# R2 Deluxe Eagle Transporter build



## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

*R2 Deluxe Eagle Transporter build- FINISHED!*

Last year at WF I picked up R2's release of the stock Eagle with the new decals. I built the kit box stock. At this years WF I picked up the new Deluxe version of the same kit. This one however, will not be built stock as you will soon see. I had planned to do several mods to the kit to add detail and improve accuracy. Inspired by other builds I started working on this a few weeks ago.



First order of business was opening the cages. To do this I thinned the plastic from behind with my Dremel and the cut the thin flash out with an Xacto knife.









Next job was narrowing the spine. The center rungs are too long making the side rails stand up to straight. The sides should be angled inward more. I originally was going to shorten them but realized this would not work as they would angle down. I just cut them all off.


I cut ten new rungs about half an inch long. Using the pod as a spacer guide, I started gluing each new rung in place using CA. I started with a center rung and worked my way out to each end. After about half an hour I had a new, better looking sp

Next order of business was some new parts from Shapeways. These are 3D printed thruster rockets, 2 styles of sensors for the CM and baffles for the engine bells.









I installed one set of the sensors in the CM. I opened the areas with my Dremel and filed the new holes until the sensors dropped in place. These look much better than the kit areas.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Extreme close up!!!!!









Since I cant afford turned aluminum engine bells for this build, I used Spaztix chrome spray on the bells. Turned out very nice.









Next major mod was the engine assembly itself. I wanted it to be more detailed and complicated looking. There seems to be many different ways of detailing this area. Not being an Eagle expert I used other builds as a guide and came up with my own "style".

















Center tube trimmed flush.









I added solder and resistors to the bulbs for added detail.

















.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

And now after a coat of primer to tie it all together.

















Next major mod are the pods and landing gear. I modified the pods to lower them and move them toward the lab pod. I'm also constructing new struts and oleo's out of aluminum tubing. Still a long way to go on those.

























After more playing around, I cut the boxes off the bottoms of the pods. This will be more accurate in the long run.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Boxes on the bottom of the pods removed. Opening will be filled in with plastic card.









Booster mount modified to fit the narrowed spine.









Dremel bit used to thin the inside of the cages.


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

awesome !


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Looking really good so far, but I worry. Is that modified spine going to be strong enough? I would have been inclined to drill for wire and had that inside plastic tubing.


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## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

I think it will be strong enough.

Beautiful job. Admirable work on one of my very favorite sci-fi ships.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Oh yeah, the spine is plenty strong. you have to put some effort into it to twist it. I have no doubt it will hold up just fine. Here are some comparison pics I took last night of my stock Eagle. You can clearly see how much better the new build will look with the mods being done.

Here you can clearly see the difference narrowing the spine makes.









Comparison of the stock and modified engine areas.

















The difference between silver paint and the Spaztix chrome paint. Much nicer looking!!!









And just a couple shots of the Eagle...

























After starting the mods on the Deluxe kit, two details immediately pop up. Just how low the stock kit sits and the angle of the spine. Those two mods alone make a big difference in how the kit looks.


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

You're gonna make a very nice Eagle, keep up the good work. Soon I'll be doing the same kit so I'm learning from you. On my VIP Eagle I've built 11 years ago, I missed a couple of accurate details, especially the spine mod and the hight of the landing gears. That's why my stairs looked so small on my Eagle. Won't do the same mistakes this time. Again, nice work.
Steph


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Looks pretty good for an 11 year old model. I'm sure next one will be even better!


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Man your Eagle is looking great!

Your cages came out much better than mine. If I do this again I'm going with your method.

Those new sensors and the spine are outstanding! I'm going to have to rethink doing the spine on mine.
What listing are the sensor discs under on shapeways? They really show nicely.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Here you go.
https://www.shapeways.com/product/4...t-v2-extras?li=shop-results&optionId=42124953

And a higher quality version he just added.
https://www.shapeways.com/product/9...-extras-fxd?li=shop-results&optionId=57306174


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## petkusj (May 13, 2005)

Brilliant idea about the resistors. I'll have to start robbing the electronics bins for greeblies.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Not my idea, I robbed it from someone else too!


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

What a big difference these modifications are making! :thumbsup: 

The spine in this kit has always bothered me. Just narrowing it alone makes a big difference.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks! This kit needs a lot of work to look good, but it really is fun stuff. I'm having a blast with doing all the mods. This is what modeling is all about. I encourage anyone to start these mods if your building the Eagle. /


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

So, here are the mods made to the side pods. This was actually the first mod I did, hence why the cages are not cut out yet.
On the kit, the pods are centered on the sides of the cages. They should be offset toward the passenger pod in actuality. They also sit to high and should be dropped down a bit as well. 

To drop them I cut a mounting tab off. The bottom part of the pod has a thick tab. I cut this off and glued it in the top of the slot in the cage. Thus, when the pod is mounted the thin tab is going under it, lowering the pod down from where it would normally sit in the slot. 

















To move the pods closer to the passenger pod I marked off a section on each mounting tabs and cut it away. Be careful where you make the cuts so that you are moving all pods closer, and not further away, from the passenger pod. 

















It's a subtle modification, but does make a difference.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Got the cage inserts finished today. Made up some plasticard walls and detailed them with greeblies from the spares box. A lick of Tamiya Fine in a can sealed the deal.


















































And added some more pipework to the engines.


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## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

Nice work so far. You're more patient than I am.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Dr. Brad said:


> Nice work so far. You're more patient than I am.


No, I just didn't have the grand kids last weekend....:thumbsup:


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I never thought to make the inside outside the cages and slide them in. 
A nice bit of planning there. And looking very nice!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Mach7. It was a bit tedious but someone mentioned the size of the inserts being 1.5 inches long and 7/8 tall. I took those and went from there.


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

Dr. Brad said:


> Nice work so far. You're more patient than I am.


Well his patience will pay off at the end. You have no other choice to do all these mods if you want a nice Eagle. The MPC Eagle kit is so innacurate it hurts...... 
Well done Robiwon, Alan Carter is gonna be very happy with your Eagle...

Steph


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Steph! Modifying this kit is great fun! I've inspired a few on FB to do the same mods, like the spine. That's a nice feeling.

Slow going the last couple day while doing work around the house and real life stuff. I'm setting the ride height of the Eagle at 1 inch. Looks good to me at least. the ride height of the stock parts is half an inch! Talk about a lowrider!


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

I've just mesured the hight of the landing gears on my PE Eagle and they are 1.9cm. And yes indeed, if you built the MPC Eagle OOB, it is a low rider. That's how my VIP Eagle looks like and it's terrible. 
I've ordered the Shapeways sensors-main engine diffusers and RSC thrusters kit this week (man, they have so many nice things for sale on this site). When I'll start my 2 Eagles mods (might as well built everything in double), I'll just have to duplicate the main engine diffusers and modifiy one set on RSC thrusters. 

Keep on doing your nice Eagle.

Steph


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Cool, you will like the Shapeways parts. Make sure you start a build on your Eagles. I'll keep plugging away at mine...


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Some ideas for detailing on this site. Hmmm....
http://www.scifiairshow.com/ships-boneyard.html


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

So I have the ride height set at 1 inch. I'm liking that. Should be able to finish up the landing gear details today! I think this is the last major mod to be done. Next up should be paint and final assembly.


































And where all the magic happens...


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## Scifitodd (Jan 14, 2014)

You're awesome eagle is coming along very well! Outstanding work!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Todd!!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Hey thanks Todd, means a lot. Wait till I get my hands R2 kit!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Are you ready? Here is a new set of photos from this weekend detailing the landing gear assembly. In total there are 54 parts that make up the new landing gear, all hand cut, trimmed, and fitted. With this, all major mods are done on this kit. Next up will be paint and final assembly.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Braces being cut and fitted.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Here you can see the difference made in moving the pods closer to each other, more screen accurate. The narrowed spine is also very evident in this shot.










Final mock up of all major components. Next is paint, final assembly, and detailing.


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## whiskeyrat (May 7, 2012)

Excellent work, especially like the support braces under the pods. Never knew the pods were that much closer to the center of the ship...


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

robiwon that is some nice work!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the compliments, it keeps me going on this kit.

Yes, the pods on the MPC are centered on the cage. On the 44 inch filming minature they are offset to the rear on the front cage and off set to the front on the rear cage, moving all pods closer to each other. They are also lower than the MPC mounting points, which is one of the reasons the MPC kit looks so squat to the ground. 
Compare this pic to a stock build of the MPC kit. There's a big difference in how they sit. (random images pulled from Google image search)


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Damn you! Now you have me thinking I should shift my pods!

Just when I think I'm done with the mods, It pulls me back!

Ok. I'm better now.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Sorry buddy, LoL! 
It really is an easy mod to do. Cut the thick tab off the bottom of the pod. Glue that thick tab into the _top _of the slot on the cage. Now, the the thin tab on the pod will slide in under the thick tab, thus lowering the pod. Now to move it over, cut a small slice off the thin tab so it can slide toward the passenger pod. I just used the thickness of the Sharpie marker I had on hand, maybe 1/8 inch. I just eyeballed it really. Check my pics above. You may have to bend the tabs so the pods sit square to the cage because the tabs themselves aren't perfectly square. It sounds harder than it is.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

I modified this picture for you.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

robiwon said:


> Sorry buddy, LoL!
> It really is an easy mod to do. Cut the thick tab off the bottom of the pod. Glue that thick tab into the _top _of the slot on the cage. Now, the the thin tab on the pod will slide in under the thick tab, thus lowering the pod. Now to move it over, cut a small slice off the thin tab so it can slide toward the passenger pod. I just used the thickness of the Sharpie marker I had on hand, maybe 1/8 inch. I just eyeballed it really. Check my pics above. You may have to bend the tabs so the pods sit square to the cage because the tabs themselves aren't perfectly square. It sounds harder than it is.


Does that mod need re-enforcing? It strikes me that's not much plastic holding that landing gear pod in place.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Steve, the model itself, even with the new resin bits, is still pretty light. Even with my spindly landing gear the model feels quite solid. Those tabs were over engineered in my opinion. The only caution I will throw out there is the thin tab may need to be bent slightly to make the pod sit square to the cage. Your flexing a thin tab and don't want to snap it. You could make a whole new mounting tab for the pod to be safe, but all four of mine worked out just fine. Go slow and the mod works and will still be nice and solid. 
Cut thick tab and glue in top of slot. Trim bottom tab. Test fit, file/ sand/ test fit. Bend bottom tab if necessary. Repeat until it all fits.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

robiwon said:


> Steve, the model itself, even with the new resin bits, is still pretty light. Even with my spindly landing gear the model feels quite solid. Those tabs were over engineered in my opinion. The only caution I will throw out there is the thin tab may need to be bent slightly to make the pod sit square to the cage. Your flexing a thin tab and don't want to snap it. You could make a whole new mounting tab for the pod to be safe, but all four of mine worked out just fine. Go slow and the mod works and will still be nice and solid.
> Cut thick tab and glue in top of slot. Trim bottom tab. Test fit, file/ sand/ test fit. Bend bottom tab if necessary. Repeat until it all fits.


I imagine the tabs were indeed over engineered, for that, combined with the overly short landing gear stance, would allow for anticipated multiple 'crash landings'. 

But what's funny as I think of it, with the obvious exception of prop replicas and the (please please these need to be re-issued)P. E. Eagles, I'd say EVERY iteration comes up short in the landing gear height issue.

Isn't that funny? I would guess it was for the sake of a sturdy product but with the notable exception of the old, horrid IMAI kit from Japan, I never really noticed or even thought about it! (that IMAI kit. *brrrrr*)


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

robiwon said:


> Thanks guys, I really appreciate the compliments, it keeps me going on this kit.
> 
> Yes, the pods on the MPC are centered on the cage. On the 44 inch filming minature they are offset to the rear on the front cage and off set to the front on the rear cage, moving all pods closer to each other. They are also lower than the MPC mounting points, which is one of the reasons the MPC kit looks so squat to the ground.
> Compare this pic to a stock build of the MPC kit. There's a big difference in how they sit. (random images pulled from Google image search)


I would say another reason the MPC kit looks so squat, is due to the pod being 'thicker'.
I believe that its thicker, because they changed the angles of the upper slopping sides, to allow for fewer parts and being able to pull them from the mold.
The side walls actually seem to be of the right proportions, but are lowered due to the angle change.

That plus how short the landing gear struts are.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

I think the squat look is due to what robiwon said, the support tabs being in the wrong place. In addition the landing gear is a bit short. The shoulder pods are slightly longer(from front to rear) by a couple of millimeters but otherwise all the angles and sizes of the sides look to be somewhat close to the studio model. I've compared it to Daniel Prud' Homme's blueprints and the angles look about right.


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

I believe the shoulder pods on the MPC are also more "squat" than they should be.


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

crowe-t said:


> I think the squat look is due to what robiwon said, the support tabs being in the wrong place. In addition the landing gear is a bit short. The shoulder pods are slightly longer(from front to rear) by a couple of millimeters but otherwise all the angles and sizes of the sides look to be somewhat close to the studio model. I've compared it to Daniel Prud' Homme's blueprints and the angles look about right.


The angles look right?
The sloping angles on the upper part of the pod is one of the most glaring errors of the kit.
On the kit, they are about a 45 degree angle when looking front to back.
In reality, they should be closer to about a 15 to 20 degree slope.

To mold this correctly, would have required a higher parts count, than the three that they got away with.

This higher angle, made the pod narrower and taller than it is represented on the miniature.

If you have any angle measuring device, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Also, if you have the Deluxe Eagle with the Lab Pod, compare those two pods. The Lab pod is simply a modified version of the standard pod, and the kit version has the correct angles.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

I was referring to the shoulder pods, not the passenger pods's angles. I compared the angles of the shoulder pods during my Eagle build to the blueprints and they are close.


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

robiwon said:


> Cool, you will like the Shapeways parts. Make sure you start a build on your Eagles. I'll keep plugging away at mine...


Still didn't receive them but the're coming. BTW, with the tracking number included with the purchase, do we have to sign for the little package or they just drop them in our mail box? Just wondering...

So did you have time to work on your EAgle lately?

Steph


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

They come in a small box. I've never had to sign for one. Probably wont fit in a regular mailbox. I have all packages sent to me at work. I had some MR lightsaber display cases stolen off my front porch years ago, so I send packages to work. 

I've had my grand kids all week. I hope to throw some paint this weekend and start building!


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

Thanks for the info. Same here, I don"t like to leave stuff on my front porch too long....

BTW, what type of glue did you use with the Shapeways parts? The're made with a type material that I'm not familiar with. I don't know if you did mention it before but did you applied a primer them before painting them?

Thanks for your help...

Steph


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

I haven't actually painted any of them yet. They do need to be washed like a resin part to get rid of a waxy coating.


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

So I guess CA glue would work, same as resin parts.

Steph


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I've had good luck using CA glue on the shapeways stuff. Epoxy should work well also, though I haven't tried it.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Yes, CA or epoxy should work just fine. Throwing paint today, sunshine and high 80's today. Perfect for painting.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Any progress? How did the paint come out?


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

I got everything shot in Tamiya Fine Primer, but ran out! I used a different primer to finish. Problem then was I had two different shades of primer. Under a white color coat I was afraid I would get two hues of white. So, I shot everything with Tamiya white primer to even everything out. 









I had to do a little extra putty work on the nose.









The VTOL got primered, shot in gloss black, and then got a few coats of the Spaztix chrome. 

































And now, everything in Tamiya White Primer. I discovered I had Tamiya Pure White gloss. That will go on next in preparation for decals. I'll then cover everything in Dull coat.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

That's looking real nice! Kind of like Alan's eagle shop on Alpha.

BTW I was watching "Breakaway" last night and the eagles don't have the engine
bell inserts in them. Did they show up in the 2nd season?


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Unknown, I'm not an Eagle expert. I'm putting mine in though, even though I'm not a fan of them.


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## BWolfe (Sep 24, 2013)

mach7 said:


> That's looking real nice! Kind of like Alan's eagle shop on Alpha.
> 
> BTW I was watching "Breakaway" last night and the eagles don't have the engine
> bell inserts in them. Did they show up in the 2nd season?


The inserts were only in the 44 inch Eagles, for some reason they used the 22 inch Eagle models quite a bit in "Breakaway". In the scenes where they did use the 44 inch models, there were no rear views. The first episode where you get a glimpse of the inserts is a couple of long shots in "Another Time, Another Place" and they are very obvious in a scene right before the opening credits in "Missing Link" after the Eagle crashes.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Thanks BWolfe!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks for the info.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

BWolfe said:


> The inserts were only in the 44 inch Eagles, for some reason they used the 22 inch Eagle models quite a bit in "Breakaway". In the scenes where they did use the 44 inch models, there were no rear views. The first episode where you get a glimpse of the inserts is a couple of long shots in "Another Time, Another Place" and they are very obvious in a scene right before the opening credits in "Missing Link" after the Eagle crashes.


I'm not an expert either, but were I to guess, it may be that the 22" Eagle (Eagles) were easier to 'fly' on wires, whereas that hulking large 44" model may, MAY have been mainly used for 'static' shots mounted on a pipe stand, or sitting on the ground.

I'm probably wrong about the 44" Eagle. I think that supposition about the 22" Eagle is logical. I know when they were making Thunderbirds they flew that beast of a Thunderbird 2, with the poor tech assigned to the task teetering on a VERY narrow and small board hanging over the set of the day, but as large as it was, TB2 was balsa wood and cardboard and such, whereas the 44" Eagle was made of much more substantial materials. 

And on the gripping hand, they did cheat some with the effects, using the 2001 trick of high resolution photographs of models 'moved' on an animation stand, so...


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

mach7 said:


> That's looking real nice! Kind of like Alan's eagle shop on Alpha.
> 
> BTW I was watching "Breakaway" last night and the eagles don't have the engine
> bell inserts in them. Did they show up in the 2nd season?


I'm currently watching the entire show. Yesterday's, I've watched episode 23, ''Dragon's Domain''. The entire series is full of mistakes and errors. In today's standards, it would be qualified as amateur TV series. There's so much differences between the Eagles miniatures and the acting sets. So we just need to pick one and it will be fine. I guess that the miniatures crew were not talking with the sets crew. 

I've started working on my Eagles this week. I've decided to built 2 at the same time. I've modified all 8 landing gear supports and currently working on the cages. Still a long way to go. 

Any progress on your side?

Steph


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## Scifitodd (Jan 14, 2014)

f1steph said:


> I'm currently watching the entire show. Yesterday's, I've watched episode 23, ''Dragon's Domain''. The entire series is full of mistakes and errors. In today's standards, it would be qualified as amateur TV series. There's so much differences between the Eagles miniatures and the acting sets. So we just need to pick one and it will be fine. I guess that the miniatures crew were not talking with the sets crew.
> 
> I've started working on my Eagles this week. I've decided to built 2 at the same time. I've modified all 8 landing gear supports and currently working on the cages. Still a long way to go.
> 
> ...


I would love to see your build posted in our group! 





https://www.facebook.com/groups/space1999propsandships/


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## The_Engineer (Dec 8, 2012)

f1steph said:


> ...There's so much differences between the Eagles miniatures and the acting sets. I guess that the miniatures crew were not talking with the sets crew. ...
> Steph


I've been saying that for a few years now! :wave:


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Sorry for the lack of updates. I lost the little USB plug for my wireless mouse for my laptop. So loading pictures is a pain in the rear having to use the little finger pad. I'll buy a new mouse this weekend and get updated pics up. I am closing in on the end of this build. 

You can however follow the build on the Space 1999 Props and Ships FB page also. There's a link in all of Todd's posts.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Sorry guys, didn't get any time to work on the Eagle this weekend. So close to being finished! I did manage to snap a few pics of some of the resin bits though. Here is another mock up of the Eagle with all the Resin bits in place. The Lab pod and Booster assembly parts fit like a glove. These Resin parts actually had a better finish and required less clean up than the plastic parts!
What a great way to update an old kit without spending a ton of dough on new steel molds. Resin is such a versatile medium. 

Mock up of the Deluxe Eagle with Resin Lab Pod and Resin Booster.









Close up of the Resin Booster. These parts fit better than the plastic kit parts. Proof that a good quality resin part can rival or surpass plastic at times.


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## Scifitodd (Jan 14, 2014)

robiwon said:


> Sorry guys, didn't get any time to work on the Eagle this weekend. So close to being finished! I did manage to snap a few pics of some of the resin bits though. Here is another mock up of the Eagle with all the Resin bits in place. The Lab pod and Booster assembly parts fit like a glove. These Resin parts actually had a better finish and required less clean up than the plastic parts!
> What a great way to update an old kit without spending a ton of dough on new steel molds. Resin is such a versatile medium.
> 
> Mock up of the Deluxe Eagle with Resin Lab Pod and Resin Booster.
> ...


That's pretty damn nice work Robert! Compare it to JS's and you sir are a professional! Great work!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Todd! I have since added the rest of the decals to the Booster and gave it a light weathering. I'll post an updated pic tonight to see how my finished Booster compares to Jim's! I like how our oranges and greys are almost identical. I mixed mine from scratch!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

How's this Todd, some weathering done.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

The weathering looks great!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Here she is, all finished and sitting pretty in the photo studio. A list of mods made to the basic kit.
Cages opened up. Cage interiors scratched. Sensors in CM replaced with 3D parts. Spine narrowed at top. Engine area plumbed. Landing gear scratched built. Gear pods moved down and toward lab pod. Engine bells have 3D printed baffles.


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## Scifitodd (Jan 14, 2014)

robiwon said:


> Here she is, all finished and sitting pretty in the photo studio. A list of mods made to the basic kit.
> Cages opened up. Cage interiors scratched. Sensors in CM replaced with 3D parts. Spine narrowed at top. Engine area plumbed. Landing gear scratched built. Gear pods moved down and toward lab pod. Engine bells have 3D printed baffles.


BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, SPECTACULAR, FANTASTIC! One of the best I've seen!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)




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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Todd!!!!


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

WOW! 

Easily one of the best builds of the MPC kit I've seen. Bravo!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks spock62! Surprisingly this build took just over a month to complete, even with all the mods I made.


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

Scifitodd said:


> I would love to see your build posted in our group!
> 
> Well maybe when I'll have more stuff to show. Right now, I'm still working on the cages. It takes lots of time to make them look right. I'm almost done with my last cage out of 8 (for 2 Eagles). But it wil be a very slow project. In fact, I'm planning to built 2 Eagles with all the different types of pod. If I'm still pumped up , a dio is not out of the question, I've got several ideas on that too. And maybe, just maybe, fixing the errors I've made on my VIP Eagle. So I'll be on the S:99 subject for several months, maybe a year.
> 
> ...


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

robiwon said:


> Some ideas for detailing on this site. Hmmm....
> http://www.scifiairshow.com/ships-boneyard.html


Yeah, I know that site for several years now. They make outstanding CGI stuff, very hard to see they're fake. Most of their pictures went on my computer desktop. 

Steph


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Actually, the spine has two plates glued to its bottom. Each plate has hole in the middle. The lab pod is screwed to these plates.


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

I didn't look at the instruction sheets yet so I didn't know that. So they used the same way as the real 44'' Eagles, the transport pod was attached to the Eagle the same way. Don't know if I'll be using that on my Eagle Laboratory, will see when I'll be at that point. 

Steph


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Beautiful job robiwon!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks guys. And yeah, you could just glue the pod on. You actually get both pods here, the lab and the passenger pod. I don't think the standard passenger pod clip would hold the heavier resin lab pod though.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Fantastic build! I love the Eagle and you certainly built something to be proud of there! :thumbsup:


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

That is one nice Eagle! 
Great job. And thanks for all the ideas/tips.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks guys. Its been a fun build. Even though the base kit is, let's be honest, crappy, with the addition of Jim Small's resin parts and a bit of elbow grease you can build a nice looking Eagle. Kudos to R2 and Jim for this kit.
Mach7 can't wait to see your awesome build done. I'm honored that you thought enough of my build to copy some of it!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Here is a shot of the Eagle on its new display base. More pics to come or check me out on FB.


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Excellent!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Here are some more pics of the base I made. Just a simple wooden plaque. Painted black around the edge and the top painted red with paneling done with tape and pastel powder. The "rocket exhaust" is made from stuffing for couch pillows. It's a lot more billowy than using cotton balls. A little dark grey spray paint on the edges was all that was needed. The ship rests on four clear acrylic rods that are inserted into drilled holes in the base. The stuffing and the ship are white glued to the four rods.


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

Really looks cool on the base - you did a great job on this build!!
Steve


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## BWolfe (Sep 24, 2013)

Really impressive!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks guys!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Well, I'm really irritated right now. For the last several weeks Ive noticed my Eagle, in my office, slowly turning yellow! The dull coat, Testors, that I used must have been bad or old or something.

Now I have to decide what to do with it. Do I strip it? Just repaint over it? Leave it as is and just accept it. Junk it and build another? Sell it?


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Oh man, that sucks!

It doesn't help now, but I always try to use Tamiya for top coats now.

If it were me I would resist stripping/repainting. That is a can of worms, if it were me I would end up breaking many things.

Can you try light bleaching it? Place it in direct sunlight for a few hours a day and rotate it often? It might bleach the decals also. Obviously don't let it get hot.

If worst came to worst, you can always build a new one. With what you know now it would go faster. Its a fun kit to build. I'm building one OOTB now just to compare it to my modified one.

DON"T JUNK IT! Send it to me, I would love to have it! A little yellowing is not bad. I will just say it is taking of from a world with an orange sun.

Mark


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

I'll try the sunlight trick, see if that helps. Using the Testors was my mistake, I should have known better but did not have any Tamiya on hand. I have pretty much sworn off of Testors paint and use Tamiya or automotive type paints exclussively.

It's frustrating after putting so much work into it to have it do this!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Yeah, mine look great sitting in my office next to each other.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

So.......

Your not going to send it to me? :-(


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

No.....:wave:


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## f1steph (Jan 9, 2003)

That's the problem with enamel paint, you've got to spray an acylic clear coat on top to avoid getting that problem, especially with white. That's why I use acrylic paint. I've been using these days the Villajo paint instead of Tamiya. It cost less for the $$$ compared to Tamiya. But Tamiya have really a good product, no question about that. 

You could always hand paint with the Tamiya mat and do a grey dry brush weathering to make that Eagle more dirty, more real. The Moon surface dust is supposely very sticky and smelly (smells like old eggs). It's impossible that a bunch of Eagles operating on the Moon could stay in an immaculate white. Just look at any moonwalk photos and look at their spacesuits. They are super dirty.

Steph


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Yes, I'm bumping an old thread, at least it's mine!

Even though I don't have any of Mike Reader's aluminum parts on my Eagle, he saw mine at WonderFest yesterday and wanted pictures of it. I was able to grab a picture of him holding it as well. Very nice guy, his wife too!!


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Nice!

Did the yellowing stabilize?


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Nope, in my eye, still looks bad, it hasn't gotten any worse. Mike suggested I move forward and really weather it, so that the yellowing blends in. I'm considering taking it apart repainting and decaling it.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Again, you could just send it to me!

I like Mikes idea of weathering it to blend the yellowing. 
Good idea I think.


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

f1steph said:


> That's the problem with enamel paint, you've got to spray an acylic clear coat on top to avoid getting that problem, especially with white. That's why I use acrylic paint. I've been using these days the Villajo paint instead of Tamiya. It cost less for the $$$ compared to Tamiya. But Tamiya have really a good product, no question about that.
> 
> You could always hand paint with the Tamiya mat and do a grey dry brush weathering to make that Eagle more dirty, more real. The Moon surface dust is supposely very sticky and smelly (smells like old eggs). It's impossible that a bunch of Eagles operating on the Moon could stay in an immaculate white. Just look at any moonwalk photos and look at their spacesuits. They are super dirty.
> 
> Steph


Gene Cernan said it smelled like gunpowder.


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