MPC Millennium Falcon

BEATLEPAUL

Hi Guys!

Well I just scored an original MPC Millenium Falcon Kit from 1978.
Since I am having a rough time finding a Fine Molds Falcon,(at a resonable price),I decided to work on this Kit from the past.

I lucked out in finding it at a Local Collectable shop for a good price!

I really like the Picture of the actual 5' Filming Miniature on the box cover, This kit really brings me back to one I owned in 78!Under the Christmas tree, couldn't wait to build my favorite Star Wars Spaceship!

Anyhoo, My plans are to really trick this model out to represent the 5' as she appeared in Star Wars(A New Hope).It's my personal favorite version of the Falcon.

So I'll be looking for some aftermarket kits for those way too large sidewalls!
I'll keep you guys posted, if you like, and anyone else who has done the same thing, please share what you did here...there may be other guys wanting to do the same thing!!

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Anakin Starkiller

Have you looked at falconkits for their sidewalls and cargo bays. It could help with the fat body of the mpc kit a lot.

-best

BEATLEPAUL

Howdy!

Yes indeed I have. I sent a Pm and an E-Mail to them. I haven't recieved a reply yet..He Must be busy.

Weezer

Hey there,
I have the MPC/Ertl Return of the Jedi kit. I also couldn't find the Fine Molds kit, so down the road I plan to upgrade the MPC kit I already have. I believe it's the same mold as the new hope version you bought.

I did buy Falcon Kit's sidewalls over the winter. The resin casts are very clean (not a lot of air bubbles, if any). However if you're going for accuracy... you might want to scratch your own sidewalls. Don't get me wrong they're nice, but there are some small details that just aren't the same as the actual model. At the end of the day I'll probably take all my Star Wars reference books and build my own sidewalls.

Here is a good link and worth reading before you start: Starship Modeler - ERTL Millenium Falcon
John Martin did an awesome job. I'll be following his advice/measurements for my build.

Keep us posted on your progress.

BEATLEPAUL

Thanks for that link...I already checked it out!

Funny thing is I had a Fine Molds Falcon..and sold it, custom built!!!!!

JMChladek

Starship Modeler stocks the Blue Moon sidewall kit and a second one featuring the extra gear bays. They typically have to back order them, but usually they get them in on a regular basis, so the wait isn't that long.

I've got a partially done MPC Falcon with that set and while it needs some finesse to get it to fit in spots, it looks pretty good.

Dedalus5550

I started this kit this summer then took a break. I'll get back to it real soon, as I'd like to get it done before my wife gives birth. There was a better thread, though it seems to have become too old and disappeared.

Millennium Falcon--Sci Fi at Z-5??? - Zone-Five Aircraft Modeling Forums

Dedalus5550

Mike Todd

BEATLEPAUL

Hey, That looks great!!!

Dedalus5550

Thanks. Hope to get it going again by this weekend or next week. I'm a teacher, and ironically I mostly took the summer off from building rather than build when I had time--go figure.
Mike Todd

Treadwell

I'll check, I'm pretty sure I have a Falconkits set I don't need, as well as etched brass grills and stuff.

BEATLEPAUL

Let me know my Friend!!

Treadwell

Be sure to check out this old thread for a lot of MPC modding tips:
http://www.therpf.com/f11/super-deta...34/index3.html

I don't have a Falconkits set after all, but I do have the MMI-7777 brass etch kit (with resin inserts for the engine air intakes/exhaust thingies):
Starship Modeler Store: AMT's Millennium Falcon PE Grille Detail Set

Sending PM...

TazMan2000

Good news. Looks as if Finemolds is re-releasing the MF in 1/72.

TazMan2000

BEATLEPAUL

I just bought a mint kit(FineMolds 1/72 Falcon), From A modeling Buddy from another Forum...At a Really descent Price! Should have it Friday!

It's good news for everyone else, they can pre-Order from Hobby Link Japan

1/72 Millennium Falcon

Weezer

Dedalus5550, any chance of getting a list of the kits you've used/bashed in customizing your Falcon? I'm very impressed with the details added around the engine intakes.

Dedalus5550

Let me first say that I went out looking for the cheapest things I could find at the vendors' tables at local shows. I looked in boxes--as most are unsealed--and wanted those with the most small parts at good prices. And one I got was the Dragon M1A1 in 35th scale and decided not to use it as it's just too good not to build that kit. The kits used are 48th scale Hobby Boss M4A3E8, 48th scale Hobby Boss T34/76, 48th scale Tamiya T34/76 (and those two kits are quite different which might mean that at least one is drastically inaccurate), and a 72nd scale Revell M2A2 Bradley. I also used parts from years of collecting my left over parts. The only ones that stick out in my memory are the engine dollies from Fujimi 72nd scale F-14 kits. (The engines themselves from the F-14 kits were used as a starting point for the rear engine portion of the MPC X-wing.) I really was not going to kill myself for accuracy, and if you have the same attitude, don't sweat it if you don't find the same kits.
HTH,
Mike Todd

Weezer

Thanks for the advise Mike.

VOODOOFX

Good luck with the project Mark, I love building the Falcon! Randy

BEATLEPAUL

Many Thanks Randy!

However I just recieved the FineMolds 1/72 Falcon, So this Project(MPC Falcon), Is Next!

I have a source for all the parts, just waiting for my funds to recoup!LOL!

slave1pilot

I just looked through all of my model kits to see what I had.
I have the ROTJ MPC Falcon
Maybe I'll accurize that one too.

RGPFX

Near as I can tell, the only thing changed in susequent MPC re-releases of the kit was the removal of the cheesy grain-o-wheat lighting system in the engine and cockpit. The hole for the switch was on one of the rear side panels and appears to have been retooled closed. I have bits of the 78 kicking around and I did the cut-away a decade ago. Pretty much the same stuff. The cutaway is nice but you have to do a bit of cutting and fitting to get the turrets to fit if you want to put an interior on them as I did.

my falcon model

JMChladek

Only other thing that changed briefly on the MPC kit is the 1984 production MPC kits from ROTJ in the silver boxes had black smoke tinted canopy and gun turret well pieces. For the subsequent MPC/Ertl and AMT Ertl reissues, they went back to clear pieces.

jlwshere

This is some great detailing. I have been playing around with the thought (and a little bit of work) of restoring this to the original Millennium Falcon from the Original Star Wars Movie. I much prefer it over the ESB modifications, although I do have a Fine Molds 1/72 kit.

I have the "falcon kits" sidewalls, but they are not really accurate to the five footer, so I am scratching new sidewalls based on the height of the "falcon kits" parts. I actually have an in scale Mazda transmission for the sidewalls for this kit.

Other than correcting for the curvature and the cockpit and cockpit tube, I am also effectively razing the entire back engine deck, and will build it out as closely as possible to the five footer.

I have also noticed on some pictures scaled from the five footer to 18 inches (ERTL scale) that the access bays ("holes" in the top and bottom mandibles) are slightly larger on the ERTL than the studio model, so I will probably visit this to see how much of a difference this makes and if it is worth the effort of correcting, as the discrepancy is very slight.

*hint, If you cast, the Fine Molds Falcon and Y-wing kits can provide some great in scale accurate donor parts. There are also other parts on the model itself, including the sidewalls, that can be cast and repurposed in other or more accurate locations on the model, including "Aurora" parts on the engine deck, which are facing the wrong direction, and little military 5 gallon "gas cans", of which more are required throughout the model.

I've done tons of research using pictures (readily available on the web) of the five footer, it's just finding the time to make it all happen.