be used since replicas were unecessary. The material used was a fine-grain timber called Jelu- tong. The same was true of the Superswift's 'beak' and the nose sections of the two Altares light-ships and the Shuttle used in Anderson's "Into Infinity/Day After Tomorrow" production. Simply, the bigger the model - the heavier it is. The heavier - the stronger it's got to be. It is interesting to interject here with a comment about other materials used in the building of "1999" ships. Whilst comparatively expensive, a variety of plastic components (domes, ladders, girders, etc.) made by a company called E.M.A. (commercially known as Plastruct) were widely used. However, who could have guessed that the main body of the alien vessel seen in the "Metamorph" was built around an old vacuum cleaner, or that perspex lampshades went some way to creating the ship from "Dorzak"? Use of this type of pre-formed component was not unusual (if unexpected) in the creation of the "1999" spaceships. Of course, there was some use of plastic kit parts in the series, but it must nevertheless be remembered that it is only in the skillful and careful use of small detail pieces and dressing that the authentic and much-loved appearance of our current trend in SF models is achieved. It is an ART - a 'knack', if you like - and not just a random application of bits & pieces. The skilled modeller should soon realise this. There are some bits you can use, some that you can't, and being able to apply them in such a way as to disguise the pieces being used, and still producing an 'authentic' appearance, is something else altogether. What's wrong in using kit detail anyway? From a modeller's point of view there is a lot to learn from studying the ingenuity in which past craftsmen have applied their unique skills - and SKILLS they are! After all (assuming a good design) it is the FINISH that either makes or breaks the model's acceptability. This is done by careful and intelligent use of the suitable amount of detailing, panelling and 'dirtying down'. The different scales necessary means that the fact that the alien ships, for example, must - by their very nature - appear to be of a different origin to their Earth-originated counterparts. In conclusion: a reflection comparing models for exhibition and those built purely for film work is quite relevant here, especially in view of the exhibit of Anderson models and props in Blackpool's Golden Mile Centre (see article elsewhere in this issue), where many of the "1999" craft are on permanent display. Undoubtedly, due to the inherent lack of quality in film emulsion itself, ultra-fine detail (that might be visible at close, first-hand, inspection) is unecessary in film work since it simply will not be seen. Consequently, the
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