Battlestar Galactica Original Galactica

I'm not a BSG fan, but I'm glad I gave this kit a try. The detail is BEYOND amazing - you could easily spend every weekend over a year if you wanted to paint every little hull plate or fuel line. I'm also blown away by how well the pieces are designed. Many of the seems fit so well together, you don't really need glue. In fact, my Galactica is sitting on my workbench right now, not glued together, yet you can pick the model up and it holds together. Unbelievable! Finally, the instructions point out that on the show, the TV filming model was really not weathered at all. Therefore, if you like, you can assemble the whole kit, spray it with primer, then dust it with white, and you'll produce a screen-accurate replica. Its true! I've just finished one Galactica and I think I'll build a second one with this painting method. Can't praise this kit enough - easily one of my ALL TOP TEN FAVORITE MODEL KITS.

Overall, this was a good model. The fit of parts was good. I was somewhat disappointed in that there was really no painting directions in the instructions. The assembly instructions were clear and understandable. I have not built a model for about 30 years, so I was happy that this turned out so well.

Moebius Models set a new standard for science fiction models with its reboot-series Galactica and Pegasus kits. The announcement of their release of the classic Battlestar Galactica delighted fans of the original show, who had put up with the poorly detailed Monogram Galactica kit for years. This new kit did not disappoint. The level of detail, fit, and accuracy is worlds better than the old Monogram kit. First off, ignore the strange-looking texture of the ship depicted on the box art. It is not present on the kit parts. This modeler would recommend washing parts in soapy water as there is some mold release agent on kit parts that will definitely affect paint adhesion otherwise. This kit was engineered so that every surface is well detailed. The result is a high parts-count and it’s well worth the $70.00 full-retail price. It would have been nice if Moebius had engraved part numbers on the back of each part. Not all parts are keyed to fit in their correct location, so it is important that the modeler follow the instructions carefully or label the parts on the back to avoid getting them on the wrong side. Some parts have ejector pin stubs on the back, which must be trimmed off for proper fit and I found a few locating pins that needed trimming to seat correctly. Some parts were a little hard to wrassle in place during the recommended assembly sequence, but assembly was pretty straightforward. Work slowly, use rubber bands to hold subassemblies together tightly and allow the glue to dry fully between steps. Parts fit is very good considering the kit’s relative complexity, but not quite Hasegawa or Fujimi-good. Some hairline gaps were left here and there that a modeler striving for a contest-quality model might want to fill. A stand is included, which has a sturdy metal rod, but the plastic base is ridiculously small for such a big model. It shouldn’t be too much trouble to epoxy it to a larger piece of wood to provide a more stable, aesthetically appropriate base for your finished Galactica. These gripes are inconsequential when it comes to the overall awesomeness of this kit. The bottom line is that a modeler attempting to build this one should have some experience building a few large models before trying to tackle Original Galactica. Highly recommended!