Super-detailing the MPC Falcon

Jedi Dade

Master Member
I'm hoping to pick up a digital camera for Christmas this year and am anxious to show the progress I've made on my falcon. How have the rest of you guys been doing?...plus I wanted to bump this thread
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Hi guys,

Here's another deal I found on the net for accurizing the falcon....

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/Forum6/HTML/005081.html

Dade,

I haven't worked on the falcon for some time now, but will be starting up again in the near future. I have been laying out plans for a more accurate c'pit on CAD using a picture of the full size stage set blueprint i found on the net. So far so good i guess.

Happy building!

Brian
 
If you're dead set on lightsheet I'd recomend the wite and add the clear blue "plasma leakage" yourself with paint. I've seen both and I really think the mini-florescent bulbs are the way to go. VERY bright!!!! Lightsheet is probably easier though and does look really good- especially when photographed. I don't know exactly what it is about lightsheet but in pictures it is bright as all He11. In person its good but not nearly as impressive as the flos
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In my opinion. Thanks for the info though. It may make a super lighting system for the cockpit though, and I may look into that.

Jedi Dade
 
I was wondering if anybody but me ordered the photo etched grills for the Falcon? If you did, have you received them yet? I'm asking because I ordered them and haven't gotten them yet and was wondering...

Jedi Dade
 
Hey everyone,just a general question on this subject.I did'nt really know there was much of a forum for the MPC,or ERTL kits,but I stand corrected.Anyways,I was wondering if the photo etch set for the MPC Falcon kit was still available for purchase from the fella who made them,or did I more or less miss the boat on that?Also,concerning studio modeling...was the screen material that was used for the wing panels on the tie fighters from star wars,was it also used for the detailing of the circular solar panels on the 32" Falcon,or was it exclusively used for the 5ft Falcon&Tie Fighters from Star Wars?If anyone could answer this,I'd much appreciate it,thanks-John
 
I don't know if the PE set is available or not. I've sent a couple of e-mails to the guy and haven't gotten any response. I don't know the guy and I really hope that he doesn't turn out to be a flake - I ordered 4 sets from him.

here is his e-mail: MMI@Coldnorth.com
You want to put into the topic the following: I want MMI-7777

Thant way he'll know what the e-mail is about. If you get a hold of him tell him to give me an update will ya
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Jedi Dade
 
I'll give it a whirl Dade...you did'nt send the $$$ to him did ya?I hope he does'nt burn ya.I saw the art work/photo etch pictures on a starship modeler webpage,and they looked good...a nice touch to spice up a rather boring&dull rendition of the Falcon.I never liked the MPC/ERTL kit......it's messed up&requires heaps of extra work done to it.I began working on one years ago and began kitbashing with just what I had & few references...also redoing the edge/plate detail around the kit.I dont remember what happened to that kit...I think it got lost,or destroyed when moving....but the Falcon is relatively easy to get ahold of on ebay.I would'nt mind building a nice one,since now there are after market kits available to make it look far better,and these photo etch pieces...if this guy has them..will make the kit look far better.Anyways,I'll try e-mailing this guy,hopefully get some good feedback from it......hang in there& till next time-John
 
Hey Dade...I wrote that guy who made the MPC Falcon photo etch set,apparenly they are available and you can still get them,try writing him an finding out what happened to the 4 sets you ordered.I think I may be getting a couple...not sure yet,cause I have my sights set on scratch building me a 32" Falcon.I have most of the kits for kitbashing,just need to make some solid plans and get to work.However I would'nt mind hammering out a nice small scale kit,especially when the aftermarket parts are there and a really nice one can be made.I'm hoping the resin repalcement parts will become available again also.Anyway,getting back to the 32" Falcon....do you or anyone else know if that metal screen material thats used to detail the Star Wars Tie fighters(the wing pannels) was used for the solar panels on the 32" Falcon,or is that out of scale?I just need a little clarification.Till next time,thanks-John
 
Yeah he finally got back to me too. I'm not a PE expert but I got the impression that he's almost ready to start pumping those out.

Thanks,
Jedi Dade
 
Cool Dade....I'm glad he got back to you.After getting an e-mail back from him..he did'nt stike me as someone who was gonna stiff ya.I've got school starting tommorrow evening,but have heaps more stuff to do before it starts.I've been talking to Tim this weekend,and his studio Slave I is looking spectacular!I'm really hoping to get some plans drawn up for a 32" studio Falcon project,and hoping to get some done for the slaveI as well,than draw up prints for patterns&templates to be machined on the CNC mill in class.I wish I hade more visual references of the two ships...but I dont know where to find any,or anyone who may have some.There are still some parts on the SlaveI I cant identify,and its making me crazy from starring at the Chronical pictures,also a few stragglers for the Falcon as well.I may,or may not get the pe parts....I'd like some,but I already have a ton of $$ invested in kits for these studio projects,and the MPC kit would be a distraction I think..amongst everything else.Anyway...good luck with everything&dont be a stranger to the board.I'm always open for helping if I can&for absorbing more inforation concerning studio projects.Till next time-John
 
1 day??!! Damn...it's been a week and I still haven't heard from that guy.

Did you ever get the kit? If so..How is it?

I'm also looking for that Falcon Kits guy...but I fear that he is long gone.

He should sell his masters to someone. Hell...I'd buy them and produce the kits!
 
Yeah..it was about 1 day.I have'nt bought the photo etch kit,I've seen pictures and they looked pretty good.I am trying to draw plans up for some studio model projects,and drawing the blueprints was much harder than I thought..even for ships like the Falcon.There are lots of picture references,and Im having a hell of a time doing it.I wish I could get help,but help is few&far between.The upgrade kit for the mpc Falcon is M.I.A. Ive heard that he stopped making them,but will start again,then Ive heard he's not going to make them anymore.So,I don't know whats going on with that...I say make up yur own upgrade...thats how he did it,so...ya gotta start somewhere,right?You can kit bash a little,but I think many parts would have to be completely scratch built as there would'nt be enough or the right scale parts.I bought a 1/12 Tamiya 935 porsche on ebay,but Im not sure if it's the right scale for the MPC Falcon...guess I'll find out.I thought it would be a cool kit to build,and also get some nice parts from it for bashing and to cast parts from.Anyway,good luck..and keep e-mailing the guy...I'm assuming you have the correct e-mail address,yes?
 
well I've just gottan another e-mail form the guy. He's having a problem with the operator of the photo-etch equipment. Apparently the opeator knows he's the only guy that can run the thing and is holding the company ransom by charging 3X what he origianlly quoted them. Obviously that has had an effect on the profitability of the endeavor for the company offering the kits. The e-mail said that the order wouldbe filled eventually but it doesn't look like it will be any time soon, and I doubt he's taking any more orders until he gets the situation straightened out.

Litte bit of bad news...

Jedi Dade


Well, I just received another e-mail from the guy... pretty good timing. He states the the PE problem has been fixed, and that I will receive my order around March 15th, at lest that's when he plans to have all of the current PE faclon sets currently on order out the door. he has also given be credit equalt to the amount of my original order for the problems.. seems very reasonable to me
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I'll definitely post when I get the kit and let you know what I think
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I connected with the guy doing the photo-etched grills on another board. He tells me that they have moved their production facilities...and that's the reason for the delay.

He also says that the kit will also include resin inserts for behind the grills.

Just FYI...
 
<posting a reply so my account doesn't get deleted>

Actually, I've been convinced to accuraze and superdetail the MPC Falcon. I will probably start a new thread about it, and try and get some of you involved as well. Basically to just share information about what kits to buy to kitbash from. So far I hgave spent about $100 on kits, and only 2 parts I know fpor sure I will put on the falcon. I will post this info - what kit to get and what part goes where - in the hope that others will do the same, so we can all get info from others about what kits to get, or what kits NOT to get.

Hopefully I'll start that new thread soon, I just got a lot on at the moment.
 
Why start a new thread? Sounds like your contributions will fit right into the intent of this thread, and will be quite welcome.
 
I agree with treadwell,... MPC Falcon accurization - this is the place
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I guess accurization is the wrong word since the entire thing is out of scale to the original, but interstingly enough its almost 1/2 scale to the original
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. Seriiouslt though I've been doing something similar, trying to find the kits of the same subject as the bigger falcons in smaller scales to steal the "greeblies" from
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I'm trying to redo the entire engine wedge. I molde and cast the wedge then sanded off all of the "detail" so that I could replace it with something better. If it turns out well I'll try to mold the finished wedge, but that's a LONG way off I'm afraid. Anything you find would be useful... So far I haven't been real successful trying to get "identical" smaller scale matches, but you can find things that are close... and I guess that's sa good as we can realistically hope for trying to recreate an almost impossible scrounge job in 1/2 the scale when we don't even know if kits were made of those subjects in that scale, of course some of them are probably easier as well - there are a ton of 1/72 scale tank kits
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Jedi Dade
 
Ok. By superdetailing, I mean adding better looking greeblies. By accurizing, I mean altering the dimensions and proportions of the falcon to make it like the studio model. I plan to do both. I also plan to light the damn thing! Hope I have the patience to do it all
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I think we are all in agreeance that the ERTL falcon kit was a copy of the falcon from ANH. I want to make mine like the falcon from ESB. This pretty much means discarding the sidewalls and making new ones. I'm more than happy to share the info about what kits to buy, if others do too. I can give you a tip right now. Somewhere on these forums, I seem to remember somebody saying that 1/12 scale F1 racing cars were used all over the 32" studio model. So I went out and bought $65 worth of 1/24 scale f1 racing car kits, hoping that the smaller scale would work on the ERTL Falcon. seems that ILM used 1/12 scale F1 racing cars on the FIVE FOOT MODEL, thus using 1/24 scale f1 racing car kits on the 32" model. BOLLOCKS!! And no-one makes 1/48 scale model F1 racers. So the lesson for the day is don't buy 1/24 scale F1 kits for your ERTL falcon.
I'm having a tough time trying to identify the greeblies on the sidewalls. I need better reference photos. I don't have the Chronicles book, it's very hard to get it here in Australia. If anyone could be kind enough to send me just some clear images of the sidewalls, I'd be very grateful - arrmaties@hotmail.com . If this clearly breaches copyright, then I suppose you'd better no send it, but I'm not sure.
Jedi Dade? If you have any reccomended kitbashing kits for the engine wedge, I'd love to hear some.
At the moment, All I can suggest to you for sure is the "Airfix 1/72 Matilda tank" which has some detail for the front sidewall (not cockpit side). Unfortunately without better reference pics, it's hard to tell if I have some other parts, but just haven't been able to confirm them. By the way - this part requires you to resize the sidewalls of the falcon. I'm not sure if you plan to do that or not.
good luck.
 
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