Well here is my concept- I wasn't going to reveal my design until I had my big model done, but who knows how long that will be. Plus, its always good to get feedback before doing the big build.
I'm very happy with what I've come up with- I think it fits well into the SW universe- there is a touch of the Old Republic/Naboo influence while at the same time retaining some of the signature OT 'greeblie' style. I think its a logical extrapolation based on the lines of the cockpit section. I wanted the body shell to change the look of the Y just enough to have some style to it, but not so radically that you didn't recognize the ship at all.
The biggest departure from the Y we all know is the vertical fin- as I went I felt the profile of the ship was too flat. I wanted to add something that didn't look TOO neccessary so it would make sense that the Rebel techs would discard it along with the other cosmetic body panels. I may still change this feature in the big model- perhaps lower the overall height of the fin.
The only other thing missing is the R2 head- clearly the continuation of the cockpit lines cover where the astromech normally sits. I built this a while ago and never really decided how to remedy this; should the droid's head raise up through a hole ala' the Naboo N-1?; should the droid be concealed completely inside its own 'cockpit'- perhaps even with a windows matching the pilot area? The latter is an appealing thought- it would look kinda cool and would make sense for a heavily armored bomber. However, in keeping with the SW 'look' (which doesn't always make sense), I think the solution should be the former. So just imagine a droid head 'bump' in the appropriate place.
Comments welcome.
Mark
The pictures:
Either way this will be awesome... Oh and yes I think Naboo Style would be cool with the r2 unit