BARC Speeder - Clone Wars Version

[XimenaPaulina]

After a relatively long MOCing break, I finally had the time to whip up my first MOC of the year, even if it is a small build - the BARC Speeder. Since I still don't have a decent speeder bike for my clone army (my made-up BARC-X nor the new BP BARC won't do it for me), I decided to take the challenge of building this 'tricky' vehicle. After several hours of trial and error, I came up with a version that I'm quite satisfied with, in terms of overall shape, design, and the required elements. Note that this is the clone wars version, so the bar thingy is modified with a sloping hull part.

BARC Speeder Specifications

Comparison with the 7913 BARC Speeder

For those who are wondering, here are the significant improvements of this version over the official BARC speeder :

- More accurate shape and detailing of the front engine turbine repulsor and side air intakes

- Sleeker front part by using a 1-stud width and more accurate longer slope piece

- Added the twin steering vanes and foot pedal details

Other Views

A Closer Look at the BARC Speeder

______________

Version 2.0

Modifications made:

1. After realizing (lately) that the 2-slope wide rear part is too blocky, I decided to follow the BP BARC 1-slope set-up with some minor mods and following Mr Man's suggestions of using cheese wedges for a more continuous transition to a sloping end. I'm now happy with the slimmer shape and getting that grey patch detail at the rear. Here's the reference image of the slim rear part.

2. I replaced the ski rear flaps with 1x2 tiles as suggested by DobbyClone. The size is much better now. Reference image .

Comparison with the 7913 BARC:

Other views:

Reference Images Used

Comments and criticisms are welcome!

[prateek]

Amazing job, as usual KDM. It seems your not too picky about the scale to the minifig, since it is quite large (compared to Dobbyclone's version), and I think it's good since it allows for better detail, and this is great. I especially like your intake design

[BrickArtist]

I don't love it, but I get it.

Obviously I could give you the 5 page criticism, but I appreciate your approach.

With that being said, it is a nice piece of eye-candy.

[XimenaPaulina]

Amazing job, as usual KDM. It seems your not too picky about the scale to the minifig, since it is quite large (compared to Dobbyclone's version), and I think it's good since it allows for better detail, and this is great. I especially like your intake design

Thanks prateek. Actually, I am concerned about the scale to the minifig. The problem is the difference in the individual perception of each viewer on what is 'true' minifig scale. The way I see my version, I think it's just about the right size, just look at the length of the BARC with respect to the clone troopers:

I don't love it, but I get it.

Obviously I could give you the 5 page criticism, but I appreciate your approach.

With that being said, it is a nice piece of eye-candy.

I love it, and that's what's most important to me at the end of the day.

[Solscud007]

Very Cool design. I didn't think there could be a difference but after seeing the reference pictures what a great design. It really captures the style of the BARC. I just wish it had a splash of blue but that would require stickers. And I'm not a fan of stickers.

[XimenaPaulina]

Very Cool design. I didn't think there could be a difference but after seeing the reference pictures what a great design. It really captures the style of the BARC. I just wish it had a splash of blue but that would require stickers. And I'm not a fan of stickers.

Thanks Solscud. I guess I should've taken a pic of this side-by-side with the official BP BARC to clearly show the major differences.

And just wait for Part 2 for the blue and other BARC variants.

[Brickdoctor]

Great job, KDM. You've got some nice techniques here, but mostly I like how this is a fusion of your design and the one from 7913.

[Smack]

Brilliant version KDM. Like Brickdoctor said this is a great combo of your BARC and the one from the battlepack. I think that it looks pretty accurate size wise with the minifig. Looking forward to seeing the forthcoming MOC's from you!

[XimenaPaulina]

Great job, KDM. You've got some nice techniques here, but mostly I like how this is a fusion of your design and the one from 7913.

Thanks Doc. It looks like I'm stuck with my reputation of modifying official sets even if this one was entirely designed and built from scratch. I understand that it highly resembles the 7913 BARC due to the ski and harpoon pieces, which are, IMO, the best available pieces to represent their respective parts in the real BARC speeder.

I think that it looks pretty accurate size wise with the minifig.

Nice to hear that. For a while I thought I was the only one who's thinking that this is not too big minifig-scale wise.

[Blackknight112]

Nic work, i really like the design.

Is that minfig custome made by you?

[lightningtiger]

AWESOME 'KielDaMan'.....totally AWESOME - the best speeder bikes ever in my opinion !

You even remembered foot pegs too !

Excellent work and may the brick be with you 'KielDaMan' !

[XimenaPaulina]

Is that minfig custome made by you?

Yep, that's an old custom when I did the Arealight SW Clone Helmets review.

AWESOME 'KielDaMan'.....totally AWESOME - the best speeder bikes ever in my opinion !

You even remembered foot pegs too !

Excellent work and may the brick be with you 'KielDaMan' !

Thanks LT. The foot pedals were one of the last additional details I did, good thing I still have some 'tricks left in the bag' to be able to squeeze it in there.

[Mr Man]

I like it KielDaMan. I like the front especially. (However, the sloping hull at the front isn't modified, its the original, and the one in Sith must be a modification ). My only criticism is that the end of the bike ends a bit abruptly, maybe a cheese wedge there?

But a great job.

(Edit:242 Post )

Edited March 30, 2011 by Mr Man

[XimenaPaulina]

I like it KielDaMan. I like the front especially. (However, the sloping hull at the front isn't modified, its the original, and the one in Sith must be a modification ). My only criticism is that the end of the bike ends a bit abruptly, maybe a cheese wedge there?

But a great job.

Yeah I forgot timeline-wise, the Clone Wars happened before Sith so I guess the sloping hull is the original one. And I also agree that the slope at the end of the bike seems noncontinuous, so cheese slopes might be a better solution. Thanks for the suggestion and the kind words Mr Man.

[Cpt. Dan]

KDM, this is probably the most accurate and best BARC speeder I have seen. Great job it really is awesome.

[Praiter Yed]

I'm not too well versed on BARCs but this certainly looks better than Legos effort. Is this around 18 studs long?

Are the BARCs in TCW different to the ones in ROTS?

[Mr Man]

I'm not too well versed on BARCs but this certainly looks better than Legos effort. Is this around 18 studs long?

Are the BARCs in TCW different to the ones in ROTS?

Yes they are

TCW Version

ROTS Version

The main difference is the front end between the intake and the controls, it lacks the covering over the control rods of TCW one. Presumably the ROTS one is a striped down or later variant.

Edit: Another difference is the TCW version has only 1 set of controls, whereas the ROTS version has two, which suggests a later model. And the seat has no headrest on the TCW version.

Edited March 30, 2011 by Mr Man

[Brickdoctor]

Are the BARCs in TCW different to the ones in ROTS?

Yes. In Sith they're light grey, a little shorter, and with a bar down the middle.

[Praiter Yed]

Yes. In Sith they're light grey, a little shorter, and with a bar down the middle.

Thanks. I almost hate to say this after my recent spate of funnies. I don't want to become known as the EB perv, but doesn't that image look a little phallus?

[Brickdoctor]

Thanks. I almost hate to say this after my recent spate of funnies. I don't want to become known as the EB perv, but doesn't that image look a little phallus?

Um, a little. What is it with you anyways?

[Fallenangel]

KDM, this is probably the most accurate and best BARC speeder I have seen. Great job it really is awesome.

Let's not discredit brickartist now.

[BrickArtist]

Let's not discredit brickartist now.

Weather it's my Minifig Scale version, or my UCS, version, both are not comparable to KDMs. We used different refferences, and made different styles of attempts.

KDM isn't quite going for 100% accuracy, as I was. He also appears not to want to evolve his model to a point of perfection, as I did. We both took our own unique approach.

BTW KDM, do you want a couple of easy points to make your model better? I have a couple in mind

[XimenaPaulina]

Uhm, I do not how to take your comments brickartist/DobbyClone, I feel some slight 'insults' are incorporated in there.

KDM isn't quite going for 100% accuracy, as I was.

I am in no way claiming that I have the most accurate BARC version, but to say that I'm not going for accuracy is completely wrong. What's the point of making my own BARC if I could just use the blocky BP version if I'm not concerned with accuracy?

He also appears not to want to evolve his model to a point of perfection, as I did.

Wrong again. What makes you think I don't want to improve my model? I'm not gunning for perfection (can someone really achieve "perfection"? ), but if I see something that I don't like I'm going to change it. And as I said, this is not a perfect model, that's why I made several other modifications, which I'll put the images tomorrow.

BTW KDM, do you want a couple of easy points to make your model better? I have a couple in mind

Go ahead and give me you points and let's debate about it.

[BrickArtist]

Sorry KDM, didn't mean those remarks that way. From what I've seen in your other models, I think that you go for a more aesthetically pleasing approach. For example, the references pictures you link show clearly the BARC being grey, yet you use white because it looks better as a piece of eye-candy to the viewer. I think your model looks nicer, and more appealing to the viewer than any of mine. I always thought, seeing your style of C&C you were more of that type of MOCer, I meant no offense in contrasting out approaches to MOCing. My intentions were to stop comparisons of our models, which is not what I wanted to happen.

Onto the model, here’s what I think needs work:

Right now you have Z-74 handlebars on there, which aren’t accurate. They deliver the wrong shape and Minifig hand angle.

The handlebars stem from the area, brick building the sloping nose portion would render better results, and then you could leave a plate gap to attach the new handlebars onto.

The front-Right now you have those extra bulky 2x4 inverting pieces there. Using the white piece that you have on the underside on the back of your model(Which if removed will make the back more accurate, we’ll get to that later) And stick on the front it would slim down that portion. Then place a modified 1x1 brick with studs on 2 sides there to put jumper plates on for the thickening front portion.

Your repulsors are massive; compare the ones on the Salucami reference pic to a clones torso. Then hold the ski piece next to a lego minifigs torso –you’ll see what I mean.

The Back- The use of the two 1x4 sloping white pieces side by side looks abnormally blocky, try putting 1 on there and using a modified 1x1 with studs on two sides to attach the correctly shaped plates on and capture the rounded back portion. This solution will also render a smoother transition to the 1x2 45 Grey brick, which is transitioned to abruptly.

The back is incredibly too wide, 8 studs? I think 6 is pushing it. Try replacing that ski piece with a 1x2 tile, and reducing the Repulsor size.

I have more too, but I’ll keep it at this for now.

Edited March 31, 2011 by DobbyClone

[def]

Great job Kiel. I really think you perfected the BARC Speeder with this one.