Chopper ship model from 'Gold'?

[SpaceshipsMechs]

Hello

I know I may be posting in the wrong place because I am not actually a modelmaker (yet, anyway), but I do have a love for model effects/scifi designs and as of now I run a blog that intends to document spaceship designs ( spaceshipmodelsgallery.blogspot.com ) in media, mostly live-action and thus models (I actually run another for costume designs from live action scifi media as well: scificostumesgallery.blogspot.com )

I am going to be covering Blake's 7 on it very soon from now, but the show's budget has certainly got in the way with some ship designs, as a good few of them are only briefly seen. One example of a ship with far too little screentime is the 'chopper' seen lifting off in the 4th series episode 'Gold'. Sadly this is the only shot of it, but I'm wondering if there was ever any other photos of it ever released, or who exactly designed and built the model?

I'd actually like to know if there was also more photos of other ships with not much screentime in the show, such as the Ortega in 'Mission to Destiny' or indeed in other scifi series the BBC was making at the time such as Doctor Who (a good few spaceships in that with very little screentime!)

 

[SpaceshipsMechs]

Bumping this thread because I finally managed to do the entry (if its alright to link): https://spaceshipmodelsgallery.blogspot.com/2019/04/blakes-7-1978-1981.html and am just hoping that I managed to be as accurate as possible?

Also wondering where the sources for most of the behind the scenes material is? I have definitely seen model photos be used in videos and whatnot, but not sure where they're from - did the Blakes 7 dvd releases have photo galleries such as the Doctor Who dvd releases?

 

[tryptych]

At a guess, it's probably one of Matt Irvine's, or one of his team.
You could drop him a line at http://www.matirvine.com/

 

[MangaMax]

Great website! As for the elusive Chopper, i've no knowledge of it, but the style is very Bill Pearson, who was making quite a few models for the show at the time.

 

[Hectors House]

I would say that's a Bill Pearson special as per the other guest ships in Gold. Probably built during his time at 'Bowerhouse'. Bill worked extensively on Season 4 might be worth searching his posts on this site as he has in the past posted all sorts of stuff.
Don't know whether Bills site is still operational?

 

[Hectors House]

Oops sorry Mangamax didn't intentionally step on your toes ( great minds think alike ).
I'll have a rummage through my hard drive as I think I had some images of this craft?
If not in sure its featured in an old Sci-fi & Fantasy Modeller?

 

[SpaceshipsMechs]

@ tryptych - I did email Irvine, but he said that he couldn't help for the latter two seasons as, of course, he didn't work on them

@MangaMax/Hectors House - Ah yeah, I think Bill Pearson's portfolio is online, and I did download the PDF, but not sure if there was any photos of the 'chopper' - I may have to double check it, but I'd love to see any photos! I been meaning to revise the Blakes 7 entry as its a bit threadbare on concept art and behind the scenes/production photos, but as said before, its a bit threadbare compared to all the stuff on Doctor Who dvds (or, well, the online uploads as Im poor...)

Glad you like the site though! Been stalling it a bit thanks to uni stuff...

 

[tryptych]

Oh well, it was worth a try.

 

[SpaceshipsMechs]

Hm, looked through Pearson's portfolio again (going to be editing the post to include production photos/concept art in a few days) and whilst theres some good behind the scenes photos of the FT-7 transport from 'Sand', the Space Princess from 'Gold', Gerren's transport from 'Orbit' and even one of Zukan's ship from 'Warlord', theres not a trace of the 'chopper' at all

Speaking of Zukan's ship...I wonder if there's any other photos about of the simple ship that flies alongside it at the start of the episode?

 

[Glazy]

Here's a photo of the miniature

 

[SpaceshipsMechs]

Here's a photo of the miniature

Oh goodness, thank you! Thats such a good simple design too! Shame it never got more screentime...

Do you mind if I upload this photo on the blog entry (with credits to site and poster/thread?)

 

[SpaceshipsMechs]

Sorry for being so quiet - I've been moving my two archive blogs to a new Blogspot domain as Wordpress is woeful, and finished carrying over the costumes one and am now in the process of moving the spaceships blog

So far, this is the redone Blake's 7 entry post: https://spaceshipmodelsgallery.blogspot.com/2019/04/blakes-7-1978-1981.html I hope you don't mind me crediting this forum in it?

Sorry if this is all a bother!