I'm planning on adding some details to this toy, slapping on some paint, and putting it on the tabletop as a 28mm scale sci-fi terrain piece. This post takes a look at the toy in its pristine state right out of the box. This is for the benefit of other folks contemplating similar projects by giving them a look at what they would be working with.
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| Front profile view before I start gluing stuff to it. |
It Would Be Nice If I Was Being Paid For This, But No
The toy represents a spacecraft from the Disney Pixar movie Lightyear and was made by Mattel. It retails for $12.99 USD. I probably should have waited for a sale, but I couldn't tune out the little voice in my head telling me that what I really need right now is another project. This post isn't sponsored, by the way. Nobody at Disney, Pixar, or Mattel is that crazy.
On Appearance and Customization
There are other spacecraft toys in this line, so anyone thinking of picking one up will have a selection to choose from. I choose this one for a couple of reasons. First, the larger cockpit canopy compared with the others offers a little more wiggle room for scaling. Second, if I squint and tilt my head, this one kinda reminds me of the Earth Defense Directorate "Thunder" fighter from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century television series (1979-1981).
The general appearance of this toy is generic enough to fit into a variety of sci-fi settings. While it is part of a movie released by a major studio, it isn't as iconic or recognizable to sci-fi fans as a Star Wars TIE Fighter or Star Trek shuttlecraft. It wouldn't look out of place as a static terrain piece in any sci-fi setting with single-seat aircraft or spaceships. A fresh coat of paint will only help to conceal its toy store origins.
There's a good amount of detail on this toy right out of the box. The solid shapes are broken up with panel lines and other mechanical looking details. The cockpit opens to reveal a detailed interior. There is also a set of retractable landing gear for the toy to sit on. Frankly, I wouldn't blame someone for just weathering one of these with a coat of dark wash and calling it a day.
Still, I just can't resist giving it another detail pass before reaching for the paint. The round exhaust nozzle looks good, but the interior isn't deep enough to convey that it's there to generate thrust. I'll likely end up gluing something in there to represent some kind of rocket plumbing. There's also a couple of spots where I could add gun barrels, sensor arrays, or other mechanical details to further customize it.
On Scaling
I shot a couple of photos for scale comparisons.
One features my Reaper Miniatures Rosie (28mm scale) standing next to it. Sliding into the cockpit wouldn't be too tight a squeeze for her, but a model scaled for the heroic end of 28mm or 32mm might be a snug fit. On the other hand, a 15mm model might get lost in there.
The other photo compares the pilot figure that comes with the toy with Rosie and a Light-Duty Vacc-Suit model from Ground Zero Games (15mm scale). The pilot figure slides nicely into the cockpit, so its safe to state that it's scaled with the toy. An eyeball comparison places the pilot figure somewhere around 25mm scale.
I'd say that the toy is close enough to work with most 28mm scale models with the understanding that this toy represents a small vehicle. Think of something like a Rebel Snowspeeder or an A-Wing from Star Wars - basically a cockpit bolted onto a propulsion system. It could be used as a larger spacecraft in 15mm scale if the canopy is painted opaque and kept closed to conceal the interior details.
Wrapping Up
$12.99 USD for a sci-fi terrain piece isn't bad, but I completely understand waiting for a sale or discount. A static spacecraft terrain piece is nice, but most tables don't need more than one or two. Unless someone decides to build a hangar bay diorama with a squadron of these, of course.
Now I just need to pick through my bits collection and figure out a paint scheme. Maybe red?
There are other spacecraft toys in this line, so anyone thinking of picking one up will have a selection to choose from. I choose this one for a couple of reasons. First, the larger cockpit canopy compared with the others offers a little more wiggle room for scaling. Second, if I squint and tilt my head, this one kinda reminds me of the Earth Defense Directorate "Thunder" fighter from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century television series (1979-1981).
The general appearance of this toy is generic enough to fit into a variety of sci-fi settings. While it is part of a movie released by a major studio, it isn't as iconic or recognizable to sci-fi fans as a Star Wars TIE Fighter or Star Trek shuttlecraft. It wouldn't look out of place as a static terrain piece in any sci-fi setting with single-seat aircraft or spaceships. A fresh coat of paint will only help to conceal its toy store origins.
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| Landing gear close up. |
There's a good amount of detail on this toy right out of the box. The solid shapes are broken up with panel lines and other mechanical looking details. The cockpit opens to reveal a detailed interior. There is also a set of retractable landing gear for the toy to sit on. Frankly, I wouldn't blame someone for just weathering one of these with a coat of dark wash and calling it a day.
Still, I just can't resist giving it another detail pass before reaching for the paint. The round exhaust nozzle looks good, but the interior isn't deep enough to convey that it's there to generate thrust. I'll likely end up gluing something in there to represent some kind of rocket plumbing. There's also a couple of spots where I could add gun barrels, sensor arrays, or other mechanical details to further customize it.
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| Close up of rear thrusters. |
On Scaling
I shot a couple of photos for scale comparisons.
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| Rosie rarely gets to work on anything brand new. |
One features my Reaper Miniatures Rosie (28mm scale) standing next to it. Sliding into the cockpit wouldn't be too tight a squeeze for her, but a model scaled for the heroic end of 28mm or 32mm might be a snug fit. On the other hand, a 15mm model might get lost in there.
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| 15mm GZG, pilot figure that came with the toy, 28mm Reaper. |
The other photo compares the pilot figure that comes with the toy with Rosie and a Light-Duty Vacc-Suit model from Ground Zero Games (15mm scale). The pilot figure slides nicely into the cockpit, so its safe to state that it's scaled with the toy. An eyeball comparison places the pilot figure somewhere around 25mm scale.
I'd say that the toy is close enough to work with most 28mm scale models with the understanding that this toy represents a small vehicle. Think of something like a Rebel Snowspeeder or an A-Wing from Star Wars - basically a cockpit bolted onto a propulsion system. It could be used as a larger spacecraft in 15mm scale if the canopy is painted opaque and kept closed to conceal the interior details.
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| Rear profile view as I think about a paint scheme. |
Wrapping Up
$12.99 USD for a sci-fi terrain piece isn't bad, but I completely understand waiting for a sale or discount. A static spacecraft terrain piece is nice, but most tables don't need more than one or two. Unless someone decides to build a hangar bay diorama with a squadron of these, of course.
Now I just need to pick through my bits collection and figure out a paint scheme. Maybe red?