The Five Foot Falcon - researching the cockpit

3Dsf

3Dsf

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So I've been looking into details of the original Millennium Falcon cockpit that was built for the 1976/77 "five foot" shooting miniature. It differs significantly from the full-size cockpit set, designed by Harry Lange and built later in England. But it actually appears on-screen, notably in three scenes in the Empire Strikes Back.

esb.jpg

The topic has come up recently in a thread related to the new Bandai 1:72 Falcon kit, which is based on the 1977-era miniature. So I thought it might be good to bring this up here.

https://sites.google.com/site/millenniumfalconnotes/five-foot-cockpit

If anyone has any kit part identification information for this obscure topic, I'd love to hear from you!

- nkg
 
There are a couple reasons why I'm interested in this cockpit even though I know some are (understandably) puzzled why anyone would want the studio cockpit in their Falcon model. First, it's fun to research and figure this stuff out. It's an archeological adventure of the model kind. Second, I know I'm not alone in being old enough to get the original MPC Falcon kit with that glorious photo of the studio model on it and then be horribly disappointed when the kit inside looked nothing like what was on the box (or in the movies). Having a model with that original cockpit, for me, is like giving a present to my 13-year-old self. "Here ya go, kid. The model you always wanted!" Third, the Bandai kit is said to be so accurate that having a studio cockpit seems the closest I'll ever get to actually owning the studio miniature (assuming I also replace the engine grid with a translucent plastic strip). So thanks for creating this thread and your site, nkg. Looking forward to whatever develops.
 
I love where this is going. Curious on how far you want to take it? Lorne Peterson clearly states in Sculpting a Galaxy that although the motor was never installed in the cockpit, it was sleeved and rigged and can rotate 90 degrees.
 
The white discs either side of the door look like parts from the Bandai 1/15 Stug, slightly modified with one bar of the cross removed.
Stug4_crop.jpg
There are probably small wheels underneath the cross shaped parts.
 
Hunk a Junk said:
Second, I know I'm not alone in being old enough to get the original MPC Falcon kit with that glorious photo of the studio model on it and then be horribly disappointed when the kit inside looked nothing like what was on the box (or in the movies).
Click to expand...

Sigh. Yep - I still remember that sense of disappointment when I realized how thick the model was compared to the photo of the real thing...
 
kokkari: Yeah, the rotating cockpit theory is an interesting one. I know Lorne Peterson has mentioned a couple times that there was this design concept of a rotating cockpit, and refers to the ship flying vertically like that brief canyon scene in Empire. But Joe Johnston, who designed the Falcon, has also dismissed the idea as fanciful, as I recall. So who knows?

I'm not sure about the central cockpit being a rotatable cylinder. It's an interesting concept, but that would mean that the cockpit cone assembly wouldn't be attached to the cockpit cylinder - it would have to be freely rotating cone attached to the internal details. I suppose it's possible!
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if the model was rigged for the cockpit to rotate. It was certainly a concept that was discussed, according to Peterson, and it might be one of those things the modelers did so that the director would have options. Given that other Star Wars ships, specifically the B-Wing but also several of the ships in Clone Wars featured rotating cockpits, it seem it was an idea that intrigued George. From the pictures, there's definitely something round in the center of the back cockpit wall. I thought it might be a fan to help ventilate and cool the model (seems most practical) but a rotation mechanism might be plausible too. Quick, someone go crack that baby open and give us an answer! Doesn't Adam Savage haunt these boards sometimes? Seems like he'd know, given his service in the ILM model shop.
 
nkg said:
kokkari: Yeah, the rotating cockpit theory is an interesting one. I know Lorne Peterson has mentioned a couple times that there was this design concept of a rotating cockpit, and refers to the ship flying vertically like that brief canyon scene in Empire. But Joe Johnston, who designed the Falcon, has also dismissed the idea as fanciful, as I recall. So who knows?

I'm not sure about the central cockpit being a rotatable cylinder. It's an interesting concept, but that would mean that the cockpit cone assembly wouldn't be attached to the cockpit cylinder - it would have to be freely rotating cone attached to the internal details. I suppose it's possible!
Click to expand...
I found the exact quote from Lorne's book, " Though the end model did not include this feature (meaning the mechanical components if you read the previous paragraph), the cockpit module remained sleeve and could be rotated", which leads me to believe that if I reached in and grabbed the cockpit as it stands today and turned it counter-clockwise it would rotate. I would assume he's not lying and from interviews I've heard with Lorne, he sounds pretty sharp in remembering details. Ultimately, who knows, but it's fun to talk about.
 
I have read about the Falcon having two cockpit modes- it would fly with the saucer on edge but flip to horizontal when landing. I am glad they did not do that- I think it looks better on screen as is- and when you do see it flying vertical you can tell it is doing an extreme maneuver.

I love seeing the details of the five footer cockpit interior!
 
kokkari said:
I found the exact quote from Lorne's book, " Though the end model did not include this feature (meaning the mechanical components if you read the previous paragraph), the cockpit module remained sleeve and could be rotated", which leads me to believe that if I reached in and grabbed the cockpit as it stands today and turned it counter-clockwise it would rotate. I would assume he's not lying and from interviews I've heard with Lorne, he sounds pretty sharp in remembering details. Ultimately, who knows, but it's fun to talk about.
Click to expand...

If there are no rotation mechanics behind the cockpit, then that round structure visible has got to be a cooling fan. It makes too much sense for it to be anything else, given that the glass-less cockpit is the biggest opening after the six engine vents. Do we know the make of fans ILM used in the engine vents? Could this be a similar model?
 

Attachments

  • cockpit detail.pdf
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I think cooling fan is a reasonable conjecture, especially if they used halogens to backlight the cockpit.

The object in that view doesn't look much like the visible fan mechanisms on the engine deck, though. So presumably a different make/brand/model.

295174_4167781226173_1084072859_n.jpg
 
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