by Steve Minick

This is a 1/24th scale resin Viper Mk VII from Sci-Fi Models (now defunct). I was one of the lucky few to receive my kit. For the price it was actually pretty decent.

The kit was relatively bubble free, except for one clear through the starboard wing and one on a wing tip. Both needed epoxy putty to correct. I spent quite a while correcting wing warpage with a hair dryer and cold water. The wingtip “points” were made out of a softer material and took time to make look right. The dorsal stabilizer and guns were pinned and glued on.

The cockpit was a little light on detail so I added a few pieces myself. The pilot was just OK. The vac-form canopy was a pain to trim and fit. I had to build up a “dashboard” with epoxy putty to match screencaps. As pointed out by others, thruster holes in the nose were in the wrong spot. They had to be filled and new ones drilled.

The engines were also a pain to cram into the compartment. Brass tube was supplied for the piping, but I chose to use styrene rod instead. I added extra piping and a few greeblies in the area as well.

The model was primed and airbrushed with Tamiya acrylics. The base color was a mixture of Medium Blue, Light Grey and White. I used the Zoic pictures as a guide for colors and weathering. The engines were sprayed a copper color and black. The cockpit was painted per screencaps and the pilot with a mixture of copper and green for flight suit and helmet. After spraying with Future, decals were applied and “distressed.” I used black ink for panel lines, then sprayed model with Testors Dullcoat. I then dry-brushed weathering/impact marks with black, silver and grey. Some final touches were added with pastel chalks.

Image: Right/rear detail

Image: Underneath

Image: Battle damage

Image: Cockpit

Image: Front view

Image: Nose

Image: Wing detail