Joseph Osborn
New Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2009
- Messages
- 75
Like everybody else, I have a couple of "American" Millennium Falcons in the stash. Back a long time ago, I opened one of them up and played with it for a little while and then put it back in the box. A few days ago I pulled it out of the stash and looked at it again, and I also learned about this group build. At first I was sort of surprised at how many guys were building the MPC/Ertl/AMT kit. But the more I look at the kit the more I see the potential in it. And it has toed-in mandibles
I really don't want to spend a whole lot of time on this build (or money), so I have been really looking at the model with a critical eye to decide where to concentrate my efforts. Everybody knows the major issues with this kit, so I won't go into them too much. I have decided to spend most of my efforts on the sidewalls, the engine deck, and the cockpit. I drew up some replacement vents for the engine deck and photoetched them when I did a batch of my commercial parts:
I'll make a new, more accurate ring for the top of the six vents with my lathe soon.
Sidewalls... well, I don't have a lot of kits to cannibalize for greeblies, so I'll have to think about that for a while.
Cockpit... I have ozzy's graphics and I'll use them somehow.
I have decided to keep the original ANH landing gear configuration because I can't see the purpose in adding the extra parts underneath when both configurations are equally valid. My biggest decision to make right now is whether to display the ship in flight or landed. Each choice has its pro's and con's. If it's in flight, then I have to light the engine, put figures in the cockpit, and figure out some way of supporting this monster in the air above a base. If I display it on the ground, I have to deal with rebuilding the landing gear and detailing the ramp area. I'm leaning toward the flight display since it is much more dynamic and visually appealing (think escape from Mos Eisley).
Still a lot of work to do, and no promises that I'll ever finish
-Joseph
I really don't want to spend a whole lot of time on this build (or money), so I have been really looking at the model with a critical eye to decide where to concentrate my efforts. Everybody knows the major issues with this kit, so I won't go into them too much. I have decided to spend most of my efforts on the sidewalls, the engine deck, and the cockpit. I drew up some replacement vents for the engine deck and photoetched them when I did a batch of my commercial parts:
I'll make a new, more accurate ring for the top of the six vents with my lathe soon.
Sidewalls... well, I don't have a lot of kits to cannibalize for greeblies, so I'll have to think about that for a while.
Cockpit... I have ozzy's graphics and I'll use them somehow.
I have decided to keep the original ANH landing gear configuration because I can't see the purpose in adding the extra parts underneath when both configurations are equally valid. My biggest decision to make right now is whether to display the ship in flight or landed. Each choice has its pro's and con's. If it's in flight, then I have to light the engine, put figures in the cockpit, and figure out some way of supporting this monster in the air above a base. If I display it on the ground, I have to deal with rebuilding the landing gear and detailing the ramp area. I'm leaning toward the flight display since it is much more dynamic and visually appealing (think escape from Mos Eisley).
Still a lot of work to do, and no promises that I'll ever finish
-Joseph