Theme

The idea for this model came from some sketches which I decided to explore in 3D. From the start I pursued an aesthetic in line with Kow Yokoyama’s Maschinen Krieger series, hence the camo paint scheme, skull motif, and German name Zikade (cicada).

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It’s designed as a flying truck used to resupply Ma.K. mechs. I contrast the bulbous form of the vehicle with a skinny girl standing beside it. She has on some flight gear and a duffel bag, and might be considering “borrowing” the Zikade for an extended joyride.

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Process

Kit-bashed and scratch-built. I used 15 spare parts from various kits; some from a model I had when I was ten years old, and about 150 hand cut polystyrene parts. In total there are more than 250 pieces to this little model. Lots of sanding and puttying to yield complex curves of the fuselage.

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Nine layers of hand brush acrylic paint and varnish achieved the depth of color desired.

The lights are 3 LED’s in parallel on a 3V circuit. ,Wiring and 2xAAA batteries are within the rear cargo crate. The white and red lights are illuminated via 0.5mm optical fibers.

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Base is acrylic and walnut.

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4" x 4" x 9"

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January 2020

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