Bandai 1/72 PG Millennium Falcon (also the Revell Germany rebox)

Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Funny you bring up the hull plating. It is one of my few complaints I have about the Bandai. The edges are somewhat beveled and not very sharp, specifically when looking at the gaps in between the hull plating. I realize you are referring to the thickness, but none the less not too sharp on the Bandai.
View attachment 760292

I'd categorize fixing the bevel as 'clean-up' more than modification. A file, a little sandpaper, maybe a scrape with the back edge of an X-acto blade should handle that in no time. Some of the plate edges will need warping and distressing anyway, so it's no biggie. We have to put some work into this model! :lol
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Good day to you fellow Falcon Builders!
I was wondering if you can advise me on where to find good reference photos of the original NH filming miniature model, the Five Footer. - I know the ones by Forbidden Plastic.
I am looking for shots about the bottom side the most, but everything is welcome.
Thanks in advance!
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Funny you bring up the hull plating. It is one of my few complaints I have about the Bandai. The edges are somewhat beveled and not very sharp, specifically when looking at the gaps in between the hull plating. I realize you are referring to the thickness, but none the less not too sharp on the Bandai.
View attachment 760292
Honestly, I don't feel like you can compare the two Falcons being the MR and Bandai other than they are beautiful replicas of the specific model they are emulating. Of course the Bandai has more detail, it's based off a much larger model. The MR accurately replicates the 32inch so they both serve their purpose well.

ReallyY????
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Are you saying that you feel the edges are "not very sharp" after seeing the actual parts with your own eyes?

Not sure what you mean by my own eyes? If you mean having the kit in hand, I do not. If the actual kit is anything other than the photo I posted please share.

I'd categorize fixing the bevel as 'clean-up' more than modification. A file, a little sandpaper, maybe a scrape with the back edge of an X-acto blade should handle that in no time. Some of the plate edges will need warping and distressing anyway, so it's no biggie. We have to put some work into this model! :lol
No doubt. Just trying to share an objective view of the model overall. Pros and cons, so the info is out there. I'm not the type that sees something that I really like so much that I am too blinded to point out its faults. I was a little bummed about the sharpness of the plating though. But like was said, must be part of the process of production. The pros far outweigh the cons, I can't wait to get my hands on this kit.
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Honestly, I don't feel like you can compare the two Falcons being the MR and Bandai other than they are beautiful replicas of the specific model they are emulating. Of course the Bandai has more detail, it's based off a much larger model. The MR accurately replicates the 32inch so they both serve their purpose well.

I may have made myself misunderstood when I said "thickness of the hull plates." This is what I was referring to:

propr.jpg

It's nothing about the 5 foot model having more detail. It's precisely about how the MR replicates the 32inch.
I am not trying to criticize the MR, but if you call this "accurate," compared to this, the edges of the hull platings of the Bandai are much sharper and true to the original, even without taking into account that the Bandai model is half the size.

Not sure what you mean by my own eyes? If you mean having the kit in hand, I do not. If the actual kit is anything other than the photo I posted please share.

What I meant by "with your own eyes" is "not through photos shared on the Web but by seeing the actual parts through your own eyes." Those photos were taken with macro lenses. Any detail which look razor sharp to the eye shall start to look dull when magnified to a certain degree.
The kit does have edges which are beveled due to molding angles, but compared to other Falcon kits, this kit is engineered to make them fewer and far less prominent (to the eye). I think this fact shall also become clear when the kit reaches you.

Also, I am not trying to say the kit is perfect or faultless. That's why I've been posting my mods.
 
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Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Yes, I understand.
I realize you are referring to the thickness, but none the less not too sharp on the Bandai.

I may have made myself misunderstood when I said "thickness of the hull plates." This is what I was referring to:

View attachment 760321

It's nothing about the 5 foot model having more detail. It's precisely about how the MR replicates the 32inch.
I am not trying to criticize the MR, but if you call this "accurate," compared to this, the edges of the hull platings of the Bandai are much sharper and true to the original, even without taking into account that the Bandai model is half the size.
.
I am just trying to clarify for the sole purpose of me understanding your point, and if I understand why the MR Falcon is in this conversation, it is to say that the 32 inch MR as a 1:1 representation of the studio model has armor plating thickness that is too thick (no argument there), and that the Bandai's armor thickness has been scaled down to the proper thickness on a 1/72 scale based on the 5ft model? I say bring out the calipers. If it's proportionally the same I'll shut up and eat my words. I'm willing to bet that that the Bandai's armor thickness is too thick based on it's scale too. I don't see how you can make a model that scaled down and maintain the proper thickness of it's armor. It would be extremely fragile.
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Ahh come on and be honest, You have buyers remorse for the Master Replica falcon.

Its childs toy like appearance was never worth the $900 plus. The same amount is for the flat looking Diagostini kids toy which is an oversized low detail space invader.

Never too late to sell ;)

Yeah, the MR Falcon is awful... I'll keep it though to save inflicting it on you ;)
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

I have the MR (LE, unmodified) as well as the Deagostini (I wanted to assemble and paint myself). They both give the pleasure of a big, studio scale model, but the new Bandai model, although roughly half the size, goes surprisingly ahead of those studio scale models in terms of replicating the original. This is especially apparent in the thickness of the hull plates, all around the rim of the saucers and the hull pits (the pic of the Bandai model is in its partially primed state).

View attachment 760286

Of course the biggest thing about the Bandai model isn't about it being a masterpiece of Japanese engineering, but about such engineering being made to serve the purpose of providing appreciation of ILM's ingenuity that went into the 5 foot model.

View attachment 760291
You are comparing the 32" ESB Falcon replicated by MR at 1/43 to the 5-Foot ANH Falcon replicated at 1/72 by Bandai...
For me it's too small but I really think it's awesome looking out of the box

- - - Updated - - -

Funny you bring up the hull plating. It is one of my few complaints I have about the Bandai. The edges are somewhat beveled and not very sharp, specifically when looking at the gaps in between the hull plating. I realize you are referring to the thickness, but none the less not too sharp on the Bandai.
View attachment 760292
Honestly, I don't feel like you can compare the two Falcons being the MR and Bandai other than they are beautiful replicas of the specific model they are emulating. Of course the Bandai has more detail, it's based off a much larger model. The MR accurately replicates the 32inch so they both serve their purpose well.

Totally agree Mike, it's whatever 'floats yer boat'
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Just my 2 cents worth on a few things.

I don't feel any comparison or even pics to compare certain areas of the 5 footer & 32" model in either MR Falcon or Deagostini are warranted here, they are totally world's apart.
This is a Bandai 1/72 ANH Falcon thread, so the only reference should be the 5 footer, same as what Bandai used funny enough to produce their kit!. And what a kit it is too I might add!. I'm not getting one mind, I have my own 5 foot model under construction, so have my hands full haha.

So in regards to plating & the armor plating in particular...it is a mix of 1mm & 0.75mm thick plating used on the 5 foot miniature. The mandibles for instance, 0.75mm is used here. The underneath jaw box is 0.75mm, but the sides of the front gear box are 1mm. The chipping is all a mix of both sizes, only seen in good close-up reference pics.
The acrylic domes were routed to their edge to 0.75mm, incredibly thin for this edge & the overhanging plating on top of that. Still, the 5 footer is an incredibly fragile model, as all builds will be!. You can't pick it up from the edge of the round hull & you can't really grab anything down the mandible end. Hence the holes in the miniature to insert handles.

If Bandai were to do a true scale edge to the plating...that would be 0.25mm, so thin!.

Stu
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

and that the Bandai's armor thickness has been scaled down to the proper thickness on a 1/72 scale based on the 5ft model? I say bring out the calipers. If it's proportionally the same I'll shut up and eat my words. I'm willing to bet that that the Bandai's armor thickness is too thick based on it's scale too. I don't see how you can make a model that scaled down and maintain the proper thickness of it's armor. It would be extremely fragile.

If you have taken note that I had written "compared to this," you would have understood that that was not exactly what I meant.
But I think you have raised an interesting point in questioning if it is indeed proportionally the same.
The closest thing I have to a caliper that could measure 0.25mm is a 0.3mm Tamiya plaplate, so I used that to take the pic below.
The plaplate is on a pack of business cards, and on top of the plaplate is a quarter dollar coin.

P2030491r.jpg

If you look at the part which reveals the section of the plating, its certain that the thickness only reaches its accuracy at the very edge (That is how it is achieved).
But the section gets virtually hidden when the model is assembled.
There are parts where the edge thickness becomes in the range of 0.3mm to 0.4mm, but I don't know if that's expressing some thickness articulation of the original model, or if it is due to technical limitations.
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

Where IS the five footer these days?

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

On the Bandai PG Falcon promo video,....the guys from Bandai said they visited Skywalker Ranch a couple of times to take dimensions etc of the 5 footer

J
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

It wouldn't surprise me at all if he's an RPFer.
Also wouldn't surprise me at all if he's posting in this very thread.
Sure, he's no Ricky Gervais... but I for one appreciate him sharing his build with us.
So, whoever you are: Thanks! :cheers
 
Re: Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon

He seems nervous and he is unorganized and his camera work is pretty bad. He has a lot of modeling stuff up on YouTube, so he should be a bit more professional by now.
At least he is putting some stuff up there for us folks who are chomping at the bit to see more of "What's in the Box".

I would have thought there would be more stuff on YouTube from the Japanese modelers by now.
 

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