Laser Battle Station Model Kit Inspiration

[thatdronedude]

I recently bought a NIB copy of the Revell "Laser Battle Stations" model kit from 1984. There were a number of other kits released at the same time that all have connections to reports and concepts (see images) but these "laser battle stations" are a bit hard to place. They appear to be modeled as chemical lasers vs something like Teller's Excalibur satellite. Zenith Star is too cylindrical and I don't think was even that fleshed out by 84. Curious what you all think?

 

[publiusr]

The real space-based laser would have looked like a flashlight.

Not kidding:

Space Based Laser – The Unwanted Blog

 

[thatdronedude]

The real space-based laser would have looked like a flashlight.

Not kidding:

Space Based Laser – The Unwanted Blog

Yeah pretty much:

and the X-ray laser looked like a porcupine:

 

[Orionblamblam]

Huh. Never even knew these models existed. I suspect a real laser satellite would have looked like the "official art" but with additional solar panels to provide power during peacetime. I also suspect that when the time came to fire the panels would have been jettisoned or rolled up to make it easier to maneuver.

 

[thatdronedude]

Huh. Never even knew these models existed. I suspect a real laser satellite would have looked like the "official art" but with additional solar panels to provide power during peacetime. I also suspect that when the time came to fire the panels would have been jettisoned or rolled up to make it easier to maneuver.

according to Fantastic Plastic , the kit did not sell well so I don't blame you for not knowing they existed. The weird way the solar panels are positioned on the kit seems to allow them to be swept back:

but I doubt that was intentional as a means to mimic the actual satellite going into a "mobile combat mode".

 

[thatdronedude]

Couple of hours of searching later the best I can find are these two pieces of concept art. Similar in the use of spherical elements. Supposedly both are from 1983 (the BOR-4 in the second gives me pause but the top one does indeed come from 83 on one copyright) which would check out. Guess whoever designed it took these and added solar panels? Just odd for Revell to be so accurate with the other two sets and just go wild on this one. These look like the "rail gun". Maybe Revell just called them lasers cause it sounded cooler....

 

[publiusr]

Huh. Never even knew these models existed.

according to Fantastic Plastic , the kit did not sell well so I don't blame you for not knowing they existed.

Less real than Bono’s huge saucer.

The bodies of the craft look like there were from earlier, more fanciful 1950’s type rocket ships…just with solar panels and such to give a bit of 80’s tech-look to them.

Going in the other direction, I think STC-START models had Proton bits repurposed as Flash Gordon type rockets…the kits here make me wonder if something similar was done.

 

[southwestforests]

This painting by Wilfred Hardy just crossed my path on Tumblr, looks a lot like a laser battle satellite,

https://sciencefictiongallery.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F702792995464970240

View: https://sciencefictiongallery.tumblr.com/post/702792995464970240/wilf-hardy


A quick bit of research says it was published in book Space Wars Fact and Fiction, published by Octopus Books of UK in 1980

 

[thatdronedude]

This painting by Wilfred Hardy just crossed my path on Tumblr, looks a lot like a laser battle satellite,

https://sciencefictiongallery.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F702792995464970240

View: https://sciencefictiongallery.tumblr.com/post/702792995464970240/wilf-hardy


A quick bit of research says it was published in book Space Wars Fact and Fiction, published by Octopus Books of UK in 1980

Interesting. I wonder when that painting was made? They ever have some sort of optical/infrared binocular targeting system. Looks to be an ASAT too..

 

[thatdronedude]

Huh. Never even knew these models existed.

according to Fantastic Plastic , the kit did not sell well so I don't blame you for not knowing they existed.

Less real than Bono’s huge saucer.

The bodies of the craft look like there were from earlier, more fanciful 1950’s type rocket ships…just with solar panels and such to give a bit of 80’s tech-look to them.

Going in the other direction, I think STC-START models had Proton bits repurposed as Flash Gordon type rockets…the kits here make me wonder if something similar was done.

I did look through a bunch of Revell's old space offerings. Nothing similar yet. My idea had I been at Revell would have been a space telescope model kit and then mod the design a bit and get a space laser kit using similar molds.