Manchu Torchship

Here are some images plus a composite of my scratch built model of Robert A Heinlein's Torchship based off of the art work (seen below) and design of Philippe Bouchet AKA "Manchu".

Philippe Bouchet is a well known artist amongst the science fiction community and in my opinion one of the best artists I have seen and a very fine model builder as well. His creativity and imagination beyond compare.
So on that note why not visit his web site at http://manchu-sf.blogspot.com/ and be prepared to be amazed.

Here is the Wikipedia article of Philippe. This is a French to English translation using Google Translate so the conversion is not the best but you'll get the general jist of it.
"Philippe Bouchet, born March 19, 1956 in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), better known under the pseudonym of Manchu is an illustrator of science fiction.
12 years old at the film by Stanley Kubrick, 2001, A Space Odyssey, and 13 years during the first steps of Neil Armstrong on the moon, it would first be an astronaut.
Returned to more moderate ambitions in the years following, he began drawing animation after a CAP in advertising design resulting from its formation three years at the School Brassart. He participated in the realization of cartoons Once upon a time ... Space and Ulysses 31.
He comes to illustrating science fiction in 1984, when he met with Gerard Klein, who offered to illustrate the volumes of the Anthology of Great science fiction for The Pocket Book, which will make the half of the cover illustrations. This collaboration will last fifteen years, during which he illustrated more than two hundred books.
His influences are varied: Robert McCall, Chris Foss and Chesley Bonestell