M Falcon Variant Build II

Constantine · Mar 29, 2015

I am back… Well I gave up on my first attempt to modify an MPC Falcon to a design of my own. Something of a Ralph McQuarrie type design.
Well I wasn’t happy with how it was turning out mainly very hard to get things square and lined up right and other issues. So I started from scratch, literally.

It actually took me far less time to get to this point in the scratch build than in all that sanding and cutting, reassembling dry fitting, etc of the MPC kit.

Since I wasn’t too concerned with accuracy as far an exact duplicate of a specific ship I just took some measurements from the MPC kit. I measure to were the sidewalls started and ended on the other side of the ship, not where the overlay started and ended and I came up with about 12 inches. I also did a simple blueprint drawing as well for comparison and measurements. I hard 3 sheets of 12 X 24 styrene so I brought the 12 inches down by about 3/16s of an inch so the cutting compass I was using wouldn’t come off the styrene. I figure 3/16 of an inch wouldn’t hurt the scale too much if at all. I then fitted part of my drawing on the styrene and traced the mandibles out. Then I used a dry wall sheet measuring/drawing device to cut the circle than a hobby knife for the mandibles.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 010.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 009.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 020.jpg

Here is the Template for cutting opening for the escape pods, and markings for the “ribs.” I taped the two bases together and marked the sides of the styrene so the lines would be in exactly the same places on both sheets so just in case I might have been off marking them individually nothing would be missed aligned on the rest of the build.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 024.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 026.jpg

Internal structure and supports.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 040.jpg

Circles for the gun turrets, at first I cut 1 inch pieces from a PVC pipe I wanted to have more of a bulge to the ship than the MPC kit, but after looking at it I decided it was too tall for that scale so I went with .75 inch instead. I couldn’t cut a PVC pipe under an inch because on my compound saw the gap between the fence in an inch so anything shorter kept breaking chucks of PVC off the cut. So I use the 1 inch piece to help make the circles with .75 inch wide strips of styrene laminated together.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 042.jpg

Making the ribs were really tedious at first I would tape it all down including the template and sheet to be cut and that was taking too long. So I made a better template with an edge underneath to hold the sheet to be cut square and snug against the template and made a right angle on it to hold better. I just used 1 piece of tape to hold the sheet to be cut down. That really helped things to go faster and more accurate; it still took the better part of a whole afternoon to cut some 35 pieces. I cut extra to double some up for the over lay of styrene sheets for the hull to meet better.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 044.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 046.jpg

Drying fitting seems to be coming together rather well.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 047.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 050.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 049.jpg

Thanks for looking.

CrazyCraig · Apr 3, 2015

Looks good so far.:thumbsupThe McQuarrie type didn't have much surface detail. How far are you going to take that?

Jaitea · Apr 4, 2015

Disappointed that you gave up on your V1,....you'll be able to salvage the cockpit etc?

......but I know V2 will be beauty

You're off to a good start,....she's looking sleek

J

Constantine · Apr 24, 2015

Making some progress on my MF variant build, here are a few pics of the evolution of the cockpit tube, (Ralph McQuarrie type design). The first is too small and “dimply,” looking, probably because the styrene I used was too thin. I also tired to cut slits into on piece in order to achieve a tapered look, I didn’t purse this too far.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 083.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/MllnnmVrnttwo001.jpg

I also tried wrapping strips of styrene around the end of a tube to get the tapered look, but it just seems too heavy looking and bulky to me.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 066.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 085.jpg

The one in white that is basically done is not too bad but too small in length and it doesn’t have a beveled front like the grey one does. So I am going to finish the grey one with the white beveled front. I am not even going to bother with a tapered look. To me it looks fine without it and also seems simpler and lighter looking. And when I am done with the build in whole I am hoping it would even be noticed.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/VrntFlcnBldII010.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/Vrnt Flcn Bld II 022.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 087.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 084.jpg

Here is the over all body of the ship. I made the sidewalls too high at first so I took those off and redid them. I also had to lower (cut them down) the square supports then as well to accommodate the lower side walls, but it was worth it.

Too high walls
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 047.jpg

Redone

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 075.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 076.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 077.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 078.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 080.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 081.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 082.jpg

I did make the engine grill section too wide I don’t know what I was thinking?! But I figure I can glue some strips of styrene in to shorten it and with the hull plating added on to it, it should make more secure.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 079.jpg

Thanks for looking any suggestions are welcomed!

Constantine · Apr 30, 2015

A small update.

I made the hull sections over the ramp and docking rings. They are not glued on nor are they finished on the bottom yet. I need to do the ramp as well.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 094.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 095.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 096.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 097.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 098.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25/Ludwig45/FLCN VRNT II 099.jpg

Thanks for looking. Any advice is welcomed.

Constantine · May 16, 2015

M Falcon Variant Build II

Constantine

Well-Known Member

CrazyCraig

Member

Jaitea

Master Member

Constantine

Well-Known Member

Constantine

Well-Known Member

Constantine

Well-Known Member

Similar threads