General ROCKETs Viper Mk11

[general rocket]

Since nobody has as yet seen fit to bring out a kit of "War Rocket Ajax" from Flash Gordon, (the one with the music by Queen, I won't mention the "lead actor" Sam J Jones) I have decided to jump in with the Revell version of the Viper Mk.11 from the original Battlestar Galactica . No pictures as yet, as I have only just bought it and not yet opened the box, so I could be in for a nasty surprise.
The choice was a fairly easy one, as I have no other sci-fi kits in my stash at the moment, and there is naff all else any of my usual model shops.

[AndrewR]

Just watched both of those with my eldest son

I'd forgotten how much Brian Blessed was overacting
in Flash Gordon. Excellent!

[general rocket]

It's on virtually every other week over here.
No one can over act like Brian Blessed. Sorry, Jack Nicholson as the Joker!

[Chris]

Excellent choice, BSG had good ships even if that show was so-so.

[Stuart]

War rocket ajax would be any easy SB - you only need a washing up liquid bottle and some bits to stick on it - or at least thats what it looked like in the film

The Viper will be cool - I loved BSG.

[MarkyM607]

This is the white Viper not the grey one? (Mk.VII I think). I built this a year or so back and it was a good kit with a nice resin pilot. The rear fuselage/wings connection was tricky but it was only due to parts breakdown rather than quality etc. Should be fine although the decals need some help to conform to the various and changing contours of the fuselage.

[general rocket]

And so it begins.

Good box art, that will prove very useful during the build. As is the instruction leaflet, clear and well thought out.


First impressions are of a finely molded, well thought out model with a small amount of flash on the components, that will be no inconvenience, the sprue with the figure on has rather more, but nothing that will prove problematic.
So now I'm off to trawl the web for reference material.

[Molly-new]

So now I'm off to trawl the web for reference material.

There is a very good feature in issue 13 of Airfix Model World magazine where they built the Moebius version of this.

[philp]

So now I'm off to trawl the web for reference material.

There is a very good feature in issue 13 of Airfix Model World magazine where they built the Moebius version of this.

They are the same kit.

[Chris]

Isn't the Moebius kit from the reboot BSG?

I have one and its not from the 1970s version.

[philp]

Moebius make 3 Vipers, the Mk 2 and Mk 7 from the new series and the Mk 1 from the original all in 1/32nd scale.

Monogram/Revell made the older Viper which was rereleased a few years ago with cockpit.

[general rocket]

Revell also do the MK.VII. Also high on the to get list.

[shangos70]

I have one of these, looking forward to seeing how you get on. I have the Airfix World mag with the build in to help me along when I finally get round to it.

[Dirkpitt289]

I've got three Mk II's one Mk VII and one Mk1. All are from Moebius and fantastic.

[general rocket]

Progress report, such as it is.

The front undercarriage leg. The bend in the one side was no problem, as when pulled together they glued together quite nicely.

The inside of the legs where painted with modelcolor "Natural Steel" to give depth as the outside is in Airfix Steel (due to a slight blast up) as a base, but will be dry brushed with Metalcote Aluminium, in line with the original.

The cockpit as it stands at the moment, decals are provided for the interior instruments and switches, though I may paint them instead. Or both?

The wings have been glued together and tidied up, and along with the body halves and base, intakes and exhaust nozzles have all received a coat of Citadel "Chaos Black" as an undercoat.
Next (as you've probably guessed) will come a coat of Matt White.