I've seen 1/43 F1 kits on ebay,but Im not sure how many different F1 kits are made,and if you would get the neccesary details from a kit that small..my guess is "no" considering I've bought a 1/24 Entex F1 kit before and there was hardley any engine,or chassie detail..it was mainly molded in 1 piece.I cant say about other companies like Tamiya,Imex,Fujimi or any other.
Super-detailing the MPC Falcon
- Thread starter Jedi Dade
- Start date
Rather off the topic of the MPC falcon...
The old Kenner toy falcon (that I mentioned I bought) has a missing ramp. I want to scratch it, but would like some pics of the original ramp, preferably close up. If anyone knows of a site with good pics please let me know. Even better, If you have that toy, and a digi camera, I would really appreciate some pics of the ramp. my email is arrmaties@hotmail.com .Thanks in advance. The funny thing about the kenner toy is that fact that the engine deck is more detailed than the MPC kit.
The old Kenner toy falcon (that I mentioned I bought) has a missing ramp. I want to scratch it, but would like some pics of the original ramp, preferably close up. If anyone knows of a site with good pics please let me know. Even better, If you have that toy, and a digi camera, I would really appreciate some pics of the ramp. my email is arrmaties@hotmail.com .Thanks in advance. The funny thing about the kenner toy is that fact that the engine deck is more detailed than the MPC kit.
The falcon kits details are worth every penny!!! Just in case any of you were wondering
the side panels are closer to the ANH though so those of you making the ESB version need to still build your own. The details on the ESB version seem to be a bit "easier" to me. People around here know what the side panel parts were on the ESB and I've been able to find some parts in smaller scale (for the MPC) that seemed to work well. I'd just state the parts but my mind can not remeber what they were. I think it was the suspension/tread are of a tank that was used like on like 3 or 4 panels, I can't remeber ... too much scotch last night ;( In any case the falcon kits parts are great, and the ESB can be scratch built/kit bashed reasoanbly
Jedi Dade
Jedi Dade
Tamiya made the 935 Porsche in 2 scales....1/12&1/20..but I cant think which one would work best for the MPC kit...the 1/12 may be too big&the 1/20 may be too small.....some of the other parts cant be found in a scale small enough to suit the MPC kit...so you either have to bite the bullet,of dig in&scratch build alot of parts...maybe get creative&try bashing with other parts..or "found items".
nightrider
Sr Member
Could anyone give me some advice about what kits would work well for some of the major parts on the side panels, especially the front ones. I'm not really concerned about them being authentic, just making the model look good. This will be my first kit bashing experiance, so any tips would be appreciated.
If you're not going for accuracy pretty much anything will do as long as it looks mechanical and looks like it has a function. You'll need some type of transmission/gearbox for the side near the cockpit. try looking at a pic of the falcon in the area you're trying to recreate, then without looking draw the parts you remeber seeing. Those are the parts that you pretty much want to look right, everything else as long as it looks like it "belongs" will be fine. It won't be an accurate model but it will look like the falcon to just about everyone that doesn't hang out around these boards
The problem with making it "accurate" is that the kits used on the 5 footer and the 32" are mostly 1/35 and 1/72 scale - mostly - trying to find a kit in 1/144 that still has the detailing you're looking for is proving very difficult - but not impossible
to make it look accurate will involve a lot of scratch building, which I'm getting better at, but still am a long way from being "good" at. Its fun, and the way I look at it all part of the hobby. Good luck
Jedi Dade
The problem with making it "accurate" is that the kits used on the 5 footer and the 32" are mostly 1/35 and 1/72 scale - mostly - trying to find a kit in 1/144 that still has the detailing you're looking for is proving very difficult - but not impossible
Jedi Dade
nightrider
Sr Member
Hi guys. I appreciate the tips you gave me Dade, they really helped. I just completed my falcon, and this was my first attempt at doing some kit-bashing. Now that I've gotten more familiar with it, I'll probably build another falcon, and go for some more accuracy this time around. Here is a link to some pics of my falcon on the Augustan Raiders discussion forums. Like I said, it's my first attempt, so go easy on me. (At least they are the right height, and look better than what came with it.) http://www.agraiders.homelinux.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=123
nightrider
Sr Member
Our fanforce website went down a few months ago, and when it was put back up the pics were lost. I now have them on my website at http://www.bluestarwizard.com in the gallery. Sorry for not answering sooner.
binkleywalker
Sr Member
Greetings! I've lurked these forums for a while, and now I have a question.
I have the Falcon Kits conversion kit. I want to get started on this beast, but I'm not sure of the best way to replace the photo-etched engine grills. What is the best way to remove the existing parts and to attach the PE vents?
I have decent modeling skills, but am a little afraid of this modification.
Help me! Please!
The people around here always amaze me with their skills and desire to help.
Thanks in advance!
I have the Falcon Kits conversion kit. I want to get started on this beast, but I'm not sure of the best way to replace the photo-etched engine grills. What is the best way to remove the existing parts and to attach the PE vents?
I have decent modeling skills, but am a little afraid of this modification.
Help me! Please!
The people around here always amaze me with their skills and desire to help.
Thanks in advance!
Like any queston that basically asks whats the best way to do XYZ, there can be as many answeres as you ask people. With that in mind other peoples opinions are often better then mine but here's what I recommend
Go to the harware store or hobby shop and find a very thin fine toothed jigsaw blade. In hobby shops they are often called hobby saws or something similar. The blade should be long thin, and pretty flexible. sometimes they come with a handle but for this particualr cut ot gets in the way (in my opinion). Start by drilling a hole large enough that the saw blace fit inside in the engine "vent area". Close to the edge but NOT at it. insert the saw in the hole and start to saw in a direction TANGENT to the side of the circle where the hole was, as you get close to the edge force the blade to curve along the inner portion of the vent. Continue around until you come back to the point where you first came to the inner edge. Don't worry if you accidentally go over the edgea little bit, or if you haven't take quite enough off. We can fix that in the next couple of steps. After you have a rough opening take some sandpaper or some fairly small files and remove any additional styrene until the hole is the needed size. Take Putty and fill in any places where you've cut too much, place a small drop at each place and roughly push it into the over cuts. Let it dry, then sand it to the correct shape. I like to use autobody "glazing putty" ($1.99 at pep boys) but if you've got a favorite go right ahead
really I think the trick is to find the flexible saw blade that will allow you to turn the cut along the inside of the vent area. The blade I use was for a hand jigsaw, its about 6" long, 1/4" wide and has a ton of fine teeth. I've tried using a dremel for this kind of stuff but I find that it melts the styrene instead of cutting it - which leads to noxious smoke and a very rough edge semicut/molten edge.
Good Luck,
Jedi Dade
Go to the harware store or hobby shop and find a very thin fine toothed jigsaw blade. In hobby shops they are often called hobby saws or something similar. The blade should be long thin, and pretty flexible. sometimes they come with a handle but for this particualr cut ot gets in the way (in my opinion). Start by drilling a hole large enough that the saw blace fit inside in the engine "vent area". Close to the edge but NOT at it. insert the saw in the hole and start to saw in a direction TANGENT to the side of the circle where the hole was, as you get close to the edge force the blade to curve along the inner portion of the vent. Continue around until you come back to the point where you first came to the inner edge. Don't worry if you accidentally go over the edgea little bit, or if you haven't take quite enough off. We can fix that in the next couple of steps. After you have a rough opening take some sandpaper or some fairly small files and remove any additional styrene until the hole is the needed size. Take Putty and fill in any places where you've cut too much, place a small drop at each place and roughly push it into the over cuts. Let it dry, then sand it to the correct shape. I like to use autobody "glazing putty" ($1.99 at pep boys) but if you've got a favorite go right ahead
really I think the trick is to find the flexible saw blade that will allow you to turn the cut along the inside of the vent area. The blade I use was for a hand jigsaw, its about 6" long, 1/4" wide and has a ton of fine teeth. I've tried using a dremel for this kind of stuff but I find that it melts the styrene instead of cutting it - which leads to noxious smoke and a very rough edge semicut/molten edge.
Good Luck,
Jedi Dade
binkleywalker
Sr Member
Quick response!
I'm on my way, thanks so much!
I'm on my way, thanks so much!
Talisen
Sr Member
Wonderful thread you guys have going here.
I've been holding back on doing my Falcon models (and with Jedi Dade talking about a kit, I may hold off longer)
Just note that in the directions for cutting out the back grills it was mentioned that the dremel melted the styrene, that would be because it was running to fast.
Just my 2¢
I've been holding back on doing my Falcon models (and with Jedi Dade talking about a kit, I may hold off longer)
Just note that in the directions for cutting out the back grills it was mentioned that the dremel melted the styrene, that would be because it was running to fast.
Just my 2¢
ready made paint - well not as a kit that says - this is for the falcon bu there are a wide variety of very good premixed paints to select from. This place is a good one for me
http://www.hobbylinc.com/index.html
As for the colors to get... it really comes down to what you think is right - there is no definitive color scheme that I know of. The base is an off white/super light gray color - after that you'll need several shade of gray ranging from light to fairly dark, s bit of dark red, flat regular red, and a bunch of the typical weathering colors. pretty much its a trial and error thing, until you like the way it looks
Jedi Dade
http://www.hobbylinc.com/index.html
As for the colors to get... it really comes down to what you think is right - there is no definitive color scheme that I know of. The base is an off white/super light gray color - after that you'll need several shade of gray ranging from light to fairly dark, s bit of dark red, flat regular red, and a bunch of the typical weathering colors. pretty much its a trial and error thing, until you like the way it looks
Jedi Dade
ViperRecon
New Member
Since this thread was mentioned elsewhere, I thought I'd post my question here rather than there just to keep most of this information in one spot...
Ok, we know the ERTL falcon side walls need to be lowered and the cockpit tube needs to be enlarged. The problem with enlarging the cockpit tube is, IMO, that the hull is too flat making this modification look a bit off when it really isn't. I've seen on Tim Ketzer's site where he increased the thickness of the hull at the center to fatten his ship up a bit, but from what I can see that results in docking arms that slope downwards from the center toward the outer edge which is also incorrect.
My question is, could it be that the hull doesn't need to be thickened in the center at all but instead the hull surface needs to be curved from the center outward to meet the side walls?
Can any of you Falcon experts confirm or disprove this theory for me? Would reproducing the correct curve result in a fatter appearance while preserving the alignment of the docking arms and improve the overall look when combined with the larger cockpit tube? If so, then what is the proper curve for the hull (I don't think I've seen that mentioned anywhere)? I'm aware that a lot of surgery would be necessary to make this work right... but it's ERTL - what else is new?
Mark Snyder
Seoul, Korea
Ok, we know the ERTL falcon side walls need to be lowered and the cockpit tube needs to be enlarged. The problem with enlarging the cockpit tube is, IMO, that the hull is too flat making this modification look a bit off when it really isn't. I've seen on Tim Ketzer's site where he increased the thickness of the hull at the center to fatten his ship up a bit, but from what I can see that results in docking arms that slope downwards from the center toward the outer edge which is also incorrect.
My question is, could it be that the hull doesn't need to be thickened in the center at all but instead the hull surface needs to be curved from the center outward to meet the side walls?
Can any of you Falcon experts confirm or disprove this theory for me? Would reproducing the correct curve result in a fatter appearance while preserving the alignment of the docking arms and improve the overall look when combined with the larger cockpit tube? If so, then what is the proper curve for the hull (I don't think I've seen that mentioned anywhere)? I'm aware that a lot of surgery would be necessary to make this work right... but it's ERTL - what else is new?
Mark Snyder
Seoul, Korea
