Comic Book Jupiter 2 by Orne Montgomery part 2
INTERIOR (FLIGHTDECK):
As indicated beforehand, the Flightdeck retains the original eight-section floor plan. Two double-walled cockpit arch-supports were traced from templates, and – as were the other six arches – fabricated from Sintra. Quarter-inch Evergreen strips were glued along the inside curves of each arch. All eight flight deck support-arches were glued onto the plexiglass disc – divided into 45-degree arcs – of the Flightdeck.
The angled wall-spaces between each were measured off the studio-plans; foam-core walls were hot-glued one-half inch back from where the actual interior walls would be placed. This allowed the wall-assemblies to be painted and fitted last, and also provided room for wiring. As the Freezing Tubes went unseen during the two final seasons of the TV-series, they were not included. (Not till later in the comic-book’s run were they used for one more special – and long overdue – purpose. Read “Postscript”.)
At this point, I went beyond the original concept of the comic-series design, deciding that the interior should reflect the functional exterior. It was altered accordingly. Beginning with the kit’s resin consoles and the instruction-sheet templates, the cockpit area was built up with additional console-faces made from clear Butyrate, Sintra, and Evergreen. Pilot-seats were scratchbuilds, constructed from Evergreen strips and sheet styrene.
The most prominent revision is the scratchbuilt circular module encompassing the astrogator (shown before final details added). Constructed in a fashion similar to the outer-ring extension of the Lower Hull, with detail added from the parts-box, this is a combination observatory and central computer with memory-core. Remember, the Jupiter II was an advanced colonization ship; given the violent circumstances surrounding its launch, it’d be inconceivable that no means of propagating a scientifically advanced human settlement would be deleted from its equipment-roster. In other words, every bit of human knowledge would be sent along – recall the massive effort undertaken in both the novel and movie versions of ‘When Worlds Collide’, to ensure that this same knowledge survived the destruction of Earth.
CLOCKWISE FROM COCKPIT
- Communications Bay (Sintra console buildup inset with a number of clear butyrate display screens).
- Airlock hatch, scratchbuilt from plastic sheet.
- Artificial Gravity Bay (Sintra box and Evergreen strip frame; kit-parts with clear butyrate).
- Flight-computer Bay (fabricated from a Gillette shaver gift-set box with clear butyrate and brass-mesh screens).
- No. 4 Equipment bay, constructed from sectioned pieces out of spares-box.
- Storage-room Bay with workbench (sliding hatch). Scratchbuilt from sheet.
- Thru-deck Elevator Bay (another clear plastic bottle built over with Evergreen strips and rods). To its left is a ladder-section, made from a Monogram B-17 bomb-cart, which leads into open hatch in flight deck
- No, 7 Equipment Bay (three engine halves from a Lindbergh B-58 kit, inset within a plastic box).
- Reactor Bay with sliding hatch: twin fusion reactors made from an old standby, matching bottle-caps with spare-parts detail and wiring-caps.
- Space-Pod Bay housing, built out from the walls to the position that the upper half of the space-pod would inhabit within the ship.
- The two Main Equipment Bays (No.10 and No.11) subassemblies on the port side were constructed from a single Hasbro GI Joe turbo-laser cannon, which was resectioned and fitted with additional details from the parts-box. Between each module is a section of clear vinyl fuel-line, which would later be fitted with rice bulbs for lighting.
NOTE: All console displays and controls were back-painted with translucent enamels and ink-detailing. Standard Brands Clear Acrylic Enamel Finish was sprayed over all components; it is the only paint I’ve found which won’t cause ink-detailing to run.
The astrogator-dome is a second clear bubble provided by Lunar Models.
Overhead wall-supports (with clear butyrate inserts for indicator panels and lighting fixtures) and ceiling support beams, were made from spruce, Sintra, and Evergreen “Odds’n’Ends”. These beams were connected to a core cut from a section of PVC pipe; a tube-insert was made through which a 7.2 volt bulb was added for the main interior light. Ceiling panels and inner hull walls with removable hatches (not shown for clarity) were constructed to conceal wiring.
The dominant color of the Flightdeck is metallic silver, which brightened the recessed areas by reflecting the available light. The floor-covering is made from sections of red satin ribbon (backed with double-sided carpet tape) and Monokote chrome trim-sheet, gold, red, and black trim-tape was used for detail.
All areas were oversprayed with clear acrylic enamel, then rubbed with medium-to-fine grade steel wool to “wear” the finish. 3-M ScotchLite was used for the “light” panels on the arch and overhead supports.
On to part 3
