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Lunar Cruiser WIP: now Finished!

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Rocketeer
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Lunar Cruiser WIP: now Finished!

#1 Post by Rocketeer »

I thought I’d share some pictures of my latest project. This started out as a Glencoe Blimp perched atop the engine section of a Moebius Convair NEV, but things changed along the way. Now the concept is a sort of giant “cruise ship” for lunar tourists, circa 1957 or so, in “N” scale.

We start with a couple of the trucks from the Revell Teracruzer with Mace Missile:

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Then a scratchbuilt frame to connect them:

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A blimp with a couple holes cut in it and an N-scale railroad observation car bubble grafted onto the top:

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Then we pile it all precariously together, and here’s what emerges:

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The control cabin is made from another NEV part:

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When it’s finished, it’ll have a full interior and lights. Still plenty more work to do!
Last edited by Rocketeer on March 10th, 2019, 6:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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tidroplane
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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#2 Post by tidroplane »

That looks really cool, can't wait to see more!
Dave Hawley

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#3 Post by Scooke123 »

:like
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Rocketeer
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A quick fabrication tip

#4 Post by Rocketeer »

One of the things that makes the Glencoe Blimp such a good basis is that the entire outside is covered with a grid of raised panel lines, which makes it a cinch to get things straight and square. I wanted to add two circular bulkheads inside the body. First I located where I wanted the bulkheads to be. Then to get them straight inside the body, I drilled three 0.035" holes along one of the very convenient gridlines, then glued in short lengths of styrene rod.

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The rods stick out inside the hull and give the bulkhead something to sit on, nice and straight and aligned.

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When the time comes, I'll just nip off the protruding bits of rod and sand them flush.

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#5 Post by kevtk135 »

Nice WIPs! And finally some praise for raised panel lines. LOL ;) They certainly do come in handy in cases like this.
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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#6 Post by Rocketeer »

Last week I went to visit my friend King of Greeblies for a few days, and we got a lot of modeling done. The Lunar Cruiser is coming along; it now has a horizontal fin/strake, a VistaDome, a green windshield on the control deck, and another fuel/oxygen tank. Right now I'm working on the internal decks, which is complicated by having to figure out how I'm going to assemble the whole thing, including routing the wiring, once it's painted. Anyway, here's a pic of how it stands this morning:

Image

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#7 Post by kevtk135 »

:like
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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#8 Post by Rocketeer »

I have the three decks cut and fitted; now it's time to start on the interior walls. Including the elevator shaft, which is a piece of 1/2" plastic tube which will slip from below up through a hole in each deck. When the Cruiser comes to a halt, the elevator shaft telescopes down between the trucks to touch the lunar surface, not unlike the one on the flying saucers from Earth vs the Flying Saucers.

My LEDs have arrived from Evan Designs, so now I've got to start thinking about their mounting and wiring. The control cabin will have three green LEDs behind a 0.005" white styrene diffuser screen. I'll glue some N-scale figures in front of the screen as shadow casters. The control cabin windshield Is a piece of green transparent plastic from a pill bottle, supplied by my friend King of Greeblies.

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#9 Post by Dale Stringer »

This is awesome, got my popcorn....
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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#10 Post by Foo fighter »

Okay- this is really cool!
In space, no one can hear you scream.

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#11 Post by Scooke123 »

Nice progress!!
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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#12 Post by Rocketeer »

Still progressing on this project. I'm just about ready to assemble the control cabin. Here's a couple pictures of it showing the light diffuser screen and the shadow-casting figures. (The round thing with three holes is a headlight.)

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And here are the interior walls, which still need to be dressed with doorways, etc. But they fit properly, which took some doing. :)

Image

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tidroplane
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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#13 Post by tidroplane »

Looking good!
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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#14 Post by Rocketeer »

Progress on this baby has been a bit sluggish, but here are some photos of the project as it now stands.

This rubber stamp is going to be a master for a nameplate. I got it from rubberstamps.net, who are pleasant to work with.

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I got out the airbrush the other day and sprayed some Createx Wicked Colors pearl yellow. I then masked and sprayed with Tamiya Gloss Aluminum and an orange mix of Createx:

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Here are the ceilings, fitted with nano LEDs for room lighting:

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And I've been casting furniture like crazy. In this tangle of bits there are pressure doors, couches, armchairs, round tables, and three or four toilets:

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#15 Post by Foo fighter »

This is soooo cool. Love the color choices too.
In space, no one can hear you scream.

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#16 Post by Trekkriffic »

This is amazing! Glad I read it! Her shape and color reminds me of the Planet Express rocketship.

BTW... I think I do see a toilet in that last image.

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#17 Post by Rocketeer »

Thanks, guys! The toilets are the old type with the tank high up on the wall.

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#18 Post by Trekkriffic »

Rocketeer wrote:Thanks, guys! The toilets are the old type with the tank high up on the wall.
That's great! Old school toilets for an old school 50's tour bus. Nice touch!

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#19 Post by Rocketeer »

Had an inspiration and got out the orange paint again. Looks much more Deco now!

Image

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Re: Lunar Cruiser WIP

#20 Post by tidroplane »

Wow! Really looks amazing, really liking the colors you chose. Cant wait to see it done!
Dave Hawley

Listen to them, children of the night, what music they make!

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