The main body of "Ajax is made from an ABS tube cut in half to allow for the walkway that runs almost its whole length. This plastic tends to pull in on itself when cut in half so I had to turn a series of Perspex bulkheads to hold the model to shape.

The 2 halves are clamped together. The "trim" around the walkway, cut from 1.5 mm ABS sheet, is also stuck on at this stage.

The vac-formed nose in Perspex has a separate Perspex bulkhead to fit it to the model. Here the cabin floor is in place and the clear Perspex tubes are cut down ready to fit around the sides of the model.

The rear engine section turned in "modelboard" with all its trims added in varying thickness layers of ABS plastic

This photo shows how the clear Perspex tubes fit along the model and blend into the underside, with EMA hemispheres on the front. Another tube like this runs along the top.

The wings, partly constructed in 1.5mm Perspex, are cut to fit along the sides of the model. Also the top gun turret and walkway have now been added. The walkway is Perspex, the turret is an EMA hemisphere.

The model comes together as the wings are fitted and the top fin in added, this time made of 5mm Perspex

I had to have brass etch sections made for this model as the detail was so complex. Both the rear of the walkway, the railings along the side & the window frames were all done this way

The underside of the model in grey primer shows how the wings are blended in with "Isopon" car filler. This was rubbed down until the wings blended nicely into the body. Note the brass etch window frames on the lower front windows.

The model in grey primer with all its ladder rungs in place. These were individually cut from staples!

Adding the panel line stripes with thin strips cut from masking tape.

When the tape is removed after several more coats of primer the panels stand out really well.

Adding the rivets with the fine point of a pair of dividers to the virtually completed model.

The completed model was weathered with airbrush to give it that realistic look.

The final model came out at 34 inches in length. less than half the size of the large model we made for the film, although I did make a smaller 20 inch model for long-shots.

Martin with the final model. The model now has its front nose probe, turned out of brass attached via screw that runs right through the cabin into the main model.