I liked the clean lines of the hull, compared to all the mechanical "guts" dangling below. It had the impression of being a submersible rather than an open deck ship. Off to the parts boxes for the usual scrounging rituals!
The basic hull is just an acrylic scoop from the frequently visited dollar store, trimmed and modified, and then a cowling from an aircraft model for the conning tower. Because of the organic shape, rounded greeblies were preferred.
The ship had to have some reason or commercial intent so I added the "roof rack" of which I could place cargo, tarps, etc. The main booster is just an inner wheel hub from a long dead truck kit.
For the guts underneath I used motor blocks, other boosters, and coil springs. There are even some architectural model parts in there. Once satisfied, it was Prime Time!
All other ships in this series were distressed and weathered by dry brushing, pastels and washes. But for this I was going to use the hairspray chipping technique with multiple layers. As the model is only 3.5" long, it was easy to apply water based paints to the hull (still haven't got that airbrush working!). Base coat was as above, followed by hairspray, a neutral grey, hairspray, and finally a military yellow green. After a few days to let it dry I chipped away with satisfactory results.
After chipping, washes, dry brushing, and pastels were applied. Metallics for the underside and some red accents here and there.
Final details include 2 N scale "sailors", craft chain, and some cargo & tarps.
Think out of the five ships in the fleet, this one is my favourite. I like the smooth lines of the hull juxtaposed with the chaotic machinery underneath. There is also a hint of "Makoto Kobayashi" as well.
For the final shot here is a view similar to the original concept sketch. Thanks again for the inspiration, Ian!
Next time, the Tofu Tower gets a delivery! See ya!
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