Star Wars GB Episode II CLOSED

Bish, I found my SW kit today at my LHS. It's going to be a bit of an older SW kit: AMT/Ertl Imperial TIE Fighters from 1997. It was in the 'bunker/basement' area of the LHS in Toronto. A real beater of a box, but, the kit is perfect.

The TIE's are quite large, 'bout 1/48 scale judging by the size of the pilots. You know, for an AMT kit, it's bloody well detailed!! I think I am going to enjoy this 'tandem' build. The baseplate is a vignette of the surface of the Death Star. Yup, this is gonna be sweet!!

Yes, LOL, the box looks like somebody used it for a pillow, but, it's great inside. Here's what the kit will produce (the item on the left is the Death Star baseplate:

Señormodeler

Bish, no worries. I'll be building a studio scale resin X-Wing kit.

Got you added to the all star caste.

NucMedTech

Bish, I saw those. I'm not to impressed with the raptor but the clutch looks nice. It's very similar to the Phantom, makes me wonder if that was somewhere in the evolution.

Ye, I rather like the look of the Clutch. I was just looking at the site now and spotted another blue moon product I had not spotted before. They do a side walls set for the falcon and this was the main thing I wanted from falcon kits. All may not be lost.

Doug, I did some looking around for you, but it seems a few of the sites I used when I built mine no longer exist.  These are a couple of sites I used for visual references, cues for weathering, etc.

http://www.larottadikessel.it/

If you hover your mouse on the Falcon on the left side of the screen you should be able to find the gallery.  It's in Italian so I have no idea what he's saying on his page.

http://www.starwarsmodels.com/models.html

This guy has a lot of good pictures of just about any Star Wars model out there, but some of them are older, like his speeder bike.

For any other information, I'd follow Klik's advice and peruse Wookiepedia.

Bish, I saw those. I'm not to impressed with the raptor but the clutch looks nice. It's very similar to the Phantom, makes me wonder if that was somewhere in the evolution.

Bish, no worries. I'll be building a studio scale resin X-Wing kit.

Klik and Silent Bob... thanks guys, any info would be great!

Doug

Señormodeler

I did some work on the falcon. Mainly focused on getting the LEDs installed for the headlights. Had to dremel away some plastic and then secure the LEDs with a bit of additional styrene and white glue.

What's interesting is that the headlight Photo Etch from Paragrafix is specific to the 5' model, not the 32". The headlights on the 5' model are off center, but on the 32" they are centered. ILM continued to use the 5' model here and there in episodes 5 & 6, but mostly used the 32". If you look closely at the scene when the falcon lands at Cloud City in ESB it is clearly the 5' model --- indicated by the headlights. In most other shots, the headlights are centered.

I'm thinking of my model as a hybrid between the two different models. There's battle damage on the 5' that isn't on the 32" just to the right of the jawbox on the topside that I really love. So I'm including that.

Thanks for looking.

Sorry buddy, missed this at the bottom of the page there. Some nice work there and some great info on the different models used. You know I am going to be looking for that next time I watch the movies.

And I just realised that I had not added you to the roster. What was the kit you said you were waiting on again.

ok Steve.

Thanks Bish, that'll be fine.

Steve, no worries. Do you just want me to put you down as a TBC for now.

Nuc, nice to meet someone else who had that kit. I plan on stating it early in the GB so will be sure to point out anything that might be useful. But it does look nice. No, I have not see that. Have you seen the 72nd Multi verse conversions for the TIE Clutch and raptor. I like the look of those, especially in that scale. Only problem is you need the Fine molds TIE kit. Hopefully they will work on the Bandai kits.

Senor, That Falcon gets better every time I see it. I'm guessing that the price will go way out of my range for one of those kits now. So now I'll have to live through your build.

Bish, I've got the same kit and it is pretty nice. I'll let you lead the way on that build, looking forward to a good review. BTW, have you looked into the 1/48 TIE Defender by Blue Moon? It's a really nice kit also and should be a good size when done. Ships for the next SW group build.

Modelcrazy, A Naboo cruiser would be great. I would have a hard time replicating that finish though. Maybe have to cover it in foil?

I did some work on the falcon. Mainly focused on getting the LEDs installed for the headlights. Had to dremel away some plastic and then secure the LEDs with a bit of additional styrene and white glue.

What's interesting is that the headlight Photo Etch from Paragrafix is specific to the 5' model, not the 32". The headlights on the 5' model are off center, but on the 32" they are centered. ILM continued to use the 5' model here and there in episodes 5 & 6, but mostly used the 32". If you look closely at the scene when the falcon lands at Cloud City in ESB it is clearly the 5' model --- indicated by the headlights. In most other shots, the headlights are centered.

I'm thinking of my model as a hybrid between the two different models. There's battle damage on the 5' that isn't on the 32" just to the right of the jawbox on the topside that I really love. So I'm including that.

Thanks for looking.

I am not sure if you guys already know this, but those Bandai kits are already on the shelves.

http://starshipmodeler.biz/shop/index.cfm/category/40/star-wars---full-kits.html

I am not to keen on those laser beams coming out of the TIE X-1 but hopefully they can just be left off.

Klik, if you don't mind a pricey resin kit, this TIE bomber is a nice one.

http://starshipmodeler.biz/shop/index.cfm/product/2782_40/172-imperial-twin-bombardier.html

But you have to keep your eyes open for it. I got mine a year ago and a couple of days later they were all gone. They had a few more in a couple of weeks ago, but they have gone again.

Doug, a really good book for a general reference on Star Wars is "Sculpting a Galaxy."  There are some really good close-up shots of the studio model that I used when I built my speeder bike a couple of years ago.  Unfortunately it had a crash landing when my wife accidentally knocked my display shelf off the wall.  When I get home I'll try to find some other resources I used, as well as some a website or two that has some good info as well.

Rob, a 1/32 B-Wing would be cool, but I think you'd need a small hangar to display it  Those ships are pretty big.

Rigidrider, wookiepedia is a great source for the Expanded Universe story lines. It's full of every tidbit of Star Wars trivia. I'm a bit if a SW nerd, so I could answer any questions you've got as well.

I can't wait for this GB. I'll come clean, I haven't been able to resist getting some pre-painting done on my YT-1300. Sorry.

But, yeah, camo up those Stormies if you're going for the Empire Post-Palpatine ( but before Fel). White Stormie armor was phased out of Front-line units, if they were deployed outside urban areas. They reappeared in total white armor in the Legacy comic story arc.

As for the Bandai kits, if they're anywhere near the quality of the Gundam kits, I'll get them all. Though, for my two cents, I want the unusual kits: the Super-class star dreadnought, the TIE bomber, defender, and phantom, and the Z-95, the A- wing, K- wing, and especially the new X- wing from ep VII.

Klik

Klik... Thanks! I loved the first 3 movies but just cant feel the same enthusiasm for the last three. Glad there are some vastly more (then me any way, lol...)knowledgeable builders and fans here to help with advise. Thanks again. Could you offer any references I can look up and study? Google search is really sketchy on my build subject and is showing how others have built their speeders. I'd like a bit deeper research field if possible.

Doug

Sorry Bish, I'll have to ask you to scratch the TIE Interceptor from the build list.

Having received the 'kit' today, I discovered that it is in fact a prepainted 21-piece kit for kids. Basically a toy. In a blister pack, no less. Costing $13. How embarrassing.

How about the Naboo Cruiser. I know Fantastic Plastic made a Royal Starship Kit , but it was pricey for what you got.

I love the B Wing..i'd love to see a big (1/32ish) sized one. That'd be cool!!

Hi guys, Just spent some time catching up with what is going on. Sad to hear that FM lost the license, really like the kits though they are expensive. Looking forward to what Bandai brings, understandably they have to go with the popular kits, but could some one make a nice size and reasonably priced CR-80 Corellian corvette (aka. blockade runner or Tantive IV)? How about a Nebulon B Frigate? I'm also thinking a nice a-wing or v-wing fighter would be wonderful. Anyone else know of lesser but just as important ships that are in need of an update or just not made in a good scale in plastic?

LOLOLOL!!! Aint that the truth!

Rigidrider

Thanks Bish... Yes, I was kinda wondering about that, Why would one trapes around the forest in a shiny white shell? I was kind of wondering if it would be blasphemous to do the trooper in some kind of a camo pattern...We'll see...

Doug

No, doesn't make much sense does it. But I guess that's what you get for being the bad guards. Stand out like a shore thumb, can't shot worth a damn, get killed by little teddy bears with rocks that can penetrate your armour.

That's not a bad idea Kilk. I do like the came worn by the troopers in Ep III on Kashyyk.

Actually, Bish and Rigidrider, the books mention that the Empire changed policy on the armor, and began using camouflage after Endor. My suggestion: paint them up as Shadow Stormtroopers; flat black armor with red, green, or black eyepieces, depending on their mission. But feel free to camo them however you want.

Klik

Thanks Bish... Yes, I was kinda wondering about that, Why would one trapes around the forest in a shiny white shell? I was kind of wondering if it would be blasphemous to do the trooper in some kind of a camo pattern...We'll see...

Doug

Senor, thanks for that. Some interesting ones there. I have the Bird of prey kit, might be nice to light that up.

Doug, looking forward to seeing that. That one of my few original builds that has survived. Must be about 15 years old new. The biggest issue I have had is the stand, I have lost count as to how many times I have repaired it. I have recently bought 2 more of the Airfix boxing. one I want to do in the proper colurs and improve the trooper and the other in a German camo with the trooper in SS style camo.

hogfanfs

And for something completely different, but really cool!

Tie Fighter Accident

O I like that, that's funny.

And for something completely different, but really cool!

Tie Fighter Accident

I knew what you meant, modelcrazy. No worries. I wouldn't mix business and pleasure either.

Bish, here's the link to the lighting kits I was talking about:

home.comcast.net/.../ourproducts.html

Thanks for the nice comments, Silentbob and Raven. Hopefully all will continue to go smoothly and the lights will look good in the end. I had a short circuit which now causes 6 of the LEDs to flicker randomly. I'm ordering a new board ($17) to replace the one I have. I hope that fixed the problem.