# Moon Bus WIP



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Funny with all the buzz about the Moon Bus; no one has started one yet.

The kit is nicely molded in white plastic. The original Aurora kit should have been cast in very light grey and "hospital green" although dark grey and green issues are not uncommon. There is a little flash on some of the parts, but nothing unusual or problematic. The sprues are bagged up well in the large, sturdy box. The clear window sprue is bagged by itself, which is a nice touch. The original Aurora model featured large, curved windscreens that fair in nicely with the nose of the Moon Bus. Sadly, these were not on the actual movie prop. The Moebius kit features the original incorrect clear parts, and also has new vertical, flat, windows that go just ahead of the two pilot figures.

The model's instructions are based on the original Aurora ones, at least as far as the illustrations go. The written 2001 and Moon Bus history have been removed. Actually nowhere on the box does it say 2001 at all. Oddly in several places, the paint call outs are missing from the instructions. Not that the original painting guide was particularly accurate, but its odd that the colors are gone here and there.

Despite the instructions saying you should add the floor to the "chassis" before you add the ship's sides, you can, in fact, add the interior AFTER the main body parts are assembled. This will make assembly and painting both a lot easier. The fit of the sides, back, chassis, etc are generally very very good. I used a little filler around the bottom seam, especially where it comes up the sides under the nose. The seam here is not bad, and most people will not have a problem either leaving it "as is" or puttying it over. 

I glued the sides to the chassis using liquid glue, and starting in the middle of each side. That way I could work forward and backwards, fixing a couple inches at a time. Be careful at the back, as it is easy to push the side down a bit low. Test fitting with the rear panel takes care of this potential problem. 










The roof, nose, rear, etc. all fit very well. My photos show the parts just sitting together. The only parts actually glued here are the two sides, and the chassis. Everything else, inside and out, is just snapped together.




























You will find the three floor supports that glue to the chassis, while angled to touch and help support the sides, are actually too short to reach all the way across the model by about 1mm on each side. This did not present any particular problem, though.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Now, for some actual work...

For some strange reason, two blocks were added to the nose insert (see red arrows). I am pretty sure they are not on the original Aurora kit. I suppose they are to help fit the original, incorrect style windows, although they are not necessary to do so. I will cut these away.











I was not happy with the molding on the top of the two side bay pieces. There is a thin, raised edge along the center, with some thin raised ridges extending back over the top of the bay slightly. The molding here, right where the sprue joins the parts, is very rough. of the two bays, one was not bad and could be used as-is, but the other was just too irregular and ragged. I sanded both parts smooth on top, removing all the rough detail. It will be easy to add this back with stretched sprue or thin Evergreen plastic strip. The detail itself, while accurate to the Aurora model, is not really accurate to the filming miniature, anyway. 










One of the little astronaut figures... they are well done and you get a spare seated passenger figure. The original kit had five while the new kit has six (nine total figures).










The floor, bulk heads, etc. snap into place very well. Fit is excellent. You can test fit everything, take it apart, paint it, and then glue it back. Molding is not so nice though, as there are many visible mold pin marks. You can see two big ones on the bulkhead at the top. I think each bulkhead has six of these to putty and sand out.










The roof, which has been reengineered to fit better (it does!!) has a TON of nasty mold marks. One is even right in the middle of one of the roof lights! More putty and sanding required!! Be sure to remove the molded part number also, while you are at it.










When the original Aurora kit was designed, injection molding was much more primitive and ejector pin marks were the norm. Nowdays, they can be eliminated by having the mold ejector pins push into tabs molded around the parts, rather than having them mar the part itself.


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## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

Thanks for posting this! I'm looking forward to getting one of these!


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## hedorah59 (Nov 24, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time and effort to post this, David - I really appreciate it! :thumbsup: I just picked up my Moonbus at my LHS, though I doubt I will get around to starting it until later this year at the earliest


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Good to see one underway. It might be awhile before I can get one.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

a word of warning, plastic safe CA accellerators like Zip Kicker for Zap glues... MELTS the kit plastic big time.


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## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

djnick66 said:


> a word of warning, plastic safe CA accellerators like Zip Kicker for Zap glues... MELTS the kit plastic big time.


I've frequentley used the Zap Foam Safe Kicker (purple label) and have not noticed a problem. Hmm... I'll have to take note of where I use it to see if I notice meltage. Maybe since I'm doing figure models the effect is not as noticible as it would be on vehicle kits with higher detail and definition.


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## Moonman27 (Aug 26, 2008)

Thanks for posting this DJ,I Just got mine the other day,and never had it back in the day. Is the interior really supposed to be green? I always thought the Moon Bus was a bit bigger than it is,but I have never seen a built-up in person. The box was only 2" deep,I was expecting a bigger box for some reason. I will be watching your progress on this. I was looking at the parts and removing them from the sprue last night,and STILL don't know what those side bay things are! They look like doors to me. I was also toying with the idea of a diorama for the MB,with a lunar landing pad or something. The way the instructions refer to the landing gear as walkers/crawlers it makes me wonder if they can roll like a tank once landed. Do you know?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The "bays" I think have something to do with thruster rockets sort of like the rocket clusters on the side of the Apollo LEM, although no thrusters are in the kit. They really shouldnt be hollow either.

The original description of the Moon Bus might have indicated that it crawled or walked. I don't know/remember.

I was thinking of making a landing pad as in the movie. I happened to DVR a copy when it played on Turner Classic Movies a couple weeks ago, but you can find the Moon Bus scene on Youtube.


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

Thanks for posting this. I was going to pass on the kit, being mainly a figure guy, but its just too cool. I may just have to get one a bit later down the road.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Well it takes some time to build all the kit's figures. There are two pilots, five seated astronauts, and one walking figure. Actually you get a spare/unnecessary seated figure, as pointed out in the instructions. I assume this is because the kit sprues are arranged differently than the original model and you get three identical sprues of parts that contain one each of the landing gear units, and two seats and figures.










If you look closely, I repositioned the figure sitting next to the empty seat by reworking his head, right arm, and right hand. I may adjust a couple other figures to break up the monotony of five identical poses.










The two pilots are unique scultings.










The landing gear take some time to assemble. The parts fit very well, although care is needed to remove all the mold lines and seams, especially on the three foot pads.



















If you do not glue the top of the assembly to the bottom, you can paint it in two parts.










The cargo lockers/racks do not fit well together, and you need to putty and sand the backs. On one side the parts fit is staggered, so some trimming and cutting is needed to make the back match the front. I don't know if the original kit was this way, or if its a flaw no one noticed in test building the kit.


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## Tim H. (Jun 23, 2009)

Get mine on Tuesday, thanks for the WIP.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*I received my two moonbuses yesterday....Now, I have an original unbuilt mib 1969 issue that I compared it to...whether it be the kind or color of the plastic that moebius used, I cannot say just yet, but it looks as if the moebius kit looks "softer" that the original issue..I do , however need to compare the details on the figures yet to see if they are as "sharp" as the original kit...either way, its great to have these again..even though I had the MIB one and one I built out of the box..I just couldn't pass these up...I'm too addicted:thumbsup:

Z


*


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I miss the green plastic.


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## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

Me, too.


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## JohnGuard (Jan 13, 2008)

where can i find an alternate source for painting the moon bus than the instructions???


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Senor Charletta put together a great set of screen caps from the BluRay - the moon bus captures start here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/charletta/sets/72157604934008774/?page=4


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## JohnGuard (Jan 13, 2008)

thanks for the pics!
anybody know the original color of the Aurora model?
what color would you paint the outer hull?


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## spindrift (Apr 16, 2005)

Thanks Frank and co. for even doing this kit. We just need to appreciate what he is doing for us all and also BUY the kit! Support the company to ensure more to come...!
Gary


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

spindrift said:


> Thanks Frank and co. for even doing this kit. We just need to appreciate what he is doing for us all and also BUY the kit! Support the company to ensure more to come...!
> Gary


Just got an email from Steve that mine shipped.....:woohoo:


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## newtype (Mar 18, 2010)

Mine on it's way too. Are there any light kits out yet?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

There is a huge thread on the Science Fiction Modelling forum about the Moon Bus...

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=119101

The ship only appears in the movie for a minute or two. The interior shots are very distorted color wise because of the colored lights and filters used. The cockpit for example was filmed under a red light. From what I can tell the interior was in light, neutral/natural tones. 

The kit provides MOST of the original Aurora color call outs. Oddly some are removed from the instructions, leaving big blank areas. I assume when Aurora says to paint parts of the interior green, they mean a shade close to the green plastic used for some of the parts. The original kit was molded in very light grey and a pale, hospital green, similar to the Aurora Spindrift interior.

Lighting the model will be tricky because, while the top is removable, the interior/floor is not and there is no place to easily hide batteries and wiring. Plus the overhead lights are all molded into the thin roof. It would be better to make a light-up model and forego the visible interior, and just shoot for what is visible through the windows.

The Moon Bus itself seems to be overall white or very very light grey, with metal colored thruster nozzles and some black trim here and there.


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

Zathros said:


> *I received my two moonbuses yesterday....Now, I have an original unbuilt mib 1969 issue that I compared it to...whether it be the kind or color of the plastic that moebius used, I cannot say just yet, but it looks as if the moebius kit looks "softer" that the original issue..I do , however need to compare the details on the figures yet to see if they are as "sharp" as the original kit...either way, its great to have these again..even though I had the MIB one and one I built out of the box..I just couldn't pass these up...I'm too addicted:thumbsup:*
> 
> *Z*


Z,
Can you snap an original issue picture side by side with the same parts of the re-issue and post for us to see the differences?
That would be great!

MMM


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

It's time to pick some interior colors. In an homage to Aurora, I chose green for the walls, bulkheads, etc. For this, I used Testors Diamond Green spray lacquer. It's a 1969 Ford body color... very light, pale, slightly yellowish, green. The floor is Tamiya Light Sand spray. The jet nozzles are Testor's AMC Sliver lacquer. The figures are a slightly darker Testors lacquer.





































I think my model will be fairly similar to the actual set (its so hard to tell the colors) but also the Aurora guide.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

MonsterModelMan said:


> Z,
> Can you snap an original issue picture side by side with the same parts of the re-issue and post for us to see the differences?
> That would be great!
> 
> MMM




*I will indeed do that later tonight...look for it!

**z
*


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*Aurora/ moebius side by side*

*as promised, here are some comparison shots of the original Aurora 1969 mib moonbus, and Moebius' reproduction..*


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*next set*

*it may be the opaque white color of the plastic, but you all judge for yourselves... couldnt take too close pics as the flash drowns out the details*


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*nest set again*

*to me, it looks like the figures themselves are lacking some facial detail..*..


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*Last set*

*the floor surface of the deck floor of the original , is much more defined than the repro..but thats no big deal..just an observation..now keep in mind, in NO way am I 'bashing" this kit...I love it!! thats why I bought 2..great to have it available again...just some subtle observations...*

Z


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*I did have 2 more pics, but it seems that this forum must have limits...it edited them out....sigh..

Z
*


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

djnick66 said:


> It's time to pick some interior colors. In an homage to Aurora, I chose green for the walls, bulkheads, etc. For this, I used Testors Diamond Green spray lacquer. It's a 1969 Ford body color... very light, pale, slightly yellowish, green. The floor is Tamiya Light Sand spray. The jet nozzles are Testor's AMC Sliver lacquer. The figures are a slightly darker Testors lacquer.
> I think my model will be fairly similar to the actual set (its so hard to tell the colors) but also the Aurora guide.


Thanks for the photos, it makes me even more excited for my kit to hit the door......


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Moonman27 said:


> I was looking at the parts and removing them from the sprue last night,and STILL don't know what those side bay things are! They look like doors to me.


They're meant to be RCS thruster pods. IIRC, on the filming miniature, the openings have shallow recesses with a small rocket exhaust in the center.


> The way the instructions refer to the landing gear as walkers/crawlers it makes me wonder if they can roll like a tank once landed. Do you know?


Originally, the moonbus was supposed to have caterpillar tracks on the three landing gears. The descriptive text on the Aurora instruction sheet said something about the craft being able to "propel itself on the ground" using its "non-retractable legs," but as seen in the movie, it "flies" at low altitude above the lunar surface. Those rather complicated gear assemblies clearly aren't made for locomotion.


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

Zathros said:


> *I did have 2 kore pics, but it seems that this forum must have limits...it edited them out....sigh..
> 
> Z
> *


Are you beyond your total limit? I know that when I post, I put the total number of pics per post in each post and have never had an issue, just a thought......


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

Thanks for posting those pics Z....I'm glad I picked up the re-issue.

MMM


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## JohnGuard (Jan 13, 2008)

djnick66 said:


> It's time to pick some interior colors. In an homage to Aurora, I chose green for the walls, bulkheads, etc. For this, I used Testors Diamond Green spray lacquer. It's a 1969 Ford body color... very light, pale, slightly yellowish, green. The floor is Tamiya Light Sand spray. The jet nozzles are Testor's AMC Sliver lacquer. The figures are a slightly darker Testors lacquer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Awesome!! hey man, keep posting pic's!! I too want to paint mine in the scheme of the original!!!!!!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the pics of the original kit. One thing is for sure... you can tell that the roof is much better in the new kit. The facial detail on the figures is ok but its hard to see anything. The white plastic is kind of crappy and translucent. Of course painting them gleaming silver (for the suits) doesn't help.

I have found in this kit it is best to prime the parts before painting. I generally do not prime, but the plastic does not take paint well. The Tamiya and Testors lacquers show the mold flow patterns in the parts. While not visible to the naked eye, when you apply paints, the paint picks out the flow of the molden plastic as it pushed into the metal molds. You can't just add more paint. Its frustrating. But a thin layer of Tamiya light grey spray primer cuts this out. As I mentioned before the plastic is very soft as even accellerator spray for plastic melts it into a mushy goo.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

More painting... The front cockpit gets some floor mats in Tamiya spray Flat Black.










The rear compartment side panels are now two-tone in green and tan.











The seats were sprayed with Tamiya spray IJN Linoleum Deck Brown. The reflection in the photo makes them look half painted, but the seats have a nice, solid coat of paint.










The base of the landing gear is painted. The top half is not. These will be white with black springs. The metal parts are Testors spray lacquer AMC Silver.










Since the Testors Diamond Green isn't really very glossy, the interior parts were oversprayed with Tamiya Clear Gloss spray.










I am about to the point where I need to do some detail painting on the inside pieces... the control panels, seat frames, equipment racks, etc., and, of course, the figures.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

are the actual studio parts mint green?

I mean, were the kit parts green or is that indicative of what appeared in the movie?


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## cbear (Aug 15, 2000)

That is the subject of much discussion, Mage. (See the Moon Bus thread here on HT). It's really difficult to say. In the film, the cockpit was lit in red and the cabin in blue, so it's nearly impossible to tell from what's on screen. I'm still debating how to do mine.

Chuck


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The original kit parts came in pale green. Knowing what the actual set was is another story. There aren't many/any color production close ups of the set that I have found. Frame grabs from the movie show the harsh filters used to tint the scene.



















The rear compartment is a light color. Some shots indicate some tan on the floor and padded areas. The kit interior is only an approximation of the set anyway. For one, the kit has six seats but the set seemed to have four.

I want my kit to reflect the tones aparent in the movie, but also keep the old Aurora green to some extent.


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## Bobj812 (Jun 15, 2009)

I think I may take some clues from the Aries 1B and the Orion III interiors when painting mine. Ultimately, I think I'll see what I think looks the best at the scale it's in. If I get the lighting right, I'll probably glue mine shut. I care more about the outside anyways, I suppose.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I figure once its built the top is going to stay on 99% of the time anyway... Its just kind of fun to work out something interesting for the kit. I had thought about painting the forward compartment red to simulate the red lights in the movie.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

djnick66 said:


> . . . Since the Testors Diamond Green isn't really very glossy, the interior parts were oversprayed with Tamiya Clear Gloss spray.


Would a gloss finish be right for the interior bulkheads, side panels and ceiling? I suppose it would give the interior a bit of a painted-metal "school bus" look.

(No "short bus" jokes, please.) :tongue:


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## mat2244 (Apr 1, 2009)

I am going to paint my Moonbus interior with a paint scheme similar to the inside of Skydiver from UFO. If you look closely the chair on the upper platform is the chair from the Moonbus set!


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

I like your color scheme. It seems right for the period, and adds a bit of interest over all gray or whatever.


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## Tim H. (Jun 23, 2009)

Got mine :thumbsup: Candy color red with blue flame job, hot tub in empty space between pilot cabin and passenger cabin, furry dice, maybe a kegger. nice :tongue: Actually it'll be a while before I start to build but might take some cues like Bobj812 is going to do from other interiors, and watch the movie a bunch. Not sure if I'll get the photoetch, some parts are so small I'd have trouble working with them even with magnifying.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I thought about getting the etch set, mostly for the details that go on top of the side bays. However, IMHO it's grossly overpriced for a small, single fret etch set. You can make much of the details yourself if you are so inclined.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Tim H. said:


> Got mine :thumbsup: Candy color red with blue flame job, hot tub in empty space between pilot cabin and passenger cabin, furry dice, maybe a kegger. nice :tongue:


Someone has got to do one with a psychedelic paint job, like those hippie VW vans back in the ’60s and ’70s. And maybe a Partridge Family version.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

It is probably close enough you could use it with some of the old Aliens gaming figurse too. Its a lot like the APC with jets and no wheels.


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## RogueJ (Oct 29, 2000)

Space Family Partridge?


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## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Anybody got any ideas about interior colors? Since the inside shots look to have filtered red and bluish light, and since everything seems fairly bright, I'm thinking it's basically neutral type colors like grays or tans.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

JeffG said:


> Anybody got any ideas about interior colors? Since the inside shots look to have filtered red and bluish light, and since everything seems fairly bright, I'm thinking it's basically neutral type colors like grays or tans.


Did you read back? There is some discussion already, and I posted some screen caps.


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## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Nah, didn't go through all the posts, though I will now. I did see the screen caps and have the HD (yes, the now defunct HD format) copy of the film, but IIRC, there's nothing showing behind the scenes filming in the Moonbus set.


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## Bobj812 (Jun 15, 2009)

Not sure if this will help or not. I took some of the screen caps into Photoshop, and used the neutral gray color picker in the curves tool to see if that would help us see any of the colors more naturally. I first picked the shadow side of the white cord that is bundled on the wall in the background as my base. That seemed to be the best area to use -- I had also picked some of the gray-strip areas on the suits, the sandwich container and whatever. What struck me was the walls did indeed seem to be a light, mint-green gray. But I have to stress that this isn't an exact process -- hitting the right pixel to use as a base is important, and we may have other lighting factors other than the "blueish" lighting that can interfere with the colors too. Lastly, I took the gray picker and clicked on the walls to see what would happen and finally got a color scheme that looked "better" to me. Again, I'm stressing that this is what looks more natural to me -- if you disagree with me, I understand. Using some of the other screen grabs, I pretty much believe that the seats are tan as well as the padding on the walls. I think I'm going to go with a warm gray for the walls themselves, personally. Top pic is of course un-color corrected (brightened up some) and the bottom pic is the tweaking I did.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the nice work. You will notice too the set is MUCH narrower than the spacious kit interior and largely different in most details!


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## Bobj812 (Jun 15, 2009)

No problem. I look forward to seeing more of your build. One of these days I want to start on mine!


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## rowdylex (Jan 19, 2010)

I just noticed that Gil over at Just an Illusion has put up interior lighting kit for the moonbus. Good luck with contacting him though, I am still waiting for some products from him from 2 months ago (though I do believe he had a stint in hospital).


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Have done much more work and taken some pictures. I just haven't had time to upload them. This morning I did a final overspray of Tamiya Insignia White (a very very very pale grey) to blend the pre-painted parts together. Its hard to see how the paint covers and I found some thin areas after I glued the cabin together.


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## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Not sure if anyone else posted these links, but here's some useful reference as well.\
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...&sa=G&rlz=1B3GGGL_en___US358&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...z=1B3GGGL_en___US358&gbv=2&ndsp=20&tbs=isch:1


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The base colors for the interior










You can dry fit everything without glue










There is some detail painting to be done like the pick axes, pry bars, sliding partition and air vents.










The roof panels were done in Bare Metal Foil "Matte Aluminum" which is much easier than painting. I will paint the middle parts to represent the lights. I could have painted those first and foiled around it, but I did not think of it. The "Matte Aluminum" foil is not very good compared to their old, regular "Chrome". It tears easily, does not peel up without a lot of work, and curls up when you peel it from the backing.










The nose section and pilot figures in place


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The astronauts in place in the rear seats. I repositioned the heads and arms on many of the figures to break up the monotony of five identical poses. There is not a lot you can do with the arms, but you can raise and lower them easily, or turn the hands at the wrists. The heads are easy to rotate. You should adjust the pilot and co pilots arms as well so they do not hit the control panel.










The cockpit area without the glass fitted










One of the three landing gear










You can see how it is shaping up here...










The interior fits well, but you need to take some care with the big inner side panels that go between the foor and the side wall. They are tricky to fit and semi-rest on little steps molded to the front bulkhead and the rear hull panel. The ledge part should be horizontal/flat.










It is not too hard to mask the anti-glare panels alongside the main windows


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## JohnGuard (Jan 13, 2008)

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can you list all the paint you used?
i want to steal all your painting ideas..............uh...er.........as a tribute to you!!


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## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Looking good!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The paints are as follows:

Overall - Tamiya AS series lacquer spray paint "Insignia White"
Landing Gear , Thrusters, Antenna - Testors lacquer spray "AMC Silver"(automotive color)
Interior Walls- Testors lacquer spray paint "Diamond Green" (automotive color)
Interior Floor - Tamiya TS series lacquer spray paint "Light Sand"
Side trim strips, figures - Testors lacquer spray paint "Light Metallic Grey" (automotive
color)
Seats - Tamiya TS series lacquer spray paint "Linoleum Deck Brown" (IJN warship color)
Anti Glare Panels - Krylon Ultra Flat Black spray (Hunting paint series)

I used assorted jar paints for the details. Humbrol acrylic Flesh was used for the skin areas on the figures. Their boots were done in Tamiya Gloss White acrylic. I used Testors enamel Silver for some of the interior detailing on the seats. Likewise enamel red, yellow, etc. were used for the controls. The figures hair was done in various browns, greys, etc. The roof lights are Testors enamel Light Blue.

I hope that helps!

Please feel free to use any of my colors. I don't claim them to be "accurate" but at least to my eye they are "in the ball park" and look good aesthetically.

I will build another kit later with more detailing. This is just a fairly quick OOTB build.


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## JohnGuard (Jan 13, 2008)

YES!!!!!!!!!!

thanks dude! i can garantee you my paint job will look nowhere near as good as yours but i love your paint job!


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## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

Just gotta say thanks for this thread and the pics. I too will be building a Djnick66 "tribute" kit when I build this baby!


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## DocJam00 (May 18, 2010)

Beautiful work so far! Very impressive.


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

Thanks for the WIP so far - I'm really finding it interesting. I never had this kit in the day and your great photos and input will be very helpful when I get ready to build mine. I bought 2 so far - may pick up another. The possibilities of kitbashing or modifications almost seem endless for this kit.
Steve


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## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Any aftermarket accurizing parts available for this other than the photoetch? Like resin pieces yet?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

There is a resin corrected interior coming out. Its fairly pricey (more than the MB kit). While The way the kit parts are designed it would be very easy to rework or replace many of them for better accuracy yourself. It looks like the resin interior is based in part on the kit pieces anyway.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The tops of the kit side bays have six little lines, which are what was on the original Aurora kit. But the molding here was really poor and I sanded all that off. The filming model had round details, so these were added with Evergreen plastic rod. Just take the rod and salami-slice some discs to glue in place. I cut the "tall" and sanded them flush when dry. I glued some thin plastic front to back along the inner edge of the bay to fill the gap with the roof. 










The complete interior of the roof










I was lazy and didn't bother to paint the vertical supports between the windows black. The windows fit very well but are soooo thick. New, thin acetate windows would really help. 

The roof detailing was picked out with a wash of Gunze Tire Black, which is a very dark grey color










You can see the strips added to the tops of the bays here too.


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## DocJam00 (May 18, 2010)

Beautiful work. I am so looking forward to trying washes for the first time.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

For the washes I used a "pin wash" of tire black to pick out the panels. A pin wash is applied directly to the detail as precisely as possible. For some of the heavier detail, I used a wash of Turpenoid and black + brown oil paints. This was flowed on, and then wiped off the raised areas of the model.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The finished model. I may still apply some pastel pigments to represent lunar dust.


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## Bobj812 (Jun 15, 2009)

Very nice! Thanks for showing us, it's got me inspired. Now all I have to do is get the time to clear out my work area and get to it...


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## Tim H. (Jun 23, 2009)

Thank you, great buildup, pin wash adds a nice level of detail. No steel strips on the passenger cabin flooring? Big empty cockpit isn't it? You could get another couple of chairs in there and in the space behind.


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## hedorah59 (Nov 24, 2008)

That really turned out great! Thanks for sharing your build with us, it is very inspiring :thumbsup:


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## Steve Mavronis (Oct 14, 2001)

Sweet!


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Yes, that's an inspiring build! :thumbsup:


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## getter weevil (May 20, 2010)

This thread made me buy this kit 

How the heck did aurora back in the day make such a kick ass kit?

I am guessing there are some accuracy issues but it looks pretty close in from the picks I have seen here.

Aside from the top and the windows were there other improvements to Moonbus kit?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

No the kit is pretty much the same as the original aside from improved fit on the roof and new windows. For some reason some odd blobs were added to the nose, argably to help fit the big wrap around windows that I did not use.


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