by Joseph C. Brown

Winstead Bubba Ac!ulay Symthe the 17th (call me Bubba) was a man who had far more money than even his 3rd wife knew what to do with. She told him to pick up a hobby that would keep him out of her hair on the weekends. His doctor had also told him to take up a hobby, one that involved some travel and some excitement; perhaps yachting. His financial advisors wanted him to consider buying Godon's Luxury Spaceyachts because they saw a huge tax write-off possibility. His astrologer consulted some star charts, and agreed that the space yacht business might be a good business investment. But then he had added “As long as you aren't selling anyone any lemons, that is.” Winstead Bubba Ac!ulay Symthe the 17th (call me Bubba) hated his astrologer with a passion.

He bought out Godon's Luxury Spaceyachts, and added some crazed 3-d mesh designers to the staff. He ordered them to create for him the finest spacegoing lemon that could be built. His 3rd wife, his first 2 ex-wives, his doctor, his financial advisors, and especially his astrologer all called him crazy. After his new design staff rolled out the first ship, the Fiery Lemon, the ship buying public went mad for it. Bubba made even more money than he had dreamed possible, and the Lemon design was in use for the next two centuries.

To build the model, a plastic lemon juice bottle was hunted down, purchased, drained, and cleaned. A child's paint marker pen cover provided the engine exhaust, and the nosecone was a resin casting from one of my earlier shape duplication efforts.

The cap from a vitamin bottle served as a spacer to join the resin nosecone to the plastic lemon body.

Schoolbus Yellow paint was airbrushed over the plastic lemon, and more paint covered the resin nosecone. The engine was painted with a Krylon 18K Leafing Gold pen. The model was then poised atop a vintage Mattel Hot Birds Joy Rider Control Stick which still actually functions!

Image: Right side

Image: Cool - the joystick still works!