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Millennium Falcon Re-issue

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  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Millennium Falcon Re-issue
Posted by maxx1969 on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 5:43 PM
Will I couldn't help myself when I saw my favorite ship from the Star Wars universe sitting on the shelf at Toys R Us. Yep got me another one. This will be the third Falcon I've worked on. The first on although it looked great on the outside had none of the work done to the cockpit or gun turrets. The second on (and still working on that one) is the cutaway. This time I decided to take care of those problem areas. I scratch built a new cockpit tub and seats and got rid of that strange bulkhead. I also added the tunnel leading back into the Falcon although only a small bit of this will show when it gets closed up. The next big area are the two gun turrets. At this point I only have one done but it shows just how much better it can look.

This is what I have so far:
http://www.modelhead.com/Falcon_Build.html

Thanks for looking,
Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Third rock from the sun.
Posted by Woody on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 6:06 PM
Matt,It looks like another masterpiece in the making.

" I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." --John Paul Jones
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 7:20 PM
I think that is a great scratch! Awesome work! I didn't realize how many things were wrong with the production model. Good eye
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 7:50 PM
Nice work Matt.
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 9:24 PM
Thanks guys. There are a ton of things wrong with the kit but at a point it would be insane to try to fix them all. Over all she builds up to make a great display piece.

Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 9:46 PM
I checked AMT's site and they are re-releasing the Falcon cut-away as well.
I've done one Falcon and will be doing at least two more.
BTW,nice job on your scratch cockpit.
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 5:21 PM
I got the cockpit painted and detailed this morning. The pics are a tad blurry sorry about that. I need a better camera I guess. It still gives a good idea of the new cockpit and seats.







Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 6:37 PM
Looks good.Can't wait to see the finished Falcon.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 5, 2005 4:59 AM
great work,matt!
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 5, 2005 7:08 AM
thats real cool,,,ilike it ..same cant wait to see finished model regards jazz
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: houston,texas
Posted by ghettochild on Thursday, May 5, 2005 8:16 AM
looks good makes me what to start on mine!
-Josh
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Tennessee
Posted by MartianGundamModeler on Thursday, May 5, 2005 10:22 AM
I still have my non-cutaway from the last time it was released. I started it but never finished it. It's in my old bedroom at mother's house. Maybe the bug will bite me after the movie comes out. I'll just be buliding mine OOB. Maybe I'll pick up the movies this week-end and get in the mood!
"Some men look at things the way they are and ask ' Why?'. I dream of things that never were and ask "Why not?".--Robert Kennedy taken from George Bernard Shaw's "Back To Methuselah" (Thanks to TomZ2) http://martiangundammodels.50megs.com/index.html
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Thursday, May 5, 2005 4:50 PM
Thanks again everyoneBig Smile [:D]. I reworked the gun turret figures that came in the kit making one for C3PO and one for Leia and added them to the cockpit (ESB, escape from Hoth). I also added a bunch of damage to panels on the surface. Funny working so hard on other kits to get that perfect fit and finish and then build the Star Wars kits all beat upLaugh [(-D]

Hey I noticed a YT-1300 freighter swooping around in one of the clips from the new movie with some blue panels. Might just have to build another one. Mischief [:-,]

Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Tennessee
Posted by MartianGundamModeler on Thursday, May 5, 2005 5:01 PM
I'd pick up another Falcon if they show a YT-1300 freighter in the movie as another ship or as a "younger" Falcon. Since Han won the ship in a card game from Lando there is no telling how long it's been around and how many times it changed hands. Ya know what would be a neat twist? If the Falcon used to be a bounty hunter's ship!
"Some men look at things the way they are and ask ' Why?'. I dream of things that never were and ask "Why not?".--Robert Kennedy taken from George Bernard Shaw's "Back To Methuselah" (Thanks to TomZ2) http://martiangundammodels.50megs.com/index.html
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Thursday, May 5, 2005 6:30 PM
That's one of the really cool things about the Falcon I've always liked...It hold endless possibilities. A bounty ship does sound intriguing. Hmmmm might just need to pick up more than one of these guys. Thanks that all I needed, MORE IDEAS!Grumpy [|(]Wink [;)]

Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Kennesaw, GA
Posted by jdavidb on Friday, May 6, 2005 9:10 AM
The story about someone taking a bite out of a hamburger & saying "make it look like this" is a bonus to the Falcon's history. So, you should put some lettuce & tomato on it too. I don't know if that hamburger story is true.
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Friday, May 6, 2005 3:03 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jdavidb

The story about someone taking a bite out of a hamburger & saying "make it look like this" is a bonus to the Falcon's history. So, you should put some lettuce & tomato on it too. I don't know if that hamburger story is true.


Yep! As I remember the Falcon was nick named the Pork Burger by ILM. Most of the ships had no name at the time and the nick names stuck and where used. Thank goodness it didn't stick for the Falcon LOL

Matt.
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Tennessee
Posted by MartianGundamModeler on Friday, May 6, 2005 3:25 PM
I once saw a documentary or "making of'" that said that originally the cockpit was going to be in the center and it was decided that it looked "cooler" with it mounted asymetricly. Hmmm, I just might "bash" one ans mount the cock pit in the center. There will certainly be enough of these kits floating around after the movie. man i can't wait till all the hype dies down...can anyone say CLEARANCE? That's how i got my last falcon, Tie-interceptor, and AT-ST.Shy [8)]
"Some men look at things the way they are and ask ' Why?'. I dream of things that never were and ask "Why not?".--Robert Kennedy taken from George Bernard Shaw's "Back To Methuselah" (Thanks to TomZ2) http://martiangundammodels.50megs.com/index.html
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Friday, May 6, 2005 4:52 PM
Yeah the prototype model of the Falcon looked more like a mix between the Blockade Runner with the falcon type cockpit sitting center and the Eagle from Space 1999. Later it took the form of the Blockade Runner as we know it with a large cockpit. Then they changed their minds and redesigned the Falcon to its current form and the Runner got a smaller cockpit window giving it a much larger look. Tons of fun looking at the history there. I have a pic some where of the prototype, I'll have to dig that out and post it.

Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Friday, May 6, 2005 5:11 PM
Heres that pic of the prototype:



Also Starshipmodeler has a couple of pics of the Falcon-Blockade Runner when it was under construction with the Falcon radar dish-
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/starwars/md_Block_04.jpg

Cockpit- http://www.starshipmodeler.com/starwars/md_Block_08.jpg

Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Friday, May 13, 2005 6:37 PM
I've gotten the top and bottom of the Falcon painted and started the detail painting on the top side. I decided to keep the two separate until I'm done to minimize damage to them. The top weathering looks really dark right now but will tone down by about 60% to 70% after it gets a final top coat of a very thin base color to blend it all in. So here is a quick preview.





Here you can see some of the damage added:


Matt
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Harrisburg, PA
Posted by Lufbery on Thursday, May 26, 2005 3:31 PM
Matt,

Your Falcon looks great. What do you think of the Falcon Kits resin detail sets? I think they look good, but they're really expensive.

Regards,

-Drew

Build what you like; like what you build.

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Thursday, May 26, 2005 3:35 PM
Thanks Drew. I haven't seen the resin upgrades so I can't say but they sure do look nice. With the new Fine Molds kit kit coming out I guess more people will chose that over the old Ertl kit. But for now I still like the old one.
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Harrisburg, PA
Posted by Lufbery on Friday, May 27, 2005 8:39 AM
Matt,

I've got the AMT/Ertl kit, but it's been languishing for ten years or so. I've thought about getting the Falcon Kits resin update parts, but I can't see dropping $100 or so on them. Like you said, though, they do look nice.

On the other hand, your work in this thread shows what can be done with good scratch building skills. Smile [:)]

Regards,

-Drew

Build what you like; like what you build.

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 4:38 PM
How's the kit coming? I just bought a kit at a grage sale for 5 bucks, it seems to be intact but the painting instructions are terable, can you sugest a good site and did it come with decals? The instructions tell how to apply decals but don't indicate them in the instrucions?
  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Chulak/Jaffa Cree!
Posted by stipp on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 6:05 PM
Hey Matt, great job on the falcon! Instead of the episode 4,5,6 falcon mine will be what the falcon was in episode 3, with the original blue paint on it.
I may post some pics of it soon!
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 10:21 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Dave Toews

How's the kit coming? I just bought a kit at a grage sale for 5 bucks, it seems to be intact but the painting instructions are terable, can you sugest a good site and did it come with decals? The instructions tell how to apply decals but don't indicate them in the instrucions?


The Falcon never had decals that I know of. The very first release that came with lighting might have though??? Part of the instruction sheet is standard for most of there kits and shared. There should be an emblem just above the cockpit that can be hand painted rather easly. For reference pics I would recommend Starship Modeler,
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/starwars/smith_sw.htm
Lots of great pics there.
Hey Stipp I like the idea of the blue paint freighter version. I might do that after this is done and I build the cutaway version again. But then there is that new one from Fine MoldsTongue [:P]
~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Harrisburg, PA
Posted by Lufbery on Thursday, June 29, 2006 2:17 PM
Hi Matt,

I'm bumping this thread because I'm curious as to how your Falcon build is coming along.

I came across your web site recently and remembered that you posted here as FSM when you started on the kit.

So how's it going?

Regards,

-Drew

Build what you like; like what you build.

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Oregon
Posted by maxx1969 on Thursday, June 29, 2006 3:09 PM
 Lufbery wrote:
Hi Matt,

I'm bumping this thread because I'm curious as to how your Falcon build is coming along.

I came across your web site recently and remembered that you posted here as FSM when you started on the kit.

So how's it going?

Regards,


And a BIG bump is wasTongue [:P] Its funny that this popped up, as it was untill last week like everything I was working on it had ended up in a storage closet. I just pulled it out the end of last week and decided to just go all out with it. So I marked out new cut out points on the bottom so I could add in the extra landing gear boxes. I picked up another kit so for parts and will be scratching new side panels for it also giving it the lower profile it should have had. It will take some time but should look good in the end. I'll post up some progress if I get to a point that is worth showing LOL



~Matt T Meyer
  • Member since
    May 2006
  • From: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Posted by Brews on Thursday, June 29, 2006 4:49 PM

Hi,

I feel the same as you do about the Falcon AM and FM kit.

I also scratched the turret interior, but I felt that the tunnel was actually the closer to the top of the turret, so that it was central to the ship (the turret being eccentric).

The kit I'm working with (like you, I stopped) is now in storage while I finish some GBs .

The kit was bought off ebay as "complete", although it had been started. What had been built was butchered, and there were quite a few parts missing. I had to scratchbuild the radar, for instance, and I have yet to make a new set of Laser cannon, because these were also missing.

Worst of all, the cockpit transparency had been shaded with a marking pen, by the looks of it, and I couldn't remove it. So, I sanded it down, and then, because the cockpit exterior was a bit warped, I put it in a cup of boiling water, however I forgot about it, and when I went back to it, the water had cooled, so I boiled up some more water and tipped out the first lot. By now, though, the cup had warmed significantly, and after I poured the re-boiled water in, and left it for a while, the frame had irretrievably deformed. SO, I scrathbuilt a new exterior, which was a pain. I'll do the glazing with clear acrylic, eventually, I think.

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