Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon
I agree this would've been a fun option -- and something doable, given Bandai's level of perfection -- but adding the ESB undercarriage would've also meant new front pieces for the headlamps and lighting options for the red landing lights that ring the lower saucer. That's in addition to the extra sets of landing gear and (maybe) bluer engine light options. At that point, anyone making the ANH version would left with a lot of extra plastic and lighting hardware. I suspect their calculation was that instead of raising the kit price to provide an option that may leave lots of extra stuff, they'd sell this version first and then later down the road offer the ESB version as a separate kit. Instead of potentially selling fewer of the ANH version because the cost is really high, they have the chance to sell more of the first kit now and perhaps another batch of kits later.
As we all know only too well, there are so many different versions of the on-screen Falcon that I don't fault Bandai for drawing the line somewhere.
Great images in that piece!
My only complaint is I wish they'd made the option for an ESB undercarriage. With their precision moulding they could have done a pair of replacement parts that align with the panel joins, making any swap-out undetectable! (unlike the demo model they had on display a couple years ago, where you could see the join lines underneath)
Ah well.
I agree this would've been a fun option -- and something doable, given Bandai's level of perfection -- but adding the ESB undercarriage would've also meant new front pieces for the headlamps and lighting options for the red landing lights that ring the lower saucer. That's in addition to the extra sets of landing gear and (maybe) bluer engine light options. At that point, anyone making the ANH version would left with a lot of extra plastic and lighting hardware. I suspect their calculation was that instead of raising the kit price to provide an option that may leave lots of extra stuff, they'd sell this version first and then later down the road offer the ESB version as a separate kit. Instead of potentially selling fewer of the ANH version because the cost is really high, they have the chance to sell more of the first kit now and perhaps another batch of kits later.
As we all know only too well, there are so many different versions of the on-screen Falcon that I don't fault Bandai for drawing the line somewhere.