From: grey@babs.sfsu.edu (Herbert Leong)
Subject: Re: Modelling Contest
Organization: California State University, Sacramento
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 17:36:07 GMT

In article <10545@vtserf.cc.vt.edu> U5A6B%WVNVM.BITNET@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU  
(Jerry Burchard) writes:

> Has anyone considered building a dirorama of a spaceship under attack by
> mobile armor?  I suppose the practicality of such a project would depend
> on the scale of the mobile armor models available, as the spaceship
> model would be scratch-build; Given armor models 6 inches high, a
> cruiser model would have to be towed by a truck.
> Still, it would be real impressive; the ship model (say 6 feet long)
> with big holes blown into it (I suppose there's a way to represent
> smoke pouring from the wounds), with the 1 to 2 inch high armor
> minatures supported by wires around it, firing on the ship, engaging
> in hand-to-hand combat, energy-saber attacks, the whole works....
	Nice thought but it would take much too long... for example, at  
the Smithonian, there is a model of the USS Enterprise about 6(?) feet  
long.  The ship took about 10 years (If my memory serves me correct) to  
build.  
	This was of the the ship as we see it today (the modern, 8-reactor  
nuclear powered monster--not NCC-1701:)  The aircraft took about a month  
each.  If about 20 people got together, put all else aside (ie:  no life),  
a diorama can be welded together in about a year of the type you are  
talking about.  (realistically, I think it would be better for three at  
the most to work for 3-6 years)  
	The reason I say this is because each one of the twenty would have  
different levels of experience and the quality of each kit would have to  
be monitored by one individual who would then have to individually touch  
up each model (or throw out whole sets if they were really crappy) to give  
each one the same level of detail.  
	After the model is built, the person in charge would then have to  
organize the team to 'weather' the ships with chipped paint, dents, holes,  
etc.  This would take another six months to do it 'right.'  
	Then comes the posing of the models.  A glass case would have to  
be manufactured to fit the entire model.  Then a grid work of rods would  
be placed at the top of the model for flying craft.  Then the whole thing  
would be mapped out on blue prints.  After that the models would then be  
suspended by strong monofilament line and "puppeted" into place.  This  
would take a few days (weeks) at least.  Some of this (blue printing)  
would not be required if only one person does the work.
	In all it would take about 1.5 years +/- 3 months to build any  
large scale diorama working as a very coordinated team (you live in same  
house, eat same food, go to same movies, get up at same time, etc.).  
	BTW, I have not mentioned cost yet...  How much does one garage  
kit cost to build?  Multiply by 20-30 then add in the 6-foot scratch-built  
ship that is being attacked...  as far as I know, the guy who made the  
Enterprise model received tax credit to the point of not having to pay  
taxes (fed) for a long time......  (The Smithsonian gives tax cuts since  
it's budget is so low and since it is a fed institute--this is as of  
'85-'87.  I do not know what the current set up is.)
	This comes from what I have done (and done wrong :) over ten (?)  
years of building injection molded (ie commercial) model kits.  It's all  
hypothetical and if anyone can do a good diorama of that scale in time for  
AA 93 or AE 93,  by all means do it.... 
--
grey@futon.sfsu.edu
grey@wet.com

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