The Meteoris was made originally for the Sci-Fan model contest, in Seattle, in October. The model is of a racing rocket, based on the 1939 pulp story THE HABIT, by Lester Del Ray.

The Meteoris is a racing rocket, entered in the 8-day rocket race from Mars, around Jupiter, and back. The owner and pilot's father died, making the 'ultimate racing rocket' out of a salvaged UN Space Service scout, with a life-pod for the cockpit and nose. Sadly, he died before he could finish it and actually enter the race, so his son scraped together enough money to patch it together and enter the race. Lacking a corporate sponsor, the Meteoris looks a little shabby, with it's bare-metal patches, faded original paint, and more then a few dents and scratches. While not the prettiest ship on the race course, the Meteoris has one advantage, it's decommissioned, Military spec. Atomic drive engine. Not even the corporate sponsors had one of those, even ATOMIC FUELS.

When I started this project, I decided to make it true to the flavor of the story. To that end, I endeavored to make it look like something from the 1939 view of the future. Before any other details where decided on, I HAD to use the off-center nose of a 1/48th scale HE. 111 bomber. The nose of the rocket is a life pod, so instead of a sleek point, the nose has an emergency hatch, and off-set so the pilot can see where it's going.

The rocket is mostly made out of two kits, a 1/48th scale HE. 111 bomber, and a 1/32nd scale Mig 21. I liked the airframe and wings of the Mig 21, but had to use a larger scale fighter kit, to be the same size as the bomber. When I made the lower part of the rocket, I cut open several inspection hatches and detailed the jet engine from the fighter kit, as an atomic rocket engine, with gold foil on the lower parts and added wiring and other details.

The nose also has an open inspection hatch, showing the navigation sensor. Not as visible as I would like, the cockpit has an after-market flight chair for the Jupiter 2, and parts of an F-15 cockpit for flight controls.

After basic construction, I added numerous plastic strips, and flat bits for patches, especially to show where the life pod is attached to the scout body. As an afterthought, I added stubby wings to the nose, to be part of the original life pod. Like the rest fo the life pod, the wings don't look natural to the over all shape of the rocket.

The exterior of the rocket is mostly painted in slate blue, to represent faded color of the space navy scout, while the nose is still the yellow of the life pod, albeit faded from sitting in the Martian desert for months. After the basic colors, I gave the whole thing a silver dry brushing, to give it the worn look, followed by a white wash to fade everything. Last, I brushed on charcoal, to weather it, adding the natural soot and scorching that a well-used space ship would naturally acquire. All in all, it's an ugly model, and looks like it belongs in a junk yard, but I'm proud of it and wish my camera could do the details justice.

Incidentally, for the Sci-Fan contest, the entry was supposed to be accompanied by a short story describing the racing rocket. In my story, the Meteoris basically fried it's engine trying to win, then ended up breaking up and crashing on Mars. Since the rocket had a life pod, the pilot separated from the disintegrating rocket and crash-landed safely, just barely in first place.

Image: Top/right view

Image: Upper half

Image: Lower half

Image: Front/left

Image: Peeking in the cockpit