Retrofiting a FX X-Wing, into a studio scale type peice

[Skyler101]

Heya Guys,

I have been drooling over CCardboard's studio scape X Wing fighter, and I don't
think Im going to get one, even if I auction off my kidney on ebay

So I was lucky enough to pick up a Hasbro FX X- Wing, and while it is smaller than the CCardbord, I think its the best bet for me to get nice display going.

I am thinking of basing it on the Icons model that was out a while back, with a Death Star base, which I'll scratch-build. I was also planing to do a complete repaint on the fighter, and try to get it to look really snappy. Right now it has the lame paper stickers, which look good form afar, but a little week up close.

I was hoping that someone here would have some suggestions, or recommendations on how to super-detail this toy into a kick-ass model. Any and all comments would be appreciated.

And if anyone knows what the size difference from the FX X-Wing to the CC X-Wing, that might help with working out detail size...

Looking forward to getting this piece done, it should become the centerpiece...

-Skyler101

 

[maldoman]

There is someone else doing the same kit. I don't remember the site I saw it on. I'll check on my computer at home and see what I can find. I don't think they were available yet. The new kit also had some small improvements over the CC one but nothing major.

I think he may have bought the molds from CC himself but I'm guessing...

Here is the site with the information: http://p208.ezboard.com/fmslz22modelsfrm7

Toby

 

[Skyler101]

Thanks for the link.
I fired off an email about the kit...

Tomorrow, I'll take some close up pics of the FX X-Wing, and post them up for suggestions...

-Skyler101

 

[Watson]

I believe someone on Starship modeler was doing one of these. I think one of the major changes made was the engine intakes. Apparently they are a little small on the FX model. That is about all I know. If you do get a CC X-Wing I can answer any questions you might have.

JDH

 

[Treadwell]

If you check the studio scale x-wing thread, there are some pics by boatbuilder, I believe, who used the FX fuselage for his studio scale X. It did require slicing and shimming, though, to make it the correct size.

 

[belleauwood]

I started one of these a long while back and in the move to the house it was put in a box and on the back burner along with almost everything else hobby related. It was simply a “study” version for way back before the CC kit existed, something for me to work on without screwing up my Maxi-Brute, and get a feel for scaling, detailing, part size, painting etc.
Remember, you can get “close” to studio scale with this, but the true purist will acknowledge that its not a “true” X-wing, which I do agree with. But, if you’ve got the time to sink but not the cash to buy the resurrected CC X, you CAN, IMVHO, get a decent *representation* of a studio scale X.
What I did to get it “close” to studio scale size, though it was still too skinny as well as off proportion (ie, rear too long and yet not beefy enough, nose not “high” enough etc) was to “stretch” the after deck area (AKA R2 strip) long enough to fit the one Frank (Cerney1) had back then. I also applied a “wedge” to the front of the cut off nosecone to make it a bit beefier and filled that in, and made a plaster mold and then rammed bondo cast of my Maxi nose cone to give it a more beefier true “x” look. I scrapped the inlet intakes for the correct Saturn V parts, and placed those on a partially rebuilt wing with most of the “stock” details. Then, since I only had one set of phantom engines at the time and no master to cast like now, I used parts from the then plentiful on the clearance counter Anakins pod kit to replace those with something that approximated the look. If I remember, on that I did use a small portion of the FX’s part to “build it up” a bit,m along with some Sat V parts.
As far as the required disassembly of the FX goes, it’s a Biatch! If I remember right the wing/engine area was the worst. The one tool that helped me more than my x-acto and screwdrivers was a tool most home improvement places sell, it’s a “linoleum cutter”. Dang thing is sharp as heck (so be VERY careful) but nothing worked quite was well to cut the well bonded engine pylons apart at the bond sprue, not to mention the vinyl like engine thrusters etc. Just thin enough and long enough and curved enough to get in there and cut those sprues right in half. Wish I had a few of the pics of all the ones I took while I did this to post but those were on about 3 computers ago. Maybe I can see if I can find the box in the garage and get something up soon.

I never did finish it, and maybe I should dust it off and start it up again to get warmed back up now that almost everything is done here at the house . . .

Hey Boatbuilder, I remember you working on this awhile back too, it’d be interesting to sort of “archive” all of our approaches to this here in this thread since this question seems to come up about once a year.

There was someone else working on this too if I remember right, hopefully theyÂ’ll post too.

Anyway, Good luck Skyler!

Ryan

“This is MY force power, its called a BLASTER!”

 

[boatbuilder1]

yes I am still toiling away on the blasted thing
basically I still need to produce masters for the cannons and then I am done if I had it to do over again I would just buy the CC kit
the fuselage is the only piece that is usable and the canopy
the rest it garbage. the fuzy has to be lengthened and widened
and that is a dubious under taking
the worst part is getting the canopy to fit after hacking it apart th best thing there is a vac formed copy or resin copy

the wings and engines and r2 srtip are all scratch built as close to the studio kit as I could get

ca

 

[bwize]

skyler101, good luck. i to attempted to use the power fx toy as the base for a studioish scale. agreeing with boatbuilder, the fuzy is the only usable piece, but then after all, that is the center of the design. however, speaking from experience, it may be better to just get the newly reissued CC kit. it is a bit cheaper than its original run and in the end may well be less expensive than buying all the parts to even approach an accurate, kick-ass model.

However, that said, i believe if you put aside the desire to represent a super accurate model, you can make some strategic mods that will still create a kick-ass model, albiet not accurate, but very recognizable as an x-wing. i think the most time consuming aspect is filling in all those damn screw holes and play handle holes. i actually got very far along on mine before i came into posession of the CC kit. one thing i did notice is that it appears that the overall shape, especially the rear bulkhead, seems to relfect the large (4ft) filiming minature rather than the smaller studio scale that is so popular. i to was going to use anakin's podracer engines as they are deliciously detailed and very much in scale with the fx toy. i did purchase two saturn V kits for the engine housing and they are not cheap. you may be able to luck out and find a current rocket kit with fuselage halfs that may be usable or find half-round tube stock and detail it. i will try to take some pics of how far along i came to give you an idea. i settled from the begining that this was not going to an accurate representation, but would build into a nice model. after i bought the reissued kit, i am thinking i will go back and finish this one. i was originaly going to base it off the pre-production drawing on the cover of the art of star wars book. this worked great because the fx toy is about 15% smaller scale wise than the CC/studio scale and the saturn hulls is larger enough to appear huge like the pre-production pic. there is much, much more, but i have rambled on enough. hope your scratchbuilding skills are sharpened, your going to need them.

best of luck,
Bryan

 

[Treadwell]

I still have my old Frank Cerney X-Wing parts kit available. It could be of use for your project: R2 strip, engine housings, engines, heat sinks....

 

[DARKSIDE72]

Has anyone attempted to fix the CC x-wing kit? As far as the fuselage goes it's far too thin compared to the actual filming model. Just curious if any one has tried this?

 

[PHArchivist]

Tread, are you still thinking about using thoses for anything...

</SPAN><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
Treadwell wrote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
I still have my old Frank Cerney X-Wing parts kit available. It could be of use for your project: R2 strip, engine housings, engines, heat sinks....
</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><SPAN CLASS=$row_color>

 

[PHArchivist]

I agree... Maybe not FAR to thin, but to thin, nonetheless...How could you fatten it up?

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DARKSIDE72 wrote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
Has anyone attempted to fix the CC x-wing kit? As far as the fuselage goes it's far too thin compared to the actual filming model. Just curious if any one has tried this?

</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><SPAN CLASS=$row_color>

 

[Treadwell]

</SPAN><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
PHArchivist wrote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
Tread, are you still thinking about using thoses for anything...

</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><SPAN CLASS=$row_color>

No, I ended up getting all the donor kits anyway, so these castings are up for grabs. PM if interested...

 

[PHArchivist]

PM sent...

 

[phase pistol]

I'd point out that Hasbro reissued the FX Xwing as Luke's Red 5 and also as Red Leader, with the electronics and grab-handle removed and with removable pilot and R2.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B0000TYHMI/102-5226231-7993728?_encoding=UTF8

One of those might be easier to mod.

-k

 

[DARKSIDE72]

</SPAN><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
PHArchivist wrote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
I agree... Maybe not FAR to thin, but to thin, nonetheless...How could you fatten it up?
</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><SPAN CLASS=$row_color>

You would have to add the correct amount of material to both half's of the fuselage, would be my guess...

 

[belleauwood]

Ok, for those who want to get involved in the “size debate” of the FX vs the CC vs the Maxi-brute etc, here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. I’ll let each of these pics speak for themselves, but the size diff is readily apparent between all three to my eye. All length-based pics were taken at the same time with no fuse movement between, just some camera work. The butt plate shot is of all 3 plates to the same relative height. Basically, I tried to keep the distortion to a minimum to make these pics as helpful as possible.

Note: all photos are hosted off-site and off wackychimp for details sake (theyÂ’re a decent size, but IÂ’m on cable so what do I know, dial up may be a pita) and may/may not be around forever. So, unless you have link problems in the first week or two after this post, donÂ’t email or PM me saying I have a bum link!

Color wise is the best way to distinguish these apart. The white one is the Estes Maxi-Brute, probably the closets thing to “dead on” studio scale out there thought it does have its issues (butt plate shape way off, lack of detail, weird material, etc). The tan one is the Captain cardboard original issue. The dark gray/black one is my modified as in my above post FX, note especially the nosecone (where it picks up some serious length) is my modified ram-cast of the Maxi’s nose. Sorry, I don’t have another “for scale” FX laying around, but between the wing size pics, basic fuse details and the final photo of the intakes you should be able to see where you’re off proportion wise with the FX if fixing that as best you can is your poison.

First up, overall the three X-wing fuse’s I have in my “collection”, along with a CC wing and a modified FX wing for scale.
http://home.comcast.net/~ryan.comer/images/MBCCFX_Fuse_Wing.jpg

Next, the 3 fuses alone.
http://home.comcast.net/~ryan.comer/images/MBCCFX_FuseComp.jpg

Next, detail of the 3 fuses from the cockpit forward from above.
http://home.comcast.net/~ryan.comer/images/MBCCFX_Nose_Top.jpg

Next, detail of the 3 fuses from the cockpit aft from above.
http://home.comcast.net/~ryan.comer/images/MBCCFX_Aft_Top.jpg

Next, a photo of all three rear butt plates and their relative size/shapes.
http://home.comcast.net/~ryan.comer/images/MBCCFX_Buttplate.jpg

Next, a close-up of the CC wing and engine structure against the FX wing and modified engine structure (Anakins pod kit supplied most of the “engine”).
http://home.comcast.net/~ryan.comer/images/CCFX_Wings_Eng.jpg

Finally, to show you how off-scale the FX engine intakes are, here the correct Sat V part against the FX scaled down version.
http://home.comcast.net/~ryan.comer/images/SATV_FX_Intake.jpg

Hope this helps someone out there.

Ryan

“This is MY Force power, its called a BLASTER!”

 

[PHArchivist]

Those are FANTASTIC! I never realized how close the toy was to studio scale...

Man if we had the Icons thrown in there, that'd really round it out. Don't get me wrong though -- what an AWESOME set of pics!

 

[PHArchivist]

Is the gray wing in the first pic the FX wing? If not, how do the wings compare?

 

[PHArchivist]

</SPAN><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
bwize wrote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS=$row_color>
...the newly reissued CC kit. it is a bit cheaper than its original run
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How much cheaper is it? Is it very different from the initial kit?