Ron Gross sent me this article about his J2
project.
Thanks Ron!
THE CLASSIC JUPITER 2
FROM LOST IN SPACE:
FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCTION MODEL
BY RON GROSS
For more than 30 years, the availability
of a mass-produced injection molded kit of the
Jupiter 2 spacecraft from "Lost in Space"
seemed like nothing more than a wild fantasy to
loyal fans of the classic TV series. In April
of 1998, however, that dream was finally
realized by the introduction of the Polar
Lights Jupiter 2 model kit. The announcement
served to officially correct an error in
judgment that this fine young company's
namesake "Aurora Plastics" had made all the way
back in the sixties, when it was decided that
the overall design of the Jupiter 2 was too
simplistic to generate sufficient interest. In
the aftermath of my successful completion of a
scratch built model which spanned many years, I
was honored to have been brought aboard as both
the technical consultant and the box artist for
this exciting project. If ever there were an
example of a childhood dream-come-true, this
sequence of events certainly served to satisfy
that description.
Ironically, I did not originally engage
the project of constructing a custom scale
model of the Jupiter 2 (specifically, the
articulated studio miniature version) with any
specific marketing aspirations. The timing with
respect to the release of the Lost in Space
feature film, however, combined with the
exposure of my prototype in both print and on
the Internet, created a unique and unexpected
opportunity. This article will retrace the
major events that led to the conclusions for my
original design, and culminate in examples of
fine build-ups of the Polar Lights production
model from a variety of proficient modelers.
A DECADE OF
INFORMAL JUPITER 2 RESEARCH
In reality, the "modern era" of this
adventure actually began for me all the way
back in the summer of 1982. A small classified
ad in an issue of Starlog Magazine from
"Infinite Star Productions" described a mini
four-inch replica of the long lost space ship,
making it among the earliest of such offerings.
I soon became acquainted with the craftsman
himself, none other than David Merriman, who is
now a world renowned modeler and a frequent
contributor to this magazine.
I listened with great interest and
anticipation as David described tentative plans
to market a larger ten-inch version of his
impressive little creation, to which I promptly
contributed a relevant light sequencing
circuit. Unfortunately, interest in this
follow-up venture soon dissipated, and the
larger Merriman masterpieces were relegated to
a few custom build-ups for individual clients.
Although I was unable to fulfill my long-term
dream of obtaining a larger model of the
Jupiter 2 at that point in time, I took away
something from the experience that was far more
valuable: simply, the acquisition of a true
modeling mentor to eventually aid with a
variety of novel scratch-building techniques.
David's remarkable results were aided by
an exclusive series of photos taken of one the
surviving secondary Jupiter 2 miniatures, owned
by collector/ modeler Greg Jein. Utilized in
the third season of Lost in Space, this model
displayed the new Space Pod docking bay, but
lacked the fine detailing and finishing
exhibited by the singular "hero" miniature.
Additionally, the prop was still badly in need
of restoration, having been heavily modified
for use in Irwin Allen's subsequent feature
film "City Beneath the Sea." The photo set was
shot by then Merriman associate Richard
Messmann, who, the following year, made yet
another interesting discovery at the library of
UCLA. Irwin Allen had apparently made a
donation of various materials some years
earlier, and some of the actual blueprints for
his TV-related props were suddenly available
for inspection. Included in this limited
collection was a
drawing casually labeled "sheet 5 of 6" which
displayed a revised profile for Jupiter 2
miniature construction. Among the included
technical notes were references to a four-foot
and a ten-foot model, the latter rumored to
have been built for only a single stock footage
shooting: namely, that of the infamous crash
landing sequence. In addition to depicting the
basic hull contour, the plan detailed
adjustments that were deemed necessary for the
conversion of the "Gemini 12" single level
concept (from the unaired pilot) to the
extended and more familiar "Jupiter 2" design,
both as conceived by acclaimed art director
William Creber. Upon receiving a copy of this
treasure, I
promptly created a complete two-sided outline
by employing a common "fold over" technique. I
recall being somewhat disappointed by the
result, as what seemed correct as a one-half
profile representation simply did not look
quite right when fully expanded. Although I was
not yet fully aware, the fact is that the
actual construction of the four-foot primary
Jupiter 2 miniature subtly departed from this
surviving Fox plan, lending it an elusively
distinctive character. And while other
miniatures had been recovered and were now in
private collections, the whereabouts of this
unique "hero" model were not commonly known. If
it were ever to be revealed, it would certainly
not be intact, as the detached landing gear
assemblies and the lighting ring apparatus were
already in the possession of artisan Greg Jein.
It became clear that the research was not yet
concluded; it had, in fact, only just begun.
The mid-eighties saw a resurgence of
interest in Lost in Space- related material in
the form of both fan publications and garage
kits. In 1986, the "Alpha Control Reference
Manual" was released which featured Phil
Lublin's masterful blueprints. The following
year Mike Evans and Lunar Models gave us the
long-awaited Jupiter 2 vacu-formed kit, which
was based generally on these plans (Phil,
ironically, is the proud owner of the "new"
Lunar Models company). That same year I
officially got into the act by preparing the
"Lost in Space Technical Manual: Volume 2" at
the request of an American West Coast
publisher.
This effort was similar to the existing
"Alpha Control Reference Manual," except that
it approached the material from a studio
production point of view, rather than
speculatively treating the hardware items as
actual devices. Unfortunately, I became aware
of certain legal difficulties that the
publisher was experiencing, and I made a
decision to withdraw the material before just
before it would have gone to press. Some of the
drawings have since made guest appearances to
support modeling subjects for other
publications, and still others are available
herein for the first time.
Although my 1987 effort was fairly
extensive with respect to the representation of
the primary Jupiter 2 miniature, it was by no
means final, as definitive answers were simply
not yet available. In 1989, Shane Johnson
released perhaps the most impressive set of
blueprints to date, but they were designed to
be faithful to their original Fox counterparts,
reference material permitting. By the time we
reached the early nineties, however, some
independent interpretations had begun to
surface. Among the pioneering advocates of the
general concept that the primary miniature was
not entirely faithful to the Fox plan were
custom build-up specialists Kim Brokaw and Jim
Key Throughout this entire ten year time
frame, my personal Jupiter 2 modeling project
had been an "on again - off again" affair, with
several (sometimes costly) diversions along the
way. Having finally acquired the modeling
skills to do justice to the effort, however, I
made a decision that it should be "on again"
once and for all.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Considering the vast amount of resources
that are required by a comprehensive scratch
building project, I was determined to make the
effort worthwhile by coming up with a
(hopefully) more advanced design than anything
that had yet been offered. After sharing
observations and exchanging ideas with several
of the above-mentioned artists, I turned to
long time friend Mike Sussek for assistance in
finally putting the pieces together. Among
Mike's many abilities were an expertise in tool
and die, which he utilized by assisting both
David Merriman and Mike Evans of Lunar Models
on selected occasions in the eighties. He also
happened to be one of the most prolific science
fiction archivists I had ever met. Upon
exploring his vast collection of
photographic resource material, however, we
came to realize that there were simply no
publicity stills available that provided a
clear profile image of the prop in question. We
then scanned every episode of Lost in Space on
video tape to determine which of the special
effects shots best revealed the true hull
contour of the popular primary miniature. The
classic landing sequence from the episode
"Ghost Planet" was the clear choice, as it was
the only one that provided a straight-on
profile view which was shot at a sufficient
distance to eliminate virtually all lens
distortion. As luck would have it, Mike also
had a copy of that episode on 16mm film.
Although it is possible to engage a still
frame with a standard 16mm film projector,
obtaining a distortion-free photograph of the
image in question is still a problem because of
the positioning of the equipment involved.
Mike's solution was to employ a translucent
screen which could be shot from behind, and
simply have the image reversed upon processing.
We analyzed several photos which were processed
in this manner, and we came up with some very
interesting conclusions.
In order to establish a point of
reference, we compared the lower hull
proportions with those of the surviving Fox
blueprint, and found them to be an exact match.
Now fully satisfied that we were dealing with
credible source material, we noted that the top
domes were in alignment as well, but that the
actual miniature contained additional upper
hull stock which engulfed about 15% of its dome
at the base. Mike theorized that the additional
height was intended to offset an equal
extension of the lower deck from the original
"Gemini 12" pilot version, which the Fox plan
already specified. We entertained several more
interesting theories, but in the final
analysis, a precise tracing of the photo of
choice was the best solution. I soon expanded
this raw outline into a fully detailed
blueprint drawing, which promptly became the
master plan for the project. Today, as many
people now know, the
remains of the elusive primary miniature have
finally been unveiled, which, several years
ago, might have rendered much of the above
research unnecessary. If indeed it does
indicate some minor differences compared with
our results, I would contend that Mike and I
still came up with an extremely accurate
representation of what is perceived to be the
"hero" Jupiter 2 model on film. Since this is
the only reference source that most home
observers will ever have, that, I believe, is
what really matters.
SCALING THE JUPITER 2:
AN EXERCISE IN LOGICAL CHOICES
In selecting the
size for my forthcoming creation, I decided to
match
the scale of a rework that I had recently
completed of the classic Aurora kit that
featured the Lost in Space cyclops/ chariot
diorama. The calculations were somewhat
subjective in nature, due to the fact that
Irwin Allen subject matter in general seemed to
display little concern for continuity. As a
result, reference points for scaling various
hardware elements were often left to individual
interpretation. In the case of the diorama, I
simply noted that the original pilot script had
specified a 40-foot height for the cyclops, and
I designed my replacement chariot to match this
revised 1/70th scale. For the Jupiter 2
project, the question became one of what
physical size would also best represent this
newly established scale, considering the many
discontinuities and varied versions of the ship
that were evident throughout the series.The
diameter of the full scale Jupiter 2
studio set measured just under 48 feet after
all exterior revisions were eventually
effected. In addition to the simplified
straight-line profile in place of the graceful,
composite curves displayed by the miniature,
the angles were also such that the roof line
was defined by a "tighter" circle. Another Fox
plan detailing a top view for miniature
construction attempted to retain this scale,
but upon close inspection, not entirely
successfully. If so accepted, the resultant
hatchway height would simply not be adequate to
accommodate an adult human figure. The problem
arises from the need to reconcile full-sized
studio sets, which have very specific
dimensions, with a longer, lower, and sleeker
hull contour. Add to this disparity the fact
that the interior sets were actually situated
below the suggested seam line between the two
primary hulls, which would never work if one
expected the lower level viewport to make any
sense. For my revised interior plans,
therefore,
I saw the the need to raise the floor to the
point of the seam line, and to widen the circle
defined by the ends of the wall beams. If the
interior layout were not widened, the distance
between the viewport and the flight deck
console would be unacceptably long,
compromising the overall look in this critical
area. This is also the reason why it would not
be practical to arbitrarily resize the Jupiter
2 in an effort to reconcile both decks and
accommodate all supporting hardware. Such an
attempt would necessitate adjusting the
exterior profile in order to retain the cockpit
integrity, which, of course, is the very
characteristic that we worked so hard to
recreate in the first place.
Having accepted all of the above, I was
then left with individual wall sections which
had different (essentially shorter) proportions
compared with their full scale counterparts.
The solution was to duplicate as much of the
original detail as possible, but to spread out
and/ or "stretch" specific areas as required in
order to fill the space. The most logical
reference for scale was that of an internal
hatchway, which, by necessity, now had a
smaller dimension. The net result of this
entire remapping process was that the miniature
measured out at 25% larger than that of its
full scale counterpart, or about 60 scale feet.
In order to satisfy the criteria for my
required 1/70th scale, therefore, the diameter
of my prototype would now be established at
10.25 inches, very closely returning to that of
the original Merriman concept of the early
eighties. The physical construction of my
prototype
was a painstaking and time consuming process,
and is fully chronicled elsewhere. I was
gratified that the final result seemed to
satisfy some of the most critical eyes in
fandom, with accolades coming in from Jeff
King, David Merriman, Mark Dorais, Shane
Johnson, and others. Although I had completed
the plans for the full upper deck interior, I
decided to temporarily fit my new creation with
the mock "radial graphic" insert which was
evident inside the primary studio miniature. As
it turned out, this enhancement would remain a
permanent fixture, as an exciting new
application would soon arise for all of my
blueprint plans, including the as yet unused
sheets for the interior layout.
ENTER POLAR LIGHTS:
THE
OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
Perhaps the most
important compliment that my work could receive
came from Tom Lowe and Dave Metzner of Polar
Lights,
when they contacted me to solicit my
involvement with his company's forthcoming
Jupiter 2 model kit. I soon found myself
submitting my entire collection of drawings and
blueprints to the innovative engineering staff
associated with the company, where decisions
had to be made as to how much of my design
could actually be implemented in light of
certain practical considerations. The first
issue dealt with the nature of
rigid, production grade "tools," or molds
compared with the flexible RTV rubber molds
that I personally utilize, as do virtually all
"garage kit" manufacturers. The second had to
do with a parts-count concern, in that an
effort had to be made to keep the cost at a
reasonable level to achieve a desired price
point. An excellent example of a part involving
both of these challenges is that of the bottom
lighting ring. It is, quite simply, an
ingenious engineering compromise which
eliminates all "undercuts," and is able to be
represented as a single piece. If the part
seems somewhat on the small side, please note
that the top, angled ridge of the ring is
actually incorporated into the bottom of the
lower deck, allowing for a seamless union upon
painting and full assembly.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of
this model kit, however, is the ease with which
it can be completely dry-fitted together. While
it took several years for me to see my scratch
built prototype standing upright on its landing
legs, this larger production model (12 inches
in diameter, or 1/60th scale by my
calculations) can actually achieve that status
in a matter of a few minutes. The overall
degree of "builder-friendliness" engineered
into the Polar Lights kit is, in fact, among
the best I have seen. It offers the opportunity
for nearly immediate gratification to the less
patient and skilled, while also providing a
vast spectrum of customizing possibilities for
those of us who just can't seem to leave well
enough alone.
The Polar Lights Jupiter 2 kit has won
several awards, including "kit of the year" as
denoted by a modeling magazine from Germany, a
"reader's choice" distinction from Fine Scale
Modeler, and "best mainstream Sci-Fi kit of
1998" as designated by the "Starship Modeler"
web site. Frequent Starlog contributor and long
time Irwin Allen enthusiast Mike Clark informed
me that the model was selected for use inside
the new astrogator set which was built for the
recent TV special "Lost in Space Forever." It
has also spawned a variety of quality
after-market accessories, such as an efficient
and affordable "chase" lighting circuit from D.
F. Howard Enterprises, and a complete set of
decals for internal detailing, prepared by Jim
James.
Perhaps the most exciting element of this
entire experience for me personally, however,
was to have been given the opportunity to
create a piece of artwork for the box cover in
the distinctive style of Aurora Plastics. Many
of the paintings, illustrations, and model
backdrops that I have created over the years,
in fact, have been inspired by original Aurora
box art. This illustration depicts a
speculative landing of the Jupiter 2 on an yet
another unknown planet, and is presented here
in its original form.
Interestingly enough, I have not yet
completed my own build-up of the Polar Lights
production model, having been quite content
with my scratch built prototype as a most
prized possession. That day will surely come,
however, and at that time I will have had the
benefit of acquiring ideas from some of the
best modelers around. The exchange of
information with others who share the same
passion is what really makes this hobby fun,
and the same can be said for that of the
research itself in this case, which spanned
over ten years. There are surely more people
who made important contributions, but I decided
to limit my discussion to those with whom I had
some direct contact.
It is indeed a rare occurrence when a
personal dream begins to materialize before
one's eyes. Overall, this is one of those
amazing scenarios that seems to have followed
an idealistic evolutionary path: from childhood
fantasy, to concept, to production model,
to...only time will tell!
Email:
johnnyrum@webtv.net
Created:5/12/2000
