Early Millennium Falcon Pics

[Howard]

The magazine with two good shots of the 5 foot Falcon were printed in 'Famous Spaceships of fact and fantasy...and how to model them.'
It was published my MAP here in the U.K. back in 1979, I still have my copy here.

There's a picture in the Falcon section of Chronicles in the slug 'cave' that looks like the 5 footer - shorter cockpit tub.

 

[Newbie Doobie]

Great pics! Keep them coming!

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

You're welcome Colin, I'll get more pics of it at greater resolution and some frontal shots. The falcon itself is a real photo on the box and only the background has been painted by the artist.

That'd be excellent, thanks! Can't wait.

 

[Whiskey]

Does anyone have info on these parts?

The larger part looks like its a propeller engine housing of..maybe a 1/72 scale. Im also thinking it could be the nose of a bomber.

 

[Utinni]

DUDE! It's the Geico Caveman!!! Sorry lol

 

[uncannyx]

That'd be excellent, thanks! Can't wait.

Here you go Colin...

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

Yes. YES. YE-EAhsssss!!! Stupendous work, UncannyX. We're all most obliged indeed, I'm sure! So fantastic to get close in on this photo again after all these years... actually the resolution on this is just incredible ! Thanks a million. I do see why Newbie thought it was a paintjob - it appears to be just that on the roof of the cockpit... odd. Totally outasight image, though, cheers.

 

[BrundelFly]

So you are building a 5' falcon? I wish someone would kit one. I know it would be expensive but for an iconic ship like the falcon, I am sure there would be a few takers. I would include myself in that group.

A FEW takers?
Build something that big..and that large..and that expensive for "a few takers"

That makes absolutely no sense whats so ever.

I mean..come on. Think about it. Just the cost of MOLDING and casting it, would be a couple grand.

Would a "few takers" make that worth it? The kit builder would have to charge what? to Get his money back?

If it was easy, it would have been done by now.

Also, you have any idea how BIG something like this is? Its HUGE!
I cant find a spot for my 2 footer!

 

[BrundelFly]

Can you imagine how much the 5' weighs!!! I saw it at the LA Science of Star Wars and it is HUGE!! They also had a giant Xwing that looked to be about 1/4 to 1/6 scale. Does anyone know the story behind that one?



Brad

Yes.
That XWING was made by one of the model builders as a HOBBY project for his personal use. He had it half finished for sometime, then when it looked like a large XWING might be needed, it was brought into the shop, and finished.

I was told it was never filmed. Can Anyone prove either way?

 

[leplante]

A FEW takers?
Build something that big..and that large..and that expensive for "a few takers"

That makes absolutely no sense whats so ever.

I mean..come on. Think about it. Just the cost of MOLDING and casting it, would be a couple grand.

Would a "few takers" make that worth it? The kit builder would have to charge what? to Get his money back?

If it was easy, it would have been done by now.

Also, you have any idea how BIG something like this is? Its HUGE!
I cant find a spot for my 2 footer!

Your post is a little ambiguous, are you saying that your against the idea?:lol I must have really hit a nerve. It seems to me that extremely large and expensive kits have been developed before. I am not in the business so I cant say how profitable these ventures have been for the builders. If any large project could be lucrative I would think this one could. Just my point of view, and again very sorry for ruffling your feathers.

 

[ralphee]

I gotta agree with Frank on this, and boy me and Frank dont always agree on everything :lol

Donor kits alone for the 5ft bird, sheesh, $3, maybe $4K ? Im not kidding lol...then chime in "how" one would mold the hull alone, even as a two piece with possibly separate mandibles, one would struggle to get it even in kit form through the average front door!

Best guess, even if possible, initial costs on the 5ft as a kit maybe $8K..and im probably a tad short there too.

Thing is, many dont even comprehend what goes into building a full on replica, they dont see the months, maybe years of research before it even gets to a physical form...factoring in donors alone for most builds, and your easily over a grand...and im not talking about large stuff, even a TIE bomber nowadays....serious cash if done right and with all original parts!

Just a few to ponder

My TESB pod alone.....maybe $400 plus end to end
My ATST...hell, not that far off $1800 maybe?

Average Y or X wing build....dang...what $4 maybe 5K, even all the donors are found for the Y wing as yet...just ask Jamie what he's tolled up over the years!

Not having a dig bud, but so many dont see the behind the scenes costs on even the simplest of GK and subjects like the 5ft Falcon, Avenger, even say the Medical frigate....they are serious cash holes!

lee

 

[PHArchivist]

Yes.
That XWING was made by one of the model builders as a HOBBY project for his personal use. He had it half finished for sometime, then when it looked like a large XWING might be needed, it was brought into the shop, and finished.

I was told it was never filmed. Can Anyone prove either way?

Come on, man - don't you guys READ anything...!?

Frm Sculpting A Galaxy:
"BUILDING A BIGGER, BETTER X-WING
This massive X-Wwng figher was a lost beauty, in the sense that no one got to enjoy it on the big screen. Originally intended for Return Of The Jedi, the planned shot featured Luke Skywalker and R2-D2. The X-Wing approached camera, close enough to see the pilot, then soared away.

When the idea of doing a large, hero-version came up, model maker Mike Fulmer immediately revealed an already sculpted four-foot X-wing body. It was a project he and and Ira Keeler had been quietly doing as a hobby in their off-hours, so the project was greenlit and we began construction. The pilot, clearly visible through the cockpit, was articulated to allow motorized head movement. Although cut from the film, this model has proved to be a very popular addition to the Star Wars museum tours traveling around the world."

So Frank's story is correct. And to sum it up, it seems it WAS filmed, but cut and never seen by the public.

 

[Junk Pilot]

Hi JD, I saw the 32" on ANH on the scene where Leia asked Han and Luke if they came in that "thing" while looking over a deathstar window, was this an enhancement? I also remember that the 32" was created for ESB but was surprised to see the 32" parked on the deathstar hangar during that ANH scene. I don't have an original un-enhanced vid of ANH so I can't compare.

The most obvious reason for replacing the 5 footer in Star Wars was for consistancy with the other two films but an unnoticed error in the 5 footer may have also warranted its replacement in that the mandible end caps, covering the mounting points in the mandibles, were not in place when originally filmed.

 

[Junk Pilot]

I gotta agree with Frank on this, and boy me and Frank dont always agree on everything :lol

Donor kits alone for the 5ft bird, sheesh, $3, maybe $4K ? Im not kidding lol...then chime in "how" one would mold the hull alone, even as a two piece with possibly separate mandibles, one would struggle to get it even in kit form through the average front door!

Best guess, even if possible, initial costs on the 5ft as a kit maybe $8K..and im probably a tad short there too.

Thing is, many dont even comprehend what goes into building a full on replica, they dont see the months, maybe years of research before it even gets to a physical form...factoring in donors alone for most builds, and your easily over a grand...and im not talking about large stuff, even a TIE bomber nowadays....serious cash if done right and with all original parts!

Just a few to ponder

My TESB pod alone.....maybe $400 plus end to end
My ATST...hell, not that far off $1800 maybe?

Average Y or X wing build....dang...what $4 maybe 5K, even all the donors are found for the Y wing as yet...just ask Jamie what he's tolled up over the years!

Not having a dig bud, but so many dont see the behind the scenes costs on even the simplest of GK and subjects like the 5ft Falcon, Avenger, even say the Medical frigate....they are serious cash holes!

lee

Ok. Lets say it does cost 8k to make a 5ft replica (god I want one) but how much would the sale value be? Of course any body would be hard pressed to sell such a beauty like that, especially after all the hard work they've put into it. But if you did you could really ask about 5 times that amount for it.

Besides a smart person would have cast copies of everything before hand anyway so a second one would be much cheaper to make.

 

[faustus100]

IMHO it will cost much more than 8 grand to make a 5ft Falcon.There are probably 10 or more kits that alone cost about $500 a pop,and then there are a lot of other kits that are within the $100-$300 range.If you figure there may be well over 100 kits for just donor parts were talking well over 10k just for kits.When you add in the cost of construction and other materials-youre lookin at a lotta moolah!:cry

 

[Junk Pilot]

IMHO it will cost much more than 8 grand to make a 5ft Falcon.There are probably 10 or more kits that alone cost about $500 a pop,and then there are a lot of other kits that are within the $100-$300 range.If you figure there may be well over 100 kits for just donor parts were talking well over 10k just for kits.When you add in the cost of construction and other materials-youre lookin at a lotta moolah!:cry

Money will be no object when I win Lotto.

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

And for some, surely, money already is no object.

MR reckoned they could shift 1500 of their Falcons at over 2k$ a punt. And they appear to have done good business. That's a lot of people willing to blow big money and sit with 32" of Falcon on their coffee table. Who's to say there aren't 25 people on this earth who'd pay 20 grand plus for a 5' Falcon and, I dunno, eat their dinner off of it? Weirder stuff's happened. As to kitting it, perhaps the hull could be made in quarter segments with separate mandibles and shipped to the buyer in multiple separate packages... Who knows what's possible...?

 

[leplante]

How about if the kit consisted solely of the greeblies, and a good set of plans for the hull. I would be willing to drop several thousand dollars at least on that. It would eliminate the issues concerning casting something that is so large. Plus shipping would no longer be a major concern. As stated previously there is significant expense involved in the collecting of said kits, but I would think that the casting of the parts would be profitable. I have to believe that there are quite a few people out there that want this as much as I do.

 

[Whiskey]

Does anyone know of a website that has Bandai Kit scans?

 

[moffeaton]

The 1/48th kits? I'm scanning them... slow going, but I can throw them up.