physical models to buy?

Astro commander

2nd Lieutenant
Im curious if anyone knows of somewhere/someone you can buy ship models from.
I know there is paper wing commander but Im looking for substantial physical models made of resin or pewter between 6 and 1 inch in size. Both fighters and capital ships.

any leads?
 
One guy was making resin models using a 3D-printer/rapid-prototyping machine.... and that's about as close as we can get now.
 
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Star-Ranger.com has a forum built around this kind of thing.

They've even got a thread going:

VampFuse.JPG
spindly_whole.jpg
 
I've been toying with idea of kitbashing a Vampire using a 1/48 scale BAC TSR 2 plastic kit as a base and a lot of sheet styrene. That's one of the "easy ones". A couple of other 'easy ones' I've been thinking about have been the Stiletto, Morningstar, and Sabre could be pulled together with off the shelf kits - such as an F15, F14, Tornado, or any number of MIG kits. An F-22 resin cockpit and replacement canopy set could be picked up separately and used with sheet styrene to build an Arrow.

If you give it enough time and research you can find the odds and ends needed to build your own kit in just about any scale you want. If you really want to go all out you can even scratchbuild any fighter or capital ship you want. You just need to lay down a plan and figure out what parts you need.

If all you want is to be able to buy a preassembled kit that you don't have to do anything with but display it, well you could try modelling forums and try to hire a scratchbuilder. I know there are quite a few on forums of Fine Scale Modeller magazine.
 
someone with higher connections please respond?

Well to be completely honest the images in the thread mentioned above are something I generated. at present I have 3d models based on roughly 6 fighters and 2 capital ships. I intend to have one of each printed for myself. However, I had a friend as if I would sell him one when I had them printed, and this caused a few thoughts
1. is there interest --small but existant
2. Could I sell them without getting sued. --I think likely
3. can I buy them anywhere else.---answer appears to be no

Therefore I tried contacting EA via email inquiring about trying to get permission or possibly paying a very minimal fee for licensing of making 3d models 6" and smaller. Apparently I got trapped in tech support limbo as the responses I got made little sense making me wonder if they even read the emails. As many of you can guess the market for these is almost non existent so they likley have little interest. perhaps 20x over the world of a design may be sold. But the point is not so much the money is so others who had an itch for the models like myself can get them. I plan on using them to play tabletop war games. and I love painting ships(check out my website thirdfatecreations.com to see battlestars ive painted) For these purposes I need but one ship of the designs that interest me.

Now while it is unlikely that anything would happen if I made models for myself, I dont want to get sued if I offer them to others. So if any of you know how I might open a dialog with EA to sell these please let me know. I might be willing to pay a very small liscencing fee. I look at it as A. spreading a little model happiness, 2. encouraging me to make more models for printing, 3. advertisement of my (pershaps self deluded)3d skills, and 4. keeping the community slightly more alive. Now realistically I realize the odds of this happening are extraordinary thin but I figured its better to ask around rather than not try. .

The models I make will diverge a bit from the designs as I will be putting some of my own artistic likes into them, and some need redesign to be printable based on material properties.

I was planning on making them available on shapeways, but that is where the focus of the problem arises. To submit to shapeways I have to say the design is mine. This gets down to technicalities and in such technicalities legal winds blow towards the origional holder. I can do inspired by designs but they must have a notable deviation to have a chance. I dont want to step on toes, so I basically need some permission, or official overlooking to offer these up. Someone else is already selling on shapeways and his desires are more to wc1-2 ships.

So any advice or suggestions? anything at all. Otherwise Ill have my pretty models for myself and probably post pictures of them painted when finished if there is interest on this site.

Thanks
 
Now while it is unlikely that anything would happen if I made models for myself, I dont want to get sued if I offer them to others. So if any of you know how I might open a dialog with EA to sell these please let me know. I might be willing to pay a very small liscencing fee. I look at it as A. spreading a little model happiness, 2. encouraging me to make more models for printing, 3. advertisement of my (pershaps self deluded)3d skills, and 4. keeping the community slightly more alive.

I was planning on making them available on shapeways, but that is where the focus of the problem arises. To submit to shapeways I have to say the design is mine. This gets down to technicalities and in such technicalities legal winds blow towards the origional holder. I can do inspired by designs but they must have a notable deviation to have a chance. I dont want to step on toes, so I basically need some permission, or official overlooking to offer these up. Someone else is already selling on shapeways and his desires are more to wc1-2 ships.

This kind of boils down to your intentions with selling. It's pretty hard to argue that you're just providing a fan service if you're profiting off the work. Something less formal like privately getting compensated for the materials you use in making the models and shipping is likely to attract less attention, but then that also means less exposure to people interested in getting the models as well.
 
This kind of boils down to your intentions with selling. It's pretty hard to argue that you're just providing a fan service if you're profiting off the work. Something less formal like privately getting compensated for the materials you use in making the models and shipping is likely to attract less attention, but then that also means less exposure to people interested in getting the models as well.

Indeed. One viable option Id be happy with is to offer them at no markup (shapeways makes the only profit based ontheir standard materials percentage profit) if I had an assurance that as long as I made no profit on the sales that I can offer them. If EA wanted a liscence fee or to make profit from them then I would want to make a small profit aswell for making the designs 3d printable. Hence I doubt any agreement will ever be made.
 
It basically boils down to this: EA isn't going to sue you... but they aren't going to give you permission, either. Unfortunately, this is an issue that we've run into with them time and time again.

EA has a hard $100,000 limit for external licensing--if you don't have a plan to make that amount of money then it isn't worth their legal time to draw up a contract for you. We've found this with unreleased games, books, etc. over the years.

... and at the same time, they don't bother fans who aren't raking in cash. EA isn't going to come down on you for doing some sort run Wing Commander ship models--they didn't bother the guy publishing Privateer 2 novels or folks claiming to sell ships on eBay or anyone else ever.

(Heck, it would be *great* if your ships were popular enough to get their attention--because you could work out some limited license to make it official then...)
 
Those resin cast models look great! Are they still for sale somewhere?

Wing Commander is a scale model topic which has been way too neglected, imho. There are some great ships, which would make up a great scale model, but no one in this "scene" seems to be interested in it. Hell, many even didn't know about the games itself. Star Wars, Star Trek and even series like Babylon 5 are the most famous topics amongst scale modelers.

I can only encourage everyone to try and scratchbuild WC models themselfes. It's not that hard and actually quite some fun. And you can build whatever you want. Well nearly everything. You can start slow and small / basic and work your way up to there. After I built the Banshee I really wanted to build a Drahlti and probably a 20 - 30 inch Tiger's Claw as well. We'll see. :D
 
I'd understand, if the WC topic is hard to "sell". But there would be still the possibility of scratchbuilding. A lot (!) of people build their own, Alien, Star Wars, Star Trek and even some lesser known Sci-Fi vehicles. Except Wing Commander or games in general. It really seems to me, that there is virtually no interest.


Thanks for the welcome. I didn't know if there's a "new users say hello"-thread. If there is, I'll introduce myself there. :cool:
 
Well after a lot of effort Ive loaded a few models. Ill probably keep it available until I tire of it or it seems like there is no interest which will probably be pretty soon.

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/dreamfoundry




And soon there should be some pewter models available from another source as noted on this thread.
http://www.star-ranger.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=6537

Below are some images of the models ive test printed so far.
I recommend detail materials (white detail, transparent detail, or black detail. these show grain but any other material is worse. All parts are designed optimally to be printed in detail. It also seems the detail material requires some cleaning with hot water and a brush, from the gel support material.
 

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Wow, so you have access to a 3D printer? The models look very cute yet detailed. Great stuff.
 
I believe it is not lack of interest from modelers actually think there are a series of factors. The first is the age of the game itself, since then the games Wing Commander style went out of fashion, I think this explains the absence of some models. Before I start working with paper as media to build my models, I made several scratches on the plastic epoxy and ships from Wing Commander I and II, that there around 1994 or 1995, exhibitions of local chapters of my IPMS parents they were successful. But most of the modelers and the general public did not know Wing Commander, if at the time with games of the series still being released people already knew not imagine today. (Ok there is the arena for X Box) but if you ask a teenager of today, I'm sure he'll say we never hear about. So I think the reason is this.
Another detail came to mind, I believe that it is difficult to copy arrays of ships too rounded as Sabre, Epee and Ferret or several desings Kilrathi, note that these resin models are shown most of the WCP ... ;)
 
I agree completely about popularity and sphere of awareness.

As for wc1 models, a shop will offer them, hopefuly within a month and we shall see how they come out. Ill post in here when those are available.
 
So any advice or suggestions? anything at all. Otherwise Ill have my pretty models for myself and probably post pictures of them painted when finished if there is interest on this site.

We'd definitely like to see your models after they've been painted!
 
Did I get this part right: All of the shop's prices include worldwide shipping...?
Looking forward to those WC1 models! So when do you plan on modeling WC2 ships? I could imagine putting them to good use... :p
 
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