RESEARCH: X-WING CONTROL STICK

[Wavey]

Do you think that the tube that we see on the bottom is attached to the bottom of the calculator?

That's a tricky one but at a guess, the tube we can see has almost no give between the ribs so to me it looks more like a plastic conduit than, say, a flexible rubber / vacuum cleaner tube. If so, this would make it not possible to bend around from the grip and then back up to the calculator all in one piece.

In the pic, I've averaged out 3 lines - Line A follows an approximate direction towards the centre of the calculator. Line B follows the nearest edge of the calculator tube to the grip tube. Line C follows the main direction towards the floor as if the grip was attached to a traditional old-skool straight column.

Somewhere in the 'V' shape between lines B and C there may well be an attachment as all the parts move together, like with the Xwing stick and the Falcon's targetting computer set-up. So yea I think it is all stuck together but not with one piece of tube - cos that would have been too easy cos Star Wars, lol.

 

[PropReplicator2]

So I've been out for a while... Anyone been working on theirs? Any more insight on this project as to more found parts?

 

[newmagrathea]

So I've been out for a while... Anyone been working on theirs? Any more insight on this project as to more found parts?

There is one theory that teecrooz pointed my way as a possible part for the far side of the keyboard where those two out of focus white blobs are. They are the same as the red button on the keyboard, but in white. I've got one of them, I'll dig it out and get post a pic soon. Two would be needed of course.

 

[newmagrathea]

Ok, here is a pic of the part on my keyboard. I think it's a pretty good match. I need to get my hands on a second one. Also I updated the blog a little bit, I've been slacking.

 

[Wavey]

Great looking build so far newmagrathea.

I was looking at the grip part again and taking the top frame pic of that part as the clearest view, you can see some damage to its fin-stack which reminded me of this part, from the insides of the dome droid. I'm not 100% sure it's the same stuff but it is very close.

The part in the droid also has a similar type of dent in the side, 12 fins and approximately the same dimensions as the grip part. Now, the grip could have up to 14 fins in the lower visible section so it could be that it's cut from a longer section of tubing - that's if it is the same type of tubing.

The way the control grip is being held, with the little finger not gripping, suggests that the hand could just be covering up a thrown together part, or even holding it together lol. I wonder if the tubing was ment to go all the way up to the control box but made the hand + glove look too bulky under the box - like, one of them there artistic decisions that the prop dept has to sort out during a lunch break (usually), so they just cut the tube off.

I'm also wondering if this type of fin-stack tubing is used in other driods such as R2D2 and if there are pics of the original R2 dome construction/electronics that could suss out that part either way.

It's a very weird control stick, that's for sure!

 

[Halliwax]

Loving this

 

[newmagrathea]

Great looking build so far newmagrathea.

I was looking at the grip part again and taking the top frame pic of that part as the clearest view, you can see some damage to its fin-stack which reminded me of this part, from the insides of the dome droid. I'm not 100% sure it's the same stuff but it is very close.

The part in the droid also has a similar type of dent in the side, 12 fins and approximately the same dimensions as the grip part. Now, the grip could have up to 14 fins in the lower visible section so it could be that it's cut from a longer section of tubing - that's if it is the same type of tubing.

The way the control grip is being held, with the little finger not gripping, suggests that the hand could just be covering up a thrown together part, or even holding it together lol. I wonder if the tubing was ment to go all the way up to the control box but made the hand + glove look too bulky under the box - like, one of them there artistic decisions that the prop dept has to sort out during a lunch break (usually), so they just cut the tube off.

I'm also wondering if this type of fin-stack tubing is used in other driods such as R2D2 and if there are pics of the original R2 dome construction/electronics that could suss out that part either way.

It's a very weird control stick, that's for sure!

It makes sense that it would be just slapped together, and maybe held together with the hand since it's a pick-up shot. I would bet that the parts might fit together but maybe not fastened together permanently since they do move together pretty well on screen.

 

[Zargarbar]

I registered just for this thread as I came across it and found it fascinating, and didn't see this photo posted in here so I hope I'm not out of line bumping this thread.

It looks very much like a different stick here, but seems like it might at least provide another angle for how it was connected. I also tried enhancing the B&W image from the other side to sharpen it up.

 

[Halliwax]

I registered just for this thread as I came across it and found it fascinating, and didn't see this photo posted in here so I hope I'm not out of line bumping this thread.

It looks very much like a different stick here, but seems like it might at least provide another angle for how it was connected. I also tried enhancing the B&W image from the other side to sharpen it up.

View attachment 1328672
View attachment 1328674

 

[newmagrathea]

I registered just for this thread as I came across it and found it fascinating, and didn't see this photo posted in here so I hope I'm not out of line bumping this thread.

It looks very much like a different stick here, but seems like it might at least provide another angle for how it was connected. I also tried enhancing the B&W image from the other side to sharpen it up.

View attachment 1328672
View attachment 1328674

Yeah, that is the other control stick that is used for the X-wing. This control is different because it was a pick up shot done after principle photography was done. Cool photos. I've seen them before, I think they might have been on Wavey thread for the other control stick.

 

[russellsch]

Look at those hippie rebel pilots, & their fancy space flip-flops.

 

[moffeaton]

 

[Halliwax]

View attachment 1340123

Wow thanks for sharing this photo!

 

[newmagrathea]

View attachment 1340123

WOOOWWW!!

That is the other control stick that Wavey has researched. I need to build one of those too!

 

[Wavey]

Cor blimey! Some great pics from Zargarbar and moffeaton, very cool!! I knew there was probably other views of the actual X-Wing stick - but that B&W view is a build changer lol. Thanks for posting

 

[andyroo]

Great looking build so far newmagrathea.

I was looking at the grip part again and taking the top frame pic of that part as the clearest view, you can see some damage to its fin-stack which reminded me of this part, from the insides of the dome droid. I'm not 100% sure it's the same stuff but it is very close.

The part in the droid also has a similar type of dent in the side, 12 fins and approximately the same dimensions as the grip part. Now, the grip could have up to 14 fins in the lower visible section so it could be that it's cut from a longer section of tubing - that's if it is the same type of tubing.

The way the control grip is being held, with the little finger not gripping, suggests that the hand could just be covering up a thrown together part, or even holding it together lol. I wonder if the tubing was ment to go all the way up to the control box but made the hand + glove look too bulky under the box - like, one of them there artistic decisions that the prop dept has to sort out during a lunch break (usually), so they just cut the tube off.

I'm also wondering if this type of fin-stack tubing is used in other driods such as R2D2 and if there are pics of the original R2 dome construction/electronics that could suss out that part either way.

It's a very weird control stick, that's for sure!

Is the pic on the left not an air-cooled VW thermostat?

 

[Wavey]

I see what you mean about the fin-stack area, specially with the 'bad used VW' version in the pic. That's the right idea with the fins - rather than what I first thought may have been like a ribbed conduit tubing, but that was due to blury pics. I have a feeling it's still a hollow tube-ish part though. Very tricky. Good spotting!

 

[Zombie Killer]

In moffeatons pics the part right on top of the control stick is a microswitch. Probably burgess. Search "sodeco Maxbar Burgess 4BR" on ebay.

In the pic Wavey posted #3 looks like a battery pack from a Heathkit radio control receiver and 4 is the power switch for it. It was the first RC transmitter i got in 1976. The coil thing below it i doubt is a VW heater thermostat. Porsche 914's have the same part and i use to work on Porsche and dont remeber it being big enough to hold a battery pack, i may be wrong though. I do think its correct for that Jawa thingamabob though. the other parts are obviously CB antenna springs.
Here are my Heathkit parts.

 

[newmagrathea]

Lately the ribbed part is looking like those plastic grips you would see on the end of yard tools. I don't see them on modern stuff.

 

[Zombie Killer]

A.M. Design Aircraft Sensitive Micro Switch, Type 1A