By Vince Hoffmann - images & text © 2005

Scale: 1/48 -

Parts: 32 resin cast (30 white resin, 2 clear resin)

Instructions: 2 pages front/back, good line drawings and good paint/decal guide

Decals: ALPS-printed waterslide by JBOT Decals; markings for one ship

Molding Quality: 7 - no bubbles or voids in any part, some difficult flash

Detail: 9 - Good overall, excellent symmetry, clean scribed lines

Accuracy: 8 - Mostly there

MSRP: $95.00 USD (~$117.42 CAN/ € 78.47 EUR) available from

Overall Rating: 9 - see review

One of the newest offering in the SMT flock, this is a model that has been long wished for by Lost in Space buffs, and will be a fine addition to any model builder's collection.

The Kit

The kit, produced by Scale Model Technologies, arrived in a sturdy cardboard box with the parts bagged into three separate plastic bags: small parts, large parts and clear dome halves.

The large parts are very nicely cast, with minor seam lines and flash around the edges, these will be easy to clean up. The small parts have an excessive amount of flash still attached. (Note: most of the flash was removed prior to taking photos of the parts.) and the clear parts are rather thick, with a slightly cloudy appearance.

As with most resin kits, there are trials and tribulations. For this kit, cleanup of the parts will be the most time consuming. The fit of most parts is very good, although pinning will be needed to add strength to the wing and engine connections. The clear domes also appear to be in need of attention, several small ridges and minor defects will need to be sanded and polished in order to obtain a glassy smooth surface.

This kit was created using a CGI model for reference, not reproduced from a studio model.

As a result, some details of the model were left to supposition, and other details had to be changed in order to create a buildable kit. Comparing the model to the screen shots in the beginning of Lost in Space, I found the overall geometry to be very accurate, the wing shape, and engine fit nicely with the profiles I saw on screen. Inaccuracies occurred in the small detail, especially around the fuselage to cockpit connection and engine detail. These inaccuracies are easily overlooked and do not detract from the overall appearance of the model.

Decals and Instructions

The kit comes with two pages of double sided instructions with clear black & white drawings of the model under construction. Although the parts are not numbered, from the illustrations it is easy to see where each piece is to go. A painting guide is included on the last page of the instructions and gives good color and decal placement. Referencing the box art will also give the model builder a good idea of how to paint the model.

The decal sheet included with the kit allows you to portray only Major Don West's fighter.

Conclusion

Although this is an obscure subject, getting only a few minutes on the screen, I am satisfied with the quality and craftsmanship of this model, and at 13" tall it will look impressive in my display case.