DeAgostini 1:18 X-Wing

The millennium falcon looked like a toy in there videos also. I think with enough work it can be pretty cool. I like the inner workings stuff. But agree that it is a bit steep in price but I’m doing it anyway.
 
I will hopefully stay out of posting about this kit (after this) since I am not a fan and will not be buying it. But in it's defense, with an all over paint job, which it will need to satisfy any serious (or maybe even casual) modeler, the open seems are easily fixed. They look large by any modern model standard, but are still easily fixed. And kudos to DeAgo for showing this kind of build. They could have easily filled seems and presented something misleading. I think the MF was early on described like it wouldn't need anything but assembling. With this kit it says it will painted but come with instructions to help the serious modeler paint it. I was concerned about the MF getting cancelled right at the end of the subscription so I ordered two at full price, but don't forget it later was sold as a complete kit for a discount. If the price bothers you and you don't REALLY have to have it but WANT it, think about waiting for it as a full kit at a discount. Having said all that (and for the last time), the cost, the product, and the size are why I would never even consider this for purchase. From now on, I will try to stay out of it, so PM if want to hear something from me--although I really don't have much else to say about this.
Mike Todd
 
Here is the video from the German site. Still some gaps but the most obvious one is where the torpedo section comes off. Still have to wait and see some build diaries to see if the gap issue is real or just a rush job to make the video.

 
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That video makes it look way better and interesting, not so much of a toy I said it looked like. I think if you really want one that size and enjoy some light building and don't like scratch building then it would be a reasonable purchase, still very high at $1500, but does look better than the first photos I've seen.

Here's the Hasbro Hero toy conversion to open wings as a bit of a comparison as it's generally accepted as 1/18 scale.
 

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Im in. Nothing that cant be fixed. with a little work. Paint job is 90% of the battle. The thing that sells it is the opening via remote.
 
This time I´ll wait until it´s about half way through and then see who´s going to falter and offer their collection up for sale as a bundle :p
 
A better paint job and some 3D print upgrades really help with the Falcon. Here's a shot of the bottom of my in progress kit.
Image.jpeg
 
As a comparison, this is the Hasbro Hero X Wing Toy - open wing conversion at 1/18 scale......I'm not sure if the Deagostini X Wing is 1/18 as they claim maybe smaller....?...seems smaller than this.

IMG_3164.JPG
 
I wanted to stay out of this, but I want to ask the X-perts (see how I did that?) about the open wings. On this model, they don't open at a central point, like the scissors effect you see with pretty much every plastic kit ever made--because they have a hinge right in the middle. This one has a theoretical hinge point for each side that is well outside of the centerline of the fuselage. Is that how the studio models were? I'm thinking either plastic models have a hinge because that's how they have to pull it off or this behemoth has something else because that's what it needs to make the mechanism work.
Thanks,
Mike
 
Dedalus5550 said:
I wanted to stay out of this, but I want to ask the X-perts (see how I did that?) about the open wings. On this model, they don't open at a central point, like the scissors effect you see with pretty much every plastic kit ever made--because they have a hinge right in the middle. This one has a theoretical hinge point for each side that is well outside of the centerline of the fuselage. Is that how the studio models were? I'm thinking either plastic models have a hinge because that's how they have to pull it off or this behemoth has something else because that's what it needs to make the mechanism work.
Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...

The original studio models that had movable wings were hinged from the center line. I think there were only 3 or 4 ‘hero’ models that were made this way. The armatures were motorized, and quite problematic.
Somewhere I have a picture of the original armature mechanism.
I’ll try to find it and post it.

Edited to add:
attached a pic of an armature typically used in the Studio Scale x-wings. This one was made by Mike Reader for the 1/24 scale models. It is very similar to the original armatures, although it’s not motorized.
I can’t seem to locate the pic I had of the original armature.
 

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So the wings on this $1500 model open up this way. And some people might be drawn to this primarily because you can make the wings open? Insert a picture of Captain Picard slapping his forehead here.
 
I actually would probably buy it, it's insane money for what it is, but it's very interesting............the thing that puts me off and I refuse to buy in to, is the whole 'weekly' magazine get a part etc.

The world's changed, we are so into instant gratification, I want it now....if it was a kit you could buy and it arrived next Tuesday, I could build it and shazam....done.

The idea of order, wait, build, chase missing parts is (IMHO) lame...
 
yaris said:
it's insane money for what it is, ....the thing that puts me off and I refuse to buy in to, is the whole 'weekly' magazine get a part etc. if it was a kit you could buy and it arrived next Tuesday, I could build it and shazam....done.

.
Click to expand...

Those two statements are kinda paradoxical. And it gets at part of their marketing. An actual kit sitting on the shelf at the LHS for $1500 would just be a curiosity for too many (nearly all) of us. For the MF, I would have oohed and ahed at the posts by the person who actually bought one. As a (still overpriced) monthly fee of $60, I wound up getting two.
Mike Todd
 
Dedalus5550 said:
Those two statements are kinda paradoxical. And it gets at part of their marketing. An actual kit sitting on the shelf at the LHS for $1500 would just be a curiosity for too many (nearly all) of us. For the MF, I would have oohed and ahed at the posts by the person who actually bought one. As a (still overpriced) monthly fee of $60, I wound up getting two.
Mike Todd
Click to expand...

What’s really paradoxical, is I only have half of one. How many people would knowingly pay retail for 1/2 of a model kit?

The whole subscription idea seemed high risk to me. But I figured I just didn’t know how it’s done nowadays. But I did take the precaution of waiting until they actually made all the parts for a full kit. And then I selected the accelerated program - in case it somehow might fall apart inside of two more years. Guessing now I should have gone with the gut in the first place and just said no.

Certainly can’t see doing it again with another model. Not at this point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Man, I really want to take the plunge on this one. However I have never done one of these subscription builds before. Just the thought of only being able to do a few pieces at a time and then just having to put it all up until the next issue comes in sounds infuriating.

How long after the Falcon was launched was it before they offered the entire kit?
 

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