Pegasus 1/350 scale “When Worlds Collide” Space Ark

Pegasus Hobbies continues its series of classic science-fiction subjects with the Space Ark from the 1951 movie “When Worlds Collide.” The kit parts are molded in ABS plastic, and per the kit instructions I used super glue to assemble everything. The rocket fits together beautifully, although I did trim down the hefty alignment pins between the fuselage halves. I was particularly impressed with how well the three-piece lower tail assembly lined up.

Priming the rocket revealed a few sink marks caused by the alignment pins on the fuselage halves. A little gap-filling super glue smoothed things out. I airbrushed the rocket Floquil Platinum Mist. The kit instructions include basic painting instructions. I also used a DVD copy of the movie as reference.

The launch rail is the kit’s largest single piece; it sits atop five identical support columns. Although the columns were cleanly molded, the rail assembly had a few mold-separation lines I removed with a medium-grit sanding stick. Also, the outer rail supports are clearly hollow when viewed from below. I blanked them off with strips of .020" sheet styrene and gap-filling super glue. The addition only took a few minutes and makes the structure look much more realistic.

The base is a vacuum-formed oval with nice terrain detail and indentions for the launch-rail supports. It has a neatly trimmed edge, is warp-free, and is ready to use straight from the box. I airbrushed the base with a variety of brown and green acrylic paints, then applied a dark brown wash of artist’s oil paint. I topped things with a little Woodland Scenics static grass. The base’s title plate is a separate injection-molded piece; it’s easy to paint separately and install as the scene’s “finishing touch.”

The finished rocket is about 1' long, and since it’s 1/350 scale (a common ship model scale), plenty of aftermarket accessories could be adapted to add more detail to the scene. Pegasus’ space ark is uncomplicated and easy to build. Yet, looking at the finished model, you’d never guess it is only 26 pieces. It’s a fun project modelers of all skill levels will enjoy.