Catacombs Model Gallery
Dragon Ships

"Graveyard ship 2" is another realistic design incorporating parts from spacecraft plastic model kits. Like the Interplanetary Space Station, the main body comprises 1/144 scale Saturn V second and third stages and Saturn IB kits plus EMA tubing. Detailing (mainly around the middle fuel pod area) was sparse as the model is never seen in closeup shots. The whole model was threaded on a metal rod for support. More below...

The model was sprayed a light grey colour with some silvery panels and some pale blue sections on the nose cone. Much of the model still exists in 2013 although it was disassembled in the 1980s and some parts are missing. The images below show the parts in detail.

The front portion (at right) is made from a clear plastic shell, sandwiched over the widest part of the Airfix Saturn V second stage (S-II). At left, a Saturn IB interstage adapter is connected to the conical end of the second stage section (the S-II/S-IVB adapter). Torpedoes and sonar parts from the Airfix 1/72 Sea King helicopter are also visible. Overall length is 350mm and the diameter is 75mm. The wide part of the body is 260mm in length with a diameter of 45mm.

The first S-IV-B unit (which has distinctive red/orange and black markings at one end) is 90mm long.

Note that the model currently has 2 x radio and first aid parts from AMT 'Dukes of Hazard' police car kit, an oil barrel from an unknown tank kit which were added after the completion of Space:1999 (details highlighted in purple; Harrier weapons carrier support parts were originally used).

Four small propellant tanks made from Airfix 1/24 Harrier kit-parts were attached to the centre S-IV-B unit. They are 80mm long and 15mm wide.

The final S-IV-B unit is 115mm long.

The aft "engine" section does not survive in intact form. There is a short conical section at the front: if this has been cut down from a Saturn V second stage; the core of the engine section is a cylinder with a diameter between that of the second and third stage Saturn parts. Originally, the engine section probably consisted of two 1/144 Saturn V 2nd stage engine support rings (=the same piece used inside the 44" Eagle main engine nozzles). One at the rear of the engine with Tamiya 232 8Rad parts facing forward, and another at the front with Gemini parts stuck on. The engine connection rings were joined together by a central tube. Graphic: Healvis

Four engine pods (the engine nozzles are Apollo CM capsule "boost protection covers" from the 1/144 Saturn V) - 1" EMA hemispheres and tubing nested inside the Saturn V 2nd stage engine compartments. The engine nozzle "extensions" seen in Dragon's Domain (these were already gone when the model was sold in 1979) were possibly made from Saturn 1/144 Lunar Module "garage" pieces. The gaps between the four engines were detailed with tube halves stuck to the central section with Harrier parts added to detail the gaps.

Detailing includes parts from the Saturn V, Saturn IB, SAM-2 Guideline Missile (yellow), Tamiya 232 8Rad (dark grey), 1/24 scale Harrier (light grey), and 1/72 SH-3D Sea King Helicopter (white). Image: JD