Moebius Models 1/4105 Battlestar Galactica Model Kit

First off this is not a toy. Also, you won't be playing with this when its done.I have to say that Moebius really impressed me with this model. Let's start with the basics. The box is simply amazing to look at. It just stands out on the shelf and demands attention. The instruction set is a super high resolution color page that contains everything you need to build the model. The instructions are as impressive as the model in my opinion. I haven't seen another kit put so much effort into the presentation of their instructions. I won't be throwing these out even after the model is complete. The model itself screams quality. It may not be as accurate as folks would like however it is a $40 model and not a $400 garage kit that has been painstakingly detailed in resin. The parts to this model are hallow however the walls of each piece are quite thick. What a breath of fresh air.I have built two of these now; one for a friend and one for myself. And I'm considering building a third one. There is very little flash to sand of. Most of the parting lines between parts are hidden from view. This is great for folks of beginner skill level who want a great looking product but don't have the skills yet to sand down and fill in parting lines. There are some that really stand out however they will be hidden by other parts and thus won't present any display issues. The model out of the box is very easy to build and finish. However, you can take this model as accurate as your skill level permits if you want. There are videos on YouTube and various blogs and forum postings of folks doing some crazy builds with this model. Just do a search for Moebius Battlestar Build and you'll find all sorts of things. There are also several after-market kits for this model such as photo etch parts for raised name plates, guns, and ribs for the inside of your landing bays. There are also decal kits to add the Aztec designs to the armor plates, lighting kits to light the landing pods, and a gun kit to replace the guns that come with the original kit. You can spend over $100 in after-market parts if you really want to. You can find most of these kits on Starshipmodeler's website. Some folks have also level set the front hull of the ship, replaced armor panels, added battle damage, and dremeled the hell out of the model just to make the armor panels look like they hang over the hull instead of running into the hull. Personally, I think some folks have taken their kits too far and uglified an otherwise beautiful model. For example, I hate the Aztec decals but don't fault anyone for using them. However, I fail to see the reasoning to pain the model in accurate colors only to simply cover all of that work with decals.Regardless, if you are looking to add an iconic ship that will look great with your collection then pick this guy up. This is by far one of the most well thought out kits I've built in a long time.

I always get a chuckle while rating the star values of this "toy". This is so not a toy but an elegant piece of art on display. I especially like the display stand that came with this kit, although I wish there were weights in the base. The finished size of the ship came out to be 13" long, 5.5" wide and 6" tall while perched on the display stand. I spray painted my Battlestar with Tamiya "Gunship Gray2"(AS-27); then went over the red stripes with Model Master "Insignia Red"(4714). All the parts fit together really well with very little trimming and sanding required. The assembly manual has detailed pictures. There are many parts that appear to be the same such as the engine pods and hanger pod support arms. But these parts have nice little numbers molded right on to the inside so it was easy to keep track after I've removed them from the sheets for paint. The ribs or protruding bulkhead on the haul exterior make it difficult to get an even paint coverage so I had to spray multiple times from different angles. Had I had more patience I'd gone over the armor plates with a different gray, but decided to skip that. It turned out pretty well anyway in the end.I don't understand however, why Moebius made the stern end piece of the ship out of clear plastic. Perhaps it is to give the option for people who want to light up their model with glowing engines. But I can't find any reference from the TV show that shows glowing thrusters on the back of the ship other than the four engine pods.I had attempted to build my battlestar with the hanger pods retracted like when they are getting ready for a FTL jump. But I didn't see a way to modify these parts without making them ugly; at least not with my limited skills. Also the hanger pods don't fit inside the "cavity" on the side of the ship. I wish Moebius had build options for both configurations into this kit.There is one other problem with this kit, and it is with the decals. The two largest pieces of decals, which are the runway stripes that go on the deck floor of the hanger pods, are not of the right shape and size. They do not sit centered to the pod openings and cover the mating glue surfaces of the pod halves. Significant trimming must be done before hand. I didn't find out about this till after I had assembled my hanger pods. Woe for me.But all in all, I'm still proud of what I've done with my Battlestar and believe it to be a nice quality kit. It is a must-have if you are a true BSG fan.

Since Galactica on TV is completely CGI, it can be difficult for modelers to agree on colors and paint schemes. But as fan of the series I had to give it a try.The model goes together easily. Aaron Skiiner at Finescale.com gives a good review. My kit did have a couple mould defects, no dimples but a hole from the inside out between 2 of the ribs on the head section. I intend to turn that into a battle damage area as my model will be a little war weary (using screen shots from the first season to give me a sense of how to paint and finish this build. Some of us modelers go to the nth degree for detail, while "stage ready" builds can yield a fine model that would require very up close inspection to find flaws. So with depending on your skill level or more importantly your tastes, you can take a lot of time with it, filling in seams with putty, or without all that you can still have a handsome and fun display piece.There are articles online about how to light it so the engines and landing bays are light, I am not going that far.Overall this is a good build, a fun kit and a great value if you are a science fiction modeler, or just a fan of the show.