Ambaryerno
Jr Member
Figured I'd post this up here as what I'm trying to do might interest many of you.
I'm currently working on a functional X-wing model for use in Star Citizen once private servers allowing mods and custom ships are up and running. One of my goals is to make it more or less completely functional. This means:
Completely functional landing gear and landing gear bay doors - This is a particular challenge as A) I've found references on the gear can be hard to come by and B) it may require some fudging to make them actually WORK and fit in the bays.
Accessible cargo compartment - Another challenge due to limited clear references. IIRC the only time we ever see the bay open is when Luke is departing Dagobah in Empire (I don't remember it being open in Jedi), and the lighting there is very poor.
Moving S-foils (duh).
Modeled interior systems (flight computer, repulsors, etc) as necessary for the component system. I'd even like to make the loading hatches for the torpedo bay accessible, and maybe even the S-foil maintenance hatch.
Accessible astromech slot (which means ALSO modeling a working astromech to manage the ship's systems. Getting Voice Attack to work with it would be a MAJOR bonus).
Working targeting computer and fully functional cockpit.
Other minutiae I can't think of off the top of my head but I just know will come up.
I actually started the model a while ago for another project, but have been working on updating it and bringing it up to SC's specs. I also recently started remodeling some sections to try and make them more accurate to the actual effects models (most of my early references were either the Fine Molds kits, which have some issues, and some third-party stuff), while also incorporating elements of the set mockups.
A look at what I've got so far:
The fuselage is one of the parts I decided to rebuild from scratch, and much of my weekend so far has been spent working on this. Obviously, there's quite a few things that need work, here (cutouts for the S-foils and torpedo tubes, rear cabin and canopy windows, among other details).
The rear deck details have survived more or less intact from the old version of the fuselage, the only difference is tweaking the exact position of some components to account for the remodeled hull. One of the places where I will be deviating from official sources is that this is NOT the location of the shield generator or hyperdrive. There are three components on the rear deck: the astromech slot furthest forward, the power generator aft of the astromech, and the fighter's cooling system. This is the function as denoted by Joe Johnston's blueprints (which predated the film itself and, therefore, the WEG blueprints which more or less made all of their own stuff up instead. I'm REALLY not fond of how they've frelled things up) and it's an important system in Star Citizen, so there it is.
This also shows one of the first adaptations I had to make to the model itself for the X-wing to work: The nice and snug astromech slot we see on the studio effects models WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE (this exact same problem was later duplicated with the N-1 fighters in Episode I)! The astromech droid's feet are too large to fit in the opening an exact reproduction of the effects model provides, so I chose to widen it to properly accommodate the droid. This is one of a couple alterations that are more closely drawn from the full-scale set mockups, which ALSO had to have a larger slot for the droid to fit (best seen when Artoo is shown falling off Luke's X-wing after he crashed on Dagobah). I still need to model the lift that allows the droid to egress the fighter and other details inside the slot, but that's a lower priority pending references.
I'm also aware of the issues posed by the differences between X-wing models. One approach I've decided to take is I'm just going to use Star Citizen's component system to account for them. For example, I currently have the following engine cowlings modeled:
UL Red 1 and 5, UR Red 3
Red 1 UR
Red 5 UR, Red 3 UL
Red 12 Lower
Red 2 Upper
Red 2 Lower
What I did was model the "blank" cowling with only the features that are universal to all X-wings (at least as far as I could tell). The remaining details are a separate object, which I'll be using the component system to randomize, the idea being to allow every X-wing to look a little bit different. I'd love to do it for other surface features as well; wings, fuselage, and the engines inside the wing bays, and allowing the upside down S-foil hatch as in Red 5 and Red 2.
Incidentally, the bladed structure is one of the other features I took from the set mockup.
I am, of course, in need of some good references in a number of places:
Cargo bay interior, particularly the actuator and hinge mechanisms.
Landing gear bays and the gear themselves.
I'm missing the lower cowlings for Reds 1, 3 (though I THINK Red 3 might have used some combination of the Red 1 and Red 5 upper cowling on its lower engines and 5, the upper cowlings for Red 12). Any other cowling variations would also be appreciated.
The variations in the raised surface detailing on the wings and fuselage.
Astromech slot interior and droid's elevator lift.
Cockpit: Here's where I'm going to get specific on y'all. I know there's a thread with some very good references of the Empire cockpit, but I'd REALLY like to model the ANH version. In fact, what I'd REALLY love to do is have all three cockpits and make it another modular component reflecting avionics upgrades and such). Also, has anyone ever figured where exactly the S-foil switch is on these things? They always show the pilot reaching up above (I think) their right shoulder.
Schematics/blueprints of the S-foil assemblies. I'm not entirely convinced that I have the proportions of the S-foils and engines quite right, so anything I can use to compare and remodel as necessary would be a BIG help.
I'm currently working on a functional X-wing model for use in Star Citizen once private servers allowing mods and custom ships are up and running. One of my goals is to make it more or less completely functional. This means:
Completely functional landing gear and landing gear bay doors - This is a particular challenge as A) I've found references on the gear can be hard to come by and B) it may require some fudging to make them actually WORK and fit in the bays.
Accessible cargo compartment - Another challenge due to limited clear references. IIRC the only time we ever see the bay open is when Luke is departing Dagobah in Empire (I don't remember it being open in Jedi), and the lighting there is very poor.
Moving S-foils (duh).
Modeled interior systems (flight computer, repulsors, etc) as necessary for the component system. I'd even like to make the loading hatches for the torpedo bay accessible, and maybe even the S-foil maintenance hatch.
Accessible astromech slot (which means ALSO modeling a working astromech to manage the ship's systems. Getting Voice Attack to work with it would be a MAJOR bonus).
Working targeting computer and fully functional cockpit.
Other minutiae I can't think of off the top of my head but I just know will come up.
I actually started the model a while ago for another project, but have been working on updating it and bringing it up to SC's specs. I also recently started remodeling some sections to try and make them more accurate to the actual effects models (most of my early references were either the Fine Molds kits, which have some issues, and some third-party stuff), while also incorporating elements of the set mockups.
A look at what I've got so far:
The fuselage is one of the parts I decided to rebuild from scratch, and much of my weekend so far has been spent working on this. Obviously, there's quite a few things that need work, here (cutouts for the S-foils and torpedo tubes, rear cabin and canopy windows, among other details).
The rear deck details have survived more or less intact from the old version of the fuselage, the only difference is tweaking the exact position of some components to account for the remodeled hull. One of the places where I will be deviating from official sources is that this is NOT the location of the shield generator or hyperdrive. There are three components on the rear deck: the astromech slot furthest forward, the power generator aft of the astromech, and the fighter's cooling system. This is the function as denoted by Joe Johnston's blueprints (which predated the film itself and, therefore, the WEG blueprints which more or less made all of their own stuff up instead. I'm REALLY not fond of how they've frelled things up) and it's an important system in Star Citizen, so there it is.
This also shows one of the first adaptations I had to make to the model itself for the X-wing to work: The nice and snug astromech slot we see on the studio effects models WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE (this exact same problem was later duplicated with the N-1 fighters in Episode I)! The astromech droid's feet are too large to fit in the opening an exact reproduction of the effects model provides, so I chose to widen it to properly accommodate the droid. This is one of a couple alterations that are more closely drawn from the full-scale set mockups, which ALSO had to have a larger slot for the droid to fit (best seen when Artoo is shown falling off Luke's X-wing after he crashed on Dagobah). I still need to model the lift that allows the droid to egress the fighter and other details inside the slot, but that's a lower priority pending references.
I'm also aware of the issues posed by the differences between X-wing models. One approach I've decided to take is I'm just going to use Star Citizen's component system to account for them. For example, I currently have the following engine cowlings modeled:
UL Red 1 and 5, UR Red 3
Red 1 UR
Red 5 UR, Red 3 UL
Red 12 Lower
Red 2 Upper
Red 2 Lower
What I did was model the "blank" cowling with only the features that are universal to all X-wings (at least as far as I could tell). The remaining details are a separate object, which I'll be using the component system to randomize, the idea being to allow every X-wing to look a little bit different. I'd love to do it for other surface features as well; wings, fuselage, and the engines inside the wing bays, and allowing the upside down S-foil hatch as in Red 5 and Red 2.
Incidentally, the bladed structure is one of the other features I took from the set mockup.
I am, of course, in need of some good references in a number of places:
Cargo bay interior, particularly the actuator and hinge mechanisms.
Landing gear bays and the gear themselves.
I'm missing the lower cowlings for Reds 1, 3 (though I THINK Red 3 might have used some combination of the Red 1 and Red 5 upper cowling on its lower engines and 5, the upper cowlings for Red 12). Any other cowling variations would also be appreciated.
The variations in the raised surface detailing on the wings and fuselage.
Astromech slot interior and droid's elevator lift.
Cockpit: Here's where I'm going to get specific on y'all. I know there's a thread with some very good references of the Empire cockpit, but I'd REALLY like to model the ANH version. In fact, what I'd REALLY love to do is have all three cockpits and make it another modular component reflecting avionics upgrades and such). Also, has anyone ever figured where exactly the S-foil switch is on these things? They always show the pilot reaching up above (I think) their right shoulder.
Schematics/blueprints of the S-foil assemblies. I'm not entirely convinced that I have the proportions of the S-foils and engines quite right, so anything I can use to compare and remodel as necessary would be a BIG help.
.
