With the loss of the
Polar Predator as a reliable delivery system for the Christmas season, 2009,
Santa reverted to a trusty vehicle he'd used in the past: The Polar Saucer.
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Using Alien
technology reverse engineered by the RCAF (and you thought the USAF were the
guys with crashed flying saucers? Nope, those sneaky Canucks have several hidden
on their secret submarine bases in Lake Louise, but, I digress) Santa had his
busy Elves add a safety lighting panel for those nighttime egresses he has to do
in all sorts of nasty weather, as well as an on-board computer system that keeps
track of all the naughty and nice children around the world. All Santa has to
do, in fact, is push a big red and green button, and the ship does all the rest.
A single reindeer is
carried for "Navigation" reasons, but it's actually in the contract
with the reindeer that they will always supply the navigator for any and all
Santa delivery flights. Usually it's Donner, much to his disgust, as he always
throws the best parties on Christmas Eve. The Donner Parties are famous for
their food, amongst other things.
This, of course, is
the Testors/Lindberg Area 51/S4 UFO, with a new interior and new canopy affixed.
The original kit is 1/48, but I rescaled it to fit old Nick there.
Going by the size of the pilot, it's approximately 1/32th scale. I added some
fictional controls and actual functioning lights. The details were some of that
"creative gizmology" that Shep Paine used to describe...if you don't
know exactly what an area looks like, busy it up with something vaguely close
looking.
Alvis 3.1
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