# Silent Running Valley Forge Build



## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

So, about 6 years ago, I purchased one of the Valley Forge kits that were being sold by Hunk of Junk Productions. The kit was expensive, but really quite amazing given the relative complexity of the subject and the fact that it is fairly obscure. However, this was always one of my favorite designs, and I loved the film when I saw it back in '72, so I had to have it! Building it was another matter, however, and it took until this spring for me to have time to actually build it.

Construction was a bit tricky in spots, and I commissioned a designer to create some additional parts for the build so that I could more accurately replicate the details of the original filming miniature. Additionally, I obtained copies of _Cinefex_ and _American Cinematographer_ to have the best possible source material for the build. Overall, while not perfectly accurate, this kit allows one to construct a pretty darned good replica of the subject, and with the addition of my commissioned parts, I finally felt that it was time to start building. 

Below are some images of the finished model. The decals and their placement on the starboard side are as accurate as I could determine using available images. The port side is much less well-photographed, so I had to employ a bit of guesswork, but it's pretty close. Overall, this is an especially tricky subject since, as many people know, the adhesive used in the construction of the original model was weak, and parts kept falling off of it during filming. So, details change from image to image. Moreover, I believe that some of the shots used in the film were made before the crew finished with the markings on the port side.

In any case, here's the build:


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

One of my favorite cinematic ships! That looks fantastic! I'm so jealous...

Thanks for sharing!


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## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

Fozzie,

Thanks for the kind words! FWIW, I have been blown away by your bridge build. Well done!!


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Looks great! You're only the second person I know of who actually built this kit (the other being Jeff Bond). Congrats!


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## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks, Carson! From what I understand, a number of these were sold, but not many were built. It does take some effort, but builds up very nicely. Have to say it's one of the cooler things I've ever built.


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

What an impressive build. I also envy you for your spacious display room.

The 70s clearly were the golden years of spacecraft designs. Was there ever an explanation how the propulsion of the Valley Forge worked? It feels like there's something missing at the aft end of the ship.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

electric indigo said:


> What an impressive build. I also envy you for your spacious display room.
> 
> The 70s clearly were the golden years of spacecraft designs. Was there ever an explanation how the propulsion of the Valley Forge worked? It feels like there's something missing at the aft end of the ship.


I love this ship, I love the design, and I love speculating about what we see in the movie and what it implies, and what questions that raises. 

I -think- the ship has some form of Ion drive. Some low impulse but long running deal. Speed wasn't in the design, economy and durability seems the order of the day. These things were never in a hurry. 

Mind, there may well be some high impulse nuclear engines there, reserved for emergencies, or vector changes with a high Delta V to them.

The greater question to mind is, what was the job of these freighters before they were tasked with the whole greenery deal? Are there colonies all over the Solar System that require trade and supply? The ships were clearly not purpose-built, just standard freighters with modifications.

Why all the way out to Saturn with the greenery? Was that purely political (for whatever reason) or was there some kind of logic to it? Was there a fear that someone might steal the greenery (say, a colony on Mars or something) before Earth made its final decision?

The elephant in the room. They have a perfected control over gravity. That's HUGE. Controlling gravity can give mankind the stars. I don't think anyone has considered the implications of that. 

(could the drive be gravity based with ion thrusters for vector control? whatever it is, it sure doesn't require honking huge fuel tanks)


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

As beautiful as the ship is, in this case the design came before the concept:


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## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

> Was there ever an explanation how the propulsion of the Valley Forge worked?


I recall reading that Doug Trumbull explicitly chose not to focus on the mechanics of the spacecraft, preferring instead to dwell on other things. So, I don't think that any explanation was ever given.



> Why all the way out to Saturn with the greenery?


I have often wondered what the justification for this was in the minds of those who wrote the screenplay. AFAIK, none was ever given.



> As beautiful as the ship is, in this case the design came before the concept:


Yes, the Osaka World's Fair in 1970. Purportedly, that structure inspired Trumbull with respect to the design of the aft of the spacecraft. One thing I can tell you is that getting those polygonal solids into that framework, along with the girders, was definitely the toughest part of this build, at least for me. However, when it's done, it looks fantastic. Pretty close to the original.

If anyone wants to build one of these, my understanding is that they are getting ready to do another production run this year. Additionally, if anyone has any questions about the build itself, please ask.


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## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

BTW, one of the more entertaining aspects of this build was creating the miniature forests which are under the domes. Here's an image of one before being covered:


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## terryr (Feb 11, 2001)

I think I see Huey.


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## Rainfollower (Oct 6, 2006)

Great build! I've always had fond memories of this ship.


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

How does the kit reproduce the grid on the domes? Is it printed on the material before vac-forming?


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

This is a truly fantastic build!- well done


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## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

> How does the kit reproduce the grid on the domes? Is it printed on the material before vac-forming?


Yes, it appears to be printed on the material before forming. At this scale, it works pretty well.



> This is a truly fantastic build!- well done


Many thanks for the kind words!


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

Beautiful!
-Jim G.G.


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## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks, Jim! From what I've seen of your work, you produce some pretty beautiful stuff yourself!


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## JeffBond (Dec 9, 2013)

Looks great! I made mine a little dirtier. It's certainly an intimidating model but once you get rolling on threading the brass tubes through the frame pieces the major construction goes pretty quickly. Certainly one of the greatest sci-fi kits ever made IMO.


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## neps (Apr 3, 2009)

> Looks great! I made mine a little dirtier. It's certainly an intimidating model but once you get rolling on threading the brass tubes through the frame pieces the major construction goes pretty quickly. Certainly one of the greatest sci-fi kits ever made IMO.


Thanks, Jeff! I certainly enjoyed seeing images of your build some time ago, and congrats on having your build displayed in a museum!

And, I concur: this kit really is remarkable. As a kid, when I first saw the film, figured that there was no way in hell that someone would ever make a kit of this subject; it's simply too large and complex. And yet, someone did!! It truly is a fantastic subject, and the kit does do it justice.


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## TZY (Mar 5, 2016)

Hi Guys ,
Tony here from Hunk of Junk Productions ...we produced the Valley Forge kit.
I had a chance to visit with Jeff today and see his fantastic build up. He has truly done this kit justice and put his heart and soul into it . The level of detail he has added to the kit has surpassed the expectations of what I thought was a good representation of the original studio prop to make it a superb kit. We are thinking of doing another run and this kit and these mods will be included in the next run . The mods he had added to his are available thru Shapeways for those who have this kit and have yet to build it or want to go back in and change it.
Great job...Well done Sir.
T


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

I say well done for a beautiful kit!

It's a complex, subtle brute of a model to duplicate and it sure seems 'Hunk of Junk' hit it out of the park. If someone were to make a plastic kit of the Valley Forge they could do worse than licensing this kit as the pattern. 

Well done to the builder and the maker!


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