# Good news for the C-57D!



## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

For the last two years, I've been distressed seeing the C-57D go for a $100+ on ebay. I was about ready to bite the bullet and drop a wad on it (eww!) when a few weeks ago a rumor surfaced that R2 was going to re-release the kit 'sometime'.

As a bunch of folk just got responses to their 350 TOS1701 querries, I was inspired to ask about the C-57D. I just got this response from their Creative Dir., Bob Plant:

_We do indeed plan on re-releasing the C-57D as well as Robby the Robot. The current plan is to have Robby out sometime in the spring and the C-57D out by late summer 2009._

So put your wallets down everyone! (Or if you're looking to unload a spare kit on the ignorant, do it now!) The price is about to plummet!

Huzzah!


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## Dave Hussey (Nov 20, 1998)

Yes? What do you want? 
Huzz


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

_*HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!! HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!*_


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## schmidtjv (Apr 7, 2004)




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## lunadude (Oct 21, 2006)

First, schmidtjv, I love the Robby anim! :thumbsup:

Second, any chance they might fix the saucer profile? There has been some discussion on this, earlier. http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=217595 I'm guessing it would mean a rework of the molds, thus additional development $$. I can still hope.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

[IMG-LEFT]http://www.canadacool.com/COOLFACTS/ONTARIO/ONTARIOPHOTOS/Mike%20Myers%20Publicity.jpeg[/IMG-LEFT]


Yeah . . . and monkeys might still fly out of my butt!


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## CaliOkie (Dec 31, 2007)

Yeah, I would bet against any major reworking of the kit. Plus, I bet the kit is a little more than the $44.00 I spent on mine years ago.

That said, I will be buying one. I want to build an "in flight" model with a working spinning lower dome.

Also, I agree with that whole monkeys thing as well. I don't believe it until I see it. 

Besides, recent economic fatalism would have me believe that by next summer I'll be living in a cave eating rats and grubs.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

CaliOkie said:


> . . . Besides, recent economic fatalism would have me believe that by next summer I'll be living in a cave eating rats and grubs.


[IMG-LEFT]http://ayup.co.uk/avina/twoyork.jpg[/IMG-LEFT]


You'll be lucky to be living in a cave eating rats and grubs! I'll probably be living in a rolled-up newspaper in the bottom of a septic tank and drinking a cup of cold poison every morning.


The worst thing about the PL kit's engineering was how they popped out six identical pie-shaped segments for each of the upper and lower saucer halves, with plugs to be glued into the bottom segments without landing legs. It takes an enormous amount of filling and sanding to get the surface perfectly smooth and seamless as it appeared on the filming miniatures. Has anyone thought of scratchbuilding a more accurately sized disk portion? It's just two very shallow cones stuck together with a flat outer rim. The kit's landing legs could probably still be used, and the three plugs discarded.

Of course, the shape of the upper dome is wrong also . . .


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Even with the inaccuracies a re-pop would be better than paying this much...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/POLAR-LIGHTS...oryZ1193QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

AJ-1701 said:


> Even with the inaccuracies a re-pop would be better than paying this much...
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com.au/POLAR-LIGHTS-FORBIDDEN-PLANET-C-57D-STAR-CRUISER-KIT_W0QQitemZ380069775252QQihZ025QQcategoryZ1193QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem




Okay, my extra one is officially for sale now! And I'll take _only _$300 for it!


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## Prowler901 (Jun 27, 2005)

Holy Smokes!!! :freak: That's Outrageous!! :freak: And, did you see what he wants for shipping. I know it's a big box, but really.... I'm glad I already have one


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

I guess that ebayer took what I said about taking advantage of the ignorant to heart! That will never sell for that much. NO chance. I've been watching this kit on and off for two years on ebay. The cheapest has been about $110. The most was under $150 w/o shipping. Unless that guy was charging $40 for next day shipping plus a hooker, fugehdaboutit! 

Accuracy issues: All the kit reviews I've read have never touched on screen accuracy, only quality of parts and so on. 

From what I'm hearing here, while the whole kit may be good to real-good, its' slopes are simply wrong. I don't mind a challenge when building a kit. I've certainly never encountered a kit that was genuinely accurate (often times it seems like the companies are paid to make the kits as innaccurate as possible). But to have invested so much effort into the kit as PL seemed to have, getting the profile would seem to have been priority one.

Regardless, I'm still gonna get one or two when they do come out whether they rework it or not. 

I just hope I can resist the temptation to spend ~$400 on this ~$40 kit!


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Guess those suckers were hard to get in Australia....


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

Captain April said:


> Guess those suckers were hard to get in Australia....



As is most sci-fi stuff today. There are only a handfull of shops in oz that deal with it and some of the pricing is still abit steep. It took about 5mths or so before the Dr Who kit hit the shelves and I have only seen 2 of the moebius voyagers on the shelf too date...


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## Krel (Jun 7, 2000)

Model Man said:


> Accuracy issues: All the kit reviews I've read have never touched on screen accuracy, only quality of parts and so on.



Ooh, where to begin. The dome is wrong, too flat. The hull is wrong, the top saucer should be deeper than the bottom saucer, by about a third. Only one gangway has stairs. The core pedestal base is flat. Granted this was done to balance the model, but it also means that you couldn't model it in flight configuration. The interior is wrong in so many ways, one being that they added rooms. I have no idea what they had in mind when they put that shape in the library area. Finally, the name is wrong! In the novel, in the script it is C-57-D, NOT C-57D.


They claim to have done extensive research on the subject, but I don't see how, because the mucked it up so horribly. One look at the interior shows that they hadn't even looked at the set blueprints in the old Cinefantastique magazine.


What really galls me about this, is that now, there will probably never be a good, accurate injection molded kit of C-57-D.

If they are re-marketing Robby and it sells well, then maybe they might do his car? I know...Fat chance.

David.


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Considering that the various miniatures weren't even accurate to _each other_, I think it's a tad unfair to knock the accuracy issues of this one.


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## Old_McDonald (Jul 5, 2002)

When this kit first came out, I was in love with it. I always wanted a good kit of this ship. When I bought one and brought it home and "dry fitted" some of the Saucer pieces, I realized it was just too big. I had no room to display the a completed kit almost the size of a dinette table. So, I sold it and continue to wait for a more reasonable size kit to come along. I think about 18 inches diameter kit is the best size since it will need a shelf that at least 12 inches from the edge of a wall to rest it. Here's hoping for a smaller kit along with a similar size TOS Jupiter II.


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## Krel (Jun 7, 2000)

Captain April said:


> Considering that the various miniatures weren't even accurate to _each other_, I think it's a tad unfair to knock the accuracy issues of this one.


I've never seen any evidence of that, I have seen side photos of the twenty inch, and the eighty-eight inch saucers, and both have the same profile. Now it very well may be true that they weren't 100% faithful to each other, but even if it is, they were still closer to each other than the PL kit. As PL advertised about the research they did, which for the kit I see no evidence of, yes it is fair to knock the glaring lack of accuracy.

David.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

While this has been disappointing to hear, I will still get one or two. Could there be a practical way to re-profile the kit? Slow and low heat (after assembly) over a clay mold, for instance?


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## JPhil123 (Jan 1, 1970)

Krel said:


> I've never seen any evidence of that, I have seen side photos of the twenty inch, and the eighty-eight inch saucers, and both have the same profile. Now it very well may be true that they weren't 100% faithful to each other, but even if it is, they were still closer to each other than the PL kit. As PL advertised about the research they did, which for the kit I see no evidence of, yes it is fair to knock the glaring lack of accuracy.
> 
> David.


Hello...

I agree and it is fair to knock the kit. I think the kit is slightly too wide and has an inaccurate upper dome. But, after I looked at the kit and began to accept the flaws, I tried to evaluate the C57D for what it was. You can build a reasonable representation of the C57D. I discarded the interior ultimately, but I may finish it in the future or build another. I concentrated on making the finest exterior I could (there are no join seams on mine: it is a near perfect hull with some very light weathering), and I rigged a light for the engine). 

What I would like to see is a smaller, more accurate one released (with reduced seams), although there would have to be real demand for one to make it a viable kit to be developed. After all the work I put in, I feel bad I can't easily handle it and run the risk of damaging it if I want to move it.

Check out the picture I posted in our forum.

Jim


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Krel said:


> I've never seen any evidence of that, I have seen side photos of the twenty inch, and the eighty-eight inch saucers, and both have the same profile.


There are subtle differences, most notably in the size and contours of the drive dome.


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

The kit looks good! Damn good! How can you b$tch about accuracy when it was never real in the first place.To me its got the right shape...its frickin huuuge and its well engineered. I'll admit its got its problems(like the 6 landing gear wells) and its not an easy build....build a bridge and get over it.


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## JPhil123 (Jan 1, 1970)

The-Nightsky said:


> The kit looks good! Damn good! How can you b$tch about accuracy when it was never real in the first place.To me its got the right shape...its frickin huuuge and its well engineered. I'll admit its got its problems(like the 6 landing gear wells) and its not an easy build....build a bridge and get over it.



Hello. ..
Overall it is a great kit even though there are accuracy issues. I left the 6 gear details, although only the true landing legs are movable and can be opened to reveal details. The other 4 extensions, which cover weapons, are there but are sealed up. When I started to built it, I initially planned to take a sort of Enterprise model approach and leave seams. The Enterprise is enhanced by its seams. But when I began assembly I realized that (to me) the seams would be the most inaccurate detail for the C57D and I removed them. Models should be judged by accuracy, but also need to be appreciated and evaluated by how they stand on their own merits. I would love to build another if time and storage room permits.

Jim


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

Well, at least now I can feel safe to actually build the one I've got at any time, as long as I can keep one MIB for either posterity or as part of my "retirement stash" to build in another 10 or so years from now (yes, I know I'll still love building when I'm an oldER fart).


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Krel said:


> . . .Only one gangway has stairs . . . The interior is wrong in so many ways, one being that they added rooms. I have no idea what they had in mind when they put that shape in the library area. Finally, the name is wrong! In the novel, in the script it is C-57-D, NOT C-57D.


Interesting point about the stairs. I suppose a lot of us have always assumed all three landing legs had boarding stairs, but in fact, you only see one stairway in the movie. Considering the small crew could quickly exit or enter the ship using a single stairway, would two more be necessary? Are the other legs meant to be cargo loading ramps?

Regarding additional rooms, if the kit had only what was seen in the movie, it would be a pretty sparse interior. In fact, I wouldn't mind if they had added even more hypothetical detail to the interior, along the lines of the plans drawn by Shane Johnson and published by The Noron Group in 1983. Oh, and what "shape in the library area" are you referring to, exactly?

And the ship has no external markings or identification of any kind, so as far as omitting a single hyphen in the name -- Picky, picky, picky.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

If it's only the one main ramp, then where does their truck come from? They didn't bring those heavy lasers down that main ramp thats for sure. (wel,, being 1950's people they might have) I don't remember the dimensions offhand of that truck, but a wheeled vehicle needs some sort of ramp. Or it is lowered out of a hatch, as are the lasers or any other heavy equipment? 

Each leg may simply have a different function. Personnel for one. The second for vehicles and heavy equipment to roll out of. Perhaps the third is an automated supply door for Cookie? Or an air lock? Or service entrance?

I like airlock as it permits non-atmospheric transfers without everyone having to suit up every time. Even then, you still need an airlock of some sort (which I don't recall seeing in the design). ... But that's how they wrote sci-fi back then. 

Everyone suiting up was a great way to kill screen time, look like something important was going on and add the potential danger of a space-accident! (following the veins of of: personnel float dangerously far away (cue scary music); tethers get tangled (always a tricky situation there); Or the ever popular threat of explosive decompression (personnel or craft, accidental or deliberate.))


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## Krel (Jun 7, 2000)

scotpens said:


> Interesting point about the stairs. I suppose a lot of us have always assumed all three landing legs had boarding stairs, but in fact, you only see one stairway in the movie. Considering the small crew could quickly exit or enter the ship using a single stairway, would two more be necessary? Are the other legs meant to be cargo loading ramps?
> 
> Regarding additional rooms, if the kit had only what was seen in the movie, it would be a pretty sparse interior. In fact, I wouldn't mind if they had added even more hypothetical detail to the interior, along the lines of the plans drawn by Shane Johnson and published by The Noron Group in 1983. Oh, and what "shape in the library area" are you referring to, exactly?
> 
> And the ship has no external markings or identification of any kind, so as far as omitting a single hyphen in the name -- Picky, picky, picky.


I have and like those plans, although he also got the shape wrong

You see the crew using two of the legs, so the second one must have had stairs. The third leg was there for show as the saucer set didn't go all the way around to it, they only made what they had too. But I always figured that the third ramp was for cargo.

I have no problem with them fleshing out the other rooms, but they added one between the engineering station, and the crew berths.

Where the library area was on the set they put a long bar with a triangle cross section. Where the little view screens were, they put something that looked like the caution lights that they used when removing the main core.

Wanting them to use the proper name is picky? How you feel if I used the name Enterpize for Star Trek?

David.


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## Altair4 (Jan 31, 2009)

Currently working on a custom version of Polar Lights C-57D. Will try to post a link.


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## Altair4 (Jan 31, 2009)

Hello everyone,

New to this site but have a discussion going here http://www.culttvman.biz/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7302953&st=0&sk=t&sd=a on my C-57D model project. Some of what is being discused here might apply. Photos begin on page 2. Comments welcome.

Altair4


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Figured rather than start a new thread, I'd just dig this one up...

I stopped by my local and was told they will have the C-57 in stock next weekend, possibly the one after!


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Model Man said:


> Figured rather than start a new thread, I'd just dig this one up...
> 
> I stopped by my local and was told they will have the C-57 in stock next weekend, possibly the one after!


Well shoot! I thought you were going to say they made it a little smaller, you know, one you could _actually_ put on a _shelf_? Because we have to eat off our dinning room table. 

hal9001-


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

hal9001 said:


> Well shoot! I thought you were going to say they made it a little smaller, you know, one you could _actually_ put on a _shelf_? Because we have to eat off our dinning room table.
> 
> hal9001-


Don't glue the halves together and I bet it makes an excellent salad bowl! :lol:

Butyeah, I got no idea where I'm gonna put this monster. Maybe a wall mount... What is it? 27"? yikes.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

I know, I know, 90% of the people like the huge size so I fall in that very small minority that thinks the size, I thought, of 28" is just not practicle in my universe. Even if it is an inche smaller than I thought. Heck, I may beliving in the wrong universe for all I know Modelman!

Not passing up on the idea of useing it as a salad bowl though. If I buy one that is. Sure do like the new little dio. figures that comes with the re-issue. I mean really, where else you gonna find an ID? Or is that find _your_ ID? Sure hope if I ever do find _my _ID he ain't that ugly!! But then again demons are supposed to be ugly, right?

hal9001-

View attachment 95591


View attachment 95592


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Nope. It's 28". Guess I was trying to shrink it down myself to make it more pallatteable( sp). (Couldn't figure how to spell that so just threw lots of letters in to cover my basses.)


I had a CC D-7 at 28" and that was huge. Being a disbursed structure made it easier to deal with. Having a saucer that size... 

Holy guacamole! 

I've got some 24x28 poster board around. I just put two sheets perpindicular... 
:freak: :freak: :freak: :freak: :freak: :freak: :freak:

I'm going to need a bigger work bench.










Definitely one for the ceiling. The figures will have to find some other place to live.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Model Man said:


> Don't glue the halves together and I bet it makes an excellent salad bowl! :lol:


It's a bit shallow for a salad bowl, but it would probably make a great hors d’oeuvres tray. You could fill the dome with cocktail sauce for dipping.

For me, the issue with that kit isn't the size, or the inaccuracies (the aftermarket upper dome makes it look a WHOLE lot better); it's the engineering. A single mold was used to pop out six identical pie-slice segments for the upper saucer half, and another single mold with a landing-gear cutout for the six lower segments. Then you get three landing legs plus three plugs to glue into the lower segments that don't have landing legs. Good way to save on tooling costs -- not so good for the builder who has to spend an eternity filling all those seams.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

scotpens said:


> It's a bit shallow for a salad bowl, but it would probably make a great hors d’oeuvres tray. You could fill the dome with cocktail sauce for dipping.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> A center dipping bowl, now *that's* a good idea! I truely believe all the model companies conspire to make at least one thing on all of their kits that will drive the modeler NUTS!  But we're on to them now huh?
> 
> hal9001-


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## modeleers (Sep 8, 2007)

scotpens said:


> (the aftermarket upper dome makes it look a WHOLE lot better)


Thanx!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Where's the rest of the ID's body? In the screen shot you can easily see that he has a large round body and comparatively small face on the front. If that is the model kit part in the top pic, it seems to be all head with a very small body.

?????


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

pretty sure the one in the kit will be clear pink and more accurate than the B&W pic above.

where do you buy the accurate dome? Think the new kit will have an accurate dome?


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## modeleers (Sep 8, 2007)

Magesblood said:


> ...where do you buy the accurate dome?


Drop me (Mikel) an E-mail: [email protected]


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

scotpens said:


> It's a bit shallow for a salad bowl, but it would probably make a great hors d’oeuvres tray.


You're absolutely right. The C-57D for the hors d'oeuvers, and the Moebius Jupiter 2 for the salad.

Now we just have to figure out is the cutting board for the protein course


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Funny you should mention the car, because I finished my Robby several months ago after buying the reissue kit, and I've been sketching up some plans for his "Jeep" (as they call it...it doesn't look like a jeep!) to use as a display base and hold the power source for the illuminaton I did on Robby himself. I think it would be cool to have!


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## starseeker (Feb 1, 2006)

Model Man said:


> While this has been disappointing to hear, I will still get one or two. Could there be a practical way to re-profile the kit? Slow and low heat (after assembly) over a clay mold, for instance?


The top dome is easy to replace, either a vac form one of your own or you can buy an after-market piece. The Cultman thread is a really good discussion of the inaccuracies. As mentioned there, much to my surprise, the lower hull seems the correct shape. At least it matches my 18" almost perfectly and the 18" is considered an accurate representation. The upper hull is much too shallow. A relatively easy fix (tho I haven't done it yet) would be to cut each gore into two or three smaller pie shaped sections. Insert additional thick (maybe 1/4") styrene gores between the segments. Use a really hot glue to weld the segments together. Superglue doesn't adhere to styrene well so only use CA for filling holes afterwards. And then sand it all back to a smooth curve. If you roughly sand inside, you could also add wider 040 thick styrene pieces to back the all construction work. I say "relatively" as putting all the pieces together would be quite easy. I hate sanding. But given the size of the thing, a random orbit sander would get all the rough work done very quickly. 
Hmm, maybe this weekend...


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## jbond (Aug 29, 2002)

Any news on the accessory sets (blaster cannons etc) someone was working on?


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## jaws62666 (Mar 25, 2009)

The ship is now available to buy

http://www.round2models.com/models/polar-lights/spacecruiser


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## modeleers (Sep 8, 2007)

jbond said:


> Any news on the accessory sets (blaster cannons etc) someone was working on?


That's would be us (me & friends). My CV Cannon Master in 1/72nd scale.








This & a few of the vehicles & static items, plus 2 ID Monster(s) are currently on our work benches. 
We're taking a well earned break at the moment. (Dec. off) & hopefully we'll have some actual product 'news' in the near future.
_to be continued..._


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## DentonLis521 (Apr 6, 2006)

Just ordered mine. I usally like to get these kits local or from Cultman, but the only news of the kit actually being out is here and on the round 2 site. Every one else show preorder. I could not wait, even if I had to pay a bit more. My order status says searching stock. I am going to prepare my work bench tonight!


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

With word that they are selling online now, I stopped by my local who said it would be in next week. So they are stashing one away for me until I can get there next weekend.


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## jbond (Aug 29, 2002)

I got mine. It is molded in GRAY.


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