Converting the 1:72 FM X-Wing into ILM hero-style model

Marko@Rockvoice

Well-Known Member
Hey folks!

It's been a while that I built the 1:49 Red 2 and Red 5 to match the filming miniatures with help of 3D-printed parts.

Now it is time to test our 3D-printed products in 1:72 (or better to say 1:74) scale.

This time I decided to go for Red 3 - an X-Wing I never built before.

So, here are some of the new parts that I'll use:

the new backplate next to the kit part. Keep in mind - this is still a prototype.
72red3-1.jpg


The Saturn-V-parts, the laser-cannon mount, the heatsink for the laser (in this picture you can also see some parts for the 1:48 X-Wing).

72red3-2.jpg


The new engine nozzles. If you take a close look at the kit's nozzles you take these any of the week...
3 long and 1 short for Red 3.

72red3-3.jpg


prepare and sand down the wing details:

72red3-4.jpg


72red3-5.jpg


and here is the new canopy-frame. Just glued, not finalized yet. For Red 3 there needed to be an inner and an outer frame. so both were drawn as vectors and then plotted into 3mm styrene sheet.
Although they may appear quite big... it is a tiny tiny thing...

72red3-6.jpg


Days later, the heavily modified fuselage. Test-fit with the new backplate, the canopy-frame and droidstrip.

72red3-7.jpg
 
... it's been some time...

But now - time for a big update:

I finished wings and fuselage and primed the X-wing black:
72red3-8.jpg


72red3-9.jpg


and then... almost white.
The Revell Aqua Color is for size comparison. Note all the detail:
72red3-10.jpg

72red3-11.jpg

72red3-12.jpg

72red3-13.jpg
 
After that it is time for some masking-madness...

Color after color, after color, ...

72red3-14.jpg


And many masking-hours later -
Colors are a bit shocking at the moment:

72red3-15.jpg

72red3-16.jpg


Time to dry and prepare for the clear/grey/smoke-coat...
 
And finally - Red 3 - the dirtiest of all X-Wings(Pilot and R2-unit are still missing):

72red3-17.jpg

72red3-18.jpg

72red3-19.jpg

72red3-20.jpg


I am not satisfied how the red turned out. Everybody speaks of the carboose red they used at ILM, but when I look at the reference photos of Red 3 - the red color has a slighly orange nuance to it while the rest of the colors mostly fade to grey.

Any ideas on the colors?
 
I think the red looks fine. Trying to interpret from just a couple photos without viewing the original in person can be a crapshoot sometimes, depending on how the printed photos were reproduced. Plus, the color might be a little off, but one could theoretically chalk it up to a form of "scale effect" since this model is only about 1/4 the size of the typical hero and pyro studio models.

One or two things can be ever so slightly off and yet they don't necessarily have to detract from the rest of the model. But I admit we are our own worst critics when it comes to such models, because we can spot the flaws almost nobody else can.

Very nice work!
 
Are there still plans to offer these parts for sale? The Model-Force.com site hasn't been updated in some time. I'm kinda holding off on my 1/72 builds in the hope that some of these fine parts will be available!
 
Are there still plans to offer these parts for sale? The Model-Force.com site hasn't been updated in some time. I'm kinda holding off on my 1/72 builds in the hope that some of these fine parts will be available!

Yes, yes and absolutely yes!
We are really sorry for that delay.
The parts we created appeared to have a too high resolution for most of the 3D-printers to handle in larger quantities.
So we made lower-res parts and as soon as we approve the sample print the parts go into production.

It should be a matter of a few more weeks.
 
Yes, yes and absolutely yes!
We are really sorry for that delay.
The parts we created appeared to have a too high resolution for most of the 3D-printers to handle in larger quantities.
So we made lower-res parts and as soon as we approve the sample print the parts go into production.

It should be a matter of a few more weeks.


Fantastic!


As some around here doubtless know, my first modeling love is STAR TREK. That said, I'm also a huge STAR WARS fan, and have long desired to hop the fence and model some ships from that great universe.

I've had two 1/72 X-Wings and two TIEs sitting in a box, unbuilt, since 2002.

Recently, I was bitten by the SW bug again, and bought the 1/72 Falcon and Y-Wing, with another X-Wing on the way.

I'm beginning to do research, and am seeking accurate parts and upgrades. These parts look fantastic.



I must say this, however--unlike with TREK, it seems difficult to find even the most basic info on the ILM models all conveniently collated into a one-stop shop. Nice to see that some parts for different variants (such as the X-Wing backplates) will be available.


What parts are in the pipe, currently?
 
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