ILMwannabe
Active Member
Based on all the information that I've been able to find (including pictures and some old posts on this forum) the original "1/24" SS Red 2, 3 and 5 hero models survived and were used in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The Red Leader "hero" model was never seen again after the first movie; some have speculated that it was given away as a gift (like a Y-Wing was) or lost.
There is photographic evidence that Red 3 was used as "Red 5" for a single Degobah shot where the ship is floating above the swamp, heading towards Yoda and Luke. If you examine closeup pictures of Red 3 taken after the movies were made, you can see that cutouts were made where the landing gear would be (thank you Nwerke). None of the original X-Wing models had those cutouts, and you can see in those same pictures that they were later covered over with sheet plastic. That was the only "bluescreen" shot. All the others used the life size X-Wing prop.
The fifth stripe on the Red 5 model was painted over for ROTJ (to look like another Red 4), and the model was weathered even more. It can be seen in the background during some of the cockpit shots before the battle of Endor.
I have seen a picture showing at least 3 MPC X-Wings in the Lucasfilm warehouse, presumably used for ROTJ. But I doubt they were used for explosions because they are too small (scale explosions do not look realistic if the models are too small). However, there is a picture of the remains of a larger scale pyro (with unusual red markings) presumably used in ROTJ. At least one MPC X-Wing seems to have had lights installed on the engines (or at the very least transparent red sheet plastic!)
As for the large "Red 3" X-Wing, all sources that I've seen say that it was built for a scene where Luke meets up with Millenium Falcon over Tatooine, but the scene was dropped for the film. I had never heard that it was used in the film, although there is a shot of a "Red 3" opening its wings.
There is photographic evidence that Red 3 was used as "Red 5" for a single Degobah shot where the ship is floating above the swamp, heading towards Yoda and Luke. If you examine closeup pictures of Red 3 taken after the movies were made, you can see that cutouts were made where the landing gear would be (thank you Nwerke). None of the original X-Wing models had those cutouts, and you can see in those same pictures that they were later covered over with sheet plastic. That was the only "bluescreen" shot. All the others used the life size X-Wing prop.
The fifth stripe on the Red 5 model was painted over for ROTJ (to look like another Red 4), and the model was weathered even more. It can be seen in the background during some of the cockpit shots before the battle of Endor.
I have seen a picture showing at least 3 MPC X-Wings in the Lucasfilm warehouse, presumably used for ROTJ. But I doubt they were used for explosions because they are too small (scale explosions do not look realistic if the models are too small). However, there is a picture of the remains of a larger scale pyro (with unusual red markings) presumably used in ROTJ. At least one MPC X-Wing seems to have had lights installed on the engines (or at the very least transparent red sheet plastic!)
As for the large "Red 3" X-Wing, all sources that I've seen say that it was built for a scene where Luke meets up with Millenium Falcon over Tatooine, but the scene was dropped for the film. I had never heard that it was used in the film, although there is a shot of a "Red 3" opening its wings.
