# Mega Moonbase Alpha



## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Some years back I built up the old MPC Alpha kit with a sculpted lunar surface, somewhat modified buildings, and rebuilt (and much more accurate) launch pads. 

But, even though the project turned out nice, I always wondered what to do with the radically out of scale mini-Eagles that were provided in the kit. They were actually fairly nice representations for something so small.... hmmm, what to do?

Turns out that they are about 2 1/2 times larger than they should be. So, if I can't have small enough Eagles for my launch pads, what if I had larger launch pads to match the Eagles? And maybe a few other larger Alpha buildings to go with it? Awwww.... what the heck, why not the whole base? 

So, here is a work in progress. First, a comparision between the MPC build up and the new buildings.










A closer look at the buildings. The smallest ones are nearly complete, the larger ones have varying amounts of detailing on them.










Finally, one of the launch pads under attack by a Fred Freiberger Monster-of-the-Week. Barely visible is an Eagle stuck on the pad desperately trying to launch.










If I actually get this monster built, it will be on a plywood base roughly 4 foot by 4 foot. That's bigger than a meter for those of you lucky enough to live in countries that have adopted the Metric system. I'm hoping it makes it as a display piece to the Alpha 2012 convention, then it will have to hang on a wall here at home because it won't fit anywhere else. That's how they stored the original miniature when filming the series, so it sounds like a good solution.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

That looks really great! 
I've never thought of scratch building MoonBase Alpha.

Hmm... the cat does look like one of the season 2 monsters.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

That's a beautiful thing going on. I think most folk with any modicum of skill 're-based' Alpha, because that vac-formed base just didn't cut it. 

If memory serves, wasn't the original kit shy a couple of pads and I think some of the outer buildings/travel tubes?

And it seems to me you may have base parts to make a kit of the moonbase from 2001, if those photos from Dykstra mean anything.  

http://douglastrumbull.com/sites/default/files/images/img316.jpg

(seriously, given that picture, is there ANY chance it was rescued from the 'great destruction' post filming and was used as a base (with tons of more stuff added) for the model of Moonbase Alpha? Just seems to be too many similar details. We know that some few furnishings went into MGM storage and ended up in UFO, so....ah, who can ever know.)


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Sci Fi and Fantasy Modeller ran a two part feature on the original studio model of Alpha in the last couple of issues...22 and 23 I think...


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Steve H said:


> (seriously, given that picture, is there ANY chance it was rescued from the 'great destruction' post filming and was used as a base (with tons of more stuff added) for the model of Moonbase Alpha? Just seems to be too many similar details. We know that some few furnishings went into MGM storage and ended up in UFO, so....ah, who can ever know.)


Short answer: Nope.
Longer Answer: Space:1999 art development and scenic design was heavily influenced by 2001:A Space Odyssey, as was the story telling style of the first season. The film was released only 4 years before Space:1999 went into pre-production, and was the definitive Sci-fi film of it's era. Several of the SFX team worked on 2001, IIRC. One of the working titles of the series was Space Journey:1999, the talking computer was originally supposed to almost be a character in the series, etc. There was a threat of a copyright infringement lawsuit when the series first premiered, so you weren't the only one to notice the strong similarities. 

You are correct about the original MPC model. Only three launch pads, and a couple of the buildings were a bit wrong in shape and several adjacent buildings were merged (in order to simplify the kit, presumably ). The launch pads in the series were made in at least three different scales (matching the full Alpha miniature, and different Eagle scales), with each scale having different detailing. I'm basing my launch pads on one of the larger miniatures. If I have enough space on the diorama base I might add a couple of the outlying buildings shown in season 1 and particularly season 2. 


Miniature Sun - thanks for the heads up on the Sci Fi Modeller magazine. I actually have issue 23 and forgot that article was in there. Doh! Time to go to my LHS and see if they still have issue 22 on sale.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Thanks, John. Yeah, I knew most of that but some of the aspects were shrouded in confusion and mystery. I recall one of the characters was supposed to have some kind of implant or other connection to the Main Mission Computer (I think that was Kano? Man, so many years gone by!) and that was supposed to generate story points and character conflict and so on. 

And of course Brian Johncock of 2001 became Brian Johnson and eFX supervisor for 1999 and on and on.  

Ah, those heady days when all that was new.


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## RB (Jul 29, 1998)

Steve H said:


> Thanks, John. Yeah, I knew most of that but some of the aspects were shrouded in confusion and mystery. I recall one of the characters was supposed to have some kind of implant or other connection to the Main Mission Computer (I think that was Kano? Man, so many years gone by!) and that was supposed to generate story points and character conflict and so on.


They actually used the implant (at the base of the neck IIRC) in "Guardian of Piri", didn't they?


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## Gemini1999 (Sep 25, 2008)

Here's are some nice photos of the original studio model for Moonbase Alpha:

http://resinilluminati.com/showthread.php?p=198553


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Gemini1999 said:


> Here's are some nice photos of the original studio model for Moonbase Alpha:
> 
> http://resinilluminati.com/showthread.php?p=198553


Wow eeee wow. That's something to see. Hella lotta time spent cutting up styrene sheet for the different...what, layers? I mean, they're not panels per se, are they? anyway, greeblie detail. 

That one pic, with the paint brush (used to brush dust off I assume), am I crazy or did they use one of the module skirts from the old Gemini kit?

whew. Making me wish like heck Fine Molds or Fujimi or Hasegawa would pick up the Space:1999 license and whip out a new, perfect Eagle kit. 

(I'd be happy for Round 2 to do that as well but I think resources are a bit tied up with that giant Enterprise for now  )


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

Dude, 
I am soooo jealous. I've been wanting to do that for quite a while now.

If you go by the 102 foot length that (I forget his name right now) postulates for the eagles, then they coincidentally work out to be about 1/1400 scale.

Same scale as the 1/1400 Trek stuff.


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## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

Steve H said:


> Wow eeee wow. That's something to see. Hella lotta time spent cutting up styrene sheet for the different...what, layers? I mean, they're not panels per se, are they? anyway, greeblie detail.
> 
> That one pic, with the paint brush (used to brush dust off I assume), am I crazy or did they use one of the module skirts from the old Gemini kit?
> 
> ...


That is definitely the Gemini adapter skirt, there are also sides of the 1:48 scale Revell Mercury capsule under the Main Mission tower. Other assorted bits that I recognized, the tail cone from an SIV-B stage, probably Airfix and various bits and pieces from the Revell Gemini equipment module. There is also the top and bottom round bulkheads from the 1:48 scale Apollo service module visible.

Those are some great pictures.


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

An impressive start, and this will be awesome when done!


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## swhite228 (Dec 31, 2003)

kenlee said:


> That is definitely the Gemini adapter skirt, there are also sides of the 1:48 scale Revell Mercury capsule under the Main Mission tower. Other assorted bits that I recognized, the tail cone from an SIV-B stage, probably Airfix and various bits and pieces from the Revell Gemini equipment module. There is also the top and bottom round bulkheads from the 1:48 scale Apollo service module visible.
> 
> Those are some great pictures.


Don't forget the 3 blade disposable razor blade cartridge!
Depending on the building you will also find parts from the larger Airfix hovercraft kit, the 1/96 Apollo Columbia/ Eagle kit, Airfix Bismark and so on.

The large Main Mission tower even has parts from the TOS Klingon kit on it.

Oh, just remembered the travel tubes were square not round on the studio minature.


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## B-9 (Jun 8, 2009)

That's cool, great job so far! Man, I actually owned an original section of Alpha 20 years ago and sold it for $100.00, figuring it would never be worth any more than that! It was about three feet long and had several model parts glued to it. One detail piece I recall was half of an upper section from a small lunar module kit (probably an inch and a quarter wide). If I ever find the photo I took of it I'll post it. I still kick myself for selling it.


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

If IIRC, Johnson said the miniature was store by having it on pulleys, and, using a chain, hauling it up to the ceiling.


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## starlord (Mar 30, 2011)

My moonbase model has AMT on it not mpc.


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## Fraley1701 (Sep 3, 2003)

starlord said:


> My moonbase model has AMT on it not mpc.


AMT re-released the original kit in 1998 (in the U.S.A. only I believe), but the original kit was released in 1976 under the MPC/Fundimension brand name. :thumbsup:


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## Gemini1999 (Sep 25, 2008)

Fraley1701 said:


> AMT re-released the original kit in 1998 (in the U.S.A. only I believe), but the original kit was released in 1976 under the MPC/Fundimension brand name. :thumbsup:


I've got one of these sitting in my closet - I couldn't pass it up when they re-released it.

As for the "mega" Moonbase Alpha, I remember back when the series was on the air, a friend of mine and I started making a few buildings from scratch, but when his parents found out how much space the model would take up after it was built, they nixed it. Too bad we didn't think of the idea to have it on a platform that could be hoisted up and down. It would have feen fun!


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

As we're speaking on this, in hindsight it bothers me that the model for Moonbase Alpha didn't get more use. Maybe my memory is faulty.

See, what I recall is they always had one standard 'establishing shot', sometimes it would be panned down on but otherwise, *bam* same shot over and over. I got to thinking that they DIDN'T have a model so much as a large photograph that they had cut holes in for the lit windows.

(yes, I know, crazy talk. But I never knew until recently how many of the shots in 2001 were animation of photos of models and not actual practical, physical effects work. So, there's that, eh?  )

So seeing those pics of the model, it seems that it was built 'full' and 360 degrees. There doesn't appear to be any forced perspective or 'blank' back side (altho to be snippy they could have taken a bit more care placing that reflective tape for the windows, right?), so I wonder what kept them from shooting different angles? Something to allow an approach for landing stock shot, that sort of thing.

Of course could be simply the size of the thing and the room to shoot with proper backdrops and foreground elements just wasn't there. Or simply nobody thought of it. 

And I still can't reconcile Main Mission with the central tower. My Moonbase Alpha Technical Notebook lies to me!


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Year 2 did not show many different angles on the base, in fact an esatablishing shot from one particular angle seemed to get used a lot. a number of shots were created showing launch pads furthur out from the base and Alpha looked like either a matt painting or a photograph. Two episodes had establishing shot which were matt paintings as the camera panned down to underground caverns, so the model was not even used

Year 1 showed the base (using the full model) from multiple perspectives and even had shots of alien space craft hovering over the base. 

Main Mission tower did appear on the full base miniature, and a larger version was built for close up shots of the base at ground level, frequently involved different buildings getting shot up or exploding.

Obviously I have spent way too much time watching this show.


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Have now completed the basic construction of 9 buildings plus the upper decks of Main Mission Tower. Still only partially detailed. 

Thanks for all the links and references, they have been helping a lot. Not to mention causing a lot of pain, as I discover how many of the buildings differ in shape from the old Starlog Tech Manual. Not that I didn't already know that, but ... ouch. Had to go back and make some big modifications to a couple of them.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

john_trek said:


> Year 2 did not show many different angles on the base, in fact an esatablishing shot from one particular angle seemed to get used a lot. a number of shots were created showing launch pads furthur out from the base and Alpha looked like either a matt painting or a photograph. Two episodes had establishing shot which were matt paintings as the camera panned down to underground caverns, so the model was not even used
> 
> Year 1 showed the base (using the full model) from multiple perspectives and even had shots of alien space craft hovering over the base.
> 
> ...


Well, there's no hope for it, I'm just going to have to man up and buy the darn DVDs. 

What you recall for Year 2 is what I seem to recall for much of Year 1. So, I stand corrected. 

Oh, I know the Main Mission tower was there, I meant trying to reconcile the floorplan of Main Mission itself with the physical structure of the tower as shown. The layout of windows and corridors (or at least as implied by various doors) just doesn't jibe. Yes, I well recall the larger scale 'close up' models of the tower and several buildings (which, again, didn't seem to actually match the layout, shape or spacing of the 'whole base' model.  ) which often went 'boom'.

There was an awful lot of what seemed careful design-work, esp. in Year 1, that was terribly under-used. The less said about the budget cuts for Year 2 (really? missing hatches, missing PARTS on the Eagle interior set? yeesh!) the better, eh?

And the Technical Notebook... man. I know it was a licensed product, and I know at that point Starlog had really good relations with ITC and Gerry Anderson, but I have to wonder how much reference material Mandel had access to. Recall, this was in the days just before the VCR explosion (and I doubt ITC was forking over tons of reference materials, set blueprints and such like) so he was most likely going off photos taken from the TV directly and what stills ITC had supplied. 

And to this day I'm miffed that there was never any supplements published! Closest they came was the Eagle blueprint centerfold in an issue of Starlog. Bah. I sent in my response card and EVERYTHING!


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## publiusr (Jul 27, 2006)

Have enough of those segments in a circle, and you have a Kelvin type saucer with Star Wars detail...


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

Do NOT use the old MPC model as a reference for Moonbase Alpha - not sure if you have. It's definitely not entirely accurate. And the details on the buildings are very subtle.

Love it that you're tackling such a project. I've always wanted a larger moonbase alpha!


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

starlord said:


> My moonbase model has AMT on it not mpc.


Was originally an MPC model. Re-issued by AMT years later


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

BlackbirdCD said:


> Do NOT use the old MPC model as a reference for Moonbase Alpha - not sure if you have. It's definitely not entirely accurate!


Not to worry. Even when I used the kit to make a diorama a few years back I made a number a changes, including getting rid of those launch pads. Ick. 

I am using a lot of sources. print, internet and HD discs of the first season. But I am not trying to do a pefect reproduction, the surface detailing would kill me. I'm using the detailing the original modelers used as an inspiration, only duplicating the major features and then going for a "look and feel" of the original.


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## BlackbirdCD (Oct 31, 2003)

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

Steve H said:


> Well, there's no hope for it, I'm just going to have to man up and buy the darn DVDs.
> 
> What you recall for Year 2 is what I seem to recall for much of Year 1. So, I stand corrected.
> 
> ...


The Tech Notebook sold so poorly, Starlog showed up at one of the 1999 conventions in the 80's, and had boxes upon boxes of them, GIVING them away.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

seaQuest said:


> The Tech Notebook sold so poorly, Starlog showed up at one of the 1999 conventions in the 80's, and had boxes upon boxes of them, GIVING them away.


Well, I don't doubt you, but there's 'poorly' and then there's poorly, right?

The Tech Notebook was a fairly inexpensive product to produce, especially at the time. Offset print single-side pages, no color, silkscreened 3-ring binder, fans generating the content for likely MUCH less than scale for such a thing. The largest outlay would have been licensing from ITC and even then it may have been below the norm as ITC may have looked at it as 'publicity'. Editorial work, that's covered by Starlog staff that's already on salary.

So it's not like when Ballantine Books (Random House) took the risk with the Star Trek Tech Manual. Fancy vinyl cover with clear sleeve for the POP sell card, red glossy card stock book cover, square binding, double-sided pages and a color bind-in card. Fancy stuff for the time. 

So then the question would be, how many did Starlog expect to sell? if they had realistic goals they may have been met. If they expected, oh, say, 100,000 units, that would probably have been way optimistic. But still, from my small knowledge of printing this sort of thing, if they moved 10,000 units they made some money off it and recouped costs.

I think what hurt, more than anything, by the time the Tech Notebook came out Space:1999 was done. Fandom as a whole had moved on and Star Wars was out and taking over everybody's minds. 

(not that Space:1999 fandom was done, of course. I speak of the greater mass of the 'mainstream' fans of SF. As much as that doesn't 'scan' I'm sure you grok my meaning. There's always a need to push past the niche into the broader audience to make big money.)

I really can't recall when it was but there was a stack of Tech Notebooks on a 'deadstock' table at B.Dalton Booksellers, along with some of the other Starlog trade paperbacks that were published at the time, and I snatched up a couple for future consideration. I should have kept them in their shrinkwrap.  

I *believe* some fans did some fanzine supplements in the style of the Tech Notebook to pick up the dropped ball but I don't recall ever seeing them at a con for me to pick up.

And still, I miss those times, and that energy. That desire to create. Would have been nice to see some NuBSG stuff done in a Tech Manual or Blueprint pack thing, yes? Or Firefly. Or any of the decent sci-fi shows done in the '80s. I guess there ARE some 1999 fans still cranking out blueprints as posters and that's great but some of what I've seen tends to ignore what we see on the show in order to get their fav things in. But it's all good and I'd probably buy the heck out of this stuff had I the money.


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

It's kind of funny, because around that time, licensing of 1999 was being handled by Hanna Barbera, who had rights to make an animated series.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

seaQuest said:


> It's kind of funny, because around that time, licensing of 1999 was being handled by Hanna Barbera, who had rights to make an animated series.


Say what now?

*flip flip flip* well, sunnavagun! Lookee there! "Merchandising Representatives for ATV", published by special arrangement with H/B. I have no idea why I had never noticed that before, other than back in the day I wasn't quite as obsessive about looking at copyright indica and such. 

But the copyright is still held by ATV and the O'Quinn Studios. 

So. I had never heard a whisper that H/B had licensed and/or considering doing an animated version of Space:1999. I don't discount it out of hand but it doesn't fit the H/B methodology as it's been known(which could be summed up as "why license when you can copycat?"  ). I DO take that it's likely that ATV Licensing didn't have an interest in opening an American office and may have leased oversight control from H/B Licensing which I understand had done that for other companies.

Well, that's what I get for suddenly getting re-interested in something.


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Quick update. I got delayed by deciding my buildings were a bit too short, so I had to thicken them, putty, sand, re-detail the sides, etc. Ugh. 

Finally got to making some new ones, and adding details to existing structures. I love it when I get the time to add the surfacing details, the thing really comes alive. Main Mission really needs some TLC, but gotta get back to making the basic structure or I will never get this monster done.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

john_trek said:


> Quick update. I got delayed by deciding my buildings were a bit too short, so I had to thicken them, putty, sand, re-detail the sides, etc. Ugh.
> 
> Finally got to making some new ones, and adding details to existing structures. I love it when I get the time to add the surfacing details, the thing really comes alive. Main Mission really needs some TLC, but gotta get back to making the basic structure or I will never get this monster done.


Oh, that's coming along so nice!

Not to be evil, but given the nature of Moonbase Alpha (large shapes with not really much actual assembly), it kinda sorta comes to me you've got the core of an interesting resin kit to manufacture there. Not that I'm suggesting such a time-consuming and thankless thing...


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## B-9 (Jun 8, 2009)

seaQuest said:


> It's kind of funny, because around that time, licensing of 1999 was being handled by Hanna Barbera, who had rights to make an animated series.


Wow, I forgot about that. I bought some photos at one of the conventions way back when and they had a ©Hanna/Barbera stamp on the back. I never knew why at the time, but now it makes sense. I'll bet that animated series would have been of high quality (he says sarcastically) with a 2 frame per second moving storyboard. Thankfully that never happened.


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

When we were making up the programs for Space: 1999 Con '80, we had to allow HB to place their logo on them. They told the Alliance they had the rights to make an animated series, but I think the cost to even come close to the look of the series would've been prohibitive. Maybe Filmation could've pulled it off, but not HB.


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## Vindi (Mar 20, 2009)

Been a WHILE since I have seen Space 1999, but got a question...

Did the square central top of Main Mission rotate?


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

I have a bigger question.....why did a moonbase have windows that open?!!


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

RSN said:


> I have a bigger question.....why did a moonbase have windows that open?!!


To let in the fresh air!


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## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

Vindi said:


> Been a WHILE since I have seen Space 1999, but got a question...
> 
> Did the square central top of Main Mission rotate?


No, I don't believe it did.


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## Scorpitat (Oct 7, 2004)

"That's no moon...it's a Space Stati......" 
Well, you get the idea! LOL :tongue::wave:

Sincerely,
Scorp.


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## Gemini1999 (Sep 25, 2008)

kenlee said:


> No, I don't believe it did.


The Main Mission tower did not rotate.


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

No, Main Mission tower did not rotate. The only time a window was opened was in The Last Sunset. There is a deleted scene showing technicians installing the window.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

seaQuest said:


> No, Main Mission tower did not rotate. The only time a window was opened was in The Last Sunset. There is a deleted scene showing technicians installing the window.



It's funny, but I remember that scene from the original broadcast. It's completely possible it's a case of 'blurring' because I'm sure the scene was in the novelization. Of course it begs the question: a. why did they have sliding windows even available as stock repair items? and b. how did they swap them back when the air started going away? Right? 

(actually, a. is easy, it seems they did have all purpose manufacturing equipment and it wouldn't have been THAT hard to take the existing CAD design and modify it, I guess, assuming that their equipment was more akin to today than the '60s. maybe.  )


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

No, you may be remembering it from the novelization, it was never broadcast, and only exists in the form of still photos.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

seaQuest said:


> No, you may be remembering it from the novelization, it was never broadcast, and only exists in the form of still photos.


You're probably right. It's likely (in my head) a combo of 'media blurring' and the logic that's implied. Of COURSE they wouldn't have opening windows on a Moonbase so NATURALLY they must have had support services install it. And we don't know that it wasn't the only one, it may well have been.


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Almost finished with the basic building construction. Three more buildings and then my attention turns strictly to detailing, which will take at least as much time or more than what I have spent already. Then there is finishing the launch pad, resin recasting several of them, building the diorama base..... 

Ouch. Better stop thinking about what is left to do, it can make you stop and ask "what the heck did I get myself into?"

Which I ask myself on nearly all of the projects I take on, so you'd think I would have learned my lesson by now and just stop thinking about it.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Stop thinking about it? Now, where's the fun in THAT? 

Looking really nice. Have you given thought to lightning it, or maybe going with the reflective tape solution for windows?

stupid technical question, given that pic of the studio model and the use of a Gemini capsule instrument skirt/fairing, does that 'building with a hole in it' unit have a tapered opening or just straight thru? At that scale I don't think the taper is a significant factor but who knows.


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## swhite228 (Dec 31, 2003)

Vindi said:


> Been a WHILE since I have seen Space 1999, but got a question...
> 
> Did the square central top of Main Mission rotate?


Main Mission wasn't square there is one side that is longer than the others.

For those who want a good look at the Alpha studio model Capt. SciFi at Eagle Transporter just posted over 1200 photos of the model here...
Alpha studio model

Do yourself a favor and switch to threaded mode (in the "Display Modes button) and all the photos will load fast.


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

Awesome, just awesome! Alpha is my favorite moonbase. Go with the reflective tape, to keep it like the series.

As for the Starlog manual, I bought one when it came out. I was a fan of a show that I only got to see 2 episodes of Year 1, an half of Year 2, until the DVDs came out. The Eagles, to this day is the coolest and more real spacecrafts in a Sci-Fi series, to me.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

man! MAN! What an infodump! My mind is not only blown, it's taped back up and blown again! 

So what was the base material for the buildings? It looks like wood (with maybe a veneer top?) and then sheet plastic planted on, but there's a couple of shots that look like some kind of foam board may have been used. That's probably just a trick of lighting. 

Holy nurts! There's detail on the travel tubes?!

Amazing pics. Thank you for pointing them out!


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

thanks for the tip, I do hang out at the Eagle Transporter forum, I shall head over there and check out the pics. 

I realize Man Mission isn't square, but I never really liked that about the miniature, so I deliberately made mine square.

And yeah, the round opening in that building was made vertical. at this scale it would have been a real pain to make it sloped. My launch pads will have sloped sides, and that is enough pain for this project.


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Man, this is taking longer than I thought it would (as it always does). 

All major buildings built. Detailing roughly 50% done, and that's a wild guess if there ever was one.... how do you decide when to stop putting details on something like this?


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## Gemini1999 (Sep 25, 2008)

john_trek said:


> Man, this is taking longer than I thought it would (as it always does).
> 
> All major buildings built. Detailing roughly 50% done, and that's a wild guess if there ever was one.... how do you decide when to stop putting details on something like this?


The time to stop adding details is when it looks right to your eye - which is probably what it will take to make you happy with the effort. It's not a race to finish it, so the amount of time it takes is up to you.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Your work is beautiful! Scotchlite is most likely the material used for the reflective tape. It has a very narrow cone of reflectance directly back to the light source. Star Wars used this for the light sabers in 1977.


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## john_trek (Apr 13, 2000)

Scothlite, eh? Good, I wasn't even sure where to begin to find a good reflective tape. Thanks. 

Quick update. Buildings probably at the 75% point for detailing.


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## swhite228 (Dec 31, 2003)

charonjr said:


> Your work is beautiful! Scotchlite is most likely the material used for the reflective tape. It has a very narrow cone of reflectance directly back to the light source. Star Wars used this for the light sabers in 1977.


Scotchlite reflective tape would work but it is too white in color for the windows. The material used was like Maktec which is alight grey color like a projector screen.


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

You know what would be really cool detail for you to add?

Have a launchpad with the elevator in the down position to show a little bit of the hangar level with maybe a Eagle being moved onto the elevator.


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