Y-Wing (Gold Leader) Build - Nice-N Model Designs

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I took a break from the Y-Wing to take advantage of the good weather to do some painting on another project, but I'm back at it again this weekend.
I was surprised to discover that after all that work completed last time, there were still panels that needed to be removed, including all of the patch panels on the canopy. The good news about the canopy is that only one panel needed to be added near the front.

However, after adding all of the patch panels to the top of the forward section, I was surprised to discover just how many of them there were.
I studied several reference photos, but only two, high-res photos were really useful. Most of the reference photos don't clearly show the shadowy lines of the raised panels, so that makes this part of the project difficult:



Coming up, adding patch panels to the sides and underside of the forward section.

 

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Some home repairs and upgrades have kept me busy for the last month or so, but I'm back on the Y-Wing. Today I looked over the work completed so far and double checked all available reference photos, adding a few, missing details on all sides of the forward fuselage:



Bottom:


A couple of items I noticed that were missing, are the "arcs" or smooth transactions between the bottom of the base and the "switch box". I just used a couple of pieces of styrene with an arc cut into them. I will use some modeling puddy at some point to blend them into the main, body:



Left Side:


Right Side:

Unfortunately, the few reference photos that exist of the right side aren't high resolution enough to see any kind of raised details, so I had to leave this side mostly bare. The patch panels that I did leave are a combination of detailing seen on both the Red and Gold 2.

Up next, finishing off the detailing on the bottom and attaching the switch wires; then, engine assembly and detailing.

 

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Before finishing the work on the forward fuselage, I wanted to make sure that I had all of the remaining, detail parts needed to finish the engines, which are basically the last major parts needed to finish off this model.

I spent about an hour looking through each reference photo and noticed that a couple of small details were missing from the Starboard engine.

Here's a shot of the bottom of the engine. The missing part is actually very common and it appears all over the main body:



Here's a shot of the top of the engine. Originally, I thought a different part was used, but the photo isn't high resolution so the part isn't clearly shown:



The part does show up on the port engine, however. It is positioned next to a small rod that extends to the "fin" at the back of the engine.
It's possible that because the rod fits on top of the part (bottom of the starboard engine) it was left off the engine to be attached later. Unfortunately, the directions for Gold Leader are missing the engine assembly. One set of parts that are included on both Red and Golder leader model kits (and on Gold 2) are the "panels" that are attached to the sides of both engines. This is how they are supposed to be positioned:




Originally, there were holes on the sides of the engines so that the model could be held up by a metal rod, so notches were added to the panels to keep them in place:



I won't be adding these holes to my model, so I remove the notches with a large X-acto knife, finally cleaning them up with some 220 gritt:



Getting back to the small, detailed parts for the starboard engine, I use a couple of "instrument panels" that were left over. They have the small parts that I need:




I use a X-acto knife saw to remove the small parts. I use a large X-acto knife and some 220 grit to clean them up a bit:



Looking through my parts bags, I came across some additional parts that actually need to be placed between the engines and the wings. I was surprised to find that these parts are only placed on the top of the wings, near the forward edge:




These parts need to sit flat on the wings, so the small, "nubs" will need to be removed:



And that's it. With the exception of some tiny pipping, these are the only detailed parts that need to be added to the engines:



...and as usual, my hats off to Steve and his crew for their work on this model kit. I'm very impressed with the detailing on the engines and wings. I only wish we had more detailed reference photos.

 

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With some help from Jkirkon I was able to find a good reference photo for that illusive right side:



Here's my updated, right side detail:

 

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I was finally able to get back to the switch. The idea is to hollow out more of the forward fuselage to make room for the wires attached to the switch. Here's the bottom assembly:




With the switch removed:


I used a couple of different drill bits (one small and then one large - 1/4") to help deepen the hollowed out area:




The hole for the wires was widened a bit:


This is how the wires will fit. The idea is to add some length to the wires so that in the future, the switch can be easily replaced:


For testing purposes, the switch was attached and a small, 12v battery installed. The jumbo LEDs lit up perfectly, so we're all set.

 

[Corellianexports]

This is a part that's given me a few headaches. The part (a jack) is from a JagD Tiger tank truck. Unfortunately, the kit only included one of these and a second one is needed for the right side. The killer is that it's the last, last, last detailed part I needed to finish the build, so it became a real thorn in my side.
Because I needed to make some molds back in November, I decided to make a mold of this part at the same time. The good news is that the mold came out perfectly, along with the pulls, which surprised me a little because the part has some very tiny details on it. The bad news is that one of the "pins" fell off during molding and so I had to cast some new ones and glue them on (each part). Because the part is more visual on the top of the model, I decided to use the original here, near the stern:




Here's the one I cast, on the right side, near the wing:



There's nothing like "tying up loose ends".
So with those minor details in place, time to move on to the engines.

 

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While waiting on some engine parts to dry, I decided to get started on the piping, beginning with the stern:



I scaled up the reference photos and marked the bent areas before using a candle to heat up the areas. A little tricky, but it came together quickly. Looking at the reference photos, it looks like these are held onto the fuselage with pins, so I will probably drill some small holes at some point. The pipes are 1/8" thick, so a 1/16" drill bit might do it.

 

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Before I can start assembling the engines, the thrusters will need to be cleaned up and painted. One reason is because they are deep inside the engines and could be difficult to paint after the fact.

Here's a before photo after painting them with Tamiya light grey primer. They will need to be reinforced with contact cement and touched up with modelers puddy:

 

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The weather has gotten colder, so I've had to put the painting on hold for at least a week or two. In the meantime, there's plenty of work to do with the piping. There's so much of it, it's hard to know exactly where to start, so since the top section of the engines are already attached, I decided to start at top. Something interesting I noticed is that the width of the pipes change from small to large moving from the center of the ship to the outer edges. The exception is the pipe on the wing, which is the smallest at .06". Medium is .1" and large is .125".
Here's a progress shot of the left side:




It was easier just to cut and bend the pipes first before attaching them. Since I'm starting from scratch today, I decided to start attaching them before moving on to more cutting and bending:

 

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Last weekend I attached most of the pipes on the top, including the left side. Today I'm finishing off all of the pipes for the top section:



While making the pipes for the top, right side, I noticed a couple of parts that are missing, so I'll have to go through my bag of leftovers and see if I can get these parts installed. I'm scratching my head a bit because I'm not sure if these parts were added after the fact in post-production or if they simply fell off while filming, which is definitely possible considering all of the "stuff" on this model:



Up next, researching and placing the "missing" parts, then on to the bottom for more piping.

 

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I checked through my leftovers and found an 8RAD part, which looks like a pair of handlebars or control arms and placed it behind the upper pipe. The other part is a McLaren "plug" part which attaches to one end of the lower and larger pipe. These parts are included with the kit.

I looked at some additional reference photos and found these parts are on the model, but I think I missed them because the original instructions for Gold Leader don't include piping, so these parts were ignored, possibly because they are so close to the piping:




To get the "plug" to fit correctly, some material needs to be removed from the side of the upper wing section, just below the sets of rectangular openings. The 8RAD part needs to be cut down a bit by removing the small "bolts" on the ends. I just glued it against the side of the fuselage and on top of the upper wing area.

 

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Today I spent a little more time removing small bits of material from the upper part of the right or starboard wing. It looks as if there was some "undercut" left over from the mold, so this is what had to be removed:




The "plug" was glued in place and then the two pipes were added. Based on the reference photo, the two pipes are actually glued together, probably to help stabilize them. I used some tape and a couple of toothpicks to help keep them in place. Lots of work!



The second pipe is a little high on the engine, but I'm going to wait until the pipes are completely dry before cutting it down a bit. While waiting on the parts to dry, I looked over the top references and discover a straight pipe that needs to be placed on the left or port side.
The pipe is actually embedded into the upper part of the wing. The model part isn't wide enough to fit the pipe, so I used a 7/64 drill bit to help create a slight, circular indentation within the part so that the end of the pipe fits:



I also trimmed one end of the pipe to help it fit. The other end is cut at an angle and viola! It sits straight, lined up with the larger pipes near the edge of the wing:



A nice, easy pipe. The previous two were tricky.

Next up, attaching pipes to the bottom and painting the thrusters.

 

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Before moving on to the bottom, I wanted to fix the pipe attached to the engine. It was a little too long, so I trimmed it a bit with a X-acto knife and then used some 220 to sand it down. I simply moved the pipe back and forth until it fit perfectly: nice and straight:




Finished:



Here's a shot of the bottom, left side, before adding the pipes. You'll also notice that the mount part is missing:




There are two, small horizontal pipes that start from the end of the model kit part (Harrier part) to the mount part. The part of the pipe that drops down fits perfectly between the part and the railing. The other end needs a little trimming to fit against the mount part:




Here it is, attached:



The other pipe didn't require any trimming because it fits against the mount part perfectly.

 

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With the smaller pipes in place, I move on to the long, thin pipes. In fact, these pipes are the thinnest at just .06". Here's a shot of the bottom, left side:




After studying the reference pics, I noticed that these pipes were glued down to the body to create a certain amount of stability. They are not simply placed, free form like water pipes. Something difficult to see in the references is the angle of the pipes. They go from about a 60 degree angle to a straight line, centered within the hole in the body:



To help glue down the pipes to the body, I use a pen or a tube of glue to help keep them in place:



A final shot of the bottom right side:


Bottom Left side:



Top left side:


Top right side:



So that does it for all of the pipes that sit within the central section of the model. There are still some pipes that need to be added on the bottom, but they can't be placed until the engines are finished, so up next, I will start tackling the thrusters and engines. For now, I will be stowing away all of the pipe materials for a while.

 

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So for the past 4 weeks I've been collecting airbrushes, compressors and studying manuals on how to use all this stuff. I was also able to practice with the two airbrushes that I purchased. The good news is that it looks like adding all of the weathering with the airbrush won't be as difficult as I had originally thought, partially because the dark grey paint I'm using is actually resin based so it can be easily removed with a rag and a little water.
The best advice I can give anyone starting out with an airbrush for the first time is to buy a good one with a compressor because the "beginners" set doesn't appear to work and it's a waste of money, unless you're trying to "splatter" dots of paint on your model.

I was hesitant to put together the engines without installing the thrusters first, but after fitting the thrusters, it does look like they can be installed after the fact and this is how it is done in the instructions, so I think we're good. One reason why it's important is because the engines will need to be sprayed with several coats of primer and cleaned up due to the large, joining lines on either side.

Here's a "before" shot of the underside:



I use 220 grit along the edges and on the top of the aluminum. I blow off the resin dust and then apply contact cement with a toothpick along all of the edges and the aluminum. Small clamps, rubber bands and clothes pins are set aside.

The left side is a little tricky. I just keep an eye on where the wire and hole is, installing the bottom section at an angle and then twisting it counter-clockwise:



I use the clamps to keep the back corners straight. The front corners look good:




On to the starboard (right) side. There's an area in the corner where the bottom section meets the aluminum that is bending inward, so I use a clay sculpting tool to push it outward where it belongs:



Other than that, the front looks good. Everything is lining up perfectly.
Here's an overall shot:



I'm going to let this sit overnight and then double check the thruster installation. Once that's complete, I'll start filling in the gaps with putty and adding the rest of the details on the engines.

 

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The thrusters have to be installed at an angle, but they do fit, so we're in good shape.



I also checked the dome installation. The left or port side dome fits like a glove, but starboard side had some problems. It was easier to flip the assembly over to use a clamp to fix the problem, so here is the bottom of the Y-Wing:



The sides of the engines were sticking out slightly, so I used a medium size clamp to push them into place to help fit the dome. I then used a good amount of contact cement inside the engine to help keep the two halves in place.



I do the same with the other side (port):



And fill in the corner (where the wing meets the engine) with some modeler's puddy.
I turned the assembly around to the rear area and do the same with the starboard side:



The port side was a little loose in one corner, so I used some super glue with a small clamp to keep it in place. While waiting for it to dry, I applied a little puddy in the seam, near the wing:



I also fill in the seam on the other side of the same engine. Because the center of the engine will be covered with some detail parts, I leave that part of the seam alone:

 

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According to the directions, the next step is to attach the domes. Before I do that, I want to check the details on them against the reference photos, just in case something is missing, etc.

Unfortunately, most of the reference photos basically show a big white "blob" where these domes are located, so seeing any kind of details on them is close to impossible, but I did find a couple of lines near to the top of the port dome and near the bottom of the starboard dome. The panel near the bottom of the port dome (below right) needs to be moved toward the right slightly, so I mark it with a sharpie. The panel on the left side of the starboard dome (below left) need to be removed completely. Other than that, the panels on both domes are in the correct spots. The photo below displays the domes as they are seen on the model facing forward:



(Something interesting to note is that the domes on Gold 2 do not have these panel details.)
As with the detailing on the forward fuselage, I use some thin styrene, a ruler and a X-acto knife to cut out the patch panel using the existing panel as a reference:



This is a breeze compared to all of the work needed on the forward fuselage.

I use a reference photo to pinpoint the placement of the new panel. It should be placed just behind the panel detail near the bottom:



Here's the finished product:



Up next, completing the detailing of the engines, attaching the domes and maybe a little painting.

 

[dtssyst]

Amazing build so far.

 

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After removing the clamps from the engines, I checked the dome installation and noticed that the right/starboard side was still bending out, so I used a heat gun, briefly along the sides and that did the trick. Now I wished that I had used it earlier, but I had originally thought it would do more harm than good. I'll remember that when I tackle the cockpit cover.

So now that the clamps are completely removed, I can start cleaning up the seams:




I use 400 and then 600 gritt along the seams:



The seams on the outside are actually easier to get to when it's flipped over:



Going back to the top, I tackle the area between the wing and the engine. There's a good size crevice here that needs to be filled in:



The other side only needs a little attention:



With all those areas cleaned up, I apply some more puddy and leave it to dry.
Up next, finishing up the domes, getting them attached and then tackling the rest of the pipes.

 

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I found a single reference photo that shows the outline of a patch panel centered near the top of the starboard dome:




It's the only reference I could find so I was skeptical that it's correct, but the more I look at it and the entire setup, it looks like this is what was intended. Here's a front shot of both domes:



Reminds me a little of airplane propellers.
Up next, the dreaded pipes!