Moebius Space Clipper First Look

I’m happy to bring a first look at the new Space Clipper kit from Moebius Models.   As you can see, this is very similar to the Aurora kit from 40 years ago, but a closer look reveals it is not the same kit.  The box is only about 11 x 7 inches, but the kit is a full 15 inches when assembled!

This is a pretty basic kit with about 15 or 20 parts.   The base is the standard Aurora style base used for the Voyager and other kits.    The parts breakdown is slightly different from the Aurora kit.

The hull detail is similar to the Aurora kit, though there are fewer panel lines.   The door is identical and hte windows are very similar to the Aurora kit.

If you look close, the detail is actually quite different from the Aurora kit.  Reportedly, Moebius had access to images and resources from the NASA archives and Ordway collections, and so this detailing is more accurate to the studio miniature.

The rear engine halves come wrapped separately in foam to protect the protruding antenna of the craft.   These are quite delicate and almost needle sharp!

The decal sheet features shaded panels and panel lines to enhance the detail of the model.   These are mainly for the wing sections, but some decals are for the fuselage.  The instructions detail the placement of these.  There are no markings for the traditional Pan Am sphere, but the are reportedly aftermarket decals coming from various decal companies.