AB Cylon Raider Build By Professor Dr. Stefan Piasecki
In about 1981 I saw “Galactica 3: The End of an Odyssey” in the cinema. The compilation of episodes of the series Galactica 1980. That this TV series existed, I did not know as an 11-year-old. But I knew the first two movies and loved them. So now this intriguing idea of a Cylon super-raider even crashing into Earth! Cylons on Earth was an idea I found extremely exciting. Twenty years later, I began collecting props from the series, and my professional work as a game designer even led me to personal contact with Richard Hatch, who visited my home a couple of times and told me a great deal.
But while the vast majority of details and props and models from the series and especially the first season are very well documented, there was and is very little information about, of all things, the Cylon A/B-fighter from Galactica 3.
Over the years I have polished and perfected the model building skills from my childhood days. After some smaller models, I built Mike Salzo’s Galactica (https://modelermagic.com/introducing-professor-dr-stefan-piasecki-and-his-37-5-inch-battlestar-galactica/). Then a lighted Moebius raider with interior (https://modelermagic.com/studio-scale-moebius-cylon-raider-by-dr-stefan-piasecki/). Since I like the bad guys and there was no base star of the Cylons, I built this one from scratch in almost studio-scale (80%), combining 3D printing with classic methods like using model parts and making silicone molds and casting parts from resin (https://modelermagic.com/professor-dr-stefan-piasecki-battlestar-galactica-tos-cylon-basestar-scratch-build-to-be-in-scale-with-the-salzo-37-5-battlestar-kit/). I am glad and grateful for these models. They were great experiences. However, what I really wanted all those years was the A/B Cylon fighter. Several times I tried to get in contact with the creators of the apparently two existing replicas, but even Kurt Kuhn could not help me.
Therefor I built it myself. And I must say: This was perhaps the most complicated model I have built so far. There are hardly any pictures of it, only in a few film seconds the ship appears. Many parts and areas are not documented. The existing replicas are based on the Revell/Monogram raider. So the details are all inaccurate and small. However, I wanted it to be as close to the studio model as possible. This was based on the first season Raider studio models and fell back on using parts of the Monogram models available in toy stores at the time, as you can see by looking at the details. So they cannibalized one of the original models and added parts from the smaller plastic model. That’s how I proceeded as well. I took as a base the studio-scale (1/32) Moebius model and changed and rebuilt it step by step by making silicone molds, duplicating parts and creating new ones. I 3D printed only a few parts. This was also time-consuming, because it took many attempts to get the dimensions exactly right. Only when everything fits exactly do you get the unmistakable silhouette.
I always find it fascinating how much you learn about a film when you build models yourself, which you otherwise only know in combination with the effects. Since I also teach film analysis, these practical insights are especially important, because I don’t have to read to my students from other people’s books, but can show them how something works.
I also wanted lighting like in the movie. As we know, the light strips around the A/B-Raider shine pink. But on the few pictures of the studio model, they are red. So obviously a color effect was added during the film editing. I was able to find a way out by adding a pink light strip and covering it with red film. Now it looks exactly right – lit and unlit.
This model was an experience. The covering of the engines, the wings and the underside of the cockpit were very complicated. I worked with wing ribs, which I then covered with a 0.5mm film. This was transparent (so I could always check that everything fit) and is strong yet flexible, giving the perfect look.
On a few details I put my own mark. Places that are not visible in the film or pictures, I had to fill with my own interpretations.
In some of the pictures, I combined my A/B Raider with the Revell/Monogram Raider and a Joyride Viper. This gives us the correct scale in relation to each other.
I hope you like the model. By the way, it took about a year to build. Is this the biggest A/B-Raider-model in existence? If so (or not) let me know. I would love to see others.
Many greetings
Stefan Piasecki
P.S.: I write novels under the pseudonym “Stefan Boucher”. One has recently been published in English. The book is about a former game developer who is now working on bio-implants that give people direct access to virtuality. Of course, there’s a reference to Galactica there, too. If you want to check it out:
Dr. Stefan Piasecki
Professor
USA
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