1/24 Hero X Wing Build with Maxi Brute Fuselage

[427 Cobra]

(01-11-2010, 08:27 AM)PB BB1 Wrote: I see what you are saying and while fear the notch in my cone may appear a little too crisp, it is ever so slightly off-centered... a carry over from the MB. I will still be reworking the nose. While I believe the notch is now the correct width it looks too small because I think the MB cone is still a little too fat.

However, that photograph is of a Pyro fuselage... and those DID have their cones molded in place with the rest of the fuselage. Unless, the recently auctioned pyro master pattern does not represent this specific model. Though, I think I am detecting the seam on the nose itself down the center. This split could cause more asymmetry than what was found on the original nose as it is one more step removed from the original nose part.

Yikes, I thought I was farther along.

Remember,this was a hero fuselage long before it was a pyro fuselage. It was also the first one made since the failed buck incident. This had a styrene bottom,as it was easier to vaccumform than resin was. The top was made out of epoxy reinforced with aluminum powder shavings. These pyro models were all made out of polyurethane,as were the hero versions. This master was the only one made with a styrene bottom,as when the two were glued together - the polyurethane,and styrene didn't expand at the same rate causing the styrene,which is softer to warp.

The original buck was made from wood,then a urethane mould was made from that. There were two initial moulds made,until a pyro version X-wing didn't explode satisfactorily. It was then decided to make a third, fourth,and fourth half shell mould,so that they could produce these faster. This was only done after another test was conducted to see whether this design would produce a more pleasing effect. One of the first moulds "blew up" because one of the casters didn't add enough hardener to the polyurethane resin,and silicone mould release,so that when the fuselage came out,it stuck in the mould in pieces,and caused it to distort,and warped it completely. This was the bottom fuselage mould. This is when they decided to use a vacuum formed styrene bottom as an alternative,but it too was scrapped in favour of using the resin instead.

This polyurethane was used as it was new,and it was surprisingly cheap. This is what car manufactuers at the time used for the insulation,and seat cusions in their vehicles. This was hardened to be more durable. It was soft enough to cast when liquid,but hard enough to withstand casting,and handling once solidified. It wasn't actually foam,but solidifed with the hardener. The only problem was that being so new that none of the ILM modelers were very knoweledgable about it,so it was trial,and error until the right formulation was found,and production of these could proceed.

The urethane at the time would only allow for ten complete moulds,which I believe is another reason why there were only six models made for filming,even though there were twelve official models made. Red 12,which never made it to filiming,and Red 4 that was stolen make eight,and the one pyro model master,and the failed pyro that was used make ten,and the successful pyro make eleven. The twelfth one was the Red 3 made for The Empire strilkes back,which has hollow wings. The Star Wars Red 3 had solid resin wings originally.

Initially,there were only supposed to be two moulds for pyro models,and one for hero models. Since only two actual models were for saving,Red 2,and Red 5, there was no reason to make another buck for the line. Although most of these had hollow wings,Red 3,Red 4,and Red 12 were solid. The nosecones for all of the hero models were separated,as they were to be mounted for all around views,as the pyro models were to be seen only from the front,and the side. This line wasn't intended to been seen,which is why it was omitted from the pyro models. It wasn't known at the time that this separation line would be visible in the movie,so it remains on the hero models to this day. Otherwise,there would've been an alterate nosecone used for filming these from the front,as opposed to the ones that were used at the time. These nosecones aren't supposed to have separation lines from the original McQuarrie sketches,and final drafts.

The first model to be built was actually Red leader. The second one was Red 5,even though Red 5 was moulded first from the original mould before it was destroyed. This is also why the proton torpedo tubes are farther forward on Red 5 than on other models. The other two to be finished were Red 2,and Red 6 respectively. The Phantom engines on Red 2 are different because,it was sent overseas to be approved,and filmed. It's features were the first inception of the phantom engine,and it was by accident that this one would have different features that the other models. Each of these models weren't finished in the order that they were built,but rather when they were painted. Meaning,that when one was painted,it wasn't decided what wing number each model would be,but it was all incidental,and not intentional that each of these would have the features that they do today.