Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon
I like how that blog with the photos is listed in a category that Google's software translates as "Middle-aged Hobby". Yeah, that's about right.
I also love the way the product is arriving to people in these absolutely perfect and pristine Platonic ideals of a cardboard box. Not all smashed up and dented. That's the care that Japanese shipping takes for you.
Anyway. Looks like some of the remaining outstanding questions have been answered.
- The cockpit nose cone is unfortunately in two halves with a horizontal seam. Really would have preferred a cone which comes off in its entirety, so you can clip it in place with magnets and not have an ugly seam halfway along. Ah well.
- Seems like there is just one etched metal piece, so no additional part for cockpit backwalls etc.
- The cockpit backwall is clear plastic with the greeblies molded in place. The idea is you place LEDs behind it and use the supplied decals (with a ton of decal setting solution!) to get the highly detailed lights, pinstripe lines, etc. You'll probably want to paint it carefully first to avoid light leaks.
- The ramp appears to be a two-parter like the one on the 144 Bandai Falcon. So you either put a bottom plate for in-flight mode, or a fixed ramp in the down position. The hydraulic pistons seem to be molded into the ramp's interior walls, so some engineering will be required if you want a movable ramp.