Imperial Shuttle-Revell snap-tite mystery scale

[Analyzer]

I have been keeping an eye out for the Revell one, but it seems to be upwards of $60 before shipping if it is even available when I had last searched. It seemed easier to find a cheaper MPC one, although doing a quick eBay search it looks like there are a few reasonable ones now

 

[gt350pony66]

That sucks about the fibers

If you are going to do another one, I might suggest the MPC/AMT/ERTL one if you don't already have another Revell one.

It will be something different with out having two "copies"

It seems these are currently cheaper than the Revell ones on places like eBay, plus they are bigger and closer to 1/72 than the Revell kit (I think around 1/87)
it also has a ramp with a Vader figure you can pose walking down the ramp or in the cockpit with the pilots.

There is also a shapeways set for the engine as well as one for the cockpit to better match the filming model's profile ( although it is quite pricey). Both the Revell and THE MPC/AMT/ERTL ones have a very steep and foreshortened angle that matches the full size set piece

oh yeah, spendy cockpit...but you would recommend the engine grilles, yes?

 

[gt350pony66]

I have been keeping an eye out for the Revell one, but it seems to be upwards of $60 before shipping if it is even available when I had last searched. It seemed easier to find a cheaper MPC one, although doing a quick eBay search it looks like there are a few reasonable ones now

i saw a Revell on Amazon the other day for 29.95. i just paid 70 for the MPC, hoping it'll be worth it

 

[edge10]

i saw a Revell on Amazon the other day for 29.95. i just paid 70 for the MPC, hoping it'll be worth it

The MPC is a big kit and I think very nice. The one thing that it needs is the angle of the cockpit is off. Fix that, and it's a great looking big kit.

 

[Analyzer]

oh yeah, spendy cockpit...but you would recommend the engine grilles, yes?

They are the same person who did the grilles for the Revell kit. If you are going to light the engines and want the studio model look, then the grilles are not needed. But if you want a parked landed configuration then they are much better the the flat featureless part

 

[Analyzer]

This pdf file to download that has an amazing build of the MPC one http://yumen.heteml.jp/ModelersBible/dlcount.php?fname=ShuttleTydirium.pdf

The text is in Japanese, but the pictures give a pretty good step by step of some of the things he did

He has lots of other cool builds as well

どろぼうひげの製作記：STAR WARS Model Archives

STAR WARSのプラモデル製作記アーカイブ

yumen.heteml.jp

 

[gt350pony66]

This pdf file to download that has an amazing build of the MPC one http://yumen.heteml.jp/ModelersBible/dlcount.php?fname=ShuttleTydirium.pdf

The text is in Japanese, but the pictures give a pretty good step by step of some of the things he did

View attachment 1296418

He has lots of other cool builds as well

どろぼうひげの製作記：STAR WARS Model Archives

STAR WARSのプラモデル製作記アーカイブ

yumen.heteml.jp

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out this evening. i checked out a few things on youtube on the MPC, makes me wish i hadn't even bothered with the Revell kit. Although i wasn't aware of the MPC's existence in all honesty. This should be much better. And I really need to bone up on lambda details, again my bad. I'll probably gift out this Revell mess to someone that won't know the difference

 

[gt350pony66]

This pdf file to download that has an amazing build of the MPC one http://yumen.heteml.jp/ModelersBible/dlcount.php?fname=ShuttleTydirium.pdf

The text is in Japanese, but the pictures give a pretty good step by step of some of the things he did

View attachment 1296418

He has lots of other cool builds as well

どろぼうひげの製作記：STAR WARS Model Archives

STAR WARSのプラモデル製作記アーカイブ

yumen.heteml.jp

Dude! There's some super cool stuff in there for this kit, many thanks! I'm glad I ponied up for this one...this is going to be a lot of fun

 

[Analyzer]

Dude! There's some super cool stuff in there for this kit, many thanks! I'm glad I ponied up for this one...this is going to be a lot of fun

Yeah it is very inspiring and one of the reasons I sought out the kit years ago

Maybe when you get around to starting on that kit we can do a group build of sorts. That kit has been in my stash for quite some time and I had started work on the cockpit interior but put it aside. It might give the push needed to get back to it

 

[jusdrewit]

Very cool build! I plan on modding my little Revel Shuttle kit to match more closely to the sleek ILM studio model or very accurate Kenner toy than the stubby version that the life size set in Rotj resembled and all the subsequent model releases.

ILM model proportions:

Every model released since then proportions:

Notice how the main fin is way too long, nose too stubby and body is squished and squat.

Here's the original Rotj blueprint for the shuttle, again notice the stumpy nose and squished body which is probably where the model companies got the reference from. Very interesting how the Kenner shuttle toy is more accurate than models, I've seen a few stunning Kenner toy shuttle mods that look gorgeous

Screenshot from rotj where you can see the sleek nose and more full main fin and longer body which is what my goal!

One day I'll get to it! Great work again on that little kit, you're way farther than me lol

 

[Analyzer]

Very cool build! I plan on modding my little Revel Shuttle kit to match more closely to the sleek ILM studio model or very accurate Kenner toy than the stubby version that the life size set in Rotj resembled and all the subsequent model releases.

ILM model proportions:
View attachment 1296923

Every model released since then proportions:
View attachment 1296926
Notice how the main fin is way too long, nose too stubby and body is squished and squat.

Here's the original Rotj blueprint for the shuttle, again notice the stumpy nose and squished body which is probably where the model companies got the reference from. Very interesting how the Kenner shuttle toy is more accurate than models, I've seen a few stunning Kenner toy shuttle mods that look gorgeous
View attachment 1296925

Screenshot from rotj where you can see the sleek nose and more full main fin and longer body which is what my goal!
View attachment 1296927

One day I'll get to it! Great work again on that little kit, you're way farther than me lol

That Japanese modeler I linked to earlier did those fixes. He changed the angle of the Nose Cone and extended the upper fin so it was longer, They seem easy enough fixes. While it was done for the MPS kit, it has the same profile problems as the Revell and could be easily transposed

 

[gt350pony66]

Yeah it is very inspiring and one of the reasons I sought out the kit years ago

Maybe when you get around to starting on that kit we can do a group build of sorts. That kit has been in my stash for quite some time and I had started work on the cockpit interior but put it aside. It might give the push needed to get back to it

Absolutely, that would be very cool! I'd like to follow along with what you do with yours, it'll probably make mine better

 

[gt350pony66]

Very cool build! I plan on modding my little Revel Shuttle kit to match more closely to the sleek ILM studio model or very accurate Kenner toy than the stubby version that the life size set in Rotj resembled and all the subsequent model releases.

ILM model proportions:
View attachment 1296923

Every model released since then proportions:
View attachment 1296926
Notice how the main fin is way too long, nose too stubby and body is squished and squat.

Here's the original Rotj blueprint for the shuttle, again notice the stumpy nose and squished body which is probably where the model companies got the reference from. Very interesting how the Kenner shuttle toy is more accurate than models, I've seen a few stunning Kenner toy shuttle mods that look gorgeous
View attachment 1296925

Screenshot from rotj where you can see the sleek nose and more full main fin and longer body which is what my goal!
View attachment 1296927

One day I'll get to it! Great work again on that little kit, you're way farther than me lol

Fantastic reference images! I'll certainly be using these when I do the MPC. The Revell got kinda botched. I totally went wrong with the hull mounted laser cannons and a few other things

 

[Analyzer]

Absolutely, that would be very cool! I'd like to follow along with what you do with yours, it'll probably make mine better

and vice-versa

 

[Sym-Cha]

Hi gt350pony66 ... once your Battlestar Galactica is finished, will you be getting to start work on your MPC Shuttle Tyderium modelkit in the near future?

Here's a nice comparison of the real movie-model and other scale model kits and what's so wrong with the dorsal wing :

And a picture of just the dorsal wing, from the Star Wars Identities Exhibition, which I intend to scratchbuild in case you'd like to do the same ... (it's maybe not to exact scale with the MPC kit just yet ... I need to print it on paper first) :

... you can see that same dorsal wing montaged onto the MPC kit ... (comparing with this next picture I find both original MPC side wings are just fine when standing upright next to an upgraded dorsal wing ... so no need to alter those ... apart from some greeblies in the trenches, alas the link Analyzer posted of that Japanese WIP PDF file doesn't open on my mac mini, I'll check if it works on my PC unless that website is down altogether ... so my apologies if this post overlaps what has been shown there) :

Sofar the only modelkit I have seen that has all proportions accurate is the Anigrand Lambda Shuttle Tyderium, yet it is a lot smaller in size than the MPC kit :

And for your information there's an upgraded Mk2 cockpit on shapeways ... though it's even more costly, sorry, I am considering purchasing it for my MPC upgrade build ... when I find the time to finish mine properly ... after a miserable first attempt back in the 80's.

Here's a link to that Mk2 : Tydirium Cockpit Mk2 by supernashwan on Shapeways

I shall follow your progress gt350pony66 should you decide to start your MPC build ... in the mean time I'm still gathering upgrade parts for my 29" Hasbro Rebel Millennium Falcon

Chaïm

 

[gt350pony66]

Hi gt350pony66 ... once your Battlestar Galactica is finished, will you be getting to start work on your MPC Shuttle Tyderium modelkit in the near future?

Here's a nice comparison of the real movie-model and other scale model kits and what's so wrong with the dorsal wing :

View attachment 1519259

And a picture of just the dorsal wing, from the Star Wars Identities Exhibition, which I intend to scratchbuild in case you'd like to do the same ... (it's maybe not to exact scale with the MPC kit just yet ... I need to print it on paper first) :

View attachment 1519260

... you can see that same dorsal wing montaged onto the MPC kit ... (comparing with this next picture I find both original MPC side wings are just fine when standing upright next to an upgraded dorsal wing ... so no need to alter those ... apart from some greeblies in the trenches, alas the link Analyzer posted of that Japanese WIP PDF file doesn't open on my mac mini, I'll check if it works on my PC unless that website is down altogether ... so my apologies if this post overlaps what has been shown there) :

View attachment 1519271

Sofar the only modelkit I have seen that has all proportions accurate is the Anigrand Lambda Shuttle Tyderium, yet it is a lot smaller in size than the MPC kit :

View attachment 1519266

And for your information there's an upgraded Mk2 cockpit on shapeways ... though it's even more costly, sorry, I am considering purchasing it for my MPC upgrade build ... when I find the time to finish mine properly ... after a miserable first attempt back in the 80's.

Here's a link to that Mk2 : Tydirium Cockpit Mk2 by supernashwan on Shapeways

I shall follow your progress gt350pony66 should you decide to start your MPC build ... in the mean time I'm still gathering upgrade parts for my 29" Hasbro Rebel Millennium Falcon

Chaïm

Hey buddy,
I finished both of mine a while ago. I didn’t care enough about accuracy to spend a lot of time on them.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Okay thanks for letting me know

Chaïm

 

[Analyzer]

Hi gt350pony66 ... once your Battlestar Galactica is finished, will you be getting to start work on your MPC Shuttle Tyderium modelkit in the near future?

Here's a nice comparison of the real movie-model and other scale model kits and what's so wrong with the dorsal wing :

View attachment 1519259

And a picture of just the dorsal wing, from the Star Wars Identities Exhibition, which I intend to scratchbuild in case you'd like to do the same ... (it's maybe not to exact scale with the MPC kit just yet ... I need to print it on paper first) :

View attachment 1519260

... you can see that same dorsal wing montaged onto the MPC kit ... (comparing with this next picture I find both original MPC side wings are just fine when standing upright next to an upgraded dorsal wing ... so no need to alter those ... apart from some greeblies in the trenches, alas the link Analyzer posted of that Japanese WIP PDF file doesn't open on my mac mini, I'll check if it works on my PC unless that website is down altogether ... so my apologies if this post overlaps what has been shown there) :

View attachment 1519271

Sofar the only modelkit I have seen that has all proportions accurate is the Anigrand Lambda Shuttle Tyderium, yet it is a lot smaller in size than the MPC kit :

View attachment 1519266

And for your information there's an upgraded Mk2 cockpit on shapeways ... though it's even more costly, sorry, I am considering purchasing it for my MPC upgrade build ... when I find the time to finish mine properly ... after a miserable first attempt back in the 80's.

Here's a link to that Mk2 : Tydirium Cockpit Mk2 by supernashwan on Shapeways

I shall follow your progress gt350pony66 should you decide to start your MPC build ... in the mean time I'm still gathering upgrade parts for my 29" Hasbro Rebel Millennium Falcon

Chaïm

Great comparison shots

I PM'd you the PDF

I look forward to following along with whatever you wind up doing for this

 

[Sym-Cha]

Thanks Analyzer ... as I replied I'm thorn between paying lots of gold pressed latinum for a shapeways cockpit Mk2 or scratchbuilding one in the way as it has been shown here : Shuttle tydirium pyro model ... I'm still reading other threads to gather more reference pictures and find out more info what others have done, yet most folks just build the MPC kit right out of the box which is a shame since an accurate cockpit and dorsal wing makes all the difference. Once I'm ready to start upgrading my second MPC, which is a hand-me-down mostly put together already and came without a cockpit, I'll start a thread ...

Picture courtesy Lucasfilm Ltd.

Chaïm

 

[Sym-Cha]

To conclude this thread ... here's a great read of all the things wrong with the MPC kit : STAR WARS: Lambda-class Shuttles: The Dimorphism Blooper and a blueprint of the correct Lambda Class Shuttle Tyderium profile :

... and a picture of the ILM Studio Model :

Courtesy Lucasfilm Ltd.

More pictures can be found here : Shuttle TYDIRIUM Studio Model

Chaïm