If there is one feature of the Eagle Transporter that draws the eye, then it is the command module or ‘beak’ of the craft, so let’s start there.
Just to give you an idea of the size of this model, above is the beak next to the Airfix 1:72 version.
The beak assembles in two halves, clearly the window apertures will prevent a clear view of the cockpit, although the rear bulkhead wall is quite well detailed, I don’t think it will be worth ‘going to town’ on super detailing.
Two astronaut pilot figures are supplied in a seated position and will show up well with their classic orange spacesuit and yellow helmet, although no visor is supplied.
Lets have a look at some of the main sprues and some of the detail, all very nicely done in my opinion.
The sprue gates are quite heavy, so you will need to take care removing the part from the sprue.
I read on one of the resource sites that the original models made use of some Airfix Saturn V parts for details. Low and behold this is true……….can you recognise it?
The two halves of the Apollo Moon lander, if I hadn’t been told I would have never twigged this one. ☺
The landing gear sprues in gray also sport some fine detail, but some parts are quite thin so I will have to watch out for those during the build.
Clear parts
The clear parts are free of any distortion, however only the two upper cockpit windows are kept transparent and the windows for the cargo/passenger pod are typically blacked out. However if you were going to scratch build an interior, I guess you could leave them alone. No interior detail is supplied in the kit and for this project I am not going to take this on.
Instructions & decals
Instructions are a single large fold out sheet printed on both sides in the standard exploded view format.
The decal sheet contains the various stencilling and markings, plus all the background areas of the model which you could choose to paint black.
For the size of the kit I can foresee having to supplement the decals in some measure, to busy things up a bit. This is after all a fantasy subject and unless you are a true purest diehard fan of the series, I think there can be much artistic license involved.
Conclusion…
Well what can I say, having waited a long time to get my hands on one of these it’s going to jump to the head of the queue for building (keep an eye out in SMN’s What’s New and Sc-Fi/Fantasy-Build Now for that :) GC ). From an objective viewpoint the kit does not disappoint, clearly this will build into an impressive model of a model, one that will adorn any collection with pride of place.
There is a plethora of information on both the Eagle Transporter and the TV series available on the internet for any modeller to research your build. With a longstanding fan base, there are dedicated websites and forums for you to explore. All episodes can be found on YouTube and even a fascinating documentary on the making of the original TV series.
One particularly good resource can be found on that well known social media :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/space1999propsandships
Checkout the multitude of available files to help with your build.
Watch this space (excuse the pun) for the build, coming to galaxy not so very far away very soon.
Mick S.
SMN Quick summary Star rating out of 5
| FEATURE | STAR RATING (out of five) |
|---|---|
| Quality of moulding | **** |
| Accuracy | ***** |
| Instructions | **** |
| Decals | **** |
| Value for money | **** |
| Subject choice | ***** |
| Overall | **** |