Earth Defense Directorate Thunderfighter

from "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979-1981)

Scale: 1:72
Initial Release: 2011
Medium: Resin
Kit Rarity: 4
Length: 8.0"

About the Design

The "hero" ship of NBC-TV's "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," the Thunderfighter was designed by Ralph McQuarrie for Glen A. Larson's earlier "Battlestar Galactica" series. It was the original "Viper" concept, the name derived from the two fang-like silhouettes created by its forward weapons arrays.

As featured in the "Buck Rogers" series, the Thunderfighter was a trans-atmospheric spacefighter flown by pilots of the Earth Defense Directorate, the government entity responsible for the defense of New Chicago and the other surviving Earth cities. Incapable of independent interstellar flight, the fighters moved from star system to star system via strategically placed "star gates" that transported them instantly across the lightyears.

About the Kit

Designed in CAD by Chris Corke, finished by Vince Hoffman and cast by BLAP! Models, the Buck Rogers Thunderfighter kit was released by Fantastic Plastic models in August 2011.  The kit included clear resin canopies and a complete forward landing gear array.