Sneak Peak: Round 2’s Space 1999 22-inch Eagle by Jay Chladek

Jay Chladek shares this look at the first test shot for the upcoming 22-inch Eagle from Round 2.   Check out the video at the bottom of the page too!

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Round 2/MPC Eagle Test Shot First Look by Jay Chladek

Round 2 caused quite a stir at Wonderfest 2015 when they revealed they have been working on a “22 Eagle Transporter kit in styrene from the classic television show Space: 1999. A prototype model assembled from 3D printed parts was displayed there and it was also announced that they were hoping to have the completed kit ready by the fall of this year.

Four months later and I now have in my hands a first generation test shot of the model kit. I was able to obtain one by attending Jerseyfest in August. One of my models took “Best Vehicle: First Place” and in addition to the trophy, I was also awarded a test shot example of the kit, which would be mailed to me as soon as Round 2 was ready to do so. Thankfully the wait wasn’t a long one and the kit arrived on my doorstep only about two weeks after the contest. Technically, I am the first person outside of the Round 2 production team to obtain one of these. So to get one is a very rare privilege. My plans are to build this particular example.

Before building it, I went ahead and shot some photos of the sprues and parts layout. If the coloring seems a little odd, it is because the parts are molded in light gray (production parts will be molded in white) and I shot my pictures with both a flash and without to see which ones would pick out the detail better.

Because this is a first run test shot, there are some important things to keep in mind. First, some of the sprue tree and sprue gate designs might change slightly as Round 2 works out how best to inject the plastic to minimize sink marks and ejector pin marks. Secondly, you will also notice some flash plastic on the parts pictured. Again, this is due to it being a preliminary test shot. The production parts will be flash free. Finally, a few of the parts pictured also have a fine pebbly texture to them from bead blasting of the molds. As details get finalized, this texture likely will be eliminated as the molds get polished.

Many of the parts trees are duplicated two or four times, so I didn’t shoot pictures of every parts tree. Detail-wise, this model is technically a 1/2 scale version of the big “Eagle One” studio model built for the series (the first of three same sized models built during the two year production of the show). It measured just under 44″ long, making this model a little under 22″ long.

Details on this model are faithful to the 44″ model from early in season one, even though the effects modelers in the film also did a 22″ model. Over the course of filming, details on the models evolved and changed ever so slightly and the two models had some slight changes done to them as well.

Scale of this kit is about 1/48, going by the size of the pilot figures. The pilot figures themselves are direct half size scaled down versions of the 1/24 astronaut figures found in the Revell Gemini spacecraft, but with chest packs added. This is accurate to the 44″ models since they also made use of Gemini pilots. The pilots are glued directly to a molded back wall cockpit section which looks great. That is the extent of interior detailing though since the interior “full size” set pieces didn’t always match up with exterior model details. There is more than enough room to fit cockpit lighting and a battery source, if that is what you so desire.

Overall, I like what I see and it is my hope that Round 2 sells a lot of these. I hope these images help to tie you over until we see the production examples.