Forres man adds fourth space ship to Star Wars collection in his back garden
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A STAR Wars-mad dad has added a fourth home-made space ship to the memorabilia collection in his back garden he plans to put on public display.
Mark Donald (44) and his daughters Nicole (11) and Caitlyn (7) of Castle Street, spent nearly four months building the 25-foot long podracer from scavenged parts, adding to the speeder bike, TIE fighter, and X-wing crafts he has already created ... as well as the seven droids and moisture vaporator.
He said: "That's my last big prop project for the next eight months. I'm trying to get my Star Wars garden ready for next May. It will have everything I've made, plus all my others suits and statues, on display."
He added: "Fans from all over have already said they would come and see it. I could open it one or two days-a-month between May and September every year to raise money for charities."
The original podracer appears in 1999's 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman. The first installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi as they protect Queen Amidala. They are joined by Anakin Skywalker, a young slave played by Jake Lloyd who wins his freedom in a podrace.
Mark considers the podracer he uses to be an "iconic" ship.
He said: "Like the X-Wing, I was torn between making it or another one but the pod racer was the cheaper option. I also figured out a method for construction, so when that happens its a no-brainer! Of the props I could have made, it was the one I hadn't seen around much so it was the more unique choice at this time."
The kitchen porter at Nairn's Bandstand Hotel used an old table for the base of the cockpit and wood to finish it. The windscreen is Perspex with side panels taken from a children's car to hold it in place.
Mark raided the scrap yard for pipes, bins, poles, plastic beer kegs and bike wheel frames for the longer sections and engines, finishing the model with expanding foam, filler, paint and screws.
"There are no working parts as such," he said. "I have a panel to sit an iPad on that will play a video of the podrace from the movie as well as other scenes and music. The cockpit also has makeshift accelerator handles that have free movement."
Mark plans to spend the winter landscaping his garden ahead of displaying the alternative universe he is building bit by bit.
He added: "It will be a lot of work as I'll be painting things, clearing areas up and messing up others!"
