Four foot X-wing (ILM tribute)

[427 Cobra]

This is a photo posted by Beaz of the RPF. This is what I used for reference. This is the vault of the 00 Harrow train,where the fire is stoked to create steam. This assembly was originally a door that opens when the lever is turned to the right. The little rectangles in the middle are where the train engineer would check the fire. The hockey stick shaped levers are where the engineer would grab onto to slide them open. These slid from side to side. The outside bars that are bent on the bottom are the safety hinges this entire assembly opened on. Once the safety latch(the part that looks like the hands on a clock) was depressed these were lifted up out of the floor, this entire vault opened from the left,and was hinged on the right - inside. These were so the safety latch wouldn't just come undone,and the vault just flop open. This entire assembly weighs over 200 pounds.





This is the four foot X from the rear. This is one of the scenes cut from the original Return of the Jedi. This was restored in the anniversary edition. This is the only view I've ever seen of this particular model with the vault in place.





This is a scan of the vault I drew from the reference photos.






This is it with the aluminum tubing I bent yesterday. I taped it to hold it in place,and to keep it from scratching the surface of the scanner.

The outside line is too big. The inner line closest to the vault is the correct size. I resized this according to the Gepard body. When this is cut out,it'll be proportionate to the original version. I'll have to cut discs this size in multiple layers,and glue them together to make up the bulk of the vault,and it'll also allow me to round the outside edge to match the original part. This will be made exactly the same as the original ILM models. The outside "toilet seat" shroud will be cut out to the second line from the farthest outside line that I drew. I'll bulk this up with a couple layers of styrene,and make the curvature with smaller pieces glued to the farthest outside edges,so that I can make the contour of the original "toilet seat".


This isn't idealised,but it's what the four foot version also shared with its' smaller counterparts. I was going to make it like this anyway,even if I didn't have a photo of the four footer from behind. You can see that I traced out the smaller circles with a drill bit guide. I made small center marks to align these,so I get an idea of what this would look like finished,as well as what this should be in proportion. I'll make all the greeblies for this,and glue them to the surface when I get the "toilet seat" made,and glued to it.