VCX-100 - The Ghost

[curiouslysophie]

I’ve been looking out for a great 1/144 Ghost for a while. Yours is shaping up awesomely. Personally, I’d be interested in printing one myself. I’d probably do most of it in FDM, with detail bits in resin.

Sorry, I missed your reply! I would think at that scale, dpending on your printer sive it might be better to do the whole thing in resin? You'd get much nicer detail and surfaces on the hull. I can split it to fit onto most mid-sized resin printers at 1/144 I think.

 

[StevenBills]

Please let me know what you think, and if there is anything that you think would make it a better kit, or easier to print?

On a completely off topic, does anyone have a really good set of drawings for the Imperial Shuttle? That is going to be my next project and I'm getting my references together.

Various mounting points, ala the 5' Falcon, which could be covered with a cluster of greeblies when not in use. If I ever print something like this, it'd be for my photography project (which you can see here).

And I have a set of drawings of the shuttle from Neil Ellis, who was in the Art Dept for Ep 7, Rogue One, Solo, Ep 9, etc... He made them for a project in University, and you can see them in this Insta post:

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DM me and I can send them your way.

SB

 

[curiouslysophie]

Various mounting points, ala the 5' Falcon, which could be covered with a cluster of greeblies when not in use. If I ever print something like this, it'd be for my photography project (which you can see here).

And I have a set of drawings of the shuttle from Neil Ellis, who was in the Art Dept for Ep 7, Rogue One, Solo, Ep 9, etc... He made them for a project in University, and you can see them in this Insta post:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

DM me and I can send them your way.

SB

The mounting points are a good one. I wouldn't have thought of it as it is not something I would normally do. I can incorporate the mounts for it by I don't have the metalworking skills or equipment to produce the mounts.

Neil's work is incredible, a definite follow from me! I would love to produce models for shows and movies!

 

[rbeach84]

Those are great dwawings! I may alter the guns and mounts a little to make them more detailed and a bit friendlier for 3D printing.



This is my turret so far. I had to make the frames a bit thicker to be suitable for printing.

View attachment 1714653

This is also my first pass at the Phantom dock. It gives space for the cockpit if forwards and the engines if backwards. I may have a look through the show and see if there are any shots of that area.

The dock needs to be deeper to accomodate the shuttle's nose. If you can make it out on my drawings, the plan view top has the space defined by green lines. Take a look at the relationship when it is docked facing forward:

Also, the smaller engines may be arranged too high in relation to the larger engines, by just a bit...
Sorry if I seem to be critical, just hoping to relay some of the findings I hammered out while I was doing my similar adventure...

Regards, Robert

 

[curiouslysophie]

The dock needs to be deeper to accomodate the shuttle's nose. If you can make it out on my drawings, the plan view top has the space defined by green lines. Take a look at the relationship when it is docked facing forward:View attachment 1714713

Also, the smaller engines may be arranged too high in relation to the larger engines, by just a bit...
Sorry if I seem to be critical, just hoping to relay some of the findings I hammered out while I was doing my similar adventure...

Regards, Robert

Not critical at all, and I'm extremely happy to have the help! You have saved me a ton of research and I'm so grateful, thank you.

As I said, the docking space was a first pass and is easily alterable, as is the secondary engines. All of this will improve my Ghost, and hopefully lead to a much better file for everyone!

 

[rbeach84]

An aside, I always thought the Ghost looked like the 'sponson wedges' were removable compartments, so that they could be added as needed. Since the design changes from season to season with regard to whether the forward and aft space under the sponsons (or 'wings) has a 'wedge' in it or not, I feel that was exactly the intent. It would also allow for modification of the ship's weapon's fit, since that same additional volume could be used for whatever was needed (torps and launch tubes, for example.) Wouldn't be too much a stretch to have access hatches located in the side docking port tunnels...

;^)
Robert

 

[curiouslysophie]

That is true, it does seem to vary, and that seems a plausible reasoning for it. The VCX-100 is a freighter after all. From most of what I've seen, it would seem the front ones are flat, and the rear ones sloped? I could definitely add detail to suggest a way to 'attach' sections.

Excited to do the detailing! I have a growing library of digital greeblies. If anyone knows of a good source for more, please let me know, especially if they are star wars staples.

 

[curiouslysophie]

Well I'm calling the exterior shape and base details done and locked in;

I have mostly completed the interior strenghtening and support structure; it has tubes to add to 5mm rods fore to aft, and 12.7mm inserts behind each docking port hatch and in the base for either more strengthening or for mounting as StevenBills requested (to mount from above you'll be able to remove the turret and go in through there.

I have made the walls think enough that a reduction to 1/144 will be possible without weakening the structure. I will do tweaks for a smaller version though.

Hope this looks good to everyone? Next is the interior parts; cockpit and turrets!

 

[kermet]

I love this ship on rebels Randy Cooper made a model of this I belive they are still able to aquire if wanted nice size too can't wait to see how yours comes out

 

[rbeach84]

Looking very good!!!
Thanks for the collaboration, glad that old research finally came in use!
Kind regards, Robert

 

[curiouslysophie]

I love this ship on rebels Randy Cooper made a model of this I belive they are still able to aquire if wanted nice size too can't wait to see how yours comes out

This ship is a favourite of mine too! I love Randy's work and he produces a fantastic kit, I wanted one in 1/72 scale and with more of the Rogue One elements than Randy's. Hopefully you'll like mine once detailed up!

Looking very good!!!
Thanks for the collaboration, glad that old research finally came in use!
Kind regards, Robert

Thank you Robert, your research was invaluable! I'm glad you like it. I did move the smaller engines down as you suggested, and I hope you think the Phantom dock looks good? If you have any other advice or CC's I'd love to hear them

I hope to do the Phantom II down the line too, but that might be a future project. Thanks to StevenBills I now I now have exceptional drawings of the Imperial Shuttle to work from, and I have a fairly decent royalty free U-Wing I hope to modify into something great. There is never a shortage of projects!

 

[rbeach84]

CS, yes I like the result of the shuttle dock, looks spot-on!

Kind regards, Robert

 

[curiouslysophie]

CS, yes I like the result of the shuttle dock, looks spot-on!

Kind regards, Robert

Good to hear, thank you! It needs some detailing and that lower hatch! It'll be interesting to see how the Phantom II fits in there when I get round to it!

 

[kermet]

I do belive you will make it epic keep it going there is always lots of thinking seems like you will make as nice model of a cool ship can't wait to see it. Thanks for sharing

 

[curiouslysophie]

I do belive you will make it epic keep it going there is always lots of thinking seems like you will make as nice model of a cool ship can't wait to see it. Thanks for sharing

Thank you! That's very kind of you to say. I am on an away job for the next couple of weeks, so will be away from my bench, but luckily I can still do a bit of 3D modelling while I'm away! I got a few projects finished this week as well, which I'm hoping to show to you guys at some point, once I get my camera out and take the photos!

 

[computergeek]

This has been a fantastic thread to follow- excellent work on the model! Definitely count me in as interested in a set of files.

 

[curiouslysophie]

This has been a fantastic thread to follow- excellent work on the model! Definitely count me in as interested in a set of files.

I will definitely have the files up for sale as both 1/144 & 1/72 scale.
I do have a question For people who are interested. How would you like the canopies to be in the files? I currently have bucks made to make vacuum formed ones, but would people like it set up to 3D print ones in clear?

 

[computergeek]

I will definitely have the files up for sale as both 1/144 & 1/72 scale.
I do have a question For people who are interested. How would you like the canopies to be in the files? I currently have bucks made to make vacuum formed ones, but would people like it set up to 3D print ones in clear?

I've never been able to get a satisfactory cockpit glass printed, so I'd definitely be interested in files for the bucks. You could probably sell preformed canopies as a standalone addon for those without vacuforming capabilities

 

[curiouslysophie]

I've never been able to get a satisfactory cockpit glass printed, so I'd definitely be interested in files for the bucks. You could probably sell preformed canopies as a standalone addon for those without vacuforming capabilities

It has been the same for me. I would definitely include the buck files, maybe I'll add a printing option for those that want it.
I would very much be willing to sell vacuform canopies as aftermarket. While vacuform isnt perfect, it is a lot better than the 3D printed version.
I will be getting decals properly printed and possible custom photoetch for lighting the various interior parts, which I will hopefully sell as aftermarket too depending on how much they cost to get made.

 

[rbeach84]

Making vac canopy parts is relatively low tech and if there are bucks ready-made, pretty easy to do. I did my first vacforming using a cardboard box for the 'table', a shop-vac for the suction, some MDF for the plastic holding frames and the kitchen oven for heating... with a couple of bricks to prop the MDF frames on while heating. Worked right decently, with a little practice...
These days, I have a table top vac former (all in one unit used by dentists) obtained through MicroMark, which works great for doing canopies. So I'd vote for having bucks too.

One question, are you adding the ribbing detail on the engine "cans"?

Regards, Rober