![[Starship Modeler's sixth on-line modeling contest: Battlewagons!]](battlewagon_contest.jpg)
USS Pioneer |
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By Mark Bradley Scale: Not statedThe USS Pioneer would certainly be considered the 'fist' of the fleet. In addition to several small turret emplacements, it carries a single 'block-buster' pulse-laser mounted in the middle of the ship. This main weapon is designed to destroy enemy carriers or cruisers with one well-placed shot. The front end, or Crew Module, is designed for emergency separation and is capable of landing on a planetary surface. The twin Fuel Modules and Access Column comprise the mid-section of the ship. The massive fuel capacity allows the Pioneer to mount offensive missions light-years from home. The tanks themselves are heavily shielded against attack. Access to the rear Engineering Module section and the primary weapon is through a corridor that runs down the 'spine' of the ship. The primary 3 thrusters are located in the rear of the main engine housing. Two additional thrusters are located on the wings. The wing thrusters are primarily used for slower-than-light travel within star systems. The Model: The project started in 2000 and got put on the back-burner many times until I decided to finish it for the Battlewagons contest this year. My initial inspiration came from studying many of the models from Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars. My goal was to produce something with a similar level of detail and size of a studio model. I wanted the ship to be somewhat generic in scale and look- something that could fit into most any story line. With little modification, the model could look like a freighter, a carrier, or a battle cruiser (as in this case with the addition of some sizable weaponry!). The model measures right at 5 feet long and has a single mounting point at the bottom. The model is so big, that I had to make the stand out of an old coffee table, a heavy metal pipe, and a pipe-flange bolted to the table. Structure: The model is made up of an 80s-vintage GI-Joe Defiant space shuttle (front end), some PVC fittings (the 'tanks' and engines), and Sintra sheet plastic (rear engine housing, wings). Parts from more than a dozen kits were used to detail the model- several Klingon BOP kits, a Star Wars Virago, two X-wings, some armor kits, and many more that I can't remember. One particular part of the Klingon BOP kit looked great for the wing-engines, but it would have required over 8 kits. I ended up making a mold and pulling all I needed in polyester resin. |
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The PVC 'tanks' are foam filled for strength. The entire model has interior access should I decide to add lights one day (that's another project in itself!) Design: The design process of the model was long and frustrating at times- I started with the front module, the tanks, and the engine section- but I wasn't there yet. While I wanted a linear look, it was a bit TOO long and skinny. It needed something more to give more bulk to the design, so I added the wings- the model was taking shape. I liked the shape of the wings, but it didn't makes sense for a large spacecraft to have such structures. I added the engine assemblies to justify the wings, and it was just what I needed to balance out the design. Finally I had a design I was happy with. After that, it was just a matter of adding detail (kitbashed) parts and painting. I chose colors similar to the gray neutral tones used on many of the Star Wars and Galactica studio models. Scale: As the model evolved, it seemed to fit into the range of 1/72 to 1/144 scale. At 5 feet, the model feels 'big' when you see it in person, so any smaller scale wouldn't seem logical. Going with this idea of scale, I added appropriately-sized windows in the cockpit area. Once again, the scale remains a bit ambiguous by design. Kits used:
Materials used:
Colors:
Image: Top view Image: A sense of scale Image: Port side Image: Mid section detailing Image: Engineering/drive section Image: Rear perspective |
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This page was last updated 4 April 2002