Weird pic of alternate Vader TIE...

Sorry if this has been gone over, but I've never seen any comment on this on the boards ... thought I'd post it up for anyone who hasn't got the Rinzler book.

How about this alternate Vader's TIE pic in the Rinzler 'Making of SW', a built- up model where the lateral hull is extended by two huge forward-sweeping wedges, which are fixed to wings thrown much further forward. The look anticipates the later interceptor design. What's odd is that Johnston comments that Vader's ship was a 'quickie' design for which Lucas picked a sketch showing the wings and hull exactly as they appear in the film. Presumably, in building, they tried out this other design then switched back to the sketch...

First pic: the sketch Lucas picked, according to Johnston, accordng to Rinzler.

Second pic: what they then built!

I'd say it's a foam-core mockup, but using the existing parts from the standard TIE which made it into the final model.

One interesting thing about Vader's TIE is that it gives the impression onscreen of being a smaller ship than a standard TIE. Just speculating that this mockup might show a previous attempt to make it a bigger ship, suiting Vader's character, which was then reduced and kept in better proportion to the existing elements.

Colin Droidmilk said:

Sorry if this has been gone over, but I've never seen any comment on this on the boards ... thought I'd post it up for anyone who hasn't got the Rinzler book.

How about this alternate Vader's TIE pic in the Rinzler 'Making of SW', a built- up model where the lateral hull is extended by two huge forward-sweeping wedges, which are fixed to wings thrown much further forward. The look anticipates the later interceptor design. What's odd is that Johnston comments that Vader's ship was a 'quickie' design for which Lucas picked a sketch showing the wings and hull exactly as they appear in the film. Presumably, in building, they tried out this other design then switched back to the sketch...

First pic: the sketch Lucas picked, according to Johnston.

Second pic: what they then built!

Click to expand...

I think you should make it the wings are cool!

JD 1, it could be as you say. It'd be interesting to know for sure why they didn't go with it. The look really has a feel of a bat opening its wings as it swoops down for the kill. Puts me in mind of those slow motion bat shots in Werner Herzog's 'Nosferatu'.

Somebody should make it, 3DBuilder, for sure!

Colin Droidmilk said:

JD 1, it could be as you say. It'd be interesting to know for sure why they didn't go with it. The look really has a feel of a bat opening its wings as it swoops down for the kill. Puts me in mind of those slow motion bat shots in Werner Herzog's 'Nosferatu'.

Somebody should make it, 3DBuilder, for sure!

Click to expand...

I'd like to know too.... liking that ribbed spine as well. Nice to see variations, and what came before. It would be interesting to build this with one of the early X wings before the body had to be made larger for wing mechanisms. I don't think I have ever seen a picture of that.

I wonder what the back of that model looked like. I see some interesting details back there, but never seen a picture. Someone must have that model in storage!

I assume that's the Vader TIE "in progress" - I bet they scrapped those wings you see in the pic. I also assume that's a Saturn V part on the butt end, and maybe the 'ol ILM "stacked Solo cups" trick form the ridged tube?:

http://www.studioscale.com/images/Kit Photos/Airfx/airfix saturn/satvpts4.jpg