My 2nd ever Kitbash attempt - custom ship!

[jusdrewit]

I had quite a bit of left over kit parts from my 1st kitbash attempt; the custom speederbike I built back at the end of 2019: Link here . Anyways, I've always thought the custom character I created for the speeder should have her own ship, something that is uniquely hers. Anyways, they had model kits 40% off at Hobby Lobby the other day, so I purchased 2 cheap kits and combined them with the remainder of the parts I had for her ship. Then it was time to kitbash! This is the most fun part for me, although i feel like I was slightly handicapped given the few kit parts i had to work with lol

Below is currently where I'm at, I hope to have it painted soon and finally weathered. In my mind, the ship manufacturer is the same as her speeder, so they share some of the same characteristics; speed, deadly, powerful. I'm debating on the color scheme as well as that is super important. I don't think I quite struck lightening twice building this like I did with my speeder, but I'm still pretty pleased with it (so far). I'll probably tinker with the over silhouette the more I look at it.

Kitbashing away...

Built a little stand ahead of time so i could easily rest it while I'm working on it, this was a huge time saver.

The canopy below is just there for eye reference, it is actually just balancing and not even glued on, was just visual reference for me.

At this point I trimmed the two main wings, as I thought they looked too long. In an ideal world they would move like an F-14 or the U-Wing in SW. Alas I didnt plan that far ahead...

With these last shots with primer, there is no canopy as I am doing that part last.

Hope to have more pics soon! Thanks for viewing

 

[Joseph C. Brown]

I'm loving it! For me, doing something like this is the type of modeling that I enjoy the most!

 

[Analyzer]

Very cool!

 

[jusdrewit]

I'm loving it! For me, doing something like this is the type of modeling that I enjoy the most!

It is super addicting and so much fun, I can't believe I didn't try this sooner in my life. Although it certainly helps not having a time crunch lol

Very cool!

Thanks Analyzer, that means a lot! I hope to get more done soon

 

[pengbuzz]

Looking forward to your progress!

 

[jusdrewit]

Still a big WIP. Playing around with color schemes and layout currently, trying to find the right look. I think I will change a few more things as I'm not happy with the two yellow front fins or a few other things. I've already repainted several times. I still plan on adding different colored panels, and I'm not even close to weathering it.

I'm also not sure how I feel about the main bottom wing. I was aiming for a 'Nebulon B' kinda look, but I'm not sure how it would land or if feels right aesthetically. I might do some quick Photoshop to see how it would look if I did surgery and moved it up you top of the ship.

Stay tuned for more updates!

 

[jusdrewit]

Still a WIP... I feel like not much change has been made, but I've tried several different paint schemes.

Also, the more I look at the side profile of it, the more I'm not 100% satisfied with the side silhouette and feel of it. I don't know whether the large bottom fin at the rear is throwing it off, but I think I might do massive surgery and perhaps shorten it + redo the angle of it. It's too horizonal for the sleek nature of the ship I think. Well that's all for now!

 

[jusdrewit]

Well a little update. Reworked the back fin and engine housing completely as I shortened and changed the angle of it. Removed some smaller fins and even some of the angled ones at the back as i found it getting to cluttered. Added more yellow paint as well. I'm really tempted to buy one more model kit to redo the canopy, there's something about it I'm not happy with. Enjoy!

 

[jusdrewit]

Lately, the look of my kitbashed ship hasn't felt right to me, so I've done some major surgery on this bird . My first rework involved flipping the lower mainbody upside down, adding more parts to it, redoing the 'nose', doing a different canopy and also moving the engines again. This look was short lived as it just look too much like a Battlestar Colonial Viper to me.







I then scrapped it that look and again did major surgery, revamping the look yet again. I've arrived at a slightly more streamlined look, ditching some of the angular 'wings'. ditching the previous engines for new ones and once again adding that bottom hanging wing. Well that's where I'm at currently, hopefully this be the final iteration of it lol

 

[jusdrewit]

Did more sanding and added some more primer to look for issues. Pretty pleased with the silhouette and look to it.

 

[publiusr]

The cockpit throws it off a tad..clashing scale…but that’s just my opinion. I might have put that as a hump on Elon’s Starship to get a Filmation Zarkov rocket look—something that makes the cockpit look smaller in relation to the rest of the vessel.

 

[jusdrewit]

The cockpit throws it off a tad..clashing scale…but that’s just my opinion. I might have put that as a hump on Elon’s Starship to get a Filmation Zarkov rocket look—something that makes the cockpit look smaller in relation to the rest of the vessel.

Great point! I kinda had in mind a huge cockpit window, similar to that of the Slave 1 with a much smaller figure inside but I do think you have a excellent point about the scale and it throwing it off.

 

[cloudborn]

Cool...I like your decision to flip the mainbody. Cockpit scale could be a little smaller but you'd have to find a different kit to use.

Anyway, keep going...I'm looking forward to seeing where you end up with it!

 

[TazMan2000]

I like both designs. The latest gives off an F-1 space racer vibe.

TazMan2000

 

[jusdrewit]

Cool...I like your decision to flip the mainbody. Cockpit scale could be a little smaller but you'd have to find a different kit to use.

Anyway, keep going...I'm looking forward to seeing where you end up with it!

Thank you! Yeah I'm still thinking hard what I can do about the cockpit. I might even paint the canopy then make the windows little slits to scale it down from using the big bubble canopy. Definitely trying hard to get away the very recognizable F-14 look as well.

I like both designs. The latest gives off an F-1 space racer vibe.

TazMan2000

Thanks TazMan! I definitely wanted that sleek racer look in it's latest iteration. Recently, I've stepped back from it to clear my head and to try to get a vibe of what direction I want to go. The silhouette and profile of it is big to me, so trying hard to nail a look that is pleasant to look at

 

[JPH]

Supah Neato!

Very hyperweapon.

One request, drink holders for the pilot.

 

[Jimmer]

Very cool !
Looking great so far.

 

[jusdrewit]

Well, I almost ruined this little ship. Given all the iterations I've gone though, I had acquired so many layers of primer and paint I was losing detail, so I decided to research the easiest way to remove paint. After deciding upon the Dettol/Pinesol method mixed with water, I guess I left it submerged too long as there were so many layers of paint it still wasn't coming off. I then tried leaving it longer and when it still wasn't coming off easily i then tried some paint remover. I guess the plastic didn't like all that, as the plastic started to get soggy, and saggy. I quickly pulled it, washed it and looked in horror as all my fine details and greebles we're almost ruined.

Thankfully it wasn't all bad, and I was able to sand some of it off or add putty and sand it smooth, the worst was at the bottom which won't be seen. Ah well... Lessons learned. I'm hoping I can disguise some of it with weathering and the paint job later.

Also during this ordeal, the lower bottom wing came off, and I kinda liked it off. I really had wanted it, but that slim, sleek profile just spoke to me, so i think I'll leave it off. I still might had two more little fins at the back by the engines but we will see. Next up is trying to figure out a paint scheme and to clean up the canopy look. That's all for now, thanks for looking

 

[cloudborn]

Bummer, too bad about the mess with the paint remover...but it's still pretty cool looking. Eager to see where you take it next!!

 

[publiusr]

It has a simplistic charm all its own though.

You may have accidentally invented a new weathering method.

Imagine it the model were in a fish tank
facing into the flow of solvent.