UFO Models

The other day I was reading a copy of Engale Marketing's
Century 21 magazine published in 1990 (I can supply the issue No etc if anyone is interested)

In the Q+A section at the back was a little gem that sparked my curiosity.How many UFO saucer model's
actually were there.In response the magazine said that
there was only one ,but that they were made in different
sizes.
Having been very curious about this for some time,I can
say quite confidently that the magazine was wrong,and wrong in a big way.Of course the saucer was made in different sizes, as generally, were all of the regular model's
used by the Derek Meddings special effects team.
This is not to say that the design of the various saucer models changed significantly (they did,nt) but with this particular model small changes had more than modest effects,particularly in respect of changes in lighting.
If anything this model is a special effects tour de force,whose magic flows not only from its design and the
material used in its construction ,but more importantly from the way it is lit.So how many models were there,and how did they differ?.

Clearly the release of UFO on DVD has been the biggest
assistance in determining this,put alongside other
comments and bits of information dredged up from other sources and a more certain picture begins to emerge.
Basically I think the model was made in three sizes,however not all the designs were made in groups of three.
In his book 20th Century Visions Derek Meddings says
"This was the design we finally decided on for the UFO saucer solution" suggestive perhaps, of at least a couple of prototypes, before settling on a design of general acceptance.
OK....I think I can say there where 7 different designs,only one of these was used for the smallest size,four others were
only made to the intermediate size while the remaining two
were large models for close up work spectacular crash landings and explosions.Now if you think what you,ve heard so far is outlandish..it gets worse,I,ve even named them!
There is the Identified model...the Standard,Destruction,Ten Lives and Psychobomb models and the Flight Path and Long Sleep models.So what made each of these different?
The Identified model is the one most obviously different,it is the small UFO featured in a B+W photograph on Marc Martin's website,measuring approx 3ins in diameter.Its bottom white plate is very thin,the clear upper perspex dome is more rounded,while the bottom clear perspex is flatter/squarer with only a hint of roundness.As its name suggests it was used extensively in the episode Identified.The Standard design was one of two designs used
generally within the first series (so to speak),the other was the Destruction type.I,ve called it Destruction because it is the model used during the impressive battle with the destroyer in the episode Destruction.Whilst very similar to the Standard it is slightly taller with a more pointed perspex upper dome,and is easily spotted because of the dark green
upper cone with a black band in the centre.I also think the disks (connected to the paddles) are a little closer to the main body.It is also the model featured at the very end of the title sequence.Both of these models measured about 6ins in diameter (Eric Backman).By the way the ubiquitous image of the UFO over the Earth's horizon is the Standard model.
If you study the Attack on Moonbase in The Cat with Ten Lives it will be plainly evident that different models of the same design were constructed,you will also appreciate how different the model can look with variations of dimensions ,viewpoint and lighting.This episode features the very odd looking Ten Lives model (not unnaturally).It is tall and dumpy, has a deeper white plate and smaller disks.Its upper cone is characterised by a two tone green colour scheme.It is also featured at the begining of the episode
Sound of Silence and in the opening credit sequence of
Reflections.It is also the model destroyed at the end of
Destruction.Again it is about 6ins in diameter.
The other two designs used in the attack sequence are the Standard ,characterised by the full green coloured upper cone and slightly flatter profile and the Psychobomb design.In respect of the other models,the paddles on the psychbomb design are shorter in all dimensions,this makes the upper cone look longer/taller.The upper cone is also
of a lighter green colour,and this scheme does not extend all the way down to the top of the paddles,the in between bit
remaining chrome.Its upper canopy is also cut higher up.This model also has an unmistakeable profile and is the only one that features a khaki coloured cap immediately beneath the upper perspex canopy (all of the others of this intermediate size being largely grey),although
I would say that it is my belief that caps were interchangeable,varying from grey to brick red and khaki.The Psychobomb design takes its name mostly from that episode simply because of its easily distinguished profile in the landing and take off sequences from the woods, at the beginning and the end of The Psychobombs.However it is also featured in 50% of the shots from the fantastic lake battle in Sound of Silence. It also emerges from the lake in CWTL.
The design that emerges from the lake in Comuter Affair is the Standard.The close up shots of the UFO in CA coming out of the lake is I believe a special construction that has a
mechanism attached underneath in order to get it to spin
under water.You never see it fully emerge.Similarly with the other 50% of shots of the UFO in SOS,it never truly emerges from the water.Its also different to the Psychobomb
design.The model that explodes in the water at the very end of the lake sequence in SOS is the larger Flight Path model (12ins in diameter).
Now the attack in CWTL also features in one shot only, the Identified model.This is seen being fired on by the ground defence vehicle weaving through a barrage of explosions.
Only one uncertainty exits in my mind at this point and that is whether in fact there is an 8th design.I am inclined to think that the Standard model used in the Attack on Moonbase could be a different design.It has a unique shape also apparent in two other episodes Close Up and Conflict,also possibly ESP.

The two larger models-Flight path and Long Sleep-are both
about 12ins in diameter.Both designs feature thin white plates whose angle of inclination is very different to the other designs.Its upper and lower canopies are also a little rougher round the edges.I think the Long Sleep model
is not as well made as the Flight Path Model.The Long Sleep model appeared in Reflections (the UFO firing the flying fish),Psychobombs (The landing sequence and seen again interlaced with the shots of the tearful Miss Symonds)and then again in two scenes from the Long Sleep.It may also have been used as a huge close up in The Man who Came Back.
The Flight Path model appeared in all other Close up shots of the UFO when about to land,crash or hit the ground or house,except as already pointed out a special construction for leaving water shots.I cannot distinguish which model was used that the crew man sees over the side of the ship in Reflections.
I have a slight problem with some of the distant UFO's.
I suggest most of them are the small identified model filmed
under particular lighting conditions.Certainly the UFO emerging out of the volcano in Reflections and the one seen first coming out of the sun across the lunar landscape in both Flight Path and Mindbender is certainly this model.
How am I so certain?Basically because I,ve built a small
Identified model (1in in diameter) that looks exactly the same under a particular lighting setup,the mechanics of which I won,t enter into here.Suffice to say the effect cannot be re-produced with another design I have also built,again 1 in diameter (The Psychobomb version).

I,ve also a feeling that on some distant shots,the clear upper
canopy has been exchanged for either one made of opaque
grey/white plastic (out of the volcano,crashing into the sea in Identified) or a transparent one lined with chrome tape (viewed thru binoculars in Destruction and also in Timelash).

The two further most UFO's in the stock shots of three UFO's travelling through space are also very odd looking.
I cannot account for them and can only suggest they were early small designs that seemed to have no other use other than to pad out this particular series of shots.

Just to end on one certainty and one question mark.The
UFO in Timelash destroyed by Straker using the Molly is the Standard.However I don,t know which design attacks
his car in the earlier scene.I will likely have to try and determine that with my own scratch built model's and
lighting set ups.
I have been trying for some time now to build my own website around this subject,but it is very slow going.
As it is not fully updated at present,and I don,t expect any plaudits, but if you have some interest in all of this then its at
http://www.geocities.com/elder7uk

I think this goes some way towards answering the question originally posed back in 1990 in Century 21 magazine,which on reflection is rather worse than inadequate.

Cheers Mark UK


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In [hidden email], "Mark Davies" <aonq79@d...> wrote:
> The other day I was reading a copy of Engale Marketing's
> Century 21 magazine published in 1990 (I can supply the issue No etc if
anyone is interested)
>
> In the Q+A section at the back was a little gem that sparked my
curiosity.How many UFO saucer model's
> actually were there.In response the magazine said that
> there was only one ,but that they were made in different
> sizes.

"John C." wrote:
>
> >From my best chance to see UFO models f/s this year (www.wonderfest.com),
> there were about a dozen SkyDiver models available in resin garagekit form. I
> saw absolutely ZERO models of other UFO vehicles, but that doesn't mean
> they weren't there.

That's funny, I saw kits of the Lunar Module and Straker's car at
Wonderfest, along with the Konami trading kits from UFO. Didn't see any
Skydiver garage kits, but I wasn't looking for them.
AT

> That's funny, I saw kits of the Lunar Module and Straker's car at
> Wonderfest, along with the Konami trading kits from UFO. Didn't see any
> Skydiver garage kits, but I wasn't looking for them.
> AT

Oh yeah! Those chibi Konami kits! There were some I remember now, thanks!

Anyone here taken the plunge with an r/c SkyDiver? Ballast system would be
a real bugger, if you wanted the scale waterline when surfaced. No one at the
SubCommittee has reported a successful mission to my knowlege.