Buck Hedges
Technical Writer
Paper Models
Leopard-class Dropship (1:285 scale)
One of the first tabletop wargames I played was battletech, a futuristic game where players control teams of 40-50-foot tall war machines called "battlemechs." Of course, a game set in the future needs starships, and while many were mentioned in the game's source material, actual models were in short supply, and those that did exist were hideously expensive. I decided that since the Leopard was in essence a flying brick, it should be fairly simple to design in Illustrator using drafting skills I learned in high school.
The Leopard was the first paper model I ever designed. This "simple" project took me 3 months, multiple sets of ink cartridges, and ten revisions before it was complete. However, it has received numerous downloads over the years, and many favorable reviews. It also won an award on a Yahoo! paper modeling group for "model of the month."
In this particular model, I added an optional turret for the top, parts to reconfigure the ship as a cargo vessel, and made it possible for the turrets to rotate. Unlike many paper models, I put my technical writing skills to use after it was developed and created a complete set of instructions to go along with it.
The finished model is around 12 inches long and 4 inches high. The complete PDF file can be downloaded here if you wish to view it, or if you would like to print your own copy and test your modeling skills. It is an unlocked PDF, so it can be opened in PhotoShop or a similar program and recolored to suit.
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ISSCV Dropship (28mm scale)
I have always been a fan of the one-season wonder, Space: Above and Beyond. The plot was good, the effects were great for their time, and the ships were eye-catching. In fact, they are still some of my favorites today. After creating the Leopard, I began building models for larger-scaled games, and wanted to own the workhorse shuttle from the show. Of course, no model existed, but line art abounded.
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This model is about 21 inches long when completed, and features a rotating top turret, rotating chin turret, rotating wing engines, and a detachable cargo pod. By using magnets placed at certain points (indicated in in the model), the pod will "snap" to the ship itself and remain in place. Expanding on the basic ship shown in the show, I also developed a tanker pod, turning the ship into a flying gas station. Further variants under development will allow the model to be converted to a gunship, assault craft, missile carrier,and cargo, vehicle, or heavy hauler. As a final tweak, I plan on "reskinning" the model, changing the details in the texture to create a larger ship for smaller-scale games or dioramas. This model currently sits on display above my desk.
The downloads can be found here:
ISSCV (Inter-Solar System Cargo Vessel) Model
ISSTV (Inter-Solar System Tanker Vessel) Model and Instructions