Atlantis Models;  Sighting over Monument Valley

A phenomenon that has been pretty well confined to post WWII is that of UFOs. While anything one sees flying in the air is an unidentified flying object, most people will equate UFOs to craft of some sort; either extra terrestrial or some sort of 'secret government project'. As interesting as these things might be, the vast majority of these events have been proven to be either some sort of natural phenomenon, a hoax or some other plausible explanation. However, a small fraction of these reported events is still unexplained. It would not be outside the realm of possibility for most of the unexplained reports to be classified military projects, and while one might want to think that Earth is interesting enough for extraterrestrials, the odds are that it is not.

All of this has brought about a goodly number of model kits which are based either on popular media (TV, movies, etc), or drawings of the supposed alien craft or super secret government project. I include myself in with those who like these sorts of subjects as they add spice to any model collection.

Atlantis Models should not be totally unknown to modelers as they have done the hobby quite a favor by rekitting some old favorites, mostly figures and ships so far. Not that long ago, I built up one of their Grand Prix cars that was part of a dual boxing of GP cars from the 1950s. My experience was generally positive, especially when one considers the age of the original kits.

This one, however, is a new tool kit. It is pretty much a snap kit, with the parts fitting quite well. The engineering is very good and the kit offers minimal parts, which would be a real attraction to the younger modeler as well as to those of us who have built a few kits. It is marketed as part of the '5 inch' series and indeed, the diameter of the kit is 5 inches. It consists of three large and three smaller clear bits, a white display stand, a two piece LED case and three batteries to go inside it. The kit has a seven section 'interior' piece, an upper hull and lower hull piece. These all lock into place with a twist. The three smaller bits are landing gear legs and these can be inserted into the lower section for an 'on ground' display, or as 'in flight'. For the 'in flight' option, there is a small three-legged display stand. The LED assembly fits into the top of the main dome and is turned on and off simply by twisting the cap that holds in the batteries. I tested mine to be sure it worked and it did. The difference between 'on' and 'off' is a tiny movement, though once on, it stayed on despite moving things around so you can use it to attack unsuspecting humans and felines.

Instructions are on the back of the box and consist of four nicely drawn construction steps that are simple enough for even the youngest (and oldest) modeler. There is no painting information supplied, but most of us will paint in in a variety of metallics. It is really up to the builder. Also included with the kit is a large cardboard display base with background. You can see the fold line that differentiates the standing section from the rest. My scanner platen is too narrow to show the cardboard 'wings' that help hold this up.

I have to say that I like this. I am biased because I'm fond of these kinds of kits. It gives us the opportunity to have something on our shelves that is different and it also allows us to stretch our imaginations when it comes to painting. If you also have a fondness for these sorts of kits, then I'd recommend picking one up.

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February 2016

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Thanks to Atlantis Models for the preview kit. You can get yours at this link.

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