Battlestar Galactica Original Galactica

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!

I've been looking forward to the release of this kit ever since it was announced last year and I have to say I was not disappointed. As many of you probably know Revell Monogram released the first version of this subject in the late 70's and re-popped it again in the late 90's I believe. To be honest it was a mediocre kit that was very inaccurate and missing lots of detail. Although if you put some work into it, you could get a fair representation of the ship especially if you used some aftermarket upgrade parts. Still,overall,the kit was a failure. However,this new kit by Moebius is such a breath of fresh air. First of all, let me say that I haven't started the kit yet but I have done some detail comparisons and some test fittings. The detail of the kit is astounding and it completely blows the old Revell kit out of the water. There is simply no comparison at all. All the detail that was lacking from the Revell kit is here and while even this new kit will never hold up to the studio model it will be the defining version of this ship at this scale. As I said, the detail is amazing for the size of the model. The folks at Moebius really did their homework on this one. Lots of tiny greebles,piping and details. The only warning I'd give about this kit is the fact that it definitely is a skill level 3 kit. Where the Revell kit had maybe 25-30 parts, the Moebius has many,many more, possibly close to 100. Also this kit is designed for lighting,if you so choose, as it comes with clear parts. The decals are fairly standard and very similar to the Revell kit as in you get the red striping details and 8 names for the Battlestar itself. The names are Galactica, Acropolis,Atlantia,Columbia,Pacifica,Pegasus,Rycon and Triton. The instructions are also very well done with a section that contains some really great painting tips to make the greebles and details of the ship shine through. Another interesting addition with the kit is an artwork reproduction of a pre-visual for the Galactica by the great Ralph McQuarrie who of course did lots of concept artwork in the 70s and 80's for Galactica,Star Wars and Star Trek. I would even say the print might be worth framing. All in all,I would say positively that this kit is worth the money if you are interested in the subject matter. My own plans with the kit are to make an intermediary design that fits into the re-imagined BSG series between the Galactica (the bucket) and the Pegasus (the beast) possibly adding gun turrets to the ship and maybe a couple other modifications that help it fit more into the new series. After all the original 78 Galactica design is now canon for the new series since it was shown,albeit briefly and as a nod,in Razor during the Scorpion shipyards cylon attack scene. I know this turned into a rather long review, but my best advice is to buy this kit as you will not be disappointed. Thanks for reading.

Moebius has stepped up the quality of their kits and this kit is no exception. I highly recommend this kit. It can be built into a nice kit out of the box but lighting and Photo etch will make it a superb kit.