In the Space Modeling arena, there never seems to be a point of "completion," until the Modeler says he's done. I think in as far as the collection of 2001: a space odyssey models that I have waited nearly 50 years to get my hands on and build, this one might be the last.
I know...I've said that before.
But this one required all of the skills, ideas, techniques and even co-collaborators that I have used on all of the other 2001 kits I've built over the past 5 or 6 years.
First, and foremost, the Ares was exquisitely produced in this mammoth scale by Moebius Models, the same company who re-released the Orion Space Clipper and Clavius Moon Bus so many years ago and recently brought us the XD-1 Discovery in large 1/144 scale and the EVA Pod in spectacular 1/8 scale. Knowing Moebius' pension of precision made this model worth having.
On top of that, I added crew figures from both Max Greuter of Figurative Studies and 308Bits, both through Shapeways.com. I also 3D printed some "additional passengers" from some of Max's files I had previously purchased.
I not only used LED illumination on the model, but as with the Discovery, a 4-channel wireless remote was added to control which areas were lit and when. I later added a separate single-channel remote to control the Landing Pad lighting.
The display base for this larger Ares pays homage to the Clavius Landing Pad, as did the display base of our previous Stargazer Ares 1B model. On this base, I figured out how to get DC power into the model as a functional part of the base support of the model, so there's no wire hanging out of her.
I did not chronicle the build on this kit, except for entries on the Ares "Tips & Tricks" Group Page on Facebook. Other builders posted there as well. When I say that this model "was built on the shoulders of giants," I meant it, as I used ideas posted by such modelers as Ken Spriggs, Loy Dalmaso of Aztec Dummy, and other on the page to go places on the Ares which ultimate made the model not just "good," but "great."
