The Battlestar Galactica Moebius SHOULD have given us.

[Eagle-1]

 
Hello everyone!

I know it's an old kit now, but would there be any interest in yet one more Moebius original series Battlestar Galactica build?  I have one "in progress" and if y'all are interested, I could post a few things along my way?

I'm sure everyone knows the one I'm speaking of, but in case anyone doesn't, here the one I mean.

Rob.

[Galactican]

Yo, I'm a Galactican, so go for it, please!

[Bass-T]

Yep, would be nice to see some of your wip-pics 🤓

[Eagle-1]

   
Well, alright then!

Of course, I bought this YEARS ago when it came out, like many of y'all did and stuck them away because I knew I wanted to maybe add a few details. I've dug out one of those old Moebius Battlestar Galactica kits and have started whittlin' on it. My intentions are just to add or modify to what is already there that we saw on the studio model. I checked a few threads but I didn't see very many that have actually modified the kit other than aftermarket parts? My attempts at "upgrading" won't include aftermarket parts, just changes or corrections (as I can) to what's on the kit already.

Anyone built this lately or know of folks who have modified their builds?



I started with the nose piece. As I said, my plans are to strictly do what I can to add some detail to what's already there. Here, I've added a little detail and modified some already there. Many who have this kit or have seen it already know everything here is very small. In many posts, I'll have the unmodified model pictured to help show whatever I'm attempting. I would really appreciate feedback, criticism or observations as I go along here.

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[Eagle-1]

 
 I'll sorta be working from the front to the rear, so I've modified the ramp along the nose that leads up to the bridge. Compared to the studio model, this area needed some changes. I removed this ramp and raised it to about what it looks like on the studio model. I've also added a little detail to that area. 


 

[Eagle-1]

 

As seen in that last image, I have also modified that tank just behind the bridge. I have made even more corrections to that area.  Here are the pictures I mentioned and the modifications I've made to the bridge. There is a great deal of work that can still be done to this bridge. 




 



 



 

[Eagle-1]

 
I've continued working toward the rear of the model. There is a tank hull just behind the bridge that needed some tweaks, so I tweaked it! It's very prominent looking at the model and didn't have very much detail at all. I ended up adding a fair amount of detail on this piece and actually opened it up and added some detail under it, like the studio model has.

Here's UN-modified...




Here's what I've done. I think it's better? 


 

[Eagle-1]

   

Just a little farther towards the rear, there are a couple of circles that are suppose to be a set of tank engine grill vents. Just a little farther towards the rear, there are a couple of circles that are suppose to be a set of tank engine grill vents. I figured what are suppose to be tank grills should LOOK like tank grills. A tough fix for sure, but I think this'll work? Looks better to me. I hope I sorta got the hang of this... There's another set at the engine section.

Again, UN-modified kit piece: What I came up with:




 





Now, if some of this looks wonky or not exactly cleaned up properly yet, it may well beNow, if some of this looks wonky or not exactly cleaned up properly yet, it may well be. Anyone who's seen or got this already knows, I'm whittlin' on some mighty tiny pieces, so keep this in mind when you say "THAT LOOKS LIKE SH.... CRAP ROB!" Of course, I still want to HEAR what anyone thinks needs something, but I will and have been tidying along the way. I'm also adding little details along the way to the rear.


As always, comments, criticism, suggestions and questions are ALWAYS welcome with me folks.



Rob

[Eagle-1]

 
Next, the domes on the mid section. We all know they ain't no raised detail on them domes on the studio model. These had to go. I actually removed those domes from the model, shaved 'em down smooth and then added back some scribe lines. I added detail to the forward dome and on the rear dome, I re-made all the detail. I beveled the areas around the domes as the studio model has, added the domes back and added a little more detail as best I could. Here's one of the instances where they look a little rougher zoomed way in as than they do actual size, so like I said, cut me a little slack, maybe. Along with the dome modifications, I've revised some of the detail around the area of the domes too, again, to more closely match the studio model.


 

 

 

[Eagle-1]

 
I then moved a little more toward the rear and added some, in my opinion, much needed detail. Here's bone stock... 



Here's what I was able to add/change. I think it helps?... 

[Eagle-1]

 

Moving just a little more toward the rear-er, here I came across the first parts I replaced instead of just enhanced. I did some enhancing too, but it was easier to replace a couple of these rather than trying to modify them. Here's how they turned out.

And, here again, compared to the stock kit part. 

 

 

 

 

 



As before, I'm thinking it's looking better?

[Eagle-1]

 
With that last modification, I came across some reference material of the original filming Battlestar Galactica as it was filmed, so I had to remove and re-do some of this.  Apparently, the original Galactica was modified for another film AND plenty kit parts fell off, or were knocked off, over the years.

[Eagle-1]

 

At this point, I backed up a little toward the front. That gun battery at the rear of the head section needed some attention.  I think this looks WAY better than the little lump of plastic on the original kit.
 

 

 

 

[Eagle-1]

 
The original to show what was there.

[Eagle-1]

 
Here's one of the references I'm using for these modifications.  This is the Galactica as it was filmed for the series.

[Eagle-1]

 
Heading back towards the engines, there are more parts on the studio model that aren't included in this kit.  

Such as this:

[Eagle-1]

 
Doing some research, I found that those pieces are from a TAMIYA 1/12th Ferrari kit.

Like this:

[Eagle-1]

 
Using the information I found, I set about scratch building some appropriate parts, in scale with this Moebius kit.

They turned out to be TINY!  Now, I have them shown on an American dime (10 cent piece) and just for reference for anyone who might not realize what size a "dime" is, it's 17.70 MM.  Also, there are a couple engine bells from the good old AIRFIX 1/144 Saturn V model rocket kit.  I decided to scratch a few of those to replace the ones on the Moebius kit that have a little better detail.

I think they turned out alright?

[Eagle-1]

 
Here's what they ended up looking like on the kit.  I can live with that!

[Eagle-1]

 
Ok, for anyone interested in what I'm doing, I'll continue...

At this point, once I started to have to scratch build things and they were seemingly adding better detail, I decided to take it a little farther.

As anyone with this kit knows, although a good kit, it lacks detail seen on the original filming model.  Adding some of the details I've done made me want to improve the engine section too.  There is a great deal of detail on the Galactica filming model that really stand out and I wanted some of that on this Moebius, which meant I would have to modify numerous individual items.

Here again, is the stock kit engine section:

[Eagle-1]

 
As seen on that "box stock" kit part, there is detail that could be added to more closely match what we saw "on-screen".

Here is what I wanted to try and replicate.

[Eagle-1]

 
As can be seen in those above photos, there is quite a bit of detail on the studio Galactica that Moebius didn't seperate very well.  I think this is an area that really needs more detail and instead of modifying a few pieces here and there, I decided to do this:

[Eagle-1]

 
Now, doing that means I'll need to build back most of the engine section.  As I said at the beginning, I also want to keep as much of the original plastic as possible too, so that is why you see all the parts from the engine section separated in the above picture.  There would be, however, several new parts that would be needed now that they needed to be individual parts, so I made some vac-formed pieces to help in making these replacement parts.  These were made from several general shapes, such as appropriate sized tools (sockets), rods and hand carved wooden pieces.  Just some general round, pointy, and shaped pieces to work with.

[Eagle-1]

 
U sing the new vac-formed pieces and the parts I actually removed earlier, I started rebuilding this engine section.

[Eagle-1]

 
I think it started looking much better already!  What y'all think about it?

As I've said before, questions, concerns, critique, comments...  ALL are welcomed.