Nice, Love to see more pics.

Really like it! The MPC falcon is probably the best of their Star Wars kits they made, except the AT-AT probably. The surface detail is decent, but the interior needs a total re-vamp. I'm liking what I'm seeing... keep posting pics!

Thanks for the comments. I have been working on the interior of cargo hold 3 (the area under the removed hull panels). I should have more progress pics tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks again for looking.

Kevin

Nice work. Keep us updated.

Just thought I would post a few of the pictures here for your pleaseure.

Interior of the area under the right side of the hull.

Opened up the docking ring and scratced an interior.

Docking ring interior with a coat of primer.

I should have a few updates tomorrow (if I can get time tonight to work on it).

These are also on my blog. I started the blog in response to not being able to post inline pictures on a sci fi modelers forum. Most likely I will post more pictures on the blog but post select pictures here (I like seeing the pictures in the forum posts better than having to click on a link to a blog).

Please feel free to comment on anything you see. I have an overall plan but am always open to suggestions.

Kevin

I know I have posted a link to the original forum I started posting in and I have posted a link to th blog but I wanted to give those just browsing here a short history on the build.

Originaly I wanted to make a derelict MF that had crash landed and been abandoned for a long period of time. It would be partialy taken apart and well rusted. After discussing this on the other forum, I decided to make it something other than the MF. This was due to the MPC not being very accurate (I am not one to goto great lengths to preserve accuracy, I just want to build what I have in mind).

Fast forward to a few days later... This is what I had decided (I will probably change my mind again, but I do like this idea):
Here is the new back story:

(I am now back to it being the MF) Using TonyT's B/ scenario (poster from other forum): The Falcon, having been caught by the gravitational pull of Sefron and slung into the outer reaches of space (and time), crash lands on the third planet of an obscure system. Because of crashing into the desert area of one of the larger continents, it is lost for the better part of a millennium. Now, the military arm of one of the planets evil empires is conducting an archeological dig of this amazing craft, looking for something known as the "Sword of light". Meanwhile, the agent of an historical society, hiding nearby, makes plans to prevent the recovery of this powerful ancient artifact by the evil empire.

So... in a nut shell, the MF has crashed and been buried for 1000 years and the "Evil Empire" from Indiana Jones is searching for the "Sword of Light" instead of the Ark. It will be set in an archeological background, half buried/uncovered. I have ordered some extras in 1:72 to compliment the look and feel of the diorama, such as an Opel Blitz and some German figures. What I really need are some arab/egyptian workers.

Thanks again for looking.

Kevin

Good Stuff.

One of the figures better be wearing a Fedora. :)

But if it's lost and buried in a desert, parts would not be missing and wouldn't be very rusty due to lack of moisture. I'd suggest a more practical back story would be having it in Watto's (or his offspring's) dismantling yard.

the model itself is looking fabulous and definately worth posting more pix. I'd often considered doing the opposite, that is making it as if it were factory fresh (no scars, panels covering the holes in the mandables, covers on the docking ports, etc).

The idea of missing parts is that the SS is trying to gain entrance and collect artifacts to study, including the "Sword of Light", and have removed parts on pallets and being loaded onto trucks.. I wasn't going to rust this version, it had been my thought to rust it in my original idea (derelict crashed non MF). All the while IJ is hiding somewhere in the area (yes with a Fedora :)) to make his move. I even thought the "Sword of Light" could be on a table, with SS officers examining it, while nearby, a man missing his left arm is being carted away on a stretcher.

I hope that explains the back store more, and thanks for thinking its worth posting more pix of it. I will.

Kevin

or, space ***! Have a space-ship flying wing in the area...

Here is the pre-weathered paint job for the docking ring. After viewing the picture i can see a few areas that need touch up (I really need some stronger magnification than my reading gleasses). After weathering and some some touch up it should come out ok.

More to come...

Kevin

 1 word: Optivisor. They're great, you'll never need more magnification in your life. Excellent work!

From what I've read, and seen - the MPC falcon is crap as far as detail is concerned! I read one persons' post on one forum that said: " It's as if they took off the details and replaced them with all the wrong ones, and modeled it as incorrectly as possible".  There are also R2-D2 parts that MPC reused for the Falcon details around the engine ports.  This makes it the perfect platform to modify to any taste. I say give whatever detailing you want for it!  I love the rails for the internal structure. I can't wait to see this in its' finished form.

                                                                       ~ Cobra Chris

Nice job on customizing the old gal.

At one point many years ago (20+) I was going to do something similar but with a modified version crashed in a swamp with military personnel investigating it.

In my case it was going to be a fresh landing.

Keep up the good work.

E...

Really cool idea, looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Please keep posting updates.

427 Cobra

From what I've read, and seen - the MPC falcon is crap as far as detail is concerned! I read one persons' post on one forum that said: " It's as if they took off the details and replaced them with all the wrong ones, and modeled it as incorrectly as possible".  There are also R2-D2 parts that MPC reused for the Falcon details around the engine ports.  This makes it the perfect platform to modify to any taste. I say give whatever detailing you want for it!  I love the rails for the internal structure. I can't wait to see this in its' finished form.

                                                                       ~ Cobra Chris

It's nowhere near finemolds quality, but it's decent on the exterior. again, not perfect but the panel sizes and shapes are pretty accurate.

Ok... a little work over the weekend has produced the following. I am really shocked at how much my iPhone camera reveals when opened on my computer. I really have not mastered gluing without using too much glue. Oh well, I can cover most with weathering. Also, my worktable is really small and I am working with primitive tools (exacto knife and razor blades). I must invest in some better cutting tools for making more exact and straight cuts.

Here is the update photos:

The sidewalls are just test fitted. There is a fair amount of work still left on getting the interior finished. I added the maintenance access and ladder (as it is shown in the MF blueprints). The plan is to have most of the detailing for this part of the ship done by next weekend (so I can start priming and painting). Since the ship is going to be partially buried, I am not going to detail the engines or turret area.

Anyway, thanks for your time.

Kevin

insane!!!! great work! I am so excited to see this finished,.

Have you read Brown's theory on the layout of the Falcon? He attempts to correlate the interior sets to the external models and found a lot of it doesn't correlate very well. it's an interesting read imo, but he disses most of the 'official' blueprints for failing to account for what is practical. of course it ends up not screen accurate, but that's the price for fitting it all together.

http://web.archive.org/web/20010330140327/www.synicon.com.au/sw/mf/falcon.htm

OctaneOrange,

No, I hadn't come accross this. Great stuff. I had seen a few of the references he uses and I had thought of making a more in-depth study but once I found a set of printed blueprints (that I could hold in my hand and study), I decided to make it as much from them and my imagination as possible. The blueprints I have show it as cargo hold 3 with some machines and batteries in the corner. Also as far as I can tell, there is only one door and it leads into the engine room. As far as structure, I just used some common sense and built it as I thought would be practical. There are a few areas I would like to re-do, but I am mostly happy for my first attempt.

I just got a cut-away version and am already looking at that to detail and light up as a parked craft (not the MF I don't think) in a repair facility. Though I don't think it weill be as "taken apart" as this one, and I want to spend more time doing the lighting. I have also pre-ordered the FM Falcon, but am not sure what to do with it (other than build it OOB and light it).

Thanks for all the info.

Kevin

If you didn't read the post on the first page talking about the setting the Falcon will be presented in, I will clarify now why there is an Opel Blitz being built and posted here: 

The Opel Blitz fits because the Falcon is the center of the archaeological dig that was seen in the first Indy film (instead of the Ark). The dio will incorporate German soldiers and vehicles, digging around the Falcon.

Just a small update. I have been working on the following vehicle (Opel Blitz 1:72) for the extra detail I will include in the diorama of the Falcon.

I have added a little more detail, like the inside of the side panels and replaced the tail pipe with pipe (though I noticed it is on the wrong side). This will most likely be one of the last updates for a while as I am moving to a new house in a few weeks. I will pack the workbench last so I can get a litle more done on the project.

Thanks,

Kevin

Good luck with your move. 

Opel blitz doesn't really fit in with the star wars universe? maybe you need to tech it up a bit, remove the wheels as and have it as a hover vehicle.

 From the first page:

The Falcon, having been caught by the gravitational pull of Sefron and slung into the outer reaches of space (and time), crash lands on the third planet of an obscure system. Because of crashing into the desert area of one of the larger continents, it is lost for the better part of a millennium. Now, the military arm of one of the planets evil empires is conducting an archeological dig of this amazing craft, looking for something known as the "Sword of light". Meanwhile, the agent of an historical society, hiding nearby, makes plans to prevent the recovery of this powerful ancient artifact by the evil empire.

The Opel Blitz fits because the Falcon is the center of the archaeological dig that was seen in the first Indy film (instead of the Ark). The dio will incorporate German soldiers and vehicles, digging around the Falcon.

 Kevin

Most definatly one of the coolest projects I've seen in awhile!

pretty darn cool! More plz!

This is gonna be good!

Thanks all for the comments. I am in the middle of moving and hope to have my workbench back up as soon as the week of the 18th.

Until then... I have a few ideas:

I was thinking of this being loaded with the broken-off cockpit (having been dug out near the main hull)...

but having this SdKfz 9 doing the lifting and towing (instead of the standard SdKfz 9).

I belive you see one of these in the scene after Indy enters the map room at the dig site.

Anyway... thanks again for looking and I should have more concrete updates after the 18th.

Kevin

at what point does indy realize he was actually captain of said artifact? lol