Salzo V5 X-Wing pattern work

Almost there! Only a few stragglers to glue down

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Is the intent here to make a cockpit like one of the hero models or to do something else better or improve on an original? Either way I really want one! :)
 
It's a re-patterning of what was in the hero X-Wings. I was fortunate enough to see a first gen casting in the hands of an ILMer, and some great photos of the Red 5 cockpit which is completely exposed, since the fuselage is "gone". Things to note - the parts on the back deck are noticeably larger as kit parts than the castings we have been using (probably third gen pyro castings that were worked over, with non-canon parts added), the Lancaster "can" on the left side console (rear) does not have the holes drilled into the top (the Heroes were left untouched), and there is a VERY obscure part hanging on the left of the center console. The fella that pulled them from the molds in '76 said that most of the time that "lever" would break off during de-mold and stay in the mold... never made it out intact. His personal casting HAD that part, so I had reference on it!

Sadly it has not been IDed yet, so I scratch built it from the reference... one day we may find it, but the best minds have studied it, and haven't found it... yet!

I also need to scratch a blobby part on the front left console, and the only part I added which might be wrong is the conical piece on the back deck, left... I chose a Fujimi 1/76 Sherman/Jeep part as it's period-accurate and looks like it *could* be that.

Other than that, everything is exactly what they used! Exhausting! LOL
 
Are you redoing the nose also? The V4 nose was kind of lopsided. One side was more curved than the other left to right.
 
Yes, as we get better and better ref I am tweaking the fuselage and nose yet again. It's all pretty subtle changes but since i needed to re work for the blue 1 red 2 panel lines I am changing some stuff. Some of it is how it's cast etc, some of it is such minor changes that only the most eagle eyed will see it.

Jason showed me some new ref at Wonderfest and I near jumped out of my seat proclaiming "we are off by 1mm right there!" So it's small stuff but we are always trying to make it just a bit better. Jason really got out of hand with the wings and engines etc, making tons more work for me.

Because the fuselage and nose are stratchbuilt/handmade we will never get to 100%. I've made small choices all along the way to keep it more symmetrical, as symmetrical as something hand made can be. I've had to account for casting and a number of other small compromises.




Are you redoing the nose also? The V4 nose was kind of lopsided. One side was more curved than the other left to right.

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Speaking of - two cool things:

I am being lent a FULL length Artoo (he extends down to the mount), which was cast in 1982 from the original '76-era mold for this project. His head is a bit wonky, but I have an excellent castings of the shorter Y-Wing length Artoo, so the V5s will have an accurately patterned appropriate "ILM Droid" for the first time!

Also, to push Mike over the edge:

I did an exhaustive survey of the panel patterns on the engines of all the X-Wings. There are four distinct Saturn V can patterns used across the models, and I’m going to etch inside each engine can pattern (it will be a thin veneer with etched lettering that I’ll laminate on) so it’s fool proof for Mike casting, and the model maker when building... the "legend" will tell you all the X-Wings that that one pattern is on, and which position it sits. I will also differentiate the pyros too, which are also wildly wonderfully inconsistent, lol. The only ones I DON’T know are the two cans on Red 1's bottom, and Red 6's bottom. I have a great shot of Red 6 from above that shows the patterns used, but every bottom pic has a hand or piece of wood or wing in the way... like it's deliberate LOL

Anyway, it'd be a sorting nightmare without the lists laser etched to the inside of the physical part itself... it sure was a pain figuring it all out!
 
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Speaking of - two cool things:

I am being lent a FULL length Artoo (he extends down to the mount), which was cast in 1982 from the original '76-era mold for this project. His head is a bit wonky, but I have an excellent castings of the shorter Y-Wing length Artoo, so the V5s will have an accurately patterned appropriate "ILM Droid" for the first time!


That's awesome!! Any pics of of the R2? Have you seen the screen used one being listed in the Propstore auction... i was really surprised how high the expected auction prices are for it

https://propstore.com/product/star-...40-live-auction-2017-r2-unit-model-miniature/
 
So there are four distinct base patterned "cans" for all the X-Wings. I’m going to etch inside each pattern (a thin veneer with etched lettering I’ll laminate on) so it’s fool proof for casting, and the model maker, building...

This is my chicken scratch depicting a non-bar can. The "etched inside" list is what will physically be on the interior of the can itself. So that’s all of the X-Wings that that one pattern is on, and which position. The only ones I DON’T know are Red 1 bottom, and Red 6 bottom. I recently got some Red 6 pics of the top down, so I can confirm the top data, but nothing on the bottom, and the Red 1 bottom pic(s) are too far away/grainy to tell.





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More progress...

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Blue 1 and Red 2 have the little jut out on this trimmed Saturn part while Red 3 and 5 have it trimmed off... so this is a separate part... so you can choose which one to make, while keeping the jut out castable!
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Now I have to Apoxie Sculpt the hole and voids on the sides. Backs are perfectly smooth.
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Hey Jason. I was wondering if you were a bit stressed when you have to trim the Sealab III parts? knowing how rare and expensive they are.....
 
Absolutely! And two kits were needed to pull from... I am doing four of everything I can to make molding easier... the MOST stressful so far has been the four front panels I just did. Sealab and 1/15th Stug... and I had to use TWO Stug's worth of parts... and I don't have a third for back up. LOTS of slow and careful shaving...
 
I have studied RED2 photos a lot for my paper model, so, is it not safe enougth to assume that RED 2 bottom cans are the same as Blue 1 bottom cans? From photos of RED2 compared to Blue1 it seems they did not add any greebles, just some weathering so they probably did not add anything on the bottom cans niether. Or am I wrong?

I would like to hear your expert opinion on that, Jason, because you have studied it much longer than I and have surely better reference materials than I have (internet published Uwe Fischer photos):)
 

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