Ralph McQuarrie Millennium Falcon

[hankey01]

So cool!

 

[OldRoninJedi]

That's an impressive amount of work you're doing. It looks great. Thanks for sharing the pics!

 

[Stormy320]

Flaps are looking very convincing.

 

[Corpse Thrower]

Sure seems logical that they are the landing gear doors, but that sketch doesn't correspond with the paintings. The landing gear as depicted in the paintings won't get covered by the flaps, as they would close in the wrong spot. The rear landing gear is too long for the flaps to cover them.

 

[Exxos]

Sure seems logical that they are the landing gear doors, but that sketch doesn't correspond with the paintings. The landing gear as depicted in the paintings won't get covered by the flaps, as they would close in the wrong spot. The rear landing gear is too long for the flaps to cover them.

Could they be stowed at an angle? The flaps open, the gear extend, the gear rotates 120º into position?

Also the prongs inside the mandibles look like an astromech droid's legs. I wonder if they are like that to guide freight containers in zero gravity into vertical alignment with the jaw box.

 

[Avanaut]

I never really noticed the different stages of the Falcon design in the RMQ paintings before. This one of the landing Falcon lacks the docking rings and tunnels entirely, there's just the cockpit. Looking at this sleeker version of the Falcon those bottom flaps do kind of look like air brakes – in vacuum...

I'm really excited to see how this build proceeds.

 

[mr sinister]

I never really noticed the different stages of the Falcon design in the RMQ paintings before. This one of the landing Falcon lacks the docking rings and tunnels entirely, there's just the cockpit. Looking at this sleeker version of the Falcon those bottom flaps do kind of look like air brakes – in vacuum...

I'm really excited to see how this build proceeds.

what about when it enters planets atmospheres to pick up spice etc? air brakes might come in handy then:devil

 

[Corpse Thrower]

Could they be stowed at an angle? The flaps open, the gear extend, the gear rotates 120º into position.

Solved......for the Death Star pic at least.....the landing gear looks like legs on skis in that pic.

Mos Eisley pic shows double struts similar to the final Falcon.

 

[Jaitea]

Solved......for the Death Star pic at least.....the landing gear looks like legs on skis in that pic.

Mos Eisley pic shows double struts similar to the final Falcon.

The JJ sketch of the front of the Falcon looks like he's demonstrating how the legs 'swing' down:

Jaitea, I would note that the McQuarrie/Jonston falcon had two extra prongs extending forward from the inner edge of the mandible tips (you can see them best on the front view of the ship in the deathstar bay) These prongs were noted on plan-view outlines of the FS Falcon where it sat in the drawings for Docking Bay 94

Most of the pictures I've found have that part of the image cropped, I'll try & incorporate it into the build, would anyone have a better image of this pic?

It shows the prongs, & it is pretty much exactly like the RMcQ version I'm making.

Thanks very much for your help & support guys

John

 

[Jaitea]

I just noticed on the front view, he has noted the doors:

The Cockpit:

On to my progress:

Should be making the cockpit soon

Thanks for looking

John

 

[SteveStarkiller]

looking great.

I'll see if I can get a image from my rinzler blueprints book of the outline of the FS falcon that had the prongs.

 

[Chronicle]

Really enjoying this. Love the McQuarrie stuff.

 

[crackerjazz]

Awesome job you're doing here of bringing a McQuarrie sketch to life, John! That's gonna be some display and conversation piece

 

[3d-builder]

This is very cool keep up the good work!:thumbsup

 

[Joosh]

:thumbsup

And I would note that the McQuarrie/Jonston falcon had two extra prongs extending forward from the inner edge of the mandible tips (you can see them best on the front view of the ship in the deathstar bay) These prongs were noted on plan-view outlines of the FS Falcon where it sat in the drawings for Docking Bay 94 (and I'm pretty sure also on the Jonston sketch that D48thRonin posted, area cut off in the scan provided)

I think they may have based the design on nib-jaw vernier calipers, which makes sense as Lucas has said in interviews that the manibles were meant to grab cargo

I've seen most of the images posted here before, but I don't think I'd seen the one of the Death Star Hanger and the first thing I noticed was the mandibles and how they look like they aren't a "solid" part of the ship, but more like they're on a pivot or something.

 

[SteveStarkiller]

 

[moffeaton]

I love this model ALMOST as much as this sig line! :lol

""...it's amazing you even have a girlfriend" --my girlfriend"

 

[Jaitea]

looking great.

I'll see if I can get a image from my rinzler blueprints book of the outline of the FS falcon that had the prongs.

Thankyou very much Steve, first for making me aware of the prongs, and second for that scan. the Concept Falcon will definitely look better with them

Really enjoying this. Love the McQuarrie stuff.

So do I, I don't know what it is, maybe it could be those images were part of the PR for Star Wars and that was all in the excitement before I saw the film....dunno...nostalgia

Awesome job you're doing here of bringing a McQuarrie sketch to life, John! That's gonna be some display and conversation piece

Hopefully crackerjazz, I don't want to add too much of my own ideas...in one painting of the ship there may be an area left blank in another that same area has surface details...a lot of decisions to be made.....really I want the ship to tie into the painting of docking bay 94

This is very cool keep up the good work!:thumbsup

Thanks 3d-builder

I've seen most of the images posted here before, but I don't think I'd seen the one of the Death Star Hanger and the first thing I noticed was the mandibles and how they look like they aren't a "solid" part of the ship, but more like they're on a pivot or something.

Yes now you mention it, they do look more like pincers in that painting

I love this model ALMOST as much as this sig line! :lol

""...it's amazing you even have a girlfriend" --my girlfriend"

Ha

John

 

[GlazyUK]

Wasn't it the original idea that the Falcon's cockpit rotated, like the later B-Wing, so the ship flew upright like this ?! Sure I read that somewhere years ago !!??

 

[Clutch]

Yes, it was supposed to fly through space like a giant sunfish.