I know I am not alone in finding the MOONBUS (or as it is referred to in the film -THE ROCKET BUS) from “2001: A Space Odyssey”, an attractive & desirable craft to build as a model. Indeed, I first began drawing up plans to build a studio scale model of this craft in 1989, when myself, & my friend & colleague artist Keith Scaife, talked about how much we would like a model of the Moonbus.

If I had been told then that it would not be until 2007 that I would finally have an accurate model, I think I’d have given up then! But over the years, through various sources, including such diverse sources as “The Christian Science Monitor” (I’m not a subscriber I hasten to add) to the introduction of DVD’s & computers; allowing for the ability to get good, sharp screen-grabs, and on Keith’s MAC computer to effectively bend photos, taking out the distortion, we gradually built up a fairly good selection of photos of the model.

Now it is more than my life is worth to say where some photos came from, but suffice it to say that by the beginning of 2007, Keith & I had pretty much gathered together enough material to begin to build a 3D model. The first thing I will say is that I was always surprised at how many people seemed to dismiss the AURORA kit as being inaccurate, & had called it quite a few other uncomplimentary names besides, because to me, whenever I looked at it & compared it with the photos & the film, it seemed pretty darned close in general proportions, if a little unclear on some of the details.

However, undaunted as ever by the size of the task before me I began to build the model starting by tracing through onto clear Perspex (Plexiglass) the basic side shape. (photo 1 & 2) I had already decided to build all the main model in 3mm & 5mm Perspex.

The Moonbus’s body consists initially of an upper side section, where the windows are, & lower sections that has cut-outs for the legs & jets to fit into. So next I turned my attention to building these lower side pieces. (see photos 2 & 3)  I cut these from (3mm) Perspex, & what a tricky job it was. One of the most difficult things to get right when building something is getting precise angles correct. You only have to get the angle a degree or two out & it will entirely change the size of a panel & just look plain wrong!

This was particularly the case when it came to making the rear bulkhead. I had to trace through from the plans & then cut out 2 of these. Doing it this way I could get the depth of the cut-out needed for the various kit parts to fit into, & other recesses that the Moonbus has on it’s rear bulkhead. Also the rear face has 2 layers to it, making it just that little bit more tricky (see photo 4)

One of the harder parts of making the upper sides was cutting out the areas where the side windows go. I often find when having to cut out a large area that it’s easier to cut the windows out on a bandsaw, cutting through the side of the window “frame”, & filling in the cut afterwards with Isopon filler. It’s much quicker! (see photo 5) You can see the join reinforced with a small piece of Perspex.

Next I set about building the window frames with the recessed windows. I had to cut out ten wedge-shaped spacers and then detail these with another back plate stuck to each spacer, & then make 4 angle-shaped end sections that fitted into the pre-cut side window holes (photo 6). I then stuck these completed window frames (minus the actual window “glass” to be put it later) into the main body. (see photo 7)

I took this opportunity to fill in any join lines, both on the top where surfaces met, and underneath where all the little boxes formed by the cut outs for the engine bell jets & legs were to fit, with Isopon (see photo 8)

Next I began work on the cockpit top, carving a piece of Jelutong wood to fit the either side of the template seen in photo 2.  Keeping the Perspex template shape as part of the model, & visible, so as not to cut into it, meant I kept to the right shape. Once done I then stuck these in place where I was able to sand them exactly to shape. (see photo 9) Likewise with the underside I again carved the shapes in wood. For this I had to use a gouge (a spoon-shaped chisel) to get the recess right for where the front bell-jets are housed. I also turned 6 round mounting points for the jets in Perspex. And then of course I came to the jet nozzles themselves!

Now on the studio model it looks in all the photos I have seen, as though they are painted silver suggesting they were caste in resin & painted an aluminum colour. However, being bought up on making bell-jets made in aluminium for “SPACE 1999”, I turned my bell jets in aluminium. It was only when I came to drill the little holes for the wires that are in each jet (see photo 10) that I realised why they were probably not aluminium, as in drilling those tiny holes I broke 4 drill bits (at £4.95p each) (Quite a lot for a little drill), but hey, I wanted it to look the best!