B7 Hairdryer Ship

[MangaMax]

Hey folks.
Need your kit part knowledge again if i may?
Any idea what these three pieces are?

Thought the lower rectangular shape might be a bit from the Airfix Refueling set and, while the size is right, the detail is wrong.
The bit above it looks awful familiar. Maybe suspension from a military kit. Or thinking maybe part of the X-Wing engine?
Lastly, there's a horizontal piece just under and above them that looks like it could be a wing or something?
Any ideas?

[Doomsday]

I need to get to specsavers!!
Just a blur to me!!

[healvis]

What's it from Manga?

[Mike Delamar]

any idea what size it is?

Mike

[Guest01]

looks like an engine and gearbox of somekind?

[Hectors House]

It would help if we knew what this is from.

Bit difficult to make out, but it looks like a gun mantlet from a tank kit with detail added inside. A clearer shot would be helpful. I also think that the bit below it, is two halves of funnels from a ship kit placed either side of an I-beam of some sorts.

[MangaMax]

Hmmm, thought i was helping by zooming in - but it would help if there was scale too wouldn't it?
Here it is - the (in)famous "Hairdryer Ship" from Blake's 7. Always liked the oddball notion of it and have decided to have a go.
Got most of the parts nailed except those i've mentioned above.
So if you could give me some pointers, it'd be very much appreciated

[MkIXHawk]

Actually,Ibelieve it was from the Dr Who story 'the Stones of Blood'

[healvis]

I don't want to sound negative but that has got to be the Sh**ist spaceship I have ever seen. It looks like Tie Fighter domes and a blaster site on the top. Sorry.

[Hectors House]

You will need 2 x AMT/Ertl 1/6th R2 D2 kits (rare and pricey).
A large scale X-wing and Darth Vaders tie fighter.
These kits 'should' have all you need to build this - apart from the Hairdryer chassis that is.

[MangaMax]

Ahhh, bit harsh. Okay, its not the best design - but its got a chunky charm to it. And it was built to be shown for only 1.5 seconds so it didn't actually need to hold up to scrutiny.
HH, yeah got the hairdryer and R2D2 parts. And have the large X Wing - but what parts from that go where? Be blowed if i can see 'em.
Ditto the Vader fighter.
But, as i say, parts of it are awful familiar. Mebbe its the crappy photo that's putting me off - there are no pics of it at all that i can find on the Net - all i've got is a shot of it half assembled in an ancient Starburst and this, which is a photo i took off me telly after i'd freeze framed the DVD.
(oh, and MK1X Hawk, its from "Star One" of Blake's 7. But i can see why you'd think its from SOB)

[Hectors House]

A bit harsh indeed!

You have a box of bits and 2hrs to put a ship together to go on screen, no sketch, no budget (the BBC isn't ILM) - do better!

It's easy for us to be hyper critical of models built for one or two shots, only to be seen from one angle when your sitting at your bench, no pressure,relaxing with your favourite hobby.

Good for you Eric for wanting to build something that you like - sod everyone else.
As you rightly said images of this miniature are hard to come by, however Mat Irvine is a decent bloke and an e-mail to him might yield results?

[MangaMax]

Yeah, he's a real nice guy. Unfortunately, while he pointed out to me what parts are EMA, he couldn't remember at all what kit parts he used.

[CaptanApollo]

2 bulges on handles of hair dryers look like space shuttle oms pods.

[MangaMax]

Yep, had to sand them down a bit - but a perfect match

[Exterminator]

I have attached some better photos, on which I have indicated known (by others) and guessed (by me) parts. If anyone can add to or amend what I've done, please feel free!

I would be interested to know (obviously!) what the EMA parts are - I'm thinking of building one myself, once I have sorted the mortgage out for buying the old MPC R2-D2 kits!

I assume by "A large scale X-wing" you mean the MPC/Denys Fisher kit (which from memory are about a foot long), rather than the AMT version (which was about 8")?

I've seen this model "for real" and the attached photos are a reasonably accurate representation of its colour - it looks like a reasonably dark orange with a very fine mist of gold over it. All the blue bits look like Humbrol no.14 Gloss French Blue.

[Slate Mcleod]

...That third pic shows half of a space shuttle rocket engine just forward of the EMA tube...pretty sure its the Airfix one. Actually looking again at that "EMA tube" I think it may actually be a cut-down main fuel tank from the same kit....look at the ridged section it has near the far end. I confess I am also having trouble spotting any X Wing or Darths tie fighter parts on this as yet except the central "prod" in picture one may be part of one of the four shafts (with the end broken off) that come from the X-wings wings ?

[MangaMax]

See, this is what's so great about Forums
Top info there folks and many, many thanks.
Hey, Exterminator - been admiring your work over on the Horizon site and its down to them that's got me into making B7 ships (i'll send the kit bill to you shortly).
Taking things in order:

There's no specific EMA parts to mention. Mat just had boxes and boxes of shapes and tubes by the company and they'd just delve into it when they needed something. Frustrating. I'm just eyeballing it.

No, there's no X Wing or Vader ship parts on this. Hector was confusing this ship with another.

SUCH brilliant photos there. But they do raise questions as well as answer some. The blue coloured parts. In the Starburst photo of the ship painted but without yet the domes, there's no sign of anything picked out in blue at all, nor any of the glyphs. Ditto when Mat holds it up on the DVD.
Are we looking at a post-filming touch-up job?

Odd that the first pic mentions 3 Airfix stands, all the same size. Mat says he used two of the smaller one's for the front and a larger on for the rear. That rear one is just visible in the Starburst shot, but there's no sign of it here. Again, damage repair?

The front , rounded part that's on the "prong" made up of EMA rducers and a ball. Looks real familiar but can't place it.

Best shot is of the rear (and, again thanks SO much for putting it up. Never thought i'd see one), which again is making me re-evaluate.
Mat says he used a length of EMA tube for the main part here, which was used to hold the batteries for the lighting (again, so much effort for a 1.5 second shot!). Looking at that shot here i took off the telly, it does look like a featureless tube with some sort of strap going round it each end.
So that's what i've done:



But, as Slate has noted, it does have a ridged section to it. Think i'll keep mine as is, and put some scored Plasticard round it to replicate.
Yep, that's a Saturn engine bell half - which is cool as i've got them. Strange sort of shape flanking each side of the tube eh? They don't look kit-like, more like something you'd find on a bike pump or something.

Nice spotting on the toggle switch. Obviously there for the lights.

Finally, think the colour scheme of it now isn't as it was back then. In the Starburst photo iits quite a dark mettalic brown, so maybe its faded to what it is now over time?

[Exterminator]

Originally Posted by MangaMax

Hey, Exterminator - been admiring your work over on the Horizon site and its down to them that's got me into making B7 ships (i'll send the kit bill to you shortly).

Thanks!! Your scout ship is taking shape nicely! You've saved me buying a couple of expensive 1970s Star Wars kits, so that's just the super-expensive ones to get, now!!

I found a shot of the ship where the paintjob looks much darker (attached).

The round part you mention (I see there are a couple more on it as well) - without checking, are they the feet of the descent stage of the Airfix "Lunar Lander" kit? It's one of the "common" kits that seems to get used for this sort of detailing work. Also, the two "prongs" under the Space Shuttle OMS pods - are they more Saturn V bits, i.e. the top of the escape tower?

I've also found a shot of the right side, towards the rear - there are some extra bits at the back on this side, I've enclosed a slightly magnified shot as well (oh, and you can see the rear "foot", it IS bigger).

Can anyone else identify any of the remaining bits? There's still "a few" to go!!

[Slate Mcleod]

"Yep, that's a Saturn engine bell half - which is cool as i've got them"

I still say it's from the Space Shuttle "Enterprise" kit...here is a pic of it next to one I just happen to have in my spares box. I never owned the Saturn 5 kit so I know for sure the one I have is from the Shuttle. It does seem likely as other space shuttle parts have been used on the model so we know Matt had one nearby. If you need this part drop me an IM with your address and I'll bung it in the post. It's very old and you would need to strip off the paint with oven cleaner or brake fluid but apart from that its perfect.