Space: 1999 Eagle Transporter Spacecraft Blueprint Poster Moonbase Alpha

Description: THE EAGLES: THEIR HISTORY, USES, AND CONSTRUCTION By Geoffrey Mandel Geoffrey Mandel's blueprints are based on the second 44" Eagle model. As Moonbase Alpha travelled through the galaxy, a helpless captive of Earth's runaway satellite, it survived through the application and manipulation of its existing technology. One of Alpha's most indispensable (and surprisingly versatile) pieces of hardware was its sole source of transportation: the Eagles. Modified to meet a variety of needs, these vehicles quickly became synonymous with Moonbase Alpha and a universal symbol for Space: 1999 itself. An element not mentioned by Commander Koenig, yet equally important to the survival of Moonbase Alpha, is that of transportation--a means of getting from one place to another, of investigating unknown and potentially dangerous phenomena, of gathering minerals crucial to Alpha's recycling plants. This need for quick, efficient transportation is admirably filled by the Eagle, Moonbase Alpha's workhorse spacecraft, which has rapidly become a trademark for Space: 1999. Necessary not only to the inhabitants of Alpha, the Eagle is also a vital element of the 1999 storyline, serving as a dynamic method (as opposed to a passive method like Star Trek's transporter) of getting the characters into a new, exciting environment each week. The Eagle is the innovation of special-effects master Brian Johnson, who designs and executes all the models and special-effects sequences used on the series. Johnson's other credits include Thunderbirds and UFO (also Gerry Anderson productions), and MGM's 2001: A Space Odyssey, although his name did not appear on the screen credits. According to an interview in the British publication T.V. SciFi Monthly, the inspiration for the squat, insect-like Eagle did in fact come from an insect- a grasshopper: "I find that if you make spacecraft, and so on, rather insect-like then you are half way there. That seems to be the way our technology is going. Take Concorde as an example. "The Eagle was based on a kind of grasshopper shape which just sort of grew. It was considerably shorter before we started filming, but later it elongated." Johnson did not work on UFO (he was working on 2001 at the time). Probably an even more important influence was the current trend in spacecraft design: the inset windows in the front of the Eagle's command module, for instance, strongly resemble those of the Gemini capsule; the engines and landing pads also embody elements of present-day Apollo spacecraft. The producers of Space: 1999 have always claimed that the show is an extension of our 1977 world, that men like John Koenig grew up in the era of John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. This is reflected not only by the characters, but by the technology available to them. The "cunning" devices that enable the Eagle models to retain realism even at very close camera range include "dirtying" random sections of the exterior to give an illusion of depth, and adding small pieces scavenged from plastic model kits to stimulate exterior detail and plating. Four Eagle models are actually used, ranging from 5 1/2" to 44" in length-they were constructed from plaster, perspex (a plexiglas-like plastic) and molded copper piping. More than four Eagles are rarely needed in a single shot. When the impression of an entire fleet of Eagles is desired, it is accomplished either by quick, successive camera angles of Eagles taking off and flying by, or by an optical superimposition of several shots showing Eagles of diminishing size. The largest Eagle, costing some $3,000 to build, is equipped with hydraulic landing pads and freon gas propulsion to "raise dust" upon take-off. There were actually 7 models: one 5 1/2", one 11", two 22", three 44". The landing pads are sprung, not hydraulic. If you have any questions please be sure to ask BEFORE purchasing! Can't find what you're looking for? Search my titles AND description by clicking here! You'll notice your search bar now says "Search only this store"...quite a powerful tool! Please check my other listings HERE before checking out...combine your order and save on shipping! Please add me to your favorite sellers list as I have new listings on the way! Thanks for viewing! Please note shipping is full price plus $2 for each additional item. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND CHECK MY OTHER LISTINGS! If you don't see it- ask! It MAY be in stock! We'll be glad to put a listing up for you! Respond to messages in 24 hours or less!

Price: 49.99 USD

Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-08-19T22:49:16.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6 USD