More updates on the BSG Launch Tube Diorama kit

Chris (E=MC2) has provided some updated images of his Launch Tube diorama kit for the new BSG series. If you remember my first highlight on this diorama set HERE, the completed tube does look very impressive, but it also do raise some questions regarding the launching process for the Vipers. More about that later.

Here's the new images of the Launch Tube set:

OK, now back to the launch process of a Viper. If you recall in some scenes throughout the series, we saw the Hangar Deck crew pushing the Vipers into the Launch Bay, and a clamp would then come up to clamp the potruding section of the front nose landing gear, just like on board US Aircraft Carriers. The fighters are then catapulted out to space.

Moments before the Vipers are launched into space, we see a change on the last few yards of the launch tube where the Vipers are already with their landing gears retracted and now resting on launch platforms. In fact, in all the scenes where the Vipers are already launched from the tubes, they're landing gears are up. I believe this was done in tribute to the original series when they showed the Mark I's launching off Galactica

The Classic Series

The New Series

There's no information available pertaining to this change in launch procedure so we can only assume midway through the launch process, the landing gears were retracted back in their bays. Whatever it is, the launch tube diorama kit do capture the essence of the Vipers launching into space.

It also provides for a nicer alternative to display your Mark II and coming Mark VII Vipers instead of in their standard landing gears or their flight display clear plastic stand.