WIPs, BIG Models for Starship Gaming, and a Really Big Space Station....

As the title says, this is a continuation of the last installment, a WIP Part Deux of my mad project of adapting a 1/1000 scale Garmillas dreadnought to use as a Silent Death destroyer class warship, a really big kitbashed orbital station for use in same, plus some other large models for use in this classic space fighter combat game!

So, for you consideration Dear Readers, we begin with that Gaiderol-class battlewagon I'm transforming into a heavy destroyer bristling with torpedo tubes:

Impressive beastie, neh? Next up, some more of the Yamato-verse, specifically the old EDF cruiser model repurposed as a Silent Death Warhound:

Yes, that is the kitbashed orbital platform I just finished, and the smaller escort vessel if the new Yamato Mecha Colle Garmillas Warship mini kit from the new Yamato 2199 series. Interestingly enough, the exchange rate at the moment between the U.S. Dollar and the Yen is such that the older EDF cruiser model kit is not much more expensive than the newer and smaller Mecha Colle kit, and the prices are seriously low, with the EDF cruiser being less than $5.00, while the smaller, newer Garmillas ship is around $3.00 at the moment. The fighter miniature in the foreground is a Silent Death: The Next Millennium "Death Wind" TPAC ("Two Person Attack Conveyance," which is SD:TNM-speak for "two seater space fighter").

As for that kitbashed orbital station...

I used some old Zoid parts, two plastic cosmetic jar lids, assorted toy parts including some old Buck Rogers boardgame energy cannon pieces, a large plastic sequin for a radar dish, various plastic rhinestones, and a few model parts to build this orbiting abomination up. I specifically built it around a large plastic bead I placed on a standard plastic flight base, then added parts around it until I reached the final form. After spray priming it flat black, I painted the whole contraption by hand with water based acrylic craft paints, some decals from the spares box, and a shot of Testor's Dullcote. The fighter miniature in the second photo is a "Sorenson III" class patrol TPAC, shown here finished in the colors of one of the semi-regular militia fighter units of the Unkulunkulu Archipelago Defense Forces. The overall colors are cribbed from the pre-WW2 U.S. Navy's Neutrality Patrol colors used on carrier-based fighter aircraft, with the Rastafarian wing flashes of my Unkulunkulu fighter unit, a hodge-podge of types of ships ranging from small single-seaters to several heavy gunboats.

I freely admit that I shamelessly draw from actual history for inspiration in selecting paint schemes for my sci-fi projects, and my rather hefty collection of Silent Death fighters and such is no exception. If you get stuck on colors for your project, break out some books on historical military vehicles or aircraft. Remember: "Talents create," wrote Oscar Wilde, and "...geniuses steal!"

Next Installment: The Gaiderol finished (and other mischief).