# Will the retooled Moonbase Alpha have any Aftermarket parts available?



## RB (Jul 29, 1998)

I'm really looking forward to the new reissue, it'll be much better, but those buildings still cry out for some kind of help...maybe photoetch replacement detail? Anyone know if there is anything in the works?


----------



## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

I looked into doing PE, but there's really not enough that would benefit from it so far as I could tell from the test shot at Wonderfest. Had Main Mission been 1 step up in scale I think I could have done wonders with the computer banks.


----------



## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Paulbo said:


> I looked into doing PE, but there's really not enough that would benefit from it so far as I could tell from the test shot at Wonderfest. Had Main Mission been 1 step up in scale I think I could have done wonders with the computer banks.


I was going to say, if anything in that kit would benefit from a PE set it would be Main Mission.

It's been decades but I seem to recall the kit has an incorrect staircase up to the observation level and not nearly enough chairs. I won't address the curiosity that the room really doesn't 'fit' with ANY of the observed buildings at Alpha.


----------



## Marco Scheloske (May 16, 2000)

Steve H said:


> I won't address the curiosity that the room really doesn't 'fit' with ANY of the observed buildings at Alpha.


But it does:


----------



## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Well, THAT is very nice and quite imaginative! Of course it does rather ignore the windows in the upper gallery, and I thought I recalled there was a door up there as well (usually forgotten by the show as well)

And that's the other thing I forgot, Kano's rotating desk.


----------



## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Kano's desk does not show up until half way thru the 1st season.


----------



## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

mach7 said:


> Kano's desk does not show up until half way thru the 1st season.


But also, the kit represents the floor plan from later in the series.

The short stairs on two sides of the perimeter, actually went along the outer wall as well.
Then (I forget when) they took that side of the raised level out and lowered the windows back to the appropriate 'human' level.

http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blogspot.com/2013_12_22_archive.html

It is a great dio.
Is it yours Marco?

There are some CG guys who did a hyper accurate model of main mission and fit it into the tower and made it completely believable with a minimal and believable amount of adjustment to the exterior.


----------



## Marco Scheloske (May 16, 2000)

Unfortunately it is not my model, but I will build such a version for myself when the new version of the moonbase kit is released by R2.

The diorama shown here is made by a french fellow. Here is the link to his site: http://olcabour.hangar.blog.free.fr/index.php?category/Space-1999/Main-mission


----------



## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

ClubTepes said:


> But also, the kit represents the floor plan from later in the series.
> 
> The short stairs on two sides of the perimeter, actually went along the outer wall as well.
> Then (I forget when) they took that side of the raised level out and lowered the windows back to the appropriate 'human' level.
> ...


The whole question resides in having windows both on the 'floor' level AND the upper gallery. A re-design that allows for that is the key.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to break out the DVDs, that Main Misson changed layout all over the place. I seem to recall Paul's desk having two sub-stations, one on either side, making a wider base for the 'U'.

And then it all went into the dust bin and Year 2's low budget Command Center was built.


----------



## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Good eye ClubTepes,

I had not noticed that it is late 1st season floorplan.

I believe I read in Destination Moonbase Alpha that they had to collapse most of the standing sets to assemble Main Mission when they had to film scenes there because it was so big.
That could explain the many changes throughout the 1st season.


----------



## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

What a coincidence, I'm re-watching S:99 right now for the 100th time... well maybe not that much.
Space Opera Society are working on a 60 minutes Space 1999 fan film . It probably won't be viewed by the fans because of the rights. Anyhow, here's a 9 minutes video about the CGI version of Moonbase Alpha there're working on. Main Mission isn't covering the entire building, it's just an extension located on top of the building. That would also explain the mezzanine windows. They are doing a very detailed CGI job, just hope the film will be viewed by us the S:99 fans... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVlPG-KQEOw

Steph


----------



## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

Ok, back to the topic at hand.

I just picked up my Moonbase (probably the 5th I've purchased in my life).

Here is what I would like to see in the way of aftermarket parts.

1.) Vinyl masks.
I see two opportunities here for vinyl masks.

First, would be to produce silhouette masks of the buildings to apply to the base to allow the modeler to paint the base first and then peel the masks leaving clean plastic to glue the buildings to.

Second, would be masks for in the main mission.
The kit comes in nice clean white plastic. The lighted panels on the show were milky white plexi. This is one of the few occasions I might leave plastic unpainted. Also, like the milky plexi, if you put lights behind the white styrene of the kit, light will glow thru just like on the show.

2.). Replacement parts.

How about a landing pad with an elevator that is lowered?

Those are what makes the most sense to me at least.


----------



## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

ClubTepes said:


> Ok, back to the topic at hand.
> 
> I just picked up my Moonbase (probably the 5th I've purchased in my life).
> 
> ...



Masks for the launch pads? Masks for the buildings for shading?

Replacement walls in clear for lighting purposes? For that matter, a lighting kit?

templates for drilling the buildings for fiber optics? Even tho that would be really really out of scale. (actually, given the scale of the kit, I don't think you could even SEE the windows)

PE clipboards and other 'desk stuff'? 

ooh. Doesn't Koenig's office need one of those commstands?


----------



## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

Steve H said:


> Masks for the launch pads? Masks for the buildings for shading?
> 
> Replacement walls in clear for lighting purposes? For that matter, a lighting kit?
> 
> ...


Well, as I pointed out, the kit plastic is a nice clean white.
I don't see the point of clear walls for lighting, as you'd have to 'milk' them over anyway to produce the proper lighting effect.
The kit plastic is plenty translucent already.

Yes, fiber optics would be WAY out of scale.
I would again, simply suggest using the kit plastic to get what you want.
On both Death Star models, the thousands of points of light were not achieved with fiber optics, but by simply taking a #80 drill bit and giving it just a couple of twists (just enough to penetrate the paint layer) letting the light shine through the plastic.

A single omni-directional led in each building (ok, two or three for the bigger ones) is enough light up any amount of windows that one might want to put in each one. 

In fact, a #80 drill bit might also be too large - perhaps simply a needle to penetrate the paint.

I was only mentioning the most basic/profitable (as I saw it) ideas.

I personally would like to see a replacement front wall to allow for the third raised platform I was talking about. (the front wall would be mirrored on each side at the foot rise level).

How about that replacement wall, opening up the two entrances and then a hallway piece?

How about a complete office for the commander?

Correct upper windows?

The list could go on and on.


----------



## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

I built one, almost 10 years ago with LED's, moon surface (first time using Plaster of Paris.... that was a crazy experience!!!), lowered Eagle platforms.. If I would built another one, I wouldn't use High Density LED's like this one, there's too bright. On the pics, the LED's are at max. 

https://plus.google.com/photos/101014169512489939839/albums/5156108835878481937

Steph


----------

