Traveller - The Model

[Patron Zero]

I recently e-mailed Allen Ury of Fantastic Plastic and asked had any models based on Traveller starships ever been discussed, specifically I mentioned the Type S Scout/Courier.

I attached several links to deck plans of the Type S to best illustrate the ship and suggested the model be available in 1/72 or 1/100 scale. Also mentioned a lift-off upper hull to reveal interior details would be most welcome to Traveller referees and players alike.

So should other interested parties contact him and show the potential market for model kits of Traveller vessels in resin or styrene, perhaps in 2011 we might find ourselves holding a Type S Scout/Courier in our non-virtual hands !

His reply is posted below.


"....We've gotten requests for several designs based on videogame craft, but the overlap between model builders and videogame players is a pretty thin one. It's great you were able to get so much data on Type S. I'll give it closer study.

- Allen....."

FantasticPlast@aol.com

 

[HG_B]

His reply is posted below.


"....We've gotten requests for several designs based on videogame craft, but the overlap between model builders and videogame players is a pretty thin one. It's great you were able to get so much data on Type S. I'll give it closer study.

- Allen....."

FantasticPlast@aol.com

Interesting. Does he think Trav is a video game?

 

[Gray Lensman]

Interesting!

I Could Really Get Into Purchasing some Plastic Models of Certain Craft.

IF THE QUALITY WAS REALLY GOOD!

One question tho, what about scale?

Should we perhaps persue this with the company?

 

[sabredog]

1/72nd scale would be best for miniatures. An enormous range of them is out there in that scale.

 

[aramis]

1/72nd scale would be best for miniatures. An enormous range of them is out there in that scale.

In which scale, a 37.5x24x7.5m Sulieman is 52.1cm x 33cm x 10.5cm... almost 2' long, a foot wide, and 5" tall...

Big honking model.

There are no shortage of moderns, tho', and WWII, in that scale.

 

[Patron Zero]

.....In which scale, a 37.5x24x7.5m Sulieman is 52.1cm x 33cm x 10.5cm... almost 2' long, a foot wide, and 5" tall.....

Maybe model train N scale (1/160) or HO scale (1/87) might work, there's always the popular large aviation model of 1/144 too.

Lots and lots of readily available things to dress out a spaceport or simply fill a ship with crew and freight.

Pardon my not listing the URL for Fantastic Plastic's website, the bottom two links show model spacecraft with cutaway details..

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/CONVAIR SPACE SHUTTLE PAGE.htm

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/REVELL MOON SHIP PAGE.htm

 

[aramis]

Maybe model train N scale (1/160) or HO scale (1/87) might work, there's always the popular large aviation model of 1/144 too.

1/160: 23.4 x 15 x 4.7 cm

1/87: 43.1 x 27.6 x 8.6 cm

1/144: 26.0 x 16.7 x 5.2 cm

 

[far-trader]

I wonder what the issues would be getting it licensed? Seems to me the minis are in a bit of a legal limbo at the moment iirc. Could make any such ideas difficult to see through.

And of course there are alternatives...

...Adrian's fine work here:


The ship:
http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~adrian/miscpics/scout2_small.jpg

With the top removed so 15mm miniatures can go aboard:
http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~adrian/miscpics/scout3_small.jpg

View through the aft airlock into the engine room:
http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~adrian/miscpics/scout4_small.jpg


Or this one here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070711054017/www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/8426/traveller/typej.html

(DRAT!! The pics seem broken They were ok a couple weeks ago. They were also sweet. Maybe they'll come back... )


Of course it takes some time and extra work

 

[Cryton]

Love it! How much time did it take to assemble? And are you going to do drop in trays for the upper deck crawl-ways or lower cargo area?

 

[far-trader]

Love it! How much time did it take to assemble? And are you going to do drop in trays for the upper deck crawl-ways or lower cargo area?

You'll have to wait for Adrian to drop in and answer that (I think he has an account here... ). Or pop over to the MGT forums and ask in the thread here:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=44469

As for the other one, I seem to recall letting the creator know I liked it and had linked it here some years back, but I don't recall if they popped in to comment or not.

 

[Cryton]

Thanx I think I will!

 

[Patron Zero]

Seeker

Found a Seeker variant of a Scout/Courier at the link below.

http://www.bitsuk.net/files/10f40acfa1b997b8db996b76a696eacc-97.php

 

[far-trader]

Nice find Patron Zero, that might even be the one the chap was looking for in the thread over on Mongoose. I'll drop a note there with it for you.

 

[navanod]

Digging around a little bit, it seems he also did one of a liner last year, along with some other images I turned up.

Dragonmeet Post-Con Report - http://www.bitsuk.net/files/archive-2009.php

http://www.bitsuk.net/files/page0_blog_entry93_2.jpg
http://www.bitsuk.net/files/page0_blog_entry93_1.jpg

Might have to try something similar...it would make a decent winter project.

 

[far-trader]

More cool stuff, thanks for the digging and linking navanod

I agree, might make a good winter project. Looks like it's just foam core poster board, you think? That'd make it light, inexpensive, and very easy to work for flat panels. It also looks like the Ad Astra liner was made with overlapped slots for easy take down. Another good idea to work with.

 

[Patron Zero]

Myself, I'd be content if a laser-cut cardstock paper model of a Type S scout/courier were available, that might bring down the cost of production considerably enough for such to be a viable endeavor to a small 'publishing' house.

 

[Spinward Scout]

I've thought about this, and with all of the CGI work people have done, you could take a .dxf wireframe of a Scout/Courier to a plastic machining and fabrication company. I don't know the cost involved, tho.

 

[navanod]

More cool stuff, thanks for the digging and linking navanod

I agree, might make a good winter project. Looks like it's just foam core poster board, you think? That'd make it light, inexpensive, and very easy to work for flat panels. It also looks like the Ad Astra liner was made with overlapped slots for easy take down. Another good idea to work with.

Yeah, foam core would work dandy, especially for a layout like he has for the liner with just the interior walls and floor deck. I wonder how hard it would be to come up with a set of templates that one could upload as a pdf and others could download, transfer, and cut out? I've got little to no experience with pdf printing and scaling issues, so don't know if that would be doable or not.

The way he set up the liner is pretty slick, simple, and effective. Something like that would be a lot easier than his scout (although looking at that makes me seriously want to take a stab at doing something similar). My only real concern is long term survivability (I've got kids and dogs), and I'm not sure I want to invest that much time in something made out of foam board. That and the fact foam board wouldn't work so good with complex 3d curves (any of the traders, or a Broadsword). Any ideas what would work better?

 

[far-trader]

Cheaper option I briefly looked into some years back but never followed through on was some paper modeling software.

http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/

Seemed pretty good and iirc could take some 3D models and translate them. Maybe somebody has the energy to do what I wanted. Talk some of the artists who've done good stuff with Traveller ships and vehicles, get Marc on board, and release pepakura models.

 

[far-trader]

Yeah, foam core would work dandy, especially for a layout like he has for the liner with just the interior walls and floor deck...

...foam board wouldn't work so good with complex 3d curves (any of the traders, or a Broadsword). Any ideas what would work better?

The Broadsword would be easy done the way the Liner was. Each deck as flat horizontal circles, maybe some flat verticals as circular through cuts to hold it together (4? one for each quadrant). Other complicated shapes like the Beowulf would have to be done the same. For something with more strength and complicated curves you'd have to go with making molds to cast plastic resin and/or bending plastic panels. Lots of scratch builders do all the time.

The problem with having a company make a resin cast model is the cost. And then of course the price. It won't be cheap, not less than $100 per model I'd guess. More if you want details or a large scale. Last I looked into it anyway, which was a couple years or more so maybe prices have come down.

I even looked into a prototype 3D printer kit, as it looked to be a bit cheaper for large volumes of smallish parts.

There's ways and means, if you have money and energy to get set up, work out the legals, run herd the artists, and loose your shirt at the end of the day All for the glory and fame of producing Traveller minis/models. Not to discourage anyone, but it's a long shot that you'll break even, never mind get rich.