Rebuilding a FX X-Wing into a "sort of" studio scale model

[vistaVision]

Spent a good part of the morning reading thru old threads about various efforts to rebuild/paint the toy x-wings into something close to studio-scale. PHArchivist wrote an awesome thread on his build.

Would like to do something similar, but when checking Ebay for the toy to get started I see a variety of different "versions?" of this, and am not certain what is the best to use. There are toys from Sega and Kenner and Hasbro, there are TRU and Target exclusives, and so on. And then there is the Power Of The Force Electronic version, and the Dagobah version...

So my head is spinning with so much variety! Anyone familiar enough with the different versions care to help and guide me in my purchase selection? I'd like to get my hands on one of these soon.

Marcus

 

[vaderdarth]

The Power of the Force electronics version is kinda cool because it already has electronics running thru it. So it saves a little bit of work and expense on the other end. That's assuming you can get a good deal on it. Other than that...........all the other versions are based on this one with some changes for features not found on the fx version and vice versa. Any would be a good starting point.

 

[PHArchivist]

Marcus, I got your PM...

I will be chiming in on this thread quite a bit, I presume. Just been very busy lately. But I will contribute, etcetera.

--R

 

[EvanW]

If we are on the subject...can anyone chime in and explain the differences between the different versions. Are they all the same size? It seems that the new Target Wedge X-wing looks better than the potf x-wing from the 90's? Am I wrong? Are they the same toy? Will be following this thread closely as I have always wanted to convert mine.

Thanks,

Evan

 

[Lear60man]

Funny, I just saw the Wedge at Target yesterday. I thought the details were soft compared to the PoTF X-Wing. The scale looked the same but overall 'cheaper'.

 

[PHArchivist]

If we are on the subject...can anyone chime in and explain the differences between the different versions. Are they all the same size? It seems that the new Target Wedge X-wing looks better than the potf x-wing from the 90's? Am I wrong? Are they the same toy? Will be following this thread closely as I have always wanted to convert mine.

Thanks,

Evan

Also check mine (though the pics are now toast), for tips and tidbits of info...

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=11203

 

[JMChladek]

The Power of the Force X-Wing was the first one Kenner/Hasbro did that was about studio model sized and almost correctly proportioned. To my knowledge it has been done up in three subsequent reissues (perhaps 4 as I kind of lost count after the Dagobah version). The reissues rounded some of the sharper edges and of course deleted both the electronics and the pilot (as well as a folding pistol trigger grip from the bottom).

The first reissue I can recall was "Luke Skywalker's X-Wing" done up in the sky blue packaging from AOTC. It was displayed short of Dagobah style in the package and included some containers and an R2 figure with Dagobah splotches of paint on it. Then it was reissued about a year later as "Red Leader's X-Wing" with the single wing stripe and a Red Leader pilot figure. I think the Dagobah one in the full display box came next.

IMHO, if you do wish to do one up as sort of Studio Model style, I would avoid the Power of the Force one unless you really want it for the electronics. Reason being is you've got so much stuff you have to pull off of it and fill. The bottom profile is kind of jacked up due to the folding pistol grip and it has a hole in the bottom for a spring loaded Proton Torpedo. I don't think it is really worth obtaining for the electronics since there are better electronics kits out there for lighting and about the only thing you would get would be Mark Hamill and Alec Guiness dialog from the films (not replacement voice actors). The early Luke ESB version or the Red Leader ones would be more desireable I would think and with the issue of the Dagobah X-Wing, some collectors might be willing to unload the earlier style Dagobah displayed X-Wing. Of course, when I got my Power of the Force X-Wing a few years back, they were going for dirt cheap, so that might be the only thing going for it in favor of the others. But X-Wings practically permiate the secondary market, so I doubt they are going for a premium.

 

[vistaVision]

Thanks for the history. It does help! One can find a bunch of these on Ebay, in all sorts of versions. I've got about a million projects going, but seeing the several x-wing builds on the Studio Scale forum got me stoked for building something similar. If I found a Salzo v3.1 kit I'd consider it but those are few and far between. After reviewing Rob's toy conversion thread again I'm thinking this would be a lot of fun!

Marcus

 

[Robiwon]

Vista, it's a good stepping stone to doing a full resin SS kit. You will learn a lot in modifying and repainting the Hasbro. Those would be techniques that you could then apply to a full on SS build. An SS X-Wing is not that difficult. The hardest part in doing mine was the paint job, getting it look like it was in the SW universe. I practised on the ProShop X-Wing first.

 

[PHArchivist]

I'll see if I can add a pic of my completed model...

 

[vistaVision]

I'll see if I can add a pic of my completed model...

Rob, any pics of your finished build would be great. With 6 views we'd see everything you did! A few re-posted pics and your original build thread will save anyone working on this project a lot of learning-curve time.

So late last night I went ahead and grabbed one of the toys off of Ebay. I'll start archiving x-wing images and re-reading build threads. Still not sure how far I will go with this... My original thought was to fill a few seams/holes, maybe replace a few parts and then re=paint. Now if I follow my usual pattern, I'll end up going way beyond this ('cause I find it a lot of fun!) and go overboard. By the time I'm done I'll probably have invested enough cash to buy 3 Salzo kits!!

Marcus

 

[vistaVision]

I have a call out in the JY for detail parts. Have already today found one of those great Starship Modeler cockpit detail kits, with a nice R2. Still looking for a few more parts. If you have anything in your junk box, find me over in the JY!

Been having a great time reading thru all the x-wing build threads here and all over the web. Of course, what starts as a simple project could easily get out of hand...

 

[vistaVision]

A couple of weeks ago I started a thread in the Studio Scale forum asking for direction to accurate x-wing scale plans. Seems none exist, but several excellent 3D CG models have been or are being built, and a number of the guys here have been busy tweaking their models with the promise of creating ortho plan views soon. In fact, several of these views (works in progress) have now been posted in that thread. It's a great read!

As we know, the Hasbro toy that is the focus of this thread might be based on the Icons model, but it does not scale out perfectly. Before I started swapping and scratching new parts to upgrade this build I felt the need to get a better idea of the toy's scale and proportionate accuracy. Here, in ballpark numbers, is what I found:

Toy's over-all length -- 85% of Studio Scale
Wing width -- 80%
Wing length -- 90%
Cannon main body dia. -- 90%
Cannon main body length -- 90%
Engine intakes dia. -- 80%
Engines dia. -- 92%
Engines length -- 80%

Okay, the toy is a bit of a caricature of an accurate model. It's really not bad looking, once the most toy-like elements are addressed. This study did help me make some build decisions. For instance, I was going to rebuild the engines with accurate parts. Now I'm rethinking that. If I scale up the engines they will likely look very out of place with the intakes at their original 80% diameter. Hey Rob, if you're still lurking in this thread, could you snap a pic or two of your wings/engines/intakes? I believe that you upscaled the engines but used the original intakes and wings?? Maybe it doesn't look so out of place after all??

I did get an awesome casting of a scale droid strip from one of our very talented and generous members here. I'll have to shorten it a bit (about 10%) but it will enhance the model tremendously. From this same member I also got a set of engine "turkey feather" castings. Beautiful, thin, hollow castings. When i first saw them I couldn't believe how huge they looked. I had gotten used to the toy's engines... Not sure if I'll end up using them. Probably not on this model. I'll save them for a studio scale build!

Will be spending more time on this soon, and I'll keep my camera at the workbench, so I'll post some pics soon.

Marcus

 

[PHArchivist]

Toy's over-all length -- 85% of Studio Scale
Wing width -- 80%
Wing length -- 90%
Cannon main body dia. -- 90%
Cannon main body length -- 90%
Engine intakes dia. -- 80%
Engines dia. -- 92%
Engines length -- 80%

Interesting...

So if calibrated to the fuse length, would it be safe to say
Wing width -- 5% too small
Wing length -- 5% too big
Cannon main body dia. -- 5% too big
Cannon main body length -- 5% too big
Engine intakes dia. -- 5% too small
Engines dia. -- 7% too big
Engines length -- 5% too small

 

[tgreco]

I have my conversion mostly done

body filled, cannons remade with copper tube, everything sanded and primered, cockpit finished, nose attached

the only items left are to make the sandwich style wings, and the engine nozzles

so... for now, it sits on the "one day" shelf...
if I could get some replacement engines I'd pick it back up again
and I look from time to time, but there's just something about dropping the money for kits for 4 parts when there's so many other projects I want to do

 

[Treadwell]

(OT)

vV, is that an Abyss submersible in your sig?

 

[PHArchivist]

I have my conversion mostly done

body filled, cannons remade with copper tube, everything sanded and primered, cockpit finished, nose attached

the only items left are to make the sandwich style wings, and the engine nozzles

so... for now, it sits on the "one day" shelf...
if I could get some replacement engines I'd pick it back up again
and I look from time to time, but there's just something about dropping the money for kits for 4 parts when there's so many other projects I want to do

Would love to see your progress...

 

[Lear60man]

Unlike Robs total overhaul, this is just a quick repaint. I would go for the newer TRU X. Sharper lines.

 

[vistaVision]

(OT)vV, is that an Abyss submersible in your sig?

It sure is. I was the camera department supervisor at Dream Quest back in the days of real models and motion control photography. The most awesome time was a period when we were doing The Abyss and Total Recall back-to-back. Two years in a row, Academy Awards for outstanding achievement in visual effects. It was only a few years later that Hoyt Yeatman and the other owners sold the company to Disney. Soon after the name was changed to "The Secret Lab" and then later dissolved. Really a shame, that was a great collection of talent and equipment.

Anyway, here's the entire pic. That guy loading a converted Stein vistaVision camera looks tired but pretty happy to be playing with cameras and models!

 

[PHArchivist]

Dat you, Boss...?