WAR ROCKET AJAX from the 1980 feature film FLASH GORDON Directed by Mike Hodges / produced by Dino De Laurentis

The 1980 motion picture based on the famous Alex Raymond comic strip character was a sucess when released in the wake of ‘Star Wars’, and has since gained quite a follwing and has attained ‘cult status’. The film has a quirky/campy tone and is palyed more for lauhs more than the gung ho action of the 1930s serials.

The production design of the film is exotic embracing a level of artifice with studio sets, matte paintings and elaborate visual effects. Memorable Cloud Tank skies can be seen everhwere (Cloud Tank VFX were common in many films mad ein the early 1980s).

The climax of the film faetures an aerial battle around the giant War Rocket Ajax, seemingly a flasgship in ‘Ming The Merciless’ military fleet. The ship is depicted via a detailed model created by Martin Bower and Bill Pearson and a very large exterior set, where the atacking Hawkmen board the ship.

The ship seems to be about 170 feet in length, making a model about 14” (36cm in length) iin 1/144th scale. the ship loosk gold in some shost and steel gray in others, it would be fun if this were made in a gold/ barss colour palstic. I recall some of the old Airfix galleon kits in this colour.

Production Desinger - Danilo Donati

(I am not sure who actually designed this ship. The design assignments for the film was split across many differnt people in Italy and in the UK and the VFX unit).

Special Visual Effects supervsied by Frank Van Der Veer

Miniature Visual Effects - George Gibbs