Gold Leader (Revell Y-Wing Conversion)

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Oct 19, 2014

• #1

So while I'm waiting for the silicone sealant to cure on my Falcon sidewalls, I've decided to get to work on Gold Leader. Can't afford the Finemolds kit but the Revell is a great little ship with lots of potential

I started by I carving and planing all the moulded pipework off

I made a replacement astromech droid by moulding and casting the original droid (which is a rubbery kind of plastic), I then cut the cone head away and used the spare R2 head from the Finemolds X-Wing kit. The Revell droid body is nice because it has the details embossed

Most of the new details are from 1:700 scale ships

The pipework on Gold Leader is crazy!! But pretty fun to make

I had already vac-formed 4 spare cockpits while I was building Red Jammer so making a new cockpit was an easy task

Although both pieces are from the exact same forming buck, the difference lies in how I cut the piece. You can see that the front windshield on Red Jammer is far too square, and it continues to bug me.

The new cockpit guns are made from the original kit part (modified) and the guns from a Revell pocket X-Wing. They're a little bit misaligned in these photos but I have since corrected them

All in a day's work eh?? I'm hoping this will be a relatively fast build because of how much i've learnt on and since Red Jammer

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 9, 2018

Avanaut

Well-Known Member

• Oct 19, 2014

• #2

Subscribed! Loved the Jammer build.

 

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Oct 22, 2014

• #3

This evening I worked on creating more Y-Wing cockpits ready for my future conversions. I also scratchbuilt a scaled copy of the 8-rad underside which is so ubiquitous on Star Wars models. I built it as a complete piece which I'll mould and cast, as the Y-Wings use an 8-rad underside cut in half

Replacement Red Jammer cockpit, Gold Leader, and an incomplete Gold 3 (Mom Tour) cockpit.

You can see I even added the alignment pegs in with 0.2mm styrene rod

I only detailed one side of the part as leaving the other side free gives more freedom with the cast copies

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 9, 2018

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Nov 5, 2014

• #4

I casted up some 8-Rad parts and fitted the portside one on. I also cut away part of the kit so that it has the correct spacing...not sure how to describe it but a picture speaks a thousand words !

I also have Gold 5 (MOM Tour) Revell Y-Wing to be started soon......

 

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Nov 8, 2014

• #5

(deleted this reply because the photos refused to embed)

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 9, 2018

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Nov 8, 2014

• #6

Further progress on Gold Leader, primarily cockpit detailing and the 8-Rad neck parts. I actually did some work on the underside as well but I forgot to take pictures, I think this is turning out even better than my last Revell conversion, Red Jammer

Most of the details I'm using are from 1:700 American boats, or casts from the Finemolds 1/72 Falcon and some other kits like that

 

jake88

Sr Member

• Nov 8, 2014

• #7

I love these Revell kits and you are doing a fantastic job HH!

 

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Nov 11, 2014

• #8

Today I began working on the engine nacelles for both Gold Leader and Gold 5, I used a dremel to thin the walls out on the back end, they were previously completely solid; and then I used 0.25mm styrene rods to make a better ribbed effect on the edge

Nice n easy

 

PHArchivist

Master Member

• Nov 11, 2014

• #9

Nice work!

 

B

blakeh1

Sr Member

• Nov 13, 2014

• #10

Fantastic

Would you consider selling those cockpit canopies?

 

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Nov 15, 2014

• #11

blakeh1 said:

Fantastic

Would you consider selling those cockpit canopies?

Click to expand...

If you pay for shipping you can have a bunch of vacuum formed pulls for free, they cost pretty much nothing to make. But i won't be cutting out the windows for you!!!

I carried on more work on this today, I'll start Gold 5 soon as well. I need to invest in a dremel and also I need to get hold of some 2.4mm T bars but i'm broke as hell :facepalm

Here's a direct comparison of my modified nacelle braces vs the kit part

I filled in the sink marks and seams and started adding the correct scab panels

The Revell kit is inherently chubbier than the filming models, but not by a noticeable amount. I'm just bein fussy

 

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Dec 21, 2014

• #12

WELL I finished the build and I've started the paint! I find paintjobs the easiest part so I'm about 70% of the way through already. I didn't have any primer so I just went straight onto the plastic. Silly idea!! As soon as I tried to mask off the yellow markings, the paint lifted off in certain places.....:facepalm
so I applied a coat of matte varnish and I'll paint on top of that and repair the damaged areas later.

First coat on, Tamiya German Grey with a little bit of black mixed in. I use these threads as painting reference for myself to jog my memory so sorry if it seems a little detailed.

Then Tamiya Medium Grey

Burnt Umber mixed with spirit thinners, sponged on. The thinner breaks the thick acrylic paint down and when applied to the surface, evaporates to an interesting effect. This is what I discovered on my Finemolds X-Wing builds

Tamiya Medium Sea Grey next

After that, I used masking fluid in certain areas but the nose specifically. Then I applied very thin, successive coats of Tamiya Flat White and removed the fluid

I then started doing the blue markings. I used a mix of 70% Tamiya Light Blue to 10% acrylic light ultramarine to 20% thinner. To get a nice gradient, I added pure ultramarine into the mix and carefully shaded the markings.

I like this profile. It feels just like the trench run........

 

Pedro

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Dec 22, 2014

• #13

Looking very nice! I might need to get one of these after all. My only suggestion would be that a few swiped of sandpaper around the window cutouts would remove that little lip you get from cutting and would improve the scale look.

How are you applying masking film for the chipped paint? I always have trouble getting a good look (and getting the damn stuff to peel off!).

 

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Dec 22, 2014

• #14

Pedro said:

Looking very nice! I might need to get one of these after all. My only suggestion would be that a few swiped of sandpaper around the window cutouts would remove that little lip you get from cutting and would improve the scale look.

How are you applying masking film for the chipped paint? I always have trouble getting a good look (and getting the damn stuff to peel off!).

Click to expand...

Thanks Pedro! I did actually sand the cockpit a fair bit to the point where i was tentative to do any more for fear of damaging it....but I will give it another shot on my Gold 5 build.

I apply the masking fluid with a sponge, I usually buy washing up sponges and then cut wedges off....the key is variation when applying it. I use cotton buds and an eraser to take the fluid off. Hope this helps!!

 

Archive&Future

Sr Member

• Dec 29, 2014

• #15

I actually finished the paintwork on Gold Leader the day after my last post but I'm lazy so here are the photos now. I still need to complete the base, glue grey felt to the underside, order an engraved plaque and then make the death star surface. THEN I'll do the final photos hehe

Even with several coats of varnish I had issues with peeling paint....I covered the problem areas with more varnish than the rest and also disguised them with weathering

Same story with the underside but not quite as bad

You can faintly see the TIE killer marking on the nose...I also went with the black astromech, despite Gold Leader not having any astro in the socket in ANH

On the shelf with Red Jammer and Red 3! Soon Gold 5 and Red 5 will join it.....and Gold 3 and another Red squad. vehicle.......good fun!

I skipped a few details in the painting but it's essentially just a lot of pinwashes, airbrushing and pastel weathering

More photos to come!