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INTRODUCTION
This kit review and build-up focuses on correcting and detailing Halcyon's 1/144 scale model of Narcissus, the escape shuttle for the
commercial starship Nostromo from the classic movie Alien.
My goal in assembling and modifying the kit was to make it better match what is seen in the film. The kit was originally produced in 1991 and is the only mass marketed injection molded styrene rendering of this subject to date. The finished model roughly measures 6-1/2" wide, 8-3/8" long, 2-1/2" tall.
I almost bought this kit about 13 years ago, but was tight on cash. I'm very glad I waited, as I really didn't have the skills then to
do much more than a "box stock" assembly.
Like many kits I now have, it would not have come together for me at all were it not for the Internet and its resources. Though Halcyon is now defunct and this kit is many years out of production, at the time of this writing 1 or 2 kits are available every week on eBay in the $25 to $45 range. I've also recently seen that it has be re-popped by Aoshima and can be currently found in selected hobby shops for about $44 and through Hobby Link Japan on-line for around $35.
The kit looks very inspiring at first glimpse in the box, and it'll build acceptably "box stock", but it has some simple problems and
inaccuracies. On the upside, the kit has no cheap looking/toy-like raised panel lines which are the hallmark of low-priced sci-fi models. The low points are where basic assembly is awkward and detail has
been eliminated or simplified, no doubt because of manufacturing limitations. But Halcyon made a better effort than most to minimize that impact. This is where, with a little work, this kit can really shine.
I'd originally set out to do an "ultimate Narcissus", but as I progressed on the kit, I kept finding more research that in some cases would
have had me starting over a couple times …and there are some minor proportional issues which are impossible to correct.
There's only so much I was reasonably willing to do and ever expect to finish. For now, my finished rendering of this kit represents a snapshot of what I knew over the time of assembly about the actual filming miniature from the movie. As a side note, this ship is never referred to by name in the film. However her name "NARCISSUS E1" is lettered on the side of the shuttle's retractable garage bay under the Nostromo's starboard wing.
OVERVIEW
If you're going to take a serious stab at rectifying some of this kit's basic construction issues, I highly recommend looking through
Olivier Carbourdin's article on Starship Modeler http://www.starshipmodeler.com/other/oc_narc.htm. I consider my review to be additive to Olivier's.
I won't cover what he has already. But will note an issue and whether you should defer to his review for correction process. I actually printed out a copy of his SM article and diagrams to keep handy while assembling. I'm not going to cover basic assembly steps already handled by the kit's printed instruction except where noted …and I'm also not going to badger you about good assembly and painting habits - except for one, wash your model every so often, your hands have oils that can hose your paint job! While painting, I kept my laptop on the worktable with my photo research easily viewed in ACDSee.
Before beginning any assembly or painting, it's also a very good idea to visit Martin Bower's site. He is the designer and builder of
the original Narcissus miniature, as well as many other iconic sci-fi spacecraft. Take some time and compare your kit from the box to his finished Narcissus filming miniature pics and the full-sized rear
exterior set pics http://www.martinbowersmodelworld.com/html/alien.html
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