Yakult bottles = Nazi Saucers (commissarmoody, this is your fault!)

[Macrossmartin]

Hello, fellow space gamers! (And terrestrial gamers, for that matter...)

I was bitten by the retro sci-fi bug recently, what with For All Mankind and the skirmish game Luna... But spaceships, rather than Astronauts, beating Hell out of each other is my thing. I love making sci-fi ships etc from upcycled things, and when I found myself with a bunch of Yakult bottles, I knew I had to make them into spaceships!


So, I created a series of 3D printable parts which interconnect with Lego-like studs, (like my 40mm Daleks), enabling the parts to be used, and reused, over and over again in all sorts of combinations. Here's a render of the USAF parts:



And here's the USAF 'Battlecruiser' Carl A Spaatz, built from 2 Yakult bottles, with a Command Module up front, 2 'Stud Rings' (which the weapon turrets connect to), 2 Crew Modules, another Stud Ring, a Docking Ring with 6 Gemini Blue Orbital Fighters, and an Orion Drive.



A quick spot of paint, with a little weathering and oil washes:



In the view below, you can see the huge pusher plate which is instrumental to the Orion Drive.



For those who don't know about this mad, brilliant, and completely real propulsion concept, take a look here and scroll down to 'Project Orion':

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/realdesigns2.php

Here's the USAF Battleship 'California' - 13" long! Not playing on a 3' x 3' space mat, then...



I got a lot of positive reaction when I showed these on various social media, so I decided to take the plunge, and offer the parts via my brand new store on My Mini Factory, (link below).

https://www.myminifactory.com/users/martinevans1/collection/yakships-the-cold-war-goes-hot-in-space

(Contact me if you'd like to buy any parts already printed. Be forwarned: I'm down in Australia, so delivery from here isn't exactly prompt.)

Hoping to get some of these into a game of Full Thrust very soon. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy looking at my 'Yakships', and if you do, I'll post more pictures when new ships lift off the launch pad!

Oh, and I'd love to see any creative use of Yakult bottles from folks here.

Soviets coming soon!

[OSHIROmodels]

Looks great 

[v_lazy_dragon]

Very cool!

[Daeothar]

Awesome concept and execution!

The ships immediately gave me an Iron Sky vibe (when the nations of Earth reveal their (plausibly denied, of course) armed spaceships).

They should fit in right with the Moongrunt thread on the forum as well!

[Macrossmartin]

Thank you, folks! They're a bit out of left-field, I think, as most people seem to prefer their spaceships in understandably smaller scales for the gaming table. (Having said that, the parts scale down 50% with no problems.)

Daeothar - I didn't know about Moongrunt, so now taking an avid interest! Thanks for making me aware. 

[gregmita]

This looks brilliant!
Have you considered reducing the size to more like 1/2400 scale and offering complete fleet scale ships?

[Mason]

Brilliant!
Exactly what 3D printing excels at.
 

[Macrossmartin]

Thank you, Greg and Mason! 

This looks brilliant!
Have you considered reducing the size to more like 1/2400 scale and offering complete fleet scale ships?

I have thought about it, but my rationale for this project was to create something modular which can be reconfigured at will; A sort of more detailed, specialised Lego, if you like. Also, I really wanted to incorporate an upcycling aspect, given that it was the Yakult bottles which sparked the whole thing.

The parts will happily scale down to fit bottles, containers, tubes of 20mm diameter, so one does not have to go large to game with Yakships.

I've also just sculpted some 'solid' Stud Rings, which allow the ships to be constructed without a Yakult bottle, for those who'd prefer that option. I'll post more about these new rings in an update, soon.

[snitcythedog]

I do not enjoy ship to ship or air combat games but this is very cool. 

[Macrossmartin]

The Soviets come to Yakships!

I've just uploaded all the current Soviet Modules and Turrets to the Miniature Martin MMF store.

https://www.myminifactory.com/users/martinevans1/collection/yakships-the-cold-war-goes-hot-in-space

You can buy the parts as sets, or get all the Soviet parts as a discounted bundle deal and save 20%.

Also, here's a work-in-progress shot of the Soviet frigate Kozehdub with her base colours on. (Still a lot of highlighting, panel lining, washes, etc to go.)

[commissarmoody]

I like the different designee of the US vs Soviet ships.

[Macrossmartin]

FFG-NP Kozehdub all painted and decalled! 



I'm rather happy with that! Decals were just a mixture of Gundam 1/144th sheets and a few 1/200 Soviet aircraft stars for the Vostok-R fighters.



Got to build another FFG, plus a Cruiser and the Battleship Krasnyy Zvezda to finish the Sovietskiye Kosmicheskiye Voyska* taskforce.

I've also sculpted a 'solid ring' which enables the building of a ship without a Yakult (or similar) bottle, for those so inclined. That'll be up in the store soon.



Next up, I need to get some more USAF ships launched, and there's a third faction to sculpt... The inspiration for this will be apparent to many here, I think... stay tuned!

* Does anyone here speak Russian? 

[OSHIROmodels]

Nicely done 

[hubbabubba]

That's awsome, I'm not normally into that sort of thing but that's great work, very professional.

[commissarmoody]

FFG-NP Kozehdub

Next up, I need to get some more USAF ships launched, and there's a third faction to sculpt... The inspiration for this will be apparent to many here, I think... stay tuned!

Are they going to be Moon Nazis in on flying saucers? 

Oh and they look great, I kind of want to do some up as East German DDR.