full lighting and a scratch built interior as well as figures.

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 9:05 AM

All of the intake areas have been drilled out and removed.
The intake grills are just currently placed inside the housings.
The Fin/Tail has been attached to the hull and the joining bit puttied and sanded smooth. It's getting ready for primer and then base coat.

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 9:07 AM

So I reserve weekends and some evenings as “me” time. To keep what I am doing fun.
I was able to do a little work on my Spindrift build.

The Spindrift is not just Orange.
I am basing it on the weathered appearance it had sustained.
Like the Seaview,
It’s actually a LOT of colors.
I airbrushed the whole thing with custom mixed paints based on some in depth pictures of the real miniature.
I will be airbrushing the hull more then allow it to fully cure.
Then I will add the two stripes on the hull.

The model is 16.5" in length and after using some different scale figures I have, it seems the 1/48 figure is more in line with the scale.

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 9:08 AM

So being the obsessive/Accurate type, Last night I stripped the entire forward hull because i didn't feel the striping was accurate to the filming miniature. It's actually kind of wonky(which I appreciate), and sloppy in some areas, So i wanted to replicate that.
I am now happy with the basic paint job. Ill revisit when I have some "me" time and weather it accordingly(I don't like the new glossy car look).
Also down the line, I need to add the lighting.
The model was completely airbrushed MIXED PAINT TO MATCH THE FILMING MINIATURE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE.

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 9:14 AM

I want to keep in the spirit of the filming miniature so a "practical" cockpit will be visiable through the main view port. I deviated a little in that the filming miniatures glass was frosted and not clear...I used some parts and scratch built a flight console and cut my own "glass" from clear sheet found at my local Hobby Shop.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 11:34 AM

Well;

 Now that's something I can really get into.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 6:14 PM

Tanker-Builder

 Now that's something I can really get into.

 

 
Or could, were you not the size of the Giants Smile
  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Friday, September 25, 2020 12:30 PM

 

AND a little SPFX fun with my Spindrift build!!

 

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Saturday, September 26, 2020 11:26 AM

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Saturday, September 26, 2020 4:19 PM

Oh cool! With her parked outside it could be the real thing!

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    May 2020
  • From: North East of England
Posted by Hutch6390 on Saturday, September 26, 2020 5:16 PM

I'm convinced - it's 1:1 scale, right?  And we're the giants!

Vell, Zaphod's just zis guy, you know?

   

TakkaTakkaTakkaTakkaTakkaTakka

 

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 3:11 PM

Thanks to Jim Botaitis at JBOT, My Spindrift has her decals now!

 

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 11:57 AM

I started with some diorama ideas...

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Thursday, October 1, 2020 10:52 AM
  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Friday, October 2, 2020 9:07 AM

Although I wanted to retain the look of the filming miniature's practical interior(It didn't have one... just a crude figure in the main viewport seen in the episode "Manhunt"), I wanted something  a little more detailed.

 

I used some old Lunar Models Spindrift parts to present an Irwin Allen interior.

The parts do not fit and are inaccurate, however with some surgery and some scratch building, an acceptable faux interior is accomplished.

 

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Saturday, October 3, 2020 5:13 PM

AND...The finished Diorama.

 

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Sunday, October 4, 2020 8:48 AM

AND a brief video clip...

 

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Monday, October 5, 2020 6:14 PM

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 7:42 AM

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Saturday, October 10, 2020 9:05 AM

 

I stopped by my go to Hobby shop...AAA Hobbies in Magnolia New Jersey, and showed the guys my Spindrift!

 

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Saturday, October 10, 2020 5:27 PM

  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Thursday, October 15, 2020 2:03 PM
Having a wee bit of fun with my 16.5" Land of the Giants SPINDRIFT build.
I created a shot I wished we would have seen in the series.
Enjoy!
And Thanks!!
  • Member since
    December 2013
Posted by Jim Kirk on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 12:18 PM

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