5 ft. ANH “Wooden” Falcon

[Hagoth]

Well Searun, I found your thread! Following along to absorb more tips, tricks, and old school techniques. Even at these early stages your project is recognizable as a Falcon. Looking forward to all your mechanical actuation solutions. Should be impressive.

...and yes, some of the humor rabbit holes the community will take one down do tend to keep things fun. This is a great community here.

 

[skahtul]

Looking great so far! And those boats next to the 'in progress Falcon are also pretty sweet!

 

[johnhoughtaling]

Everyone

As Searun's son. Please accept an incredibly grateful thanks to all of you on this site, that have spent so many years working and so freely gave of your work to my father (and me as a beneficiary)

The falcon will be part, (my favorite part) of a small but interesting private Star Wars collection of original costumes, props and artifacts from the production of the original trilogy. I am putting together a small archive museum. For all of the "5 foot builder" Star Wars fans that ever find themselves in New Orleans I would be very happy to give you a little tour as a thank you. (maybe host something as a thank you when my father is complete.).

 

[johnhoughtaling]

BTW

We are on the hunt for a complete set of kits. If you have a collection youd like to sell or know someone that has one please PM me.

 

[Searun]

Gentlemen,
Took a break from initial skinning of the disc & mandibles. Can understand why the veterans on the 5 ft. model prefer blown plexiglass saucers. Attached some “raw construction“ of the cockpit cone.

Changed out the wooden mock-up widow frames to brass and wanted to see how my .032 aluminum armor technique will work out. Using ratio method from the Bandai model to determine segment dimensions. Note the picture of the engineering paper used as a pattern for the cockpit skull cap. May need to take a 3D printing class since I can clearly appreciate how the computer calculates the little squares to get the curved measurements. If your measurements are “wonky” just a little, the squares tell you.

Not sure this model will qualify as a 5 ft. Studio Scale ANH MF given my approach to the project. But, it’s design is worth the effort and I enjoy the challenge. If any of you know a good number for the width of the channel that runs down the centerline of the cockpit and cone body, it will help when I get to the armor platting in that area so that sufficient space is provided for greeblie detail in this long run. Many measurements I can ratio or estimate along with this site’s threads, but under estimating this, by trusting Bandai and my math, is too risky. Again, I know that kit parts & 3D greeblies are required for fidelity. However, my major goal is airframe accuracy.

 

[joberg]

One day at the time Searun, one day at the time...Cladding it with metal is an additional challenge for sure! Keep up the good work

 

[Hagoth]

As you pull this off it will finally provide the long awaited answer to the question "What's an Aluminum Falcon?" (Don't know where I heard it)

This project definitely has a lot of unique features involved.

 

[eagle1]

Amazing skills Searun & you work so fast!.
Your build will certainly be unique with all the working features, something I am really keen to see.
Do you plan to actually use the donor kit parts themselves or casts taken or prints?

 

[Searun]

Attached are a few pictures if I have taken and transferred these correctly on my I-Phone since I-Pad is down. Bottom now skinned, Air Lock hubs & passage ways fabricated (ramp to be cut out later). Took some time off on major airframe construction to complete applying armor segments on cockpit tube. Gave the cockpit cone a labotomy when done in order to access interior later for detailing and to permit turning for “Sun Fish” orientation when not sitting on its landing gear. Slots on top of disk are to allow access to retractable landing gear thrust blocks. That way the motor & strut internals can be readily removed from wheel well elevator shaft below for maintenance and adjustment. Removable Jaw Box and Engine Deck sections will cover these skin slots.
My gratitude, again, to the team that put together and open sourced the overall dimension drawings on this site. While one must research and answer many of his own measurement questions, if you watch your material of construction measurements and account for thickness properly, the drawing accuracy is extremely accurate. Parts alignment during assembly validates the care these folks took in obtaining accurate dimensions, sketching, drafting and they must have repeatedly checked their work.

 

[ID10T]

Wow.

I know it's not "screen accurate", but since this will be skinned in aluminum, how cool would it be to fully polish this thing, like an old airplane?

 

[Studio Kitbash]

Yes! The more I look at it in this stage, the more I keep secretly hoping that Searun builds his as the official Steampunk Version.

(I know that's not your intention, but still, if anyone could pull it off, it would be you.)

 

[Searun]

Wow.

I know it's not "screen accurate", but since this will be skinned in aluminum, how cool would it be to fully polish this thing, like an old airplane?

Your comment is on point. If it was not for my son, I would leave this as an aircraft, clad in polished aluminum armor & brass trim with flak damage.

 

[Searun]

Yes! The more I look at it in this stage, the more I keep secretly hoping that Searun builds his as the official Steampunk Version.

(I know that's not your intention, but still, if anyone could pull it off, it would be you.)

A large Steampunk sculpture would be cool, but a bridge too far. I am no artist.

 

[JediMichael]

Building it this way would be really cool if just a smaller normal sized model, but building it like this as the 5 footer is just totally insane.

 

[joberg]

Insane indeed...love the alu-cladding look! Very Mustang-like

 

[Searun]

Insane indeed...love the alu-cladding look! Very Mustang-like

Worked on a vintage P-51 many moons ago. Pilot used too much throttle on take off. We stayed inverted over the tarmac until some altitude was gained. No time to be scared. Thank goodness for the Merlin engine driving a big 4 bladed prop.

 

[swgeek]

That is awesome! Love the Mustang but I think I would have found time for fear.

 

[joberg]

Worked on a vintage P-51 many moons ago. Pilot used too much throttle on take off. We stayed inverted over the tarmac until some altitude was gained. No time to be scared. Thank goodness for the Merlin engine driving a big 4 bladed prop.

Yep, those War Birds are not for the faint of heart This is not what I call relax flying

 

[Duncanator]

I love watching your techniques while building this!
As they say: There's more than one way to skin a cat.

I'm a fan of people making out of whatever they are comfortable with; be it wood, plastic, concrete or mashed potatoes.
If it brings you joy, that's all that matters.

And your desk top looks well loved too. It appears that many models have passed over its surface.

 

[Searun]

ptAnI love watching your techniques while building this!
As they say: There's more than one way to skin a cat.

I'm a fan of people making out of whatever they are comfortable with; be it wood, plastic, concrete or mashed potatoes.
If it brings you joy, that's all that matters.

And your desk top looks well loved too. It appears that many models have passed over its surface.

Thanks Duncanator. True regarding desk. Enormous draw below holds many of the same tools constantly required over the years.

Now working on the removable rear engine & fan deck that has to be curved to the upper dome skin and also properly accept the trailing edge engine exhaust cowl flaps. Next set of pictures will show how this is planned to be accomplished. Lots is noodling involved. Makes one clearly appreciate those who have build these large studio scale models AND did so adhering to kit part detail that had to properly fit.