[Starship Modeler's fourth on-line modeling contest: starships & vehicles from written sci-fi.]

By Simon de Vet

Space Tug Marcus Garvey

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^The final model, left side. Most notable is the subtle panelling on the hull, and the addition of a communication dish onto the top of the model


^ Right side. This image shows off the airlock and fuel tanks (in the traditional Rastafarian colours).


^ Top view. Note the piping coming from the fuel tanks, and the ship's markings. Crude, I know, but it fits the style of the ship (and that's the story I'm sticking with!)


^ Bottom view. Note the wiring connecting the front and back components via the connector tube, and the exhaust vent on the rear section.

Source: Neuromancer, by William Gibson

This ship had it's origins in the novel "Neuromancer", by William Gibson. The Garvey, which plays a central role in the plot despite being poorly described, is a tug 9m long and 2m across. With so little info to go on, I had plenty of room for improvisation.

I decided to make the ship in two components, partly because of existing cylindrical starships (Soyuz, for example), and partly because I happened to have a couple of film canisters lying around. Being a tug, I expected it to be overpowered for its size (hence the large engine cone), and designed for work, not elegance.

The bulk of the ship is made of two film canisters, attached with Milliput cones and a styrene neck. Attached to the body is an airlock made of a shampoo bottle cap, a cockpit (internally detailed and complete with a tiny pilot) made of sheet styrene, fuel tanks made from sprue, and an engine that began life as the top of a conditioner bottle. In addition to the main components are many little details, ranging from printer cartridge pieces to sculpted clay.

The model took two months to complete, and cost a total of about $5, Canadian. This makes it both my fastest and cheapest model ever! This was my very first attempt at scratchbuilding.

Image: Interior with pilot


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This page was last updated 28 November 2000