5 ft. ANH “Wooden” Falcon
- Thread starter Searun
- Start date
Yeah, no one's said it just yet, so let me be the first: Holy Smokes, Searun!
(And let's not forget the painful humiliation of "actuated engine flaps" -- it won't surprise me if Searun actually makes his Bf-109 landing gear struts into operable pistons. Then I'll truly start tearing my hair and gnashing my teeth!
Overheard at the 2026 5-Foot Falcon Convention: "Yeah, but his is made of metal, and it's mechanically functional, and it never aborts the jump to lightspeed, and it made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Can yours do that?"
(And let's not forget the painful humiliation of "actuated engine flaps" -- it won't surprise me if Searun actually makes his Bf-109 landing gear struts into operable pistons. Then I'll truly start tearing my hair and gnashing my teeth!
Overheard at the 2026 5-Foot Falcon Convention: "Yeah, but his is made of metal, and it's mechanically functional, and it never aborts the jump to lightspeed, and it made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Can yours do that?"
Thanks for clever comments SK. Mechanical features have indeed side tracked me. However, I keep finding outstanding design aspects of the Millennium Falcon that force me to replicate in some manner. Completion schedule does get pushed.
1. Have yet to pose this spaceship in the “Sun Fish“ mode to show how the cockpit internals, including the navigation section, rotates manually. Not motorized at this time, but might be possible.
2. Then there are the (4) interplanetary “SeaLand” containers that some smart guy, in the past on the internet, designed to show the “Freighter” configuration.
Another amazing update John!.
You just need to install a navicomputer & you'll have all the specifications for your build to take off, smoke & Wookie fur left in the wake haha.
Seriously though, it's hard to fathom how you've worked so tirelessly on this very unique 5 footer, using all manner of materials!.
Much admiration my friend.
You just need to install a navicomputer & you'll have all the specifications for your build to take off, smoke & Wookie fur left in the wake haha.
Seriously though, it's hard to fathom how you've worked so tirelessly on this very unique 5 footer, using all manner of materials!.
Much admiration my friend.
I have been installing the three remaining maintenance skids in the upper disc pits. Made the 8-Rad, Jagdpanther and Patton removable for access by machine screws and blind nuts. Jacking them up for correct placement used a temporary lifting lugs once finding the center of the assembly. Was a real Egyptian erection process. Pictures show piping and some simple small fittings and plates made from metal.
Disassembly and very carefully flipping the Falcon disc to find and locate some small bottom surface greeblies that remain is the next major step. Then, determining what to use for bright engine exhaust lighting and engine sounds. Lots of work being done that does not show progress in pictures.
Disassembly and very carefully flipping the Falcon disc to find and locate some small bottom surface greeblies that remain is the next major step. Then, determining what to use for bright engine exhaust lighting and engine sounds. Lots of work being done that does not show progress in pictures.
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joberg
Legendary Member
Waiiiit one full minute here John; first there was the wood/metal clad construction, then the retractable landing gear/ramp + the smoke...and now lighting + sound??
I'll bet anything that the next update will be your MF flying in your garden I kid of course and it's a real pleasure to see your workmanship at work and the fantastic results
I'll bet anything that the next update will be your MF flying in your garden I kid of course and it's a real pleasure to see your workmanship at work and the fantastic resultsWell thought out bells & whistles pay homage to the original design and the high quality studio scale replicas produced by those who tacked this model and contributed website threads that provide expert guidance.Waiiiit one full minute here John; first there was the wood/metal clad construction, then the retractable landing gear/ramp + the smoke...and now lighting + sound??
About to flip Falcon to work on some bottom surface geeblies when I remembered top flack damage.
Here are picture of those two front disc areas. I made paper templates from enlarged photographs to get the pattern & location reasonably accurate. Holes easier than Claw Marks.
Aluminum had to be added in several layers to show armor and skin penetration depth. (Caution: Large drill bit holes in aluminum must be anchored to prevent metal plates from occasional spinning that always happens when you are tempted to hold plates by hand. Gloves will not save you) Dremel tool work requires trial and error.
Love the WW-2 battle damage technique used by Star Wars. Similar to the bottom maintenance pit I-beam orientation info on the web, I did notice that not all pictures of ANH Falcon show the docking hole, and it’s side panel damage and the pilot tube dent. Reference to the damage on the 1/72 scale Bandai indicate these may have been added after filming before the ESB version was made.
I any case, I do like those WW-2 aircraft and tank damage patterns and may add them.
Here are picture of those two front disc areas. I made paper templates from enlarged photographs to get the pattern & location reasonably accurate. Holes easier than Claw Marks.
Aluminum had to be added in several layers to show armor and skin penetration depth. (Caution: Large drill bit holes in aluminum must be anchored to prevent metal plates from occasional spinning that always happens when you are tempted to hold plates by hand. Gloves will not save you) Dremel tool work requires trial and error.
Love the WW-2 battle damage technique used by Star Wars. Similar to the bottom maintenance pit I-beam orientation info on the web, I did notice that not all pictures of ANH Falcon show the docking hole, and it’s side panel damage and the pilot tube dent. Reference to the damage on the 1/72 scale Bandai indicate these may have been added after filming before the ESB version was made.
I any case, I do like those WW-2 aircraft and tank damage patterns and may add them.
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On the port side holes, some greeblies peek through. I glued broken micro motor gear boxes under the holes as place keepers.
My landing gear elevator design uses these same small “transmissions” to drive a large RC race car gear. Amazing torque that those small micro motor gear boxes generate.
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Thanks Joberg. Takes a little practice to copy the realistic damage patterns of the Falcon experts even with excellent photographs. Lucas’s application of flack damage on space ships was well researched.Actually, Searun, these blaster hits are looking way better on metal than on plastic
Started work on the starboard docking ring blast hole after watching ANH again that clearly identifies this in the first views of the Falcon in the 1977 Star Wars. The tractor beam shot of the Falcon being dragged into the Star Destroyer only briefly show the damage to the front of the disc top surface.
CosmicQuest
Active Member
Hey Searun.. This is an amazing build! I swear the builds on this site never fail to amaze!
Airframe parts of Falcon have been disassembled to permit some detail work. Two pictures of mandible surfaces attached. Shows an interesting feature of the Falcon: The difference in the amount of pit piping on bottom vs. top.
Significant number of small kit parts require homework in the (8) maintenance pits. Fabricating “place keepers” when needed to help keep track of these. Deviated from the completion plan on focusing on one at a time challenges sanity.
Significant number of small kit parts require homework in the (8) maintenance pits. Fabricating “place keepers” when needed to help keep track of these. Deviated from the completion plan on focusing on one at a time challenges sanity.
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Fantastic!!!
joberg
Legendary Member
I love a lot of stuff (I mean details, looks, etc...) on your MF Searun (too many to list here). Most of all: the industrial look of it. That metal sure adds a "je ne sais quoi" to the whole design that others have not quite achieved (not that the other 5 footers aren't great; far from it).
