Updated  11 27 07

Visitors

This is Colonel George Taylor's ill-fated starship
from the first, second and third Apes movies.

It also appeared briefly in the short run TV series.
This is the model that Aurora should
have produced but never did.
 

For years there was nothing available to kit builders. I remember making
this ship out of paper, cardboard tubes and model rocket balsa wood
nose cones because no model company put out a kit. I even made a mask
from paper to fit in front of my dads super 8 movie camera to recreate
the pilots P.O.V. of the famous crash sequence from the first movie.
In recent years with the birth of the cottage kit industry
several " garage " kits have become available.
 
 

Fresh out of the box

These kits are primarily resin castings made from carved or sculpted originals.
Then a mold is made of the original. Liquid resin is poured into the mold and
allowed to harden. Quality varies greatly from maker to maker so shop around !
This went together quickly with little effort. The trick to resin kits is filling the pin
holes in the surface from air trapped in the mold. Use a dust mask when sanding !
 
 
 

Here is the same kit completed

Unfortunately most resin kits do not come with
decals so USA and stripes were done by hand
 

Final moments before re-entry
 
 
 

Opening scene from Apes TV series
 

The kit at the top of the page was solid resin.
There are other versions available from other makers,
some just hollow and others with interior details.
Be prepared to spend $$$ for the detailed ones !
 
 

One of the best I've seen around is this one ...
 

 The interior has pilot seats, decompression hatch
and super detailed interior walls.
Comes with decals, base, clear plastic and back hatch.
 

This kit is available from Monsters in Motion
 
 
 

This diorama kit is available from SKYHOOK MODELS
 

This all resin kit depicts the famous spacecraft right before the hatch gets
blown off and the ship sinks into the bottom of the lake.

Here is a new discovery. It's a vacu - formed kit.
It was made by Science Fiction Modelmaking Associates
of Springfield Mass. So far I have not been able to contact them.

As promised, I have been exploring the possibility of making a carrier rocket
for the Icarus. Several good possibilities have come up. First is an old Revell
kit from the late 50's, available through online auctions.

XSL - 01

Revell Model Kits can be reworked as the Icarus with launch rocket.
I think you can see the resemblance already of their capsule to our ship.
 

The second possibility is this kit which is also available through on line auctions.
This is a Revell kit # 4804 The Sanger Transporter,  which comes with a little
ship riding piggyback which could be converted.  You could also leave off the
small ship and modify the nose section of main rocket to be the Icarus.
 

This one most closely resembles Phil Broad's
interpretation of the complete Icarus.
See his page through my links section.
 
 

And below is the one I am going to pursue.
Once again a Revell kit, but very available through hobby
shops and auctions and private sellers.
 

1996 Revell kit # H-1828

Here is a heavily reworked image of how I believe
this model could look with modifications.
 
 

If anyone builds these or other versions please
contact me so we can share the info with everyone.

If your have built any of these kits or even scratch built
your own Icarus I'd love to hear from you !

Email me with details and maybe your ship
can be added to this site !
 

Hot New Link - MUST SEE !

Phil Broad brings us pics of the
REAL studio full size ship !
Links page

To other great P.O.T.A. sites
 

And in the near future...
 

More Resin Spaceship Kit Reviews !