Moebius Voyager |
| By Randy Kloko |
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The Moebius Voyager represents a vehicle from the animated series Fantastic Voyage. I never saw the series. As for the model, I saw the original version in an Aurora catalog circa 1969, and nowhere else. What stuck in my mind was the design. Best—T-Tail—ever! When my favorite hobby shop went under just before Christmas, this was the last thing I grabbed off the shelf. It's a little out of my line (I'd gone in for an Airfix BAC 1-11) but I figured it was about time to submit a legitimate sci-fi subject to SM. This was my first Moebius kit, and all the good things I've heard about them were borne out. It's molded in white and flash-free. There was no problem with parts fitting, outside of crew figurines who were reluctant to sit in their seats. A little arm-twisting (i.e. re-positioning) took care of that. As I've gotten older, I've gravitated more towards desktop models simply because I've lost patience with landing gear and cockpit interiors. The Voyager has no gear, but it does have a lot of interior. I stifled the urge paint the canopies Tamiya Sky Blue and had at it. A person given to doing interiors could make a really nice job of it. An after-market lighting kit and set of decals are available. The crew figures look a tad small for 1/72, but not small enough for 1/96. There are four interior areas, including a bubble turret, and they just scream out for super-detailing. White planes are boring. I built three XB-70's, two X-3's and a Concorde, and not one of them wound up with its prescribed whiteness. The only decal included is a label for the Aurora-style display stand, and what I had on hand for paint and markings didn't look promising. |
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Then I remembered painting an XB-70 to resemble a Norwegian air force insignia, thereby making the whole plane into a marking (it's in the Reader's Gallery under Norsk Valkyrie - you could look it up). So I consulted the almanac for another flag. I didn't have to look far to find the Bahamas. A microscopic voyager for a miniscule nation! And when I went to Krylonland for colors, what should I find but a plentiful, cheap supply of Bahamian Sea and Bauhaus Gold? It was pre-ordained! If you're looking for a kit that you can add greeblies to, this is the one. The wings are featureless, and the trailing edge blocklike. There are two extra intakes with no outlets, so I added two sets of nozzles from an Airfix Concorde to break up the blank space. I could imagine someone with a really deep parts box going to town on an improvised build-up. This kit is a really enjoyable build, especially for those of us who cut our teeth on Aurora kits. It was nice to relive that experience. May the gods of commerce bless Moebius for hauling the Voyager back from oblivion. | |
