BSG Colonial Viper Mk. 1

btp2k2 wrote:

Here is my Colonial Viper Mk. I >SNIP OF THE PICS!< I have left off the clear pieces for the thrusters right now....I am searching for the right shade of blue and then I will paint the interiors of them and attach them. I am debating whether this one would look better on the stand sitting on my desk or if it should hang from the ceiling.

Very nicely done!  I've got the Basestar and Raider, but have to order a Viper 'cause the local hobby shops don't have them and say they can't get them in.  I want to build the basestar first and might not end up building the Revell Viper kit, as I prefer 1/72 for my auxiliaries (fighters and shuttles), but the Raider comes fairly close to 1/72, so shouldn't look too bad next to the resin-cast Stargazer Models Mk I Viper kit, methinks. 

Thanks for sharin' the pics, regardless! 

That color worked out well.

When I finish mine, I'm gonna keep it on a nearby shelf, so that when my wife isn't looking I can fly it around the room while making "whoosh whoosh" noises.

Thanks for sharing it - JC

Here is my Colonial Viper Mk. I

I have left off the clear pieces for the thrusters right now....I am searching for the right shade of blue and then I will paint the interiors of them and attach them. I am debating whether this one would look better on the stand sitting on my desk or if it should hang from the ceiling.

Nice Viper. I colored mine with MM Light Sea Gray. Not too dark, not too lite. But, the nuetral gray is working for you. Can't wait to see more.

I was 8 when the show came out. Been a fan since. My original Viper is from Monsters in Motion. It's supposed to be a resin cast of the actual studio sized model. I, too choose Starbuck as the pilot. He is the coolest cigar chomping fictional character since Nick Fury.

Yesterday, I turned another age and my wife and son bought both the Revell Cylon Raider and Baseship. I planned on getting the Revell version Viper as a companion.

The original kit did not have landing gear.  We never understood why they chose not to add it but there was nothing we could do but build it as it was. 

but, I bought a set of the blueprints for the show and came up with this.

I know, I posted this before, but I thought it might be useful.

Cosmic J wrote:

MM enamel NG looks a little bluish in the bottle

Just about all the MM paints look bluish in the bottle! I passed over my bottle of Insignia Red four times the other day because it had settled and all the pigment had gone to the bottom.....it was driving me crazy...I knew I had a fresh bottle, but couldn't find it anywhere.....then I find the bottle that said Insignia Red on the label, gave it a hard shake and presto! red again

Hmmm. I guess I should have looked closer at the photo. MM acryls right there in the background...

I ask because I normally shoot MM enamels through an airbrush, and I wondered how close the acryl colors are to the enamels. MM enamel NG looks a little bluish in the bottle, but if it looks like that when dry, I'll probably pick some up. 

Thanks - JC

acrylic.

I shoot in my office, so I tend to use the water based variety in case the carpet monster tries to eat paint.....happened one time....got out a wet rag and some stain remover and it was gone before the wife came home

Oh yeah. Very nice.

Is that the acryl or the enamel?

Finally got off my butt and re painted.....

I ended up using Model Masters "Neutral Grey"....I think it turned out just about right.

I bet, that's almost like having a sealed "Long Box" AMT Enterprise., or a sealed "Lights and Sounds, Lesney Refit" from "79". 

btp2k2 wrote:

I did the original kit when I was five, so I don't remember alot about it. I do have a sealed original in my stash, but I intend to keep it sealed...

I did the original kit when I was five, so I don't remember alot about it.

I do have a sealed original in my stash, but I intend to keep it sealed...

Yeah, I feel ya, I was just curious. It seemed odd that there wouldn't be landing gear, but every model maker does things there own way, just like every modeler.. Did you have the original, can you see a difference in the detail, is it recognizable? 

btp2k2 wrote:

I had planned to build it in flight from the beginning, so no gear never really bothered me much

Aaron Skinner wrote:

The Monogram kit has never had landing gear although there are aftermarket sets for the kit. The updated kit has all of the old parts as well as the new cockpit, clear parts and a really nice decal sheet.

That's cool, I'm still looking forward to getting this kit, I will probably make up my own parts though, if I decide to have it in the landed position. Since I was given a very cool, handcrafted BSG base, I'll probably get all three kits produced by Revell and have them all in flight, so I guess it's really a moot point. I though for sure the original kit had gear. See how the mind palys tricks on you with facts after twenty years. LOL 

Millenia Models Int'l has a very nicely done aftermarket set for both the landing gear and cockpit.  I believe I read over at Starship Modeler that they were planning to re-mold the landing gear set sometime very soon so that fresh molds were available for MMI to get kits out to those retailers who market their kits. 

Bummer, you think that would almost be a given. Didn't the original kit have langing gear? 

btp2k2 wrote:

ikar01 wrote: Does that thing come with landing gear?   Nope...no legs

ikar01 wrote:

Does that thing come with landing gear?

Nope...no legs

btp2k2:

Sorry, I work weekends....3 12 hour shifts....so my modeling gets done during the week. I did stop on my way home yesterday and picked up some camo grey though....I am going to try and re shoot it on monday.

LOL! I'm sorry. I didn't mean right now, just when you get around to it. The new Viper is one I'm thinking about buying, so I get a vicarious thrill watching you build yours.

Honestly, you should probably just ignore everything I post. Half of it doesn't make any sense anyway...

btp2k2:

Here's the gunship grey.

Yup, that's MM Gunship Grey alright. It's actually a little darker than it looks in the picture.

Thanks for keeping us updated.

nope....no tricks, it's that dark.

Cosmic J wrote:

Yeah, btp2k2. Don't be shy. Quid pro quo.

Sorry, I work weekends....3 12 hour shifts....so my modeling gets done during the week. I did stop on my way home yesterday and picked up some camo grey though....I am going to try and re shoot it on monday.

I was a rattle canner, until I discovered the next best thing since sliced bread.....the dual action airbrush.

Here's the gunship grey.

 Yeah, btp2k2. Don't be shy. Quid pro quo.

I'm actually very interested in what steps you had to take to facillitate painting.

KTM innocently inquired:

Cosmic J, Where do you get all of those marvelous toys?

If I told you, that would make you an "Accessory After the Fact". Have you figured out where you may have seen this one before?

On a more serious note, I was under the impression that the guys who built those original studio models used white automotive primer right out of the can, and then just weathered the hell out of them w/ oil paints.

Every year at Wonderfest USA, some Hollywood guys bring their actual filming models to put on display, and let me tell you, they look a lot better on film than they do in person.

There's got to be some place we can look to find out. I'm new to this internet thing, anybody got any ideas?

How's this coming btp2k2? I use Rustoleum grey primer a lot. It's in a rattle can and for $5.00 you get a lot of paint. It dries hard and sands nicely, it also takes a clear coat really well, when adding decals. I know some people hate rattle cans, but I love em, especially for flat colors, or generic colors.

Cosmic J, Where do you get all of those marvelous toys? 

This is what Model Master Camouflage Grey looks like on a full model. You can see how it contrasts w/ the white in the skull insignias.

(Be kind, I painted this bad boy almost ten years ago.) Just to give you an idea what the paint looks like.

<Photo Removed>

Some of you may have seen this guy before...

Hey Cosmic J.....I think that camo grey is just about right.

Thanks....I'll have to pick some of that up on my way home tonight. That's the first time I have ever used gunship grey...it dries a lot darker than it appears in the bottle.