Dune Atreides Ornithopter

The real subject

An ornithopter is a flying machine that stays in the air by flapping wings rather than with a rotor. In the world of Dune it is an ordinary means of transport over the desert of the planet Arrakis: it carries crews, patrols over the spice harvest and reaches places where there is too little room for larger craft. The movie treatment gave it a markedly insect-like look with long slender wings and a glazed cockpit at the front. This model represents a machine in the service of House Atreides.

What the set contains

This is a plastic kit, the parts are on sprues and the model is supplied unassembled. A science fiction subject gives the build a different character from historical vehicles: you are not bound by period photographs or exact shades, so you can work with your own idea of wear and settled sand.

Building and painting tips

Cut the parts off the sprue with a sharp blade a little away from the gate and sand the stub down. The wings and the thin booms are the most vulnerable part of the build, so leave them until later and hold the model by the fuselage while painting. Glue the cockpit glazing with an adhesive that will not haze clear parts, and fit it last of all. A desert setting suits a dry brush on the edges and a light deposit of pale dust where it would really settle, that is from below and in the corners.

Who it is for

The kit will please modelers of science fiction subjects and readers and viewers of Dune who want the machine in their display case. The package contains the kit; paints, glue and a base with figures are not included, unless stated otherwise.