SS ESB Millennium Falcon info and building thread

[DLT9]

First i watched this forum for quite a while now and seen some awsome thing being build!

I want to build my own SS Falcon and i think i'm in the right place to do that.
This would be my first SS scratchbuild ever.

I need all the info and help i can get with this build from all you fellow builders out there?
I got the parts list from the Yahoo builders club,but it has some blancs in it.
Are there parts the are used more then once on the falcon witch requires me to buy the same kit more then once?
I've allready talked to someone about the dimensions of the falcon,does there exist a template of some kind?
I have scouted the bay and almost every kit needed is there only no ENTEX PORSCHE,seen in a other tread my may be a lit on the market with the pieces used and needed to make a falcon.?
Also would like to know if other parts of the kits used for the falcon are used in other studioscale vehicles?

Please help me out in completing a dream!

Thanks

LINKS OF INTREST

http://www.forbiddenplastic.com/ref_star_wars/mos_mf/ref_sw_mos_mf.html (ANH Falcon)
http://www.killbyte.da.ru/
http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/f...0with ruler/
http://www.studioscale.com/kitscans.htm (kit instrcutions scans)
http://web.archive.org/web/200103301.../mf/falcon.htm (falcon references)
http://www.ketzer.com/
www.starwarz.com/modelshop/classic.htm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MFalcon/ (Yahoo falcon builders club)


BOOKS OR DOCUMENTS OF INTREST

Star Wars blueprints the ultimate collection Found the ratio it's 1.8 and it =32.4" whitch could work i think

Star Wars sculpting the galaxy

 

[BrundelFly]

"I want to build my own SS Falcon and i think i'm in the right place to do that. This would be my first SS scratchbuild ever."

You MIGHT want to try something smaller first.
You have NO Idea what you are getting into...trust me.


"I need all the info and help i can get with this build from all you fellow builders out there? "

Its not that folks dont want to help....its like. HELP WITH THIS OVERHAUL OF MY ENGINE. Ok..start my opening the hood...... its not ONE question.
Its 10,000.



"I got the parts list from the Yahoo builders club,but it has some blancs in it."

That kit list is a nice start. Continue by buying everything available in that time frame. You have to do your own hunting.


"Are there parts the are used more then once on the falcon witch requires me to buy the same kit more then once?"

Yes. Or just mold and cast them. ALOT of them.

"I've allready talked to someone about the dimensions of the falcon,does there exist a template of some kind?"

If you were handed 50% of the measures.....you would be lost for the remainder 50% of work. Measures from what point to what point? whats the reference he used? Useless information unless you know what exact point on the ship he/she measured from.

Its feeding a man a fish..or...teaching him TO fish.
You have to be able to LOOK at photo reference,...and figure measures out for yourself. Otherwise,....none of the parts will fit. None of the info will make sense. You will just be confused. The model has to be built to YOUR eye.

"I have scouted the bay and almost every kit needed is there only no ENTEX PORSCHE,seen in a other tread my may be a lit on the market with the pieces used and needed to make a falcon.?"

huh? Sorry read that twice...still nto sure what you are saying.
someone has casting of the entex parts..Im sure.

"Also would like to know if other parts of the kits used for the falcon are used in other studioscale vehicles?"

Yes. COmbine all the kits lists for each ship...you will notice they are very similar.

"Please help me out in completing a dream!"

There are only a half dozen of us that have actually pulled this off. Many have tried and given up.

Its a scratch building right of passage.

To be worthy of any help, you just got to figure it out for yourself. You will get stuck eventually, and we will be there to help where we can. However, you got to get the ball rolling on your own first.

Learn how to interpolate measures from pictures based on real parts.

Moe and I are working on a kit. Have been for years. We put it on hold when we were hired by MR to help with the licensed one.

The kit will be available after we do a run of MARK VII vipers, which debut end of Feb.

Frank Cerney

 

[PHArchivist]

Frank, did you ever completely finish yours? I'm not sure I've ever seen pics of it...

 

[BrundelFly]

Frank, did you ever completely finish yours? I'm not sure I've ever seen pics of it...

It needs the electronics. Cockpit detail...and paint.
Mine is also gear down. So I wanted to open the Access ramp
Everything else is done.

I had a pic of it with gear down. For the life of me I cant find it.

 

[PHArchivist]

Sweet! If and when you're ready to share, by all means I'd love to see it!

 

[DLT9]

Well thanks for the pointers i think?
I really wanted a thread that could help anyone building or wanted to build one.
I'm in a modelers club and have been modeling for 15years or so so i think i might be up for the task.
I also know a guy who does nothing else than make military models.
Also i wanted to buy an MR on but my wife said that i was crazy giving over 2000$ on a prop,as a builder you should try and build on yourself she said!
Youre trying to take the easy way out she said.

Found a lot of the kits needed and bidding and buying to get wat i need.

Do need some pointer on where to get the measurement for a SS falcon,i got and finished a Finemolds one would this help?

 

[chrome]

Hi DLT9


for the dimensions, a yahoo group member took these MR Falcon pix:

http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff121/Helder22pictures/MR Falcon top with ruler/

It is just the MR Falcon but currently the best for measurements you can get i guess?
I dont think that the Fine molds falcon will help, some areas ( especially the mandibles) are off.

 

[BrundelFly]

Well thanks for the pointers i think?
I really wanted a thread that could help anyone building or wanted to build one.
I'm in a modelers club and have been modeling for 15years or so so i think i might be up for the task.
I also know a guy who does nothing else than make military models.
Also i wanted to buy an MR on but my wife said that i was crazy giving over 2000$ on a prop,as a builder you should try and build on yourself she said!
Youre trying to take the easy way out she said.

Found a lot of the kits needed and bidding and buying to get wat i need.

Do need some pointer on where to get the measurement for a SS falcon,i got and finished a Finemolds one would this help?

Smart lady.
You are a lucky man.

A thread that tells you everything you need to know doesnt exist.
Never will.
Im not trying to poo poo your modeling skills.
I have been building models since I was 8.
The project still kicked my butt.
But I was going for as much accuracy as I could. So was Moe.
Randy cooper built one in a month.
Looked great, not accurate. But who would know? Besides a few?

So,..if you want to build a Studio Scale model....its not hard.
If you want to build a Studio Scale..Studio..ACCURATE model.

Thats different. I assumed (bad word I know) that you wanted an super accurate one.

The fine molds is nice. Copied it studio scale, it would be great.
But its not accurate. They idealized it, and the differences would be more obvious in the larger scale, which may or may not be important to you.
As I have no idea of your intentions on accuracy.

Hope that helps.
Im not posting to be a smart a&*. Im sincerely trying to help.

Trust me.
I lived this. Tim Ketzer started me on mine.
The best thing he ever did,...was not tell me everything I asked him.
He DID teach me how to figure it out for myself.
Because of him, Im a better model builder.

Frank




Frank Cerney

 

[Lazyeagle]

Hello Frank

This is my first post- I based out of the UK. I'm another interested in a Studio Scale Falcon and fully appreciate that it's a near impossible task to render one. I build my own models- currently the 44" Eagle from Space 1999 and the SkyDiver sub (SS) from the series UFO. You may or may not be familar with them in the US and I'll post pictures of my build if anyone's interested.

My respectful question to you given your thread replies is to confirm are you indeed doing a 32" kit of the Falcon? I'm looking at a MR Falcon but the fact that I cannot display it on its landing gear without major surgery puts me off. I have a chance for the MR offering, however a kit would really open up possibilities for me to customize if required and its amazing news if true.

Just really want a crumb of hope that you will in time be producing the kit for the Falcon following the Viper release as you've alluded to?

Many thanks for your time

Jay..

 

[DBot845]

Hi DLT9,

I'm also hoping to make a studio scale Falcon one day. Hopefully one day soon. I did start one. I drew out my plans to scale from the plans offered on the studioscale.com website. I found out the hard way they are wrong. I rebuilt the mandibles twice to no avail. I thought I had got them right the second time, however, after Helder22 generously posted pictures with a digital caliper to show key measurements, I remeasured my falcon and found out key measurements were waaay off. By, like half a inch in some parts. I was a little crushed but also really happy at the same time. I didn't want to get really far in construction and find out it was wrong. My failed attempt is sitting in my closet as a reminder not to rush things and take your time.

Would it be easier to buy a MR falcon. Absolutely. At the time, probably cheaper too. I don't even want to know how much I've spent on kits (I don't think my wife wants to either). I think I have most of them now (not the Porsche). I want the satisfaction of scratchbuilding the falcon myself, and not buying the MR falcon or a kit (absolutely not offense to Frank or Moe!) . As for plans, do yourself a favor. Get the "Star Wars Blueprints: the ultimate collection" from amazon, or your local bookstore. As mentioned in a previous thread ( i can't seem to find it though) the authors relied heavily on the 32" falcon for making the blueprints. I cross referenced the "measurement pics" measurements with the blueprints and they are really, really close. The "measurement pics" and the "SWB:UC" blueprints is a great head start, and is what I'll be doing. Don't rely on just one! Cross reference both and any other pics you might have. Good luck!

Derek

 

[micdavis]

I build my own models- currently the 44" Eagle from Space 1999 and the SkyDiver sub (SS) from the series UFO. You may or may not be familar with them in the US and I'll post pictures of my build if anyone's interested.

Yes, Yes please start a thread show your builds. Love all the stuff from Gerry Anderson.

 

[jvasilatos]

Hey Frank-

As you helped with the development of the MR Falcon, do you have any insight on how one might get inside to fix that damn front portside mandible LED that has gone out for so many people right out of the box?

JV

"I want to build my own SS Falcon and i think i'm in the right place to do that. This would be my first SS scratchbuild ever."

You MIGHT want to try something smaller first.
You have NO Idea what you are getting into...trust me.


"I need all the info and help i can get with this build from all you fellow builders out there? "

Its not that folks dont want to help....its like. HELP WITH THIS OVERHAUL OF MY ENGINE. Ok..start my opening the hood...... its not ONE question.
Its 10,000.



"I got the parts list from the Yahoo builders club,but it has some blancs in it."

That kit list is a nice start. Continue by buying everything available in that time frame. You have to do your own hunting.


"Are there parts the are used more then once on the falcon witch requires me to buy the same kit more then once?"

Yes. Or just mold and cast them. ALOT of them.

"I've allready talked to someone about the dimensions of the falcon,does there exist a template of some kind?"

If you were handed 50% of the measures.....you would be lost for the remainder 50% of work. Measures from what point to what point? whats the reference he used? Useless information unless you know what exact point on the ship he/she measured from.

Its feeding a man a fish..or...teaching him TO fish.
You have to be able to LOOK at photo reference,...and figure measures out for yourself. Otherwise,....none of the parts will fit. None of the info will make sense. You will just be confused. The model has to be built to YOUR eye.

"I have scouted the bay and almost every kit needed is there only no ENTEX PORSCHE,seen in a other tread my may be a lit on the market with the pieces used and needed to make a falcon.?"

huh? Sorry read that twice...still nto sure what you are saying.
someone has casting of the entex parts..Im sure.

"Also would like to know if other parts of the kits used for the falcon are used in other studioscale vehicles?"

Yes. COmbine all the kits lists for each ship...you will notice they are very similar.

"Please help me out in completing a dream!"

There are only a half dozen of us that have actually pulled this off. Many have tried and given up.

Its a scratch building right of passage.

To be worthy of any help, you just got to figure it out for yourself. You will get stuck eventually, and we will be there to help where we can. However, you got to get the ball rolling on your own first.

Learn how to interpolate measures from pictures based on real parts.

Moe and I are working on a kit. Have been for years. We put it on hold when we were hired by MR to help with the licensed one.

The kit will be available after we do a run of MARK VII vipers, which debut end of Feb.

Frank Cerney

 

[BrundelFly]

Hello Frank

This is my first post- I based out of the UK. I'm another interested in a Studio Scale Falcon and fully appreciate that it's a near impossible task to render one. I build my own models- currently the 44" Eagle from Space 1999 and the SkyDiver sub (SS) from the series UFO. You may or may not be familar with them in the US and I'll post pictures of my build if anyone's interested.

My respectful question to you given your thread replies is to confirm are you indeed doing a 32" kit of the Falcon? I'm looking at a MR Falcon but the fact that I cannot display it on its landing gear without major surgery puts me off. I have a chance for the MR offering, however a kit would really open up possibilities for me to customize if required and its amazing news if true.

Just really want a crumb of hope that you will in time be producing the kit for the Falcon following the Viper release as you've alluded to?

Many thanks for your time

Jay..

Jay,
Id love to see your work!
Moe has always been hell bent on a falcon kit. It is out intention.
Can I saw WHEN? Honestly no. Life can get in the way sometimes.
RE: the MR. You COULD display it with "gear" down, without the major surgery.
You build "gear tables" with black felt on top so they dont scratch the model...and "doors" that look open. Its low enough you couldnt see into the GEAR BAYS anyway. The only bad thing is NO WORKING RAMP!

 

[BrundelFly]

Hey Frank-

As you helped with the development of the MR Falcon, do you have any insight on how one might get inside to fix that damn front portside mandible LED that has gone out for so many people right out of the box?

JV

Without breaking something?
No.

But I promise to check. I have an unbuilt one here. Ill see if it can provide any hints. Maybe I should have been offering the Nose cap replacements so folks could break into theirs and get to the LED then have a SPARE to replace it (mandible nose cap).

 

[GF]

Also i wanted to buy an MR on but my wife said that i was crazy giving over 2000$ on a prop,as a builder you should try and build on yourself she said!
Youre trying to take the easy way out she said.

She would wish you got the MR instead, as in the end it will cost you way more in $ and time.

You can still get one for under $1500, but again it's alway more rewarding building your own.


GFollano

 

[Spiker]

She would wish you got the MR instead, as in the end it will cost you way more in $ and time.

You can still get one for under $1500, but again it's alway more rewarding building your own.


GFollano

That is true, you will end up with much more than 2000$. Believe it, mucho mucho more.

 

[jvasilatos]

Without breaking something?
No.

But I promise to check. I have an unbuilt one here. Ill see if it can provide any hints. Maybe I should have been offering the Nose cap replacements so folks could break into theirs and get to the LED then have a SPARE to replace it (mandible nose cap).

Thanks for checking Frank. I think you would make a LOT of MR Falcon owners very happy if you choose to offer those nose cap replacements so we can restore the bad LEDs unless it was a circuit board issue that prevents those LEDs from performing without failure. I've been combing the top and bottom for hints of any kind of camouflaged screw or bolt placements and have put a hex wrench in a few but not pushed it too far when those shapes revealed themselves to NOT be metal so as not to cause visible damage.

JV

 

[Wombat]

Good luck with the Falcon project dude.
It would most definitely be a more rewarding thing to you that just buying an MR version.
As for the cost,it don't really matter that much does it?
Not with a build such as this!
I can't imagine how happy and rewarding it would be,to build a piece like this!:cool

Without breaking something?
No.

But I promise to check. I have an unbuilt one here. Ill see if it can provide any hints. Maybe I should have been offering the Nose cap replacements so folks could break into theirs and get to the LED then have a SPARE to replace it (mandible nose cap).

Well mine hasn't gone yet,but it's only a matter of time!:rolleyes
Can i ask if there is a circuit board of some kind in the Falcon that runs the LED's?
Does anyone know for sure that it is an LED problem or somewhere else in the wiring or board if there is one.
It seems strange that it's always the same one that is not working.
To me if it was an LED problem it wouldn't be isolated to just the one side.
Any chance of some pic's showing what's on the inside of the Falcon?

Phil

 

[Qrest Fourstar]

I got an MR withought spending more than $1000 on it. It's a matter of timing. I wanted to scrathbuild one too but I can't cut styrene to save my life. Getting an MR saved me a bit of coin, but also my sanity.


And it's also good to know talented people on this board helped make it.

 

[Lazyeagle]

Hi Frank

Thanks for the response on the possible Falcon kit it's all I wanted to hear. I'm going to hold off on the MR purchase as I'd prefer to build your kit and not attempt to climb a steep face of trying to scratchbuild one. Even if it takes you a little longer I am happy to wait. Even if you don't manage to bring one out I won't blame you...Just Moe.....joking

Like you said life comes in the way, I don't think I have enough time nor skill to consider building one up from scratch. It was bad enough obsessing over my current heavily modified kit projects, working a fulltime job etc, writing work, women...more women....

The Ketzner build is truly inspiring but you have to have such expertise hard-coded into your DNA. Sadly gene therapy didn't work for, although stem cell research offers a little hope....

I'll post pictures of my work shortly thanks to Micdavis as well for the invitation.

I take your point on the landing gear facade, but as you say no moving ramp or perhaps rotating dorsal guns, lights in the ramp access area, other landing lights, removable undercarriage....and my own metal internal armature balanced for display using a thinner pole and the means to replace blown bulbs...

The MR is a beautiful piece, however the size of the base and the limited display options is a little disappointing if not daunting. I'm still in two minds given that the ship is rather aesthetic and its appeal and also the instant gratification of getting one.....cost is £900 ...a fair wack to the head especially after an indulgent Christmas...

Regards

Jay..