Cadet #25 Moebius 1/32 Battlestar Galactica Viper Mk VII

[Johno]

I am entering the pan galactic battlefield of model mania with the Moebius 1/32 Battlestar Galactica Viper Mk VII with the green strawberry fruit pack of photo etch as well as some assorted led lights to power her to the stars.


hopefully i will finish this one as my last couple builds fairly sapped my mojo and my will to compete them. But i am pretty excited about this one. I am going to be attempting many firsts on this build, it will be my first sci-fi kit, my first go at photo etch and my first time attempting to light up a kit so wish me luck.

A little about the Viper Mk VII
Overview
Capable of atmospheric flight, the Mark VII is the front-line variant of the Viper design, retaining the Mark II's general layout but adding fully integrated avionics that provide superior battle management and flight information for the pilot.

Ironically, it is this incorporation of new integrated systems that prevents the majority of Mark VIIs from being effective during the Cylon attack: as with the majority of Colonial Fleet, the Mark VIIs suffer fatal computer system failures on contact with Cylon forces. Thanks to a Cylon agent's relationship with Dr. Gaius Baltar, scientist and programmer of the navigation software project, the navigational software in use on board most Colonial Fleet vessels contains back-doors that allow the Cylons to infiltrate a vessel's computers by wireless signals and to disable its power systems. Though this problem can be overcome by removing the navigational upgrade compromised by the Cylons, the information is not discovered in time to benefit the surprised and hard-pressed Colonial forces.

Being a single-seat craft, it mounts three forward-facing kinetic energy weapons (KEW). In addition, it possesses hard-points beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance.


Happy hunting fellow modellers, so say we all!

[Johno]

Here are the sprue shots, overall a fairly simple kit, good deep panel lines and sturdy plastic, lacking in detail in the cockpit and landing gear bays but the photo etch kits will definitely make up for that.



a small decal sheet with several pilot scheme options

[Johno]

The instructions leave a bit to be desired, granted it is a pretty basic kit but rather than giving visual instructions on how to assemble they basically show a picture of the various parts and then give written instruction on how to assemble them.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Woaho Nelly!!
What a set up
This is gonna be an awesome build

[TommyKillander]

Wow!

That will be a sweet build, good luck


Tommy

[Tomcat64]

Awesome - looking forward to seeing all that photo etch and lighting come together

That's an interesting approach to the instructions though... here's some parts, and here's how they should look when you fitted them...

[Gary30]

Now this is just cool, what else can you say?!

[jmurphy18]

Awesome looking Viper Dude!!

[Johno]

Here are the photo etch sets, some great detail on them, they do seem a tad thin but i really have no experience with photo etch so they may be a normal thickness.

This is the landing gear and engine set


here is the cockpit and exterior set


it came with these printed sheets for the hud and various screens, one printed on paper one printed on clear plastic to put lighting behind.

[Johno]

And so it begins! First step on this build is assembling the photo etch cockpit and i am really loving all the little details on this set. first was the pan at the bottom for the pedals and there was a surprising amount to do for such a tiny thing, little metal wires set on top of recessed detail all set into little recess and the end result is very nice.


then it was on to the main cockpit tub which first required doing the arm rest sides, which have some pretty nice little details. i am saving all the little screen panels with the clear plastic screens to be lit till after painting. I plan on soldering the whole assembly for strength and to give it a clean look but for now i am just using bitty little dabs of CA glue to kind of tack it together to solder it later, unfortunately i am waiting on my little soldering kit to come in the mail so this is as far as i will go for now but i am very pleased with the result so far.

[jmurphy18]

Build looks cool! Love this etched parts kit you have

[Hawkmoon]

Nice start and looking good.

[Modelfreek]

I have one of these in the stash, looking forward to seeing what you do with this one.

[Tomcat64]

Very tidy PE work in the cockpit already - nice going

[kiwigav]

Very cool kit. Keen on doing one of those at some point, so very interested on how the build goes

[Johno]

So small update here, first before soldering i had to drill a holes at the front of the cockpit for the leds that would go behind the main console



then on to soldering and i learned i am not a professional solderer. I think the fact i am using a cheap soldering kit and used the solder and flux that came with the kit may have played a part in the job but i think lack of experience was really the thing, but it got done and though it looks rough on the outside it looks fine where it counts on the inside.

[Johno]

Next up was the main console and this is where i learned that photo etch can be really fiddly and delicate as i broke off these two little side pieces and they were extremely hard to end up getting glued into place right.


but eventually all was glued and then went on to priming all the pieces


now you may notice these small holes in the side panel in the cockpit. In prepping for prime the tiny button strips that went down there came off and as they were super hard to get down i decided to drill small holes to make lighted buttons, they did come out bigger than i thought they would but i am planning on putting little colored buttons on to light up using clear plastic pieces that i will color with the transparent paints i have and i think it will look good in the end.


next i went on to starting to get the plastic pieces for the screens ready by using transparent paints to color the different screens to be lit up. So far just did the main hud display. Using tamiya clear blue and clear green and transparent yellow and red from model master. I really love the tamiya clears i think they are definitely superior to the model master but both ended up looking good though.

[digger303]

then on to soldering and i learned i am not a professional solderer. I think the fact i am using a cheap soldering kit and used the solder and flux that came with the kit may have played a part in the job but i think lack of experience was really the thing, but it got done and though it looks rough on the outside it looks fine where it counts on the inside.

Your solder job doesn't look as bad as you think. Probably used more solder than you need is all.
The main thing when soldering is all the surfaces must be really clean including the soldering iron's tip and use flux where ever you want the solder to go. The third is getting the heat right for the mass of the material you want to solder.
Tricks a long the way is to use a heat sink to stop heat going where you don't want it to go and undo all the good work already done. Also pre soldering the two pieces separately with a thin coating... cooling placing the two bits together and apply heat from the iron to melt and join both together. It is a easier process than trying to apply solder from the iron.

[bfrd]

That HUD looks so cool lit up!

[digger303]

That HUD looks so cool lit up!

Your so right and I should have said that earlier. it couldn't be any better unless you could get the radar sweeps to move...

[DBMiller]

Oh, you have to do 'Chuckles'! How can you go wrong with that call sign?

[Johno]

then on to soldering and i learned i am not a professional solderer. I think the fact i am using a cheap soldering kit and used the solder and flux that came with the kit may have played a part in the job but i think lack of experience was really the thing, but it got done and though it looks rough on the outside it looks fine where it counts on the inside.

Your solder job doesn't look as bad as you think. Probably used more solder than you need is all.
The main thing when soldering is all the surfaces must be really clean including the soldering iron's tip and use flux where ever you want the solder to go. The third is getting the heat right for the mass of the material you want to solder.
Tricks a long the way is to use a heat sink to stop heat going where you don't want it to go and undo all the good work already done. Also pre soldering the two pieces separately with a thin coating... cooling placing the two bits together and apply heat from the iron to melt and join both together. It is a easier process than trying to apply solder from the iron.

thanks for the tips

[Johno]

That HUD looks so cool lit up!

Your so right and I should have said that earlier. it couldn't be any better unless you could get the radar sweeps to move...

That HUD looks so cool lit up!

thanks guys, appreciate it.

[Johno]

Oh, you have to do 'Chuckles'! How can you go wrong with that call sign?

'Chuckles' is a good one, think i'm gonna go with 'hot dog' though

[Johno]

So finally got the various hud screens all painted and next was to tackle fixing them in their places and this started with the realization i made a mistake by fully folding and gluing the keyboard section of the main display which has two lit sections so i had to open it back up to be able to get the screens in



then i went on to make my life much more difficult then it needed to be. i had decided to use CA glue to fix the screens as opposed to white glue to ensure they stayed in place over time, now this made things really difficult since i had to get them perfectly in place and held there while i glued and it wasnt till while fixing the main screen it glued out of place and i pulled off paint trying to get it off, then it dawned on me to use pva glue to tac the screens in place then come with the ca glue to secure it fully. things went much easier after that, had a little issue with the side screens not laying flat to glue but a couple mini clips solved the issue. Then a little paint touch up and the main hud display was finished!!!!

[Johno]

Next was those little holes i had drilled in the cockpit, after much deliberation i decided to light them by taking some clear plastic packaging and cut it into little strips and paint them with the clear colors and fix them below the holes.


Next was on to the displays on the side of the cockpit, using the same method of tac with pva and securing with ca glue all went well, the only issue was they left an ugly visible edge but i used a tooth pick with some Bob smith extra thick to run along the edges to smooth them out then a light sand and some touch up paint and all was right and i think the end result of it all is pretty good.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Screens look great
Coming along gangbusters

[Johno]

So small update, while i plan my attack on the lighting placement i got a delivery. the spaceship weathering set from ammo by mig and their bluish titanium paint that i decided on for the base color


i wasnt sure if the paint was gonna be what i wanted since all the samples i saw online varied wildly, but i sprayed a couple test spoons and i could not be more pleased


it is a perfect match for my inspiration examples that i am basing my model after, a full size replica of the mk.vii


and a model based off the replica

[Twokidsnosleep]

Sweet paint..this is gonna look AWESOME!!!

[gaz45]

This is gonna look stunning

[Johno]

Ok guys next update here. Now it is on to installing the lighting, first was the lights behind the main hud display, first what i did was throw some white paint on the area behind to make sure all the little spots that would not have a light right behind them had enough ambient light to light them. this may not have been necessary but i did not want to get the lights in and wish i had done it. I also painted the metal white on the inside of the keyboard area too then installed the 4 lights.



and gave it a test to see how it looked.



next i glued some kitchen parchment paper behind all the screens and lights holes to defuse the light. And went on to installing the rest of the total of 9 leds for the cockpit.


now if you look at my test lighting of the main hud there are two spots at the corner where the keyboard meets the hud that light shines right through. now originally there were two little tabs on the photo etch that were supposed to close over these spots but they broke off almost immediately and it would have been torture to glue back so my fix was to take two dabs of epoxy putty and glob them in the spots from behind then fit the hud while it was still soft and manipulate it just right as i installed the hud, will need a little paint touch up, but here is the result.

[Johno]

Next was throwing some Ultimate black primer on the inside of the body to prevent light bleed and painted the areas that would show in the cockpit the color of the cockpit.


next was filling the gap behind the hud because i had to pace it a tad forward to fit the lights had i used tiny lights is may have gone i mostly flush and been able to be filled with just regular model putty. Unfortunately forgot to get a pic of the gap before i filled it. I had accidentally got the epoxy on the lip where the canopy was supposed to sit so took a significant amount of sanding to get it so it would sit flush.

this is the epoxy putty i used and picked it only because its what plasmo used on his build and i have never used epoxy putty so wanted to make sure i would be able to use it like he did and the stuff works great.

i noticed the back of the canopy set high making a large lip at the back so the canopy required a good bit of sanding all along the bottom get it flush to the body at the back, then smoothed and polished out the scratches and here she is setting flush, or at least as flush as im gonna get it.

[Kingdan]

That's looking super duper mate nice work

[Johno]

Here's a couple of pics of a test of all the lighting. Now if you notice the spot where i drilled the holes and put the different color clear plastic behind them i ended up putting one of the rgb flashing leds behind it and got this awesome effect of some of the colors letting the light through while others blocked it so it made this awesome flashing on and off of the colors effect. I am waiting on my plug in power source then i will post a short video of the lighting so you can see the full effects, right now i just have it all tested on a small 12v battery so there is some pulsing from it being under powered so am waiting till then to get a good video of it. And by then i should have all the touch up paint done and the seat painted and installed too.

[Kingdan]

Wow that's worked really well it'll look great once it's all done nice work

[Twokidsnosleep]

Blown away!!
Busy just now, need some time to digest this properly, but the pics of lighting are awesome

[Johno]

So next was scribing a line between the top of the hud and the rim of the cockpit be ause that top rim will be the body color, then i painted the top and finished up all my touch up in the cockpit.

[Johno]

And here is a short video of my final lighting test with my plug in power source.

[ElCapitan]

Absolutely amazing - love the control panel!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Coooooooolll!!!!!!




You deserved a special post

[Johno]

Thanks for all the positive feedback guys. So here is my next update, unfortunately I've not been as good at remembering to take pictures so i will try and explain what is missing. So it was on to getting all the wiring done first i'll show you the instructions page so you get an idea what im going to try to explain
20190601_002637~2

all my wires are running twords the nose so my initial plan was to loop them back and run them all along the sides to the section that will be open between the cockpit and the engines, then solder my connections and then put the final piece on, well not all the wires were long enough and after extending them i realized that not all the wires were going fit to run them along the sides because of the covering i had to put on the soldered connections to make the wires longer.


so what i decided to do is make my single parallel connection in the nose running a single set of wires that i will connect the engine lights to from the back and then loop the positive and negative from my parallel connection out the hole in the bottom for the stand.

this plan worked well, i forgot to get a picture of the final connection before putting the halves together but i got the connection soldered and used some epoxy putty to secure them in the nose and got the body glued together.


and then putty the seams sand them and rescribe before i added the engines and top piece because it was easier while it would lay flat


So next was getting the engines built, this took a good bit of modification to get the PE parts in and the lights in

i had to sand the inside of the tips, cut out the backing piece behind the tips than put a hole in the back to run the wires out. And before i could put them together i had to paint the PE parts because once inserted with the paper backing i could not paint them so i painted them first

put paper backing on


then more sanding to get them to fit right


then once together i had to drill a hole in the top piece that goes on top of them to fit the wire of the top engine


then solder the wires from the lights to the ones i ran form my parallel connection.


then got it all glued together and when i did this light check after all this assembly it was my greatest feeling of satisfaction of my short modelling career, this has been a ton of trying work for me and man it felt good, i felt like tom hanks on cast away when he finally lit a fire, there was much celebration.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Coool!!!

I just love Star Trek

[digger303]

Coool!!!

I just love Star Trek

ahem! do you mind Battle star Galactica

[Twokidsnosleep]

Coool!!!

I just love Star Trek

ahem! do you mind Battle star Galactica

[Johno]

Well was hoping to have it done by today but ran into issue after issue, so big thanks to the gods for the month extension. So at first things went well, got the photo etch for landing gear bays and doors done.






then got the body primed in ultimate black primer and painted in the ammo by mig bluish titanium


And this is where the troubles began, so after giving the paint over 24 hours to dry i taped it off to paint the engines and landing gear bays, but when i pulled the tape off it pulled some of the paint off, but not to the primer, just took the top layer off so it basically removed the bluish tint on a lot of spots and left all these silver patches. it really didn't photo well so no pics but suffice to say it was upsetting. so i repainted the body and didnt bother with tape just was careful with the airbrush and brush painted any little over spray on the engines and landing bays. So was back on track and still confident i would finish on time, then when i was clear coating it with alclad aqua gloss after two coats i notice a big ol hair laying across the nose already dried into the clear, FRACK!. So after drying i brought out the sanders sanded off the hair but in the process i went into the paint and made a pretty good mark in it so sprayed some paint over the spot the cleared it again and boom was back on track, still on track to finish on time, just barely.


then i just jumped right into panel line wash and it came out great, but....




as some of you might be thinking, "he forgot something didn't he", yes i frackin did, i fracking forgot the fracking decals!!! Frack! That was yesterday so instead of getting the last pieces on today and putting it on the base and wiring it up and calling it done, i am giving the enamel wash an extra day to cure, than putting on decals, now luckily i decided on just the light wash and wipe for weathering it should not be an issue plopping on the decals over it and there is only one decal that goes ove a panel line and it is black numbering so should just be able to put them on then just throw on my final coat and be good, we shall see.

[Stokesy44]

Awesome, love the lights and beautiful PE extras

[Johno]

So after getting the decals on and the landing gear bay doors on i hit it with another round of wash. Next i got the base ready, i drilled a hole in and set the plug for the power source in with epoxy putty then painted the base with Ultimate black primer.


and got it all wired up and set on the base and she is finally done.

[Kingdan]

Great colour love the lighting really nice work and well done for pushing through and finishing