Space Ark When Worlds Collide

This is a classic model from the days of Heroic Sci-Fi. Easy to build for the novice modeler. Not a lot of surface detail because it accurately shows the rocket plane's appearance in When Worlds Collide. I added a bit of lichen to the base to pump up the detail just a bit. I admit, nostalgia plays a part in giving this kit its rating.

Pegasus Models has delighted fans of science fiction film classics from the early 1950s with new models of iconic spacecraft from these movies. The Space Ark from When Worlds Collide is the subject of this kit in 1/350 scale. The nearly 12 rocket comes with its launch rail and a vacuum-formed diorama base with separate nameplate. The plastic for the rocket, launch rail and nameplate is ABS plastic, not much more commonly used styrene. Conventional tube cement will not work. Testors liquid cement (TES3502) bonds the gray plastic well. Parts fit is pretty good. The rocket has a few shallow sink marks that might benefit from a swipe of putty and there will be some small gaps on wings and tail that may need filling. The launch rail has a mold parting line across the supports that may need to be scraped away and sanded smooth but it might not even bother some modelers. I would recommend replacing the fragile-looking nose probe with a section of a paper clip that is the same diameter. This will be far less likely to break off while handling the model during final finishing. The kit is easy to build and younger or less experienced builders should have no problems provided they use the correct glue. For decades, modelers had to shell out big money for hard-to-build resin kits of the Space Ark. Thanks to Pegasus Models, sci-fi modeling enthusiasts can easily prepare for doomsday with an inexpensive kit that goes together quickly and well.

Folks like me who grew up during the early days of the Space Age watching movies like When Worlds Collide on late-night TV will find this an enjoyable kit to build. Very faithful to the movie prop, the kit features a section of the launch track as a display stand. Perhaps the best feature is the price: much more affordable and in larger scale than available resin kits. Pegasus gets full marks for this gem.