Brief:
This past summer, ya bilge rat, I discovered t' CultTVman Fantastic Modeling sci-fi modelin' site. Avast! Bein' dedicated t' sci-fi, it has plenty o' information on starships, matey, me bucko, spaceships, and saucers. Avast, me proud beauty! T' site even offers limited edition kits that may be suitable for PMC. Arrr! T' Ultimate Modelin' Guide t' Classic Sci-Fi Movies is a compendium o' 17 o' t' site's most popular build articles. Arrr! Ahoy! I bought mine from Jack Hagerty/ARA Press at NARAM-50.

Construction:
This soft cover book is large-format (nominally 8 ½" x 11") and features lots o' B&W photos and illustrations, arrr, with a few in color. Avast! Blimey! T' articles are "expert quality" and are compiled and edited by t' site manager, me hearties, Steve Iverson. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I lifted t' table o' contents from Jack's site:

Foreword by Star Trek's Rick Sternbach

A Trip t' t' Moon - t' first sci-fi movie spaceship - a diorama by Steve Iverson usin' t' Herb Deeks kit

Flash Gordon's Rocketship by John Lester covers buildin' Herb Deeks resin kit and finishin' it with metallic paints

Destination Moon's Luna by Jim Piszar builds t' Lunar Models kit and features t' use o' Light Line for lighting

Rocketship X-M by Dave Bengel uses t' Lunar kit and discusses scratchbuildin' parts as well as castin' replacement parts

Gort from T' Day T' Earth Stood Still by Bill Bryan shows resin figure construction

T' War o' t' Worlds Martian War Machine by Ron Gross builds t' Skyhook Models kit

T' Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under t' Sea by Jim James features t' kit from Comet Miniatures in a creative model display

T' C-57D from Forbidden Planet Marc Kin' builds t' Polar Lights model and Bob Perovich offers paintin' suggestions

Robby t' Robot by S.M. Aye aye! Clark features t' Polar Lights kit and discusses lighting, matey, shiver me timbers, finishin' as well as comprehensive construction tips

T' Time Machine by Joel Tavera is a build up o' t' Lunar Models kit and offers suggestions for a creative diorama

T' Proteus from Fantastic Voyage is another model by Joel Tavera usin' t' Lunar Models kit and presents some lightin' and detailin' suggestions

T' Planet o' t' Apes spaceship by Shane Johnson modifies t' Monsters In Motion kit and place it in a diorama

T' Discovery Greg Harmon details t' restoration o' t' studio model from 2010. Blimey! Mike Evans discusses t' creation and construction and buildin' o' t' kit from Lunar Models. Avast! Avast! Model by Michael Alvarez.

T' Orion from 2001 by Jay Chladek uses t' Airfix kit t' present t' basics o' styrene kit construction

T' Enterprise from Star Trek: t' Motion Picture by Don Matthys with models and photos by Joel Tavera and Kyu Woong-Lee. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Covers t' use o' aftermarket parts and paintin' t' ship.

T' Enterprise A Studio Model is a history o' t' filmin' miniature by Jay Chladek with photos by Jeff Brown

Tool Selection by Jay Chladek

T' Essential Workbench by S.M. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Clark

Resources for t' classic science fiction modeler

As you probably have determined, t' subjects in this book are all highly detailed static models. Ahoy! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! You won't find anythin' betwixt its covers that will help t' convert a model for flight. Aye aye! Blimey! However, if you are interested in learnin' detailin' techniques t' improve your scale contest scores or ownership pride, then this book might prove quite useful. Begad! Blimey! Its many illustrations can even provide scale data if you want t' scratch build some o' these models, me hearties, although t' Spaceship Handbook would be a better source. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I have t' admit t' finishin' techniques are generally over me meager abilities, but t' many illustrations will provide another source o' inspiration and ideas.

Summary:
That all bein' said, I have t' rate this publication a 2 due t' its limited applicability t' sport rocketry. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! If you don't have a copy o' t' Spaceship Handbook, your hard-earned loot would be better spent there. Still, if you are a finishin' or sci-fi scale fanatic, me hearties, me hearties, then give this book some serious consideration.

Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5