"Welcome Aboard" diorama
(Scene from Doctor Who Episode 3.1: Smith And Jones)
Brand: Airfix
Scale: 1/12
Medium: Injection-molded styrene
Release Date: 2008
Pieces: 80
Life Lost: 100+
Enhanced: Yes (see captions)
TSF Rating: * * * * *
"It's bigger on the inside!" The Tardis is indisputably the most globally recognised "spaceship" ever to appear on television. Generations of fans have lovingly followed the Doctor's adventures through time and space over so many decades.
After a long reprieve Doctor Who has been reinvented (or is that regenerated?) for a new audience, along with most of the old foes, - and a few new ones thrown in as well. Not to mention a whole new bevy of sidekick/love interests queued up, ready to enter the "phone box".
I am one of those long time (older) fans of Doctor Who (Tom Baker being my favourite incarnate), and I always wanted a Tardis in my collection. So it was with bittersweet excitement that I learned Airfix had released a kit. Bittersweet because my hazy memories of Airfix kits were not too favourable. But still, it IS the Tardis after all!
When I finally got my hands on this kit I was pleasantly surprised by what a great job Airfix had actually done. The detail was amazing, especially in the figures, and I could tell, even in its dark blue shiny plasic form, that the phone box was going to look fantastic.
When I began this build I was wanting something I could put together quickly and finish for our club's upcoming annual competition. But, just as the actual Tardis is bigger on the inside, so too this project would turn out to be!
After a long reprieve Doctor Who has been reinvented (or is that regenerated?) for a new audience, along with most of the old foes, - and a few new ones thrown in as well. Not to mention a whole new bevy of sidekick/love interests queued up, ready to enter the "phone box".
I am one of those long time (older) fans of Doctor Who (Tom Baker being my favourite incarnate), and I always wanted a Tardis in my collection. So it was with bittersweet excitement that I learned Airfix had released a kit. Bittersweet because my hazy memories of Airfix kits were not too favourable. But still, it IS the Tardis after all!
When I finally got my hands on this kit I was pleasantly surprised by what a great job Airfix had actually done. The detail was amazing, especially in the figures, and I could tell, even in its dark blue shiny plasic form, that the phone box was going to look fantastic.
When I began this build I was wanting something I could put together quickly and finish for our club's upcoming annual competition. But, just as the actual Tardis is bigger on the inside, so too this project would turn out to be!
Keeping in mind that I wanted to make this scene look as authentic as possible I had no choice but to light the Tardis' windows. Logistically this would prove to be quite a challenge especially when it came to the final stages of assembly. I would advise anyone who wanted to light their Tardis the same way to fix the LEDs and wiring to each wall BEFORE glueing them together. I thought that by leaving just the front wall detached I would have enough room to get my hands (and tools) in to run the wires and secure the LEDs in place. This was not the case!
All images property of The Starship Factory 2010.