maquette

This imperial star destroyer model kit is from russia. The Zvezda brand is well known for errrr…. nothing. You can find a few planes or tanks kits from them in model stores but the imperial star destroyer edition is a real surprise (a good one).

The kit is high-quality, the level of details is satisfactory. Just a small flaw, it seems that the kit is a mix between the different shooting models. Indeed, the model from A New Hope and the Empire’s ones are quite different. I will review those differences in a further post in the Analysis category.

Building an Enterprise model is not very easy. First you have to choose the version you want : a lot of them are available. The Polar Light kit I used allows to build two versions : the NCC-1701 (seen in episodes 1,2 and 3 during which she is destroyed) and the NCC-1701-A. I chose this one because fo the blue tints I liked muche than the green ones one the original vessel.

The interior fittings of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A

The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A is seen in three movies (episode 4, 5 and 6) and you can never see the arboretum (a complicated name to name a garden). I watched every movies and every Star trek episodes ; if on shows the arboretum, I missed it. I dont’ know where Polar Light picked up this idea. Nevertheless, it’s a good one.

I’ve just re-built the trees, the water and the bushes. A photoetch kit does exist to improve the mini-diorama but it’s expensive and once the ship is closed, you can see almost nothing. I worked by improvisation, as usual. The ceiling was an ordeal. It had to be transparent for ligthning effects and painted to be realistic. I made an insane masking which took several hours… and won’t be seen at the end ! Such is the fate of model makers.

Just imagine hundreds of 1/2 mm cuts I had to do to make this masking. The masked parts are to be transparent to let the light pass threw them. The free parts were painted with silver and dark grey layers. The all stuff was klir varnished.

You can find additional details on the inner-parts design in the “work in progress” articles I made earlier.

The Enterprise NCC-1701-A model : a masking story

As general rule, this assembly was first a masking techniques experimentation. To simulate the light spots ont he ship surface, I painted the interior surface with a silver and then black coat with the exception of the few areas I wanted to let le light pass threw. You can see the result jeust below, in the gallery.

The ship’s body, the “cigar” received a very complicated paint. I had to use masks from the Aztek brand. Cutting them by myself would have been way too long and the result probably not as good.

The lightning

An interesting feature about the Enterprise is the lightup complexity. And it must be admitted that it is really a beauty. If you have 2 ou 3 hours to waste, click on this ce lien to watch the “self-abuse Enterprise scene” as a friend of mine calls it. The lightup litterrally brings the model to life. To recreate this complexe lightup, I had to buy a kit sold on the Trekmodeler website. Very expensive but very beautiful. With hindsight, I think I could have conceive this lightup by myself using an Arduino chip. Next time.

Contrary to what people may think, making a Millennium Falcon model is not very difficult. In addition to the pure technique, choices you have to do when you are making a model can make things much harder. A wrong choice can ruin an achievement. None of that for the Falcon, there are dozens of Millenum Falcon versions, you can feel free. The De Agostini Millennium Falcon is one of the Empire strikes back version, the main filming model.

One Millennium Falcon ? No, many.

Indeed, forget the concept of one unique Millenium Falcon when making this model even if the movies make people believe it’s the same ship all over the saga. You can count at least :

• Star Wars episode IV – A New hope
  1. Scale 1 set (Mos Eisley and Death Star, in fact a half Falcon)
  2. Filming model
• Star Wars episode V – The Empire strikes back
  1. Scale 1 set (Hoth)
  2. Main filming model
  3. Secondary filming models (hanged on a stardestroyer tower or under the medical fregate)
  4. Matte painting (Bespin)
• Star Wars épisode VI – Return of the Jedi
  1. Main filming model
  2. Secondary filming model
  3. Matte painting (Home One)

At least 9 versions for the original trilogy only. CGI versions seen in the remastered films in 1997 and on DVDs could also be added (at least 6 versions more). If you look at episode VII and VII, you can add many sets, models and CGI to final count. My estimation revolves round 20 versions each with its own specific characteristics, details even global form.

This bucket of bolts is never going to get us past that blockade

Leia

Different versions of the Millennium Falcon in Empire strikes back

 De Agostini Millennium Falcon : which version ?

This model was sold as the main filming model replica from Empire strikes back. My researches on the pictures of the filming model led to the conclusion it is totally accurate. In France, the price of the model seems to be far too expensive (almost 1500 $) but it’s not, the price is totally justified by the accuracy and numbers of parts. The best Falcon model ever (and for long). It surpasses even the Master Replica, same sized, which coasts more than 3500 $. Huge yet reasonable investment, so far as the adjective “reasonable” can make sense when you do model making…

De Agostini Millennium Falcon, an unexpected building

Due to the business model of De Agostini, it was not possible for them to provide a hull made of only one part as Finemolds or Bandaï do. Indeed, De Agostini sells pieces weekly using newsagents, it took 100 issues to complete the model. A metallic structure supports the all model. On this structures, resin panels are screwed, as if you were playing a puzzle.

Soon, phase 2

Contrary to what the instructions recommended, I did not definitively close the model. The top hull just lays on the bottom allowing to see the ship interior. There is not much to see for now but in the future I intend to realize the all interior. Every room, every corridor will be scratchbuilt down to the smallest detail. I’ve already finished the central section with fuel tanks and gun turrets.

Let’s see a teaser :

Exhibitions

The De Agostini Millennium Falcon as shown in this page has only been exposed one time in Migennes 2018 and will be a second time in Cusset in April. I will expose her once again next year with the all interior completed.

I didn’t really scheduled this assembly. I was placing an order on starship modelers, photoetch for my Eagle Transporter when I saw a Fujimi Lotus Esprit. I didn’t knew anything about this kit before. Compulsive shopping. I built it just after the Eagle, as if I had taken a digestive after a good meal.

Not much can be told about this work, I just built it “out of the box”, following wisely the instructions plan. The model is a good one, high quality. The interior is poorly detailed but it doesn’t matter, it is quite invisible once the car sealed. For an important project, I would have make the effort of superdetailing but I told you, these was a candy.

The Lotus Esprit cannot really turn into a submarine

I know, it’s desappointing but if you look closely the scen, you can see the transformation is a trick :

The screenshots are explicit : it is not possible the car turned into the submarine version. Only the magic of special effects made us believe it. Magic and the fact that in 1977 DVD’s and uploading didn’t exist, no one could have froze an image for checking.

Instrument navigation

Unusual news : Elon Musk, the famous billionaire is on the edge of recreating a really transformable Lotus Esprit. After droping a car into space, he will drop one into water. I don’t know if you are like me but I’m beginning to think this guy is really a James Bond super-vilain…

A white painting less white than white

An interesting feature of this modeling work is the main hull color. “Now what ? It’s white !”. First, i would appreciate you talk to me smoothier, who do you think you are ? 🙂 White does not exist in model making. No more than black in fact. You always need to use an off-white color by mixing your white painting with a warm or cool color, depending on the effect you seek. Here I chose light-brown. Look at things arround you, you’ll see that even the whiter surface you’ve ever seen comes out lightly tinted because of the daylight, a reflection or natural weathering.