Module E, the Garage Section (also referred to as the "Dove's Nest" or "Dove's Cage" by pilots and technical crew), was the last part of the ship imagined and constructed. Originally I had the primary shuttle as an Eagle (and at one time, a winged lifting body), docked at the Hub on that main airlock with the claws. I eventually expanded that concept and thought a minimum of two ships would be better, and still using the "Doppelganger" influence, create a new proto-type ship called the "Dove", a successor to the Eagle. This section would have maintenance workshops, pilot's facilities, and refueling.
This is also the only part of the ship not built using any pieces from the Airfix Saturn V. It's basically a Frankensteined piece made up of whatever I could get my hands on and what worked. It had to be long enough to accommodate the Doves without interfering with the adjacent modules, especially the big spinning bit. I wanted some animation as well, with the refueling/docking arms being movable.
The module is made up of two empty plastic vitamin bottles (probably Tumeric...), connected by some acrylic napkin ring holders I found on one of my safaris to the dollar store. The blue ribbed piece was a paper towel holder, and the two clear pieces are old contact lens cases. All carefully glued together and aligned with an internal brass rod. The two docking arms are toothbrush covers; I have used them many times before.
Encircling the two pods as it were are some smaller acrylic tubes which I acquired from work; they were for holding electronic equipment. The open ends were capped with suitable googly eyes. After the main structure was completed, it was then a few evenings of adding greeblies, stock parts, and more leftover lazer cutting, as well as making docking sections out of raw styrene. But the best bits were yet to come...
Those orange bits are actually covers for printer cartridges during transport. Once the cartridges are installed in the printer these parts are just binned, except by me of course! I added on some detail parts and cables. The arms are attached to the module by a ball and socket affair scrounged from some construction toys. Originally there were to be eight; four each to secure the ships. But I decided to cut that in half and use the surplus arms elsewhere.
Once all parts were completed, it was prime time (again with all the other bits). One evening with the IPA wash, subtle shading and accents with pigments, and then finally adding graphics.
And that is the Dove's Nest. Maybe at this point I should finally reveal one of the elusive bloody things! Next post will deal with these ships in more detail, but here it is!
Some of you out there may see the influence of another "1999" craft, but for now in closing here, is the Garage Module with two Doves docked:
I'll let you know how they stay attached to the main ship/module next time. Have a better one!
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