Eagle cab Laser Tank by SMT

Part set

Source

## **SMT's Alpha Laser Defense Tank** **Kit Preview** By Rob Caswell

1999 has been an incredible year for Space:1999 modelers. Not only were the Eagle and Moonbase Alpha kits reissued, but a slew of after market accessories has been produced for the Eagle (with more still on the way, at the time of this writing). One of the first to announce and produce these detailing products was Scale Model Technologies (SMT), with their Eagle Booster, Eagle Lab Module, and Alpha Laser Tank. I purchased the combined set (a bargain!), but chose to review the components separately (SMT offers them this way, as well, if you don't feel you need all three units).

### Background

The Alpha Laser Tank is hardly a major player in the scope of the 1999 series, but like the Hawk, which appeared in only one episode, this lil' gun-toting lunar buggy made an impression on fans of the show. It showed up in the episode, The Infernal Machine, and was also seen once during the opening credits. That's it. Even less screen time than the Hawk!

Given the above facts, it was unexpected that ANYONE would offer a kit of this neat piece of Space:1999 hardware trivia. So I was delighted when SMT announced this kit - AND that it would be made in the same scale as the AMT/ERTL Eagle (which is about 1/100, regardless of the 1/72 claims of the box text).

### Scoring a Resin Fix

While it may seem trivial to some, others know service and packaging varies widely in the small production market. I ordered my kit when it was first announced, knowing full and well I'd be spending some time twiddling my thumbs and watching Simpson's re-runs (and new episodes of Futurama! OOooOOoo!) before the kit could arrive.

When the projected release date came and went, SMT owner Colin Omilusik contacted me, informed me of the delay, and offered to either give me an instant refund, or if I continued to wait, I could have some credit against a future order. Paying attention, class? This is what we call "Good Customer Service".

Since you're reading this review, you can guess which option I took. The kit arrived about three weeks later in a sturdy box, well-packed with foam peanuts (they taste lousy with beer - trust me. But they are low fat!). All the small parts were packed in their own baggies and there was no damage during transit.

So far, so good.

### Casting Call

Good customer service can make a lasting impression, but let's face it - component quality is the element with the most longevity and bottom line importance. On that score, SMT places respectably.

The key kit parts are cast in a cream-colored resin with no significant odor (Hey - some folks care about such things!... for reasons yet to explained). Molding is done using the vacuum draw process. The overall result is a crisp cast with few airbubbles or voids. A few parts will need some loving attention, but overall, it's a pretty clean job. I'd give it about an 85% on the contemporary casting scale. While I've seen better, it's solid work that lives up current hobby expectations.

You may be surprised to find some other media in the box. There are two green, injection-molded plastic sprues holding the road wheels to a Chieftain tank (the original studio model was built on a Tamiya 1/25th Chieftain chassis) and two vinyl track loops. All this stuff gets attached to what appears to be a resin cast of the Chieftain's lower hull. Accuracy that's true to the original!

### Well? How's The Overall Accuracy?

Good question - glad you asked. The overall details are pretty good, but it's not 100%. SMT claims that part of that is intentional to avoid possible legal entanglements. Whatever the case, I found the inaccuracies to be minor enough that they didn't much bug me. As an unnamed Illinois friend of mine would say, "It's sure looks like a laser tank to me!""

Probably the biggest areas of divergence between SMT's tank and the original is that the cab height is lower. I'd guess the SMT cab is around 1/8" short of the target. That's considerable, on a 4" long kit. This height difference is also apparent in the housing (hereafter referred to as the "utility hump") that sits in the bed.

Back to the utility hump. The vents on its sides are also not terribly accurate, both in some details and because of the utility hump's shortened height.

The only other major inaccuracy that I noted is the rear door. While SMT points out in their instructions that the original went missing, it's not true that no one knows what it looked like. Chris Trice worked with the model's creator, Martin Bower, to restore the original model (read about Chris' restoration). Bower gave him both a description of the original door, as well as some (poor) photos.

There are other small details that can be added to the cab and overall vehicle (such as the struts behind the dish antenna). I suggest you reference the pictures in the Space:1999 Cybrary to fill in the blanks and add cool, accurate greeblies. Small color reproductions of these same pictures come with the kit. The instructions also go into a brief bit of detail regarding what a modeler would need to do to make the kit match the original.

### So - Is It Worth The Money?

At the SM Reader price of $30 (plus shipping) for 30 resin, 55 injection styrene, and 2 vinyl kit parts, this is a super value. At the catalog price point of $50, it's alright. A good set of waterslide decals would help sweeten the deal.

I love kits that get me excited about building them, and this one does that. In the end, that may be what matters the most.

## **SMT's *Space:1999* Alpha Primary Defense Tank** **Kit Review** By Michael Dentzer - Copyright © 1999

The year is 1999, and the vehicles seen on this mid-70's series are becoming a reality, albeit in miniature form. One of the vehicles appearing on Space:1999 that I always wanted to build, but thought I would never be able to, was Moonbase Alpha's Primary Defense Tank. Offered by Scale Model Technologies, this little resin kit is a wonderful addition to my Space:1999 collection. Made in exact scale with the AMT/ERTL Eagle, SMT has produced a fantastic representation of this laser-toting lunar craft. Although not exactly accurate to the effects miniature, it stands as an excellent model on its own.

### Building the Kit

As Rob Caswell has already given a good out of box review on the subject, I won't go into that here. All the main parts were very clean and clear of air bubbles. They only required a minimal amount of sanding, filing, and filling.

There were, however, two pieces that did require some major modifications. The communications dish and the laser gun both had some casting problems. The dish had a large air bubble that I decided would be more easily addressed by simply replacing it with one from the spares box which had more detail and a shape better to my liking. I then added some extra detail to match it better to the studio miniature. The front of the laser gun also suffered from casting defects. This was also replaced with spares parts, and the nozzle from a Bic lighter. I also replaced the rear bit with a more accurate-looking piece.

Another modification I made was to the undercarriage where large gaps separate the ends of the undercarriage from the chassis at both ends. A little digging in the parts box and suitable pieces found so that the rear and front undercarriage meets the rear of the chassis and the bottom rear of the cockpit.

I also noticed, in studying photos of the studio model, that the chassis sits a bit higher off the undercarriage than on the SMT model. So I used a 1/16th inch sheet of styrene, glued between these assemblies, and I was ready to assemble the rest of the model, which went pretty much as the instructions laid out.

Painting was next. I used Testors Model Master flat white for the base coat, flat gull gray for the wheel rims, and the usual shades of flat gray enamels for the various body panels, stripes, and other accents. Weathering was done using pencil and rubbing alcohol. This technique was used to weather/shade the grill work on the sides of the body. One last finishing touch was the addition of Tangents Moonbase Alpha logo decals from their fabulous Eagle decal sheet.

### Conclusion

This is one great little kit. And for a price of $30 (SM Reader price) a real bargain. Although there are some problems with some parts, the overall quality is excellent, in my opinion. For the fan/collector of Space:1999 hardware it is invaluable, or for anyone who likes to build futuristic armor vehicles for that matter, I can't recommend this kit enough. Thanks SMT!

## Sources

1. ↑ http://www.starshipmodeler.com/rv/pre\_atank.htm
2. ↑ http://www.starshipmodeler.com/rv/md\_atank.htm