Need a Viper? I can build it for you wholesale!

Apolloisall · March 29th, 2011, 11:05 AM

I've made so many Vipers recently that I feel confident in offering this service to my fellow Warriors here. If you'd like a model, but don't want to, or can't do it yourself, I'll do it for you. Custom.
It can be screen-specific, that is, it can be the effects miniature, the full-sized mock up, or anything in between. Fully weathered or brand new off the Colonial Viper assembly line.

Cost? Well, I'll charge $35 for the kit, $10 shipping (unless it's international, that'd be more) Then basically, I'll charge for my time.
Assembled & painted (weathered or not) - an additional $150.
Etched in panel lines (as opposed to painted on, or none at all)- an additional $25.
Landing gear attached? I don't know if anyone wants to go there, as it's more difficult & time-consuming than ANYTHING else, but if you do, it's another $150.

I will make & ship one within a week of cashing a check, or receiving a money order or Paypal payment.

Example of heavy-weathered Viper with pilot but no etched in panel lines:

*Note: The above canopy was completed before all information on Viper design had been assimilated.

WITH etched in panel lines & medium weathering:

*Note: all canopies will resemble the above screen-accurate one unless othewise requested.

I can also do all kinds of dioramas & extras if you want to go crazy; I'm flexible.

Anyone interested can reach me here, & we can work out things through Emails & stuff.

Just throwin' this out there in case.

EDIT: This is an offer for members of Colonial Fleets only- people on the outside, add 25% to these fees as this stuff is really really not as easy as it looks, okay?

EDIT (again)- hey, I just thought of another way to do it- You tell me right here how you want it, and I make it & put it up on Ebay for a 'Buy It Now' price, tell you here when it's up with pictures of it & you buy it that way! So that way you can see it before you purchase it, and if you don't like it, no harm no foul! Maybe someone else buys it. That sound right to you?

Apolloisall · March 29th, 2011, 12:12 PM

My Son just read this, and said "Dad! You can make someone a FULL-SIZED MOCK UP for only $85!?!?!?"
To which I replied, "Painted to LOOK like the full sized mock up!!! Painted to LOOK......"

Everyone's a comedian....

Apolloisall · March 30th, 2011, 11:21 AM

Oboy, looks like someone else has the same Ebay idea as me:
http://img.inkfrog.com/click_enlarge...&aid=422298721
Except that his (their) models are in no way screen accurate! AND they want $400 bucks for it. AND you don't get it until a month after you pay for it.
Sheesh! Best I can say is it's a nice paint job...

That's it- I'm gonna make 'em to sell myself. They won't light up, but you won't have to be rich to afford 'em! And they'll be (as Bill & Ted would say) EXCELLENT!

It'll take a few weeks to turn out a few- I'll keep you all updated in case you're interested in my venture!

Oh, and they will be a tad cheaper seeing as I'm building them whichever way I feel like.

Gemini1999 · March 30th, 2011, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apolloisall

Oboy, looks like someone else has the same Ebay idea as me:
http://img.inkfrog.com/click_enlarge...&aid=422298721
Except that his (their) models are in no way screen accurate! AND they want $400 bucks for it. AND you don't get it until a month after you pay for it.
Sheesh! Best I can say is it's a nice paint job...

OMG -

I can do better than that with rattle cans, bottle paints and brushes. There's no way I would pay someone to build a model where the result looks like that. Some people need a reality check...

Bryan

Apolloisall · March 30th, 2011, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini1999

OMG -

There's no way I would pay someone to build a model where the result looks like that.

A little (well, really a LOT) of research goes a long way. The maker of that model is clearly not in love with his project.

Reaper · March 31st, 2011, 09:43 PM

ok, I'm interested. but have a question, can you do a custom paint job, say black stripes?

Apolloisall · April 1st, 2011, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper

ok, I'm interested. but have a question, can you do a custom paint job, say black stripes?

I can do anything you want, but black stripes?
Shirley you jest.

That wouldn't be a 'Viper', it'd be a 'Zebra'.

Apolloisall · April 1st, 2011, 10:02 AM

Oh. I just realized what day it is...

Apolloisall · April 3rd, 2011, 04:53 PM

Okay, I'm in production!

2 Kits arrived, and I'm making them presently- one with a cockpit & pilot, and the other will be a replica of the common studio miniature black-windowed Viper.

Funny, but these are easier, and coming out better than the ones I already made for myself!

I'll be finished & putting them up on Ebay within about a week.
Like Scotty said, "I'll let ya know."

Apolloisall · April 5th, 2011, 05:26 PM

I so totally underestimated how long these take! They aren't just 'build 'em & paint 'em"!!! Holy frack, it's endless. I forgot how much time I put into my previous Vipers, but now that I'm timing it, WOW! Scribe, sand, putty, fabricate, I'm on 15 hrs on each Viper & still counting.

It's really good this is my favourite model of all time!

borjis · April 21st, 2011, 02:39 PM

same cost for a Raider?

You know what might be kinda cool option?
access from the bottom for a small battery and 3 led lights
for the engines.

Apolloisall · April 21st, 2011, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borjis

same cost for a Raider?

You know what might be kinda cool option?
access from the bottom for a small battery and 3 led lights
for the engines.

Raiders are a little easier, and hence, less expensive overall. The Raider is made to be lit up- building an access panel is possible.

Wanna discuss it seriouly?

borjis · April 27th, 2011, 12:28 PM

Color me interested.

There is a Revell lighting kit for the viper $ 29 & raider $ 35 at vcshobbies.
they also have the viper models for $ 21 ea.

Apolloisall · April 27th, 2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borjis

Color me interested.

There is a Revell lighting kit for the viper $ 29 & raider $ 35 at vcshobbies.
they also have the viper models for $ 21 ea.

I've made the Vipers so that opening the rear engine assembly ain't too difficult- only glued at two points. Threading a light into the cockpit area would require serious model skillz though.

Okay, I'm nearly done (like 99%). Got two like this one here, plus one with black windows (the '97 Revell kit I used as a prototype for all my finished work):

BTW, those are all new pipes on the sides; the ones as they come on the Revell kit look like toy crap, I decided.
Two months & countless hrs...

Better pix coming when 100% done & we get a sunny day here in Mass (models can be *made* to look good in controlled lighting, but natural sunlight betrays the truth of it, I find.

*falls over*

TwoBrainedCylon · June 18th, 2011, 08:02 AM

Extremely nice work.

If you ever take on doing studio scale vipers, let me know. I would be interested in one of those.

All my best,

Russell

Apolloisall · June 18th, 2011, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoBrainedCylon

Extremely nice work.

Thanks! I just love Vipers.

Quote:

If you ever take on doing studio scale vipers, let me know. I would be interested in one of those.

Oh, I could do it, no problem. But it could run into serious bucks.
The Revell kit at around $40 & $10 of paint make that one fairly inexpensive.
A studio scale would be from scratch, and material alone would be in the $300 range. Then there's quadruple the work time necessary.
Got around $900 to play with? Plus shipping?
I'd be up for it.

If I ever decide to start making them on my own (a distinct possibility) it'd be a deal cheaper, since I would produce a few of them, and that lowers the material cost per Viper. If you wanna wait a year or two...

And here's a final picture of that Viper 100% completed- the one I used to sell it, in fact:

TwoBrainedCylon · June 18th, 2011, 01:02 PM

Sounds like we should talk.

Please hit me up at your convenience at SpaceCoastSandy@Yahoo.com .

All my best,

Russell

Senmut · June 20th, 2011, 04:13 PM

Curious...
Does anyone know if the Viper model/s have ever been wind-tunnel tested, to see what would actually happen if someone ever tried to fly a full-sized one?
Just curious.

Apolloisall · June 20th, 2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senmut

Does anyone know if the Viper model/s have ever been wind-tunnel tested, to see what would actually happen if someone ever tried to fly a full-sized one?

LOL, I conjure they'd be blown around like broken kites! They're pretty, but aerodynamically full of issues I expect.
If anyone actually bothered to test them, I never heard about it.

mikala · June 23rd, 2011, 11:04 PM

If I recall correctly wasn't there a Testors rocket Viper kit out long ago?
It was modified a bit though. This is from memory so don't shoot me if I'm totally mistaken.

Apolloisall · June 24th, 2011, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikala

If I recall correctly wasn't there a Testors rocket Viper kit out long ago?
It was modified a bit though. This is from memory so don't shoot me if I'm totally mistaken.

There was an Enterprise one as well. I guess you can make anything go straight up...