AMT X-Wing

[Raven Morpheus]

Hey all

Just thought I'd share my completed 1/43 AMT X-Wing with you guys. I've read so much on these forums re. Star Wars models and some people did advise me on a couple of things a while back.

R2 D2 is the button to turn on the engine glow.

R2 is actually a resin R2 D2 in 1/43 made for the DeAgostini Falcon by a Shapeways 3d printed parts seller, it wasn't very good (there is detail on the body/dome but it's so faint it might as well not be there) but it served my purpose better than the kit part as the kit part has very badly raised details, especially on the dome.

The lighting kit was kindly made for me by britmodeller.com member madmonk of tirydiummodels.co.uk, although I didn't use all of it, just the engine LEDs, because the cockpit is poor and there wasn't a pilot in my kit (which might have been a blessing as the one for this kit is rubbish). I looked for a 1/43 or even 1/48 X-Wing pilot but gave up after many months of searching - I didn't want to convert a figure either.

I "smoke glassed" the canopy because in a scene in ESB (I think?), one of the scenes in the hangar just before the Hoth battle, you see an open canopy of an X-Wing (I think?) and it's glass looks opaque black. Plus it hides the poor cockpit and lack of pilot, although I think I went a bit too far with the "smoke glassed" effect as it is totally opaque!

Made an attempt at "weathering" but it's nothing great and I'm not all that happy with the "wear" on the stripes. I'm quite poor at weathering as I don't really understand how to do it, I tend to build "factory finish" models.


I have one slight issue now in that I used JB Weld to secure R2 D2 to the peg of the switch, but now it's all dried it doesn't quite press down properly, and of course I'll have no chance of removing it without destroying the kit. I can get it to work if I wiggle the R2 unit about and pull it up a bit but it has to be pressed down very hard.

I should have left the R2 unit loose! Doh!!

I can get the wires out the back though so I might be able to cut the switch off and install a new one, and perhaps have it sticking out the backplate...



Pictures -



Engine LEDs on -



Close up of R2 -

 

[Jkirkon]

Nice x-wing.

I am a novice at model building, painting, and weathering, so I may be WAY off base vs how the pros do it, but here's my take:

I approach it as if I am starting off with a new-ish x-wing, and try to imagine how the craft would get dirtied up, and worn over the course of time. Paint chipping, buildup of dirt, soot, oil, grease, and of course, battle damage.
To me, it is an accumulation of these things over time.
Paint chipping, for example, I try to think a couple of layers of paint ahead. I'll paint a coat of satin black over the primer coat, then, an light coat of the base color. In the case of my x-wing, I used Tamiya AS-20. I use masking fluids, steel wool, and even a hobby knife to chip and wear the paint, through the base coat, exposing the black, and even the primer coat below.

As a novice, I have few techniques I am comfortable with right now. I primarily use weathering chalks and some paints.

My first real weathering project was an old Icons x-wing that needed a rebuild. I replaced the warped wings, and repainted it.
The original paint and weathering job was abysmal. After the rebuild and paint, it is now something that I am pleased to have in my collection. It is a far ways from being a professional job, but is a vast improvement over the factory finish. For me, an excellent learning experience.

Read through the RPF and other model building sites. Find a few techniques that you are comfortable with, and go for it. The only way to learn it to try!

The first pic is how I received the Icons x-wing, and the second is how it sits now. In my humble opinion, much better.

 

[harryhoudini]

Is that a base from another kit? So awesome!


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[Jkirkon]

Is that a base from another kit? So awesome!


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The Icons x-wing is a studio scale prop replica, and the 'Death Star' base is what it originally came mounted on.