Workbench shots of the MPC 1/48 scale TIE/in review model

Is this retooled from the Return of the Jedi kit or an entirely new tool? It appears to have some differences from that classic kit.

I believe the word on the street is that the panels are from the old kit, but the hull is from the newer standartd TIE that came out something like 10 years later.  The panels have been modified to properly mate with the hull.

I suppose this was a reasonably good compromise to get an improved kit at the minimum cost.  A 1/48 TIE Bomber is rumored to be in the works, so it would be nice if they also did Vader's X-1 so we can have them all in one scale.

Rob Gronovius

Is this retooled from the Return of the Jedi kit or an entirely new tool? It appears to have some differences from that classic kit.

 

The original MPC TIE Interceptor kit was a snap-kit. Round 2 recently re-released the AMT TIE fighter. In that kit, the company corrected the wing proportions by retooling the wings entirely. You can read the review here. 

What they did is take the better AMT fueslage and cockpit and married it to the MPC Interceptor wings. That required them fixing the interceptor wings to fit the new fuselage. So you have a hybrid that takes the best of both worlds. In fact, because sprues from the AMT TIE fighter kit appear in the MPC TIE Interceptor kit, you get a couple of parts you don't use because they are for the classic TIE.

Hope that helps.

Yes, that does. I bought the two TIE set AMT did in the 1990s. I remember them being pretty good models, but I only built one of them. The other is sitting in the box somewhere.

Rob Gronovius

Yes, that does. I bought the two TIE set AMT did in the 1990s. I remember them being pretty good models, but I only built one of them. The other is sitting in the box somewhere.

 

I don't have direct recollection of this, but Aaron says he does: Supposedly, some modelers were taking the TIE Interceptor wings from the MPC kit and converting them to fit on one of the AMT TIE fighters because the fuselage was better in the AMT kit. 

Real G

I suppose this was a reasonably good compromise to get an improved kit at the minimum cost.  A 1/48 TIE Bomber is rumored to be in the works, so it would be nice if they also did Vader's X-1 so we can have them all in one scale.

 

I am looking forward to Round 2's TIE bomber kit. Round 2 recently re-released the the TIE Advanced in "1/32" scale with a new figure and retooled upper and lower hatches, but a TIE Advanced x1 model in the same scale as the TIE/in and TIE/in Interceptor would definitely be cool. Of course, Bandai released the three (no bomber, sadly) in 1/72 scale, and it is neat to look at them all in comparison to each other.  

I think I heard that the movie TIE bomber was made from the MPC TIE Advanced kit. That will be cool to finally get a kit of that ship!