Steven Vasko’s C-57D
Here is my C-57D submission. First off, I cemented the 12 sections that make up the top and bottom of the hull together along with the plugs for the unused bottom ramp openings per the instructions in Bob Perovich’s excellent C-57D painting and assembly guide, which can be found in this website. Insulation foam was sprayed into the interior surfaces of the hulls to provide re-enforcement of the hull joints as well as stability to the assembly as a whole. Masking tape was applied half-an-inch on either side of the hull seams and then Red Bondo Glazing Putty was applied over the seams. Before the putty dried, the tape was removed. When dry, the puttied seams were wet-sanded smooth and the hulls thoroughly washed and dried, after which spray primer was applied in order to reveal flaws in the work. This process (putty-sand-wash-primer) was repeated over and over until a flawless surface was achieved.
The interior pieces had material removed from the top roof “cage” and the ceiling areas of the bed bunk section and the Commander’s Radio and Monitor Station area. (Note: The roof “cage” was treated as a “cut-away” area.) Openings were drilled in the walls of the “bowl-shaped” upper-and-lower interior parts to allow for placement of White LEDs for purposes of lighting. A bank of three “color-changing” LEDs were placed in the rear of the “D-C Stations” to duplicate the lighting effect seen in the movie. Holes were drilled in the three grills in front of the “D-C Stations” to help define the texture of these pieces.
The kit supplied Commander Adams, Alta, and crewmen figures were used to populate the interior. The textured panels in the wall next to the central command post (ship’s head?) were removed and replaced with clear “frosted” styrene sheeting. Aftermarket decals were applied to the sheeting and white LEDs were installed from behind for backlighting purposes. Openings were cut in the staggered wall sections in the upper level, filled with window glazing liquid and back-lit with White LEDs to simulate lighting effects seen in the movie. Additional upper level structures were built using styrene stock sheeting not only to conceal LED lighting but also to “flesh out” this underdeveloped area of the kit.
A generic after-market “Lost In Space Jupiter 2 Fusion Core” LED unit (which flashes in a “rotating” manner) was adapted for use as the Warp Drive for my C-57D. The lower clear dome which surrounds the unit was frosted, painted a semi-transparent shade of Red from the inside, and had Black stripes painted on the outside. (Note: The stripes were intentionally painted in a “wavy” manner in order to replicate the motion blur seen on this part in the movie.) Self-adhesive mirror-finish Mylar was applied to the “column” of the ship’s central support pedestal to mimic the finish of this part seen on the miniature used in the movie.
The top and bottom hulls were glued together, sandwiching the completed interior and it’s electronics inside this assembly. The lower dome, exposed upper interior areas, and the interior of the landing ramp wells was masked off and Testors Metallic Silver spray paint was sprayed on the model as suggested in Bob Perovich’s C-57D Paint Guide. (Note: The clear upper dome was left off. It is removable from the final finished model to allow for closer examination of the interior.) “Steel” metalizer was then airbrushed on the rim of the upper and lower hull with the help of loose masking.
The electronics of the model are powered by a Radio Shack 4.5 Vt. DC wall transformer whose cord plugs into the bottom hull via a power jack. A custom-painted background and terrain groundwork base was created to fit into a large opening of my corner bookcase for display of the model. (Note: The “stars” in the background are tiny pieces of Scotch-lite.) The “Id Monster” and “Robbie” figures were given their own small base and display of their own. The “Id Monster” is painted in Testors “Clear” Acryl Colors and is back-lit with a tiny LED flickering “tea-light” unit. Finally, a portable background and terrain display base was created for showing off the model in model shows and contests. A Radio Shack “project box” was outfitted to contain a pair of battery packs and a push-button switch on top of the box to power the electronics in the model.
Steven Vasko.
