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This is Sci-Fi Models 1/48 BSG Viper Mark 4, sculpted by Alfred Wong. It's a solid resin kit with vacu-formed canopy, and is
pretty nicely cast. It's actually not the Viper from the current remake, the design is based on production artwork from the defunct Bryan Singer series.
I scrapped the updated stripe decals, I wanted it to look more like something between the TOS Viper and the new shows, and
because Rich/F-91 finished his first in that scheme! I cobbled a aftermarket landing gear set for the R/M Viper with some plastruct H-beam to make a set of landing gear the Viper can rest on. I also
bought a aftermarket set of 1/48 aircraft stencils to add to the included markings, which are nicely printed but a little sparse.
Assembly and painting were fairly straightforward. It went together well. The paints are Krylon gloss white from a can, the
engines are airbrushed in MM gunmetal metallizer with a mist of burnt metal. Everything else is painted by brush with MM paints, I like how the little pilot turned out. The canopy is done in Bare metal,
I now know why John P. rants about vacu-formed canopys!
Tragedy struck after I applied the decals and a thick coat of glosscoat over them, my neighbor came out and shook out her vacuum
cleaner filter while it was drying, it got dust and hair all over it! After I quit swearing, I decided to try to save the decal work, and I gently wet sanded the whole thing, knocking off the worst of
the the debris. After several patient hours it was fairly smooth and clean again, I applied another coat after it dried overnight. Then I made a wash of "the Detailer" black that applied to the
engines, turbines, and panel lines, I weathered it fairly heavily since it looked a bit weathered from the dust. I drybrushed the whole thing with white, silver, and black to add some more weathering and
character.
The base is a 10" x 7" plain wood base I bought at Michaels for 99 cents, I spray painted it semi-gloss black to show
off the white Viper well. The nice looking Galactica Colonial Viper logo is part of the little Joyride Viper packaging, it fit absolutely perfectly and I couldn't make anything better. I love found
stuff!
This was a fun and simple kit, I'm waiting for my Mark II Viper now!
Scott Copeland
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