Bandai First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter 1/72

K

korben44

Master Member
I got this kit in the other day. I'm waiting on GreenStrawberry's photo etch kit for it, but decided to throw it together in the mean time. Including the time it took to cut from the sprues, I spent 45 minutes putting it together. It's one of the easiest kits to assemble. The key here is to get to look like a model and not some Hasbro toy. Should be fun...

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Holy! That is 1/72 scale?! What exquisite molding that is... just what does the PE provide that improves the basic kit?

Beats the Revell kit (which is larger) by a million miles, eh?

R/ Robert
 
Yeah, Bandai really does an amazing job with their molding. You should see the 1/144 Falcon up close. The PE set adds things like the following:

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Seems like making the hatch opening smaller makes the ejection seats less likely to 'get through'. I think we discussed the whole two-seater TIE size issue previously. Looks like Bandai made it the same size as the single-seater - per the provided data, I'm sure...

R/ Robert
 
Well, on the Bandai model, the opening is as wide as you see with that photo etch part attached. When I get home I'll snap a picture of it. Bandai just left the opening rather plain and boring. Is it functional? Probably not, but it adds to the detail and overall look of the kit.

-Kris
 
I figured on the two seat edition the two pilots would eject one at a time with the seat assembly rocking forward and back to align each pilot with the opening...
 
Yes that might work though I always assumed (projected?) the standard TIE crew 'ball' was tightly packed, so moving stuff around to make room for a second crewman while also adding even more equipment (hyperdrive, shields & additional weapons systems...) within just the existing volume plus the two 'scabbed on' fairings doesn't seem probable. These are issues that are easily resolved if the design is simply scaled up. Plus, I can then say the Revell TIE-S is a 1/48 scale model when compared to the AMT TIE kits... ;^) It also makes the hatch more accommodating of simultaneous ejections which is better for crew survival (is that really a concern for the First Order? Well, good evil minions *are* hard to find, or in this case, train!)

Too much fun!

R/ Robert
 
It would seem that survival is at least in the plans for the First Order Ties. We see proof of that in TFA since both Poe and Finn get ejected from their stolen one. Too bad we didn't see the actual ejections in the movie.

-Kris
 
Kris, who knows? It may have actually been filmed but then cut. There is a great deal that was left on the 'cutting room floor', such as the backstory of Leia attempting to get the New Republic to fight the FO but failing to do so, splintered off with the Resistance. Supposedly, the characters seen in the 'destruction of the Repulbic's homeworld' scene included the new Chancellor (the bearded alien on the left) and one of Leia's compatriots (the woman in uniform.) So, a lot was trimmed out. Guess it depends on when it was cut whether or not there may ever be an extended 'uncut' version of the movie.

Must have been traumatic, though, since both Finn and Poe are initially unconscious after landing.

I still think a slightly larger crew shell would be necessary for the two-seater vs the single-seater.

R/ Robert
 
If I were to guess at how it would work with the way the new Tie's are designed, I'd say the the top hatch and most of what you see on the top part of the Tie just eject right off. We can see in this shot that the top hatch is indeed missing.

sw-force-awakens-movie-screencaps.com-2714.jpg

-Kris
 
korben44 said:
If I were to guess at how it would work with the way the new Tie's are designed, I'd say the the top hatch and most of what you see on the top part of the Tie just eject right off. We can see in this shot that the top hatch is indeed missing.

-Kris
Click to expand...

Hah! Now everyone's got the disk, eh? Yes, I agree, the way out would be that hatch. And this image basically counters my idea that the 2-seater would be larger since this 'wreck set' is obviously the size of a single-seat version. However, we know how 'sets' go when trying to size these vehicles (3/4 size Falcon, anyone?)

Alas, having both variants be the same size would be illogical in a 'real world' scenario because of a shopping list of reasons. None of which detracts from your very fine model, Kris! Still, I must rationalize purchasing the Revell kit somehow... ;^D

Regards, Robert
 
Lol... yes, I have the disk and digital editions of TFA. That picture I grabbed from starwarsscreencaps.com.

You are correct, of course. Set size and actual size tend to have discrepancies. Especially when it comes to functional interiors. I'm certainly not trying to dissuade you from purchasing the Revell kit. I just find the Bandai one's to have less work involved in making them more accurate.

-Kris
 
Of course, if I'd gotten hooked on 1/72nd scale all those years ago like so many others, I wouldn't have these issues... such as looking at $400 B.2 Vulcan bombers & $400 Concorde airliner models... sigh. Just picked up a Hasbro MTT because it *appears* to be 1/48 scale.

Still. Having fun.

R/Robert
 
I couldn't wait for the green strawberry PE kit, so I painted this guy:

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The last two pictures show the final paint job and assembled out of the box.
 
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