# Flying Sub - The three Foot Model



## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

I've already posted a thread in the science fiction section regarding a wish to build a three foot model based on the original studio miniature. However as most Flying Sub details seem to be in this section, I might try here as well. I have the Moebius model kit (very nice of course, an excellent model kit), but as stated it was scanned off an 18 inch model which have some major differences in shape to the three foot model. I have collected a vast array of original studio blueprints, images and documentation on the miniatures over this site, the internet in general and screen captures from the DVDs. However the most important information seems to be missing. Are there any actual measurements off the three foot models so we can scale from photos, etc. Examples such as true diameters of the docking rings, true wingspan, true length, true height, actual thickness of fins, etc. I am in the process of drawing detailed drawings of the interior panels, walls and so forth to build my dream Flying Sub and will insert some images from the DVDs and my plans to show the level of commitment that I have for this project. Can anyone put me in touch with anyone that can help or please put any true measurements here for all to share. Thanks to all that respond to help in this modelling project. Please even PM me if you prefer. Thanks in advance.


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

Hi Mickey D, That would be a great sized kit. Someone & I can't remember who it was made a very large spindrift that was about 3 feet long & it is Impressive !


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## megabot11 (Aug 3, 2008)

The general consensus is 36 1/2" by 36 1/2" (it was equal length as width ) I would deffer to either Gary Kerr,(who frequents the boards) or *************, who was recently in Possession of the original 36/half Master wood & plaster model ( the one that molds were made from for the TV show)
These would be your best sources.


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

It would be great to chat to either of these people. Do I just wait to see if they are interested to talk with me, or how can I contact them directly? Years ago I used to swap letters with Fred Barr, but have lost mailing addresses, so I would love to contact him again. Anyone have contact details?


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

Here are some plans I have drawn using the studio full size set plans as a basis for the drawing. I took the measurements off the plans, drew the side view and rotated the wall upwards to give its full height. I then used screen captures and proportioned the details to fit the wall outline. This is a work in progress, so some details are not yet finalised. I hope the image loads. I welcome any feedback from modellers of a similar interest.


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Just be careful with those studio set drawings that you don't accidentally arrive at an "accurate" interior that doesn't fit inside your model's exterior. Speaking from experience, it's an easy mistake to make.


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

Yes I know that the full size set will not fit into any model as the proportions are wrong. However to initially do accurate drawings the full sized set must be used. Once these are complete I will adjust/reconfigure the drawings to then fit the model I wish to make. Quite a while ago I scratchbuilt a 1/24 scale miniature with full interior and did that process. This was before the DVDs came out so I did not have decent close ups of the interior to go from. I wish to correct this with my larger scale miniature. I will not start any building until I am happy with all aspects of my drawings. Thanks for the advice! I hope some people find my drawings useful or at least interesting.


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

MickeyD said:


> Thanks for the advice!


No problem.

Having been down this path myself I know what you're up against...



















Good luck with your build!


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

Nice work on the interior. I've only just started my Moebius kit and intend to put in some of the changes that I see in your kit. I like the way you opened the area under the bed and put in the air tanks. As I progress with my Moebius kit, I'll put in photos and explain the changes that I have made and indicate where I got the information. Keep up with the great build!


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## drewid142 (Apr 23, 2004)

I'm sure I will get blasted if I am wrong... but those are not pics of Rob's Moebius build, they are pics of his scratch built interior for a much larger model... I think it is his heavily modified Teskey Flying Sub... notice the Can of spray paint for relative scale.


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing it out. Next time I will pay a bit more attention and not just assume. It is still a nice piece of work.


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

*Moebius Kit as a guide*

I'm going to finally build my Moebius kit and use it as a guide for what I want to do with my eventual 3 foot miniature. The Moebius kit, while being a very nice model, does not represent the version/detail that I want. I am doing drawings off the DVDs and will fix these details as I go. I have started with the Girder frame of the cabin and have reworked the ladder attachment to look like the one in the actual studio set. The ladder pivots as well to sit against the side support on a small clip on the girder as per the show. I have also added the bolt heads that hold the upright girders in place on the circular ring. In addition I have added the flat wider circular plate to the bottom of the central circular ring. Theses are probably not all the changes that can be made, but it is the level that I wish to go to.


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Hey Michael, great catching up with you on the phone tonight.

I was just re-reading this thread and would be very interested to see you continue with the WIP on the Moebius Flying Sub and how that might relate to your plans with the three footer. 

Have you made any firm decisions regarding the interior of the sub, given the state of flux that it exists in? I call that the Laws of Physics interpreted by Irwin Allen... 

Will be in touch again soon.


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

Carson Dyle said:


> No problem.
> 
> Having been down this path myself I know what you're up against...
> 
> ...


What Tamiya colors did you use?


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

The deck is Tamiya Intermediate Blue (AS-19).

The walls are some sort of Testors enamel "buff" tone, but it's been so long since I painted these parts I don't remember the exact color (for the Moebius kit I used Tamiya Desert Sand). 

The silver parts are Model Masters Magnesium and Model Masters Aluminum.


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

Carson Dyle said:


> The deck is Tamiya Intermediate Blue (AS-19).
> 
> The walls are some sort of Testors enamel "buff" tone, but it's been so long since I painted these parts I don't remember the exact color (for the Moebius kit I used Tamiya Desert Sand).
> 
> The silver parts are Model Masters Magnesium and Model Masters Aluminum.


What color are the frames?


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Magnesium.


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

Carson Dyle said:


> Magnesium.


Thanks, Carson.


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

Hello Bruce. Nice talking to you, keep in touch. I will continue the WIP as I do major changes to the kit as I have found after major research that the kit is very poor in actual accuracy. This is very easy to confirm by looking at the DVDs to see the correct details. The easiest is the "reactor" wall. The small bottom panels are not even close to being accurate. The basic shape is even inaccurate. Refer to my drawings previously posted. I do not have the last DVD yet (season 4 volume 2) as it is not released yet, but I would be very surprised and will apologise profusely if they did change the set to look anything like the panels seen in the Moebius kit. I am NOT saying the Moebius kit is a poor kit! I just wish to point out the differences that I have seen. I have documented them all with screen grabs and discussion from the first time the Flying Sub was used to half way through the first season. Chris was over yesterday and I showed him my evidence and he was surprised at the differences. I have loved the Flying Sub since I first saw it and WILL build a three foot model with accurate to a particular episode interior as much as the different scales of the interior and exterior will allow. Please note that I am NOT attacking anyone - in fact keep up the GREAT work Moebius- I just feel that this great design deserves the best that I can do for it, and I will continue to accurize the kit and blueprint and eventually build my three foot miniature. 
Also as a side note, I got 1 and only one measurement off an original three foot miniature the other day to confirm a part of my drawings. This was from an old photo that I have from years ago that I forgot about. Hopefully, some day someone will take some measurements to help us poor modelmakers that cannot get to the originals to help us. I will certainly (if allowed by the owner) publish any measurements that I get in an upcoming post. All the best to all Flying Sub modelmakers out there.


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

Rob, great work ! I know the hulls are molded in yellow and they look good out of the box in the pictures i have seen at least. What color of yellow are you using for your hulls ?
bert


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

I concur with what Michael's stated. I'm not a scifi guy so I'm totally in the dark about these matters, but the pics Michael showed me are different to the parts in the kit! The 2 control boxes have square edges in the pics (the kit parts are rounded), and the dials and gauges are totally wrong to the pics. As Michael says, maybe the episodes he's missing show the boxes as per the kit part, but if not, there's opportunities here for anyone whose up for producing a detail set....
Surely someone there has correct drawings that could help!! Michael's a very cool guy and I'm sure any help that can be provided would be much appreciated by all. I've known Michael for years and he's the kind of guy who'd share any new info with anyone who'd need it...

Chris.


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

*Studio plans vs Three foot model - blueprints*

I've nearly finished my blueprints of the three foot miniature. I will post them as soon as I finish them and hopefully someone may be able to add a little information with regard to shape, size etc. Also I will include a copy of a set of the original studio blueprints that I have cleaned up for comparison. Hopefully this will generate some interest and some information.


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Looking forward to seeing your Blueprints and WIP on the FS-1. 

I remember an episode in the Season 4 Vol 1 DVD set that had the Flying Sub as a point of operations for a covert mission inside a foreign country. George Takei was in it, but I just can't remember the name of the top of my head. They were submerged in a river and I think it was the first time the shields were raised on the forward windows. As a lot of the dialogue happened inside the Sub, there were a lot of opportunities for photo referencing of the interior. I'm sure you would have been over that with a fine tooth comb.

The other episode that made me double take was the one inside the volcano where they opened the rear hatch in the control room and it went STRAIGHT outside! The engine room had magically disappeared altogether. Another wonderful example of IA bending the laws of physics. :tongue:

Will be in touch again soon.


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

*Voyage episode*

The episode was a season 2 story, The Silent Saboteurs and is an excellent shoecase of the interior, even though the actors keep getting in the way of the details! There are many episodes where we see the various interior panel, even space probes that used pieces from the Flying Sub set. See the fourth season episode Journey with Fear and you'll see the panels off the walls from infront of the bed wall and in front of the reactor wall. You can see the panel from the starboard side with it's angular panel that drops down so the actors can get to the wiring. Also the high panel has a clip holding the panel shut. The panel from the port wall is flat with no clip system.
This is just one of the many differences that I have found, and I'm sure I don't know all of them! Each time I sit down to watch an episode my eyes are drawn to the walls, panels, etc to try and find new items. Sad, isn't it? Oh well, I just love this vehicle! All the best!


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

D'oh! My bad Mike, it was season 2... After I finished watching the 4th season, I went back to catch up on a few episodes I missed as my kids were more drawn to the 'monster' episodes than the espionage. 

Is there an episode such as 'The Silent Saboteurs' that you feel 'defines' the interior, or are you taking elements from various episodes?


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## Iheartscifi (Jul 11, 2009)

Sorry to hijack the thread but this wouldn’t be MickeyD who worked in a big tin shed on the Gold Coast??? The one who did patterns for a beautiful (1/35???) flying sub and didn't put it into production? LOL!!
Its OK I won’t divulge your super hero identity here.LOL!
So you are going to do a three footer (he says with great interest)? Are you going to do a pattern-and-mold or a one off like Brads’ spindrift? I know you have learnt a lot since ‘the old days’. I just realized, that was more than 20 years ago!!
Seeing as you have done a bit more research than me, I have a question. I have the Moebius flying sub but have not started construction. However with a dry fit of the hull parts, the front window panel on the Moebius model seems to be smaller (in ratio) than the hero underwater three footer. Is this right or is it just an optical illusion because it’s all the same colour?
Oh and if you want me to work on the electronics for the reactor wall (like I did for the lunar models spindrift) just let me know. 

Darren


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## MickeyD (Oct 24, 2008)

Hello Darren, how are you. Yes this is that MickeyD. We did not put that 1/35 scale into production as that was for a client that was footing the bill and did not want it used that way so we followed his request. It was not that accurate as we wanted due to lack of information anyway.
I have since made a 1/24 scale model, (with fibreglass hull from a mould that I made) but once again I am not that happy with it as it was made before the release of the Voyage DVDs and using only fuzzy photos off the TV screen as reference. This one will probably meet the fate of my first attempt from about 20 years ago! 
I have now got an incredible number of detailed screen shots from the DVDs and feel that I can finally do justice to this vehicle. I am still, however working on the external drawings and feel that I am close to the shape, size of the three foot miniature, but still need some actual measurements to verify my plans. I will put a small sampling of these plans on soon to see if this will generate any new data for the fixing of the blueprints.
In answer to your question about the Moebius kit, remember that it was supposedly scanned off one of the 1/24 scale miniatures and therefore has that models sizing and curvatures. These vary quite a bit from the three foot miniature (which I prefer). However some detail was taken from the three foot miniature anyway eg the hatch detail within the docking ring. This means the Moebius kit is a hybrid model anyway.
The interior is a basic representation only as far as I can tell. Of course the actual set pieces do not fit into a model Flying Sub, and Moebius have done a very nice job to make the interior fit. The details such as panel size, shape and buttons and switches is wrong however. This can easily be confirmed by looking at screen grabs from the show. 
So, build the kit and be happy as it is a nice kit. I however will be making MAJOR interior differences to my kit based on my research and will eventually make a three foot version when I am happy with my drawings. Good to here from you again and hope to here from you again. I still live in the same house with all the same contact details if you wish to call. All the best and happy Flying Sub modelling!


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## Iheartscifi (Jul 11, 2009)

Good to hear from you!
The DVDs must be brilliant, I have …er…obtained lower resolution copies and they are very good. Sure beats the old VHS-and-pause button days LOL! I have not obtained a copy of season four yet but notice that in season three the lighting becomes darker and moody, particularly in the flying sub. Of course this makes it difficult to make observations of the set.
The five main things I have noticed change on the set throughout the seasons are:
1)	The control panel on the aft wall by the hatch (that’s a no brainer).
2)	The way the ladder is stowed.
3)	The front console and window surround. For POV shots.
4)	The stowage area under the bunk. Has a door, no door or a curtain.
5)	The lighting of the reactor wall. In season two it seems to be just a single flashing light source but by season four it’s a relatively complicated pattern. 
Unfortunately they rarely updated the model shots and stuck a lot to stock footage. I must admit though, seeing the flying sub, fly in, do a left hand bank and fly out, still looks very cool!!
Another question for you, do you know how many three footers were used in underwater shots? Apart from the one with manipulator claw, it seems like only one, the hero with interior, lighting and bubble generator. If they made more they must have been exactly the same.
Oh and on the subject of the manipulator claw, the first thing I am doing to the Moebius kit is bogging up the panel lines on the bottom of the hull LOL!
:wave:


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

G'day MickeyD.

Appologies for not contacting you further after our couple of pms. I guess I tend to get a bit self absorbed in my own little world. 

I'd be intrigued how a 3 footer will turn out. I had the oppertunity to see some hero scale casts and moulds a few months back. but size and volume divided by space at home equals unresolved math  The FS1 is one of my favorite ships of that era in my childhood. It's interesting what you say about the little inaccuracies of the moebius kit, which I have yet to start. I am just waiting on the new pe and decal set from Paul @ paragraphics. Not to mention finishing off some other projects I've on the go.

Cheers,

Alec. :wave:


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

Carson Dyle said:


> No problem.
> 
> Having been down this path myself I know what you're up against...
> 
> ...


Where did you get the turbine thingies?


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Antimatter said:


> Where did you get the turbine thingies?


I think I've hijacked this thread enough.

For more info on my Rick Teskey FS project go here...

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=203471

For the record, the "turbines" are stock 1/16 wheel rims.


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