50 replies to this topic

[marshal_banana]

After a great insight into the LEGO Group in Billund I'm back and really motivated to start with new creations. And I’m happy to present my latest work.

This iconic Starfighter does not need any explanation. But there are some problems recreating the famous design in LEGO.
So I' ve started with pointing out the most important spots on the design. Such as the windscreen, the tip of the nose and the engine intakes and the hexagonal back.

Just to show you the complexity of one small detail: the tip of the nose is build in 6 different directions!

Furthermore my goal was to include all important play features. So the wings fold up automatically. I used the same mechanism
as in the UCS model with some improvement, so you can flip the fighter upside down, without big impact on the wing position.

There is also a retractable landing gear as well as a fully closed but opening windshield.

I hope you enjoy! Cheers MB!

[the Inventor]

Awesome X-Wing fighter, marshal_banana.  

This is really a mini fig scale version of the UCS model. Your model looks really great I especially like the canopy, you've build.
Al tough the landing gear is retractable, which is great it looks a bit small.

Great work.  


the Inventor

[Matiam92]

That is freaking AWESOME... I love the wings and how they are built outwards! would be proud

[Darth Yogi]

That is awesome!  Great job, on the SNOT, its very well done, and every thing else.  Really cool cockpit.
Awesome job

[prateek]

Wow! I just love the SNOT wings and the cockpit

[Nightshroud99]

Superb Model  

[Mrlegoninja]

Great! I really like the wings!

[Brickdoctor]

Saw this on TBB, and I love it. Nothing more needs to be said.

[Masked Builder]

That is amazingly cool! Does the cockpit open?  (I suspect so but I though I'd ask)

[Brickdoctor]

Masked Builder, on 16 November 2010 - 11:55 PM, said:

That is amazingly cool! Does the cockpit open?  (I suspect so but I though I'd ask)

Judging by the fact that it's clipped to 1 x 2 plates with bars....

[Big Cam]

Wow, you really managed to MOC the heck out of this thing yet have it look almost stock.

Thats amazing.  I like the wings specifically, there is more of a solid feel to them with the multicolored bricks being able to protrude to the front and then ahve that same color on top.  I know I didn't describe that right, but regardless, great job!

[Fallenangel]

As an avid fan of the X-wing starfighter (see avatar and brickshelf folder) I always enjoy seeing others' renditions of this fighter, and yours is no exception. In particular, I think that the approach to the unique canopy piece is quite nicely done and very original (unlike mine). The attention given to the shape of the nose (especially the tip) and rear fuselage is incredible, and in my opinion it's pretty close to spot on. I like how you've captured many small details which are usually overlooked by other MOCers, such as the little protuding square in the rear fuselage directly in front of the air intakes, the inclusion of the three rear windows on the cockpit canopy, or the placement of the small grey bits in the slopes connecting the engines with the main body of the wing. I would rate this at UCS-level detail, which makes sense seeing as you've included many aspects of the 7191.

However, having built quite a few versions of these myself (and having seen several other exceptional models) I can say there are significant flaws in the work. The most obvious of these is the size of the engines and the laser cannons. When the X-wing's s-foils are set in attack position the boosters on the end are displaced well above and below the outline of the rear fuselage - this is clearly not the case with your model. Those engines should be MASSIVE, especially on the Red 2 X-wing. Furthermore, at this scale, I feel that 2x2 round bricks would represent the size of the laser cannons more accurately than 1x1 round bits (but the LENGTH is correct). You've already achieved the taper for part of the cannon so swapping the 1x1 parts for 2x2s would complete the effect (rhe structure should be completely white as well - the same color as the main body of the wing). I would also recommend that you swap out the 3x3 cylinders you're using for the engines with 4x4 round bricks, which would also allow you to represent that section of the wing more accurately (by building it as a half cylinder mounted on a rectangular prism like the studio model). I will add that the mechanism you are using to open the wings(with gears) is inaccurate; the studio models use a pivot system similar to what this individual has done.

The wings look good, but they are just too thick. Furthermore, the rectangular section on which the engine is mounted should be offset from the sloped region by about one stud; this is not the case. It should look like this. At minifigure scale I think even a thickness of two plates would be pushing it; I would recommend using 3x12 wings for the angled portion in the rear to be able to maintain a one-plate thickness. You can also use 2x4 wings which capture the angle more accurately but would require another layer of plates. One more thing; I'm not sure, but I think that the wings should be about one stud longer vertically. Doing this would achieve the aforementioned offset.

The cargo bay area appears to be shifted forward; it should begin to taper out at the line separating the front half of the canopy from the rear windows. This picture should give you the idea. See last page.

Inaccuracies aside, I still think it's a very nicely done model, and improving upon the inaccuracies mentioned above would make the model even more fantastic.

EDIT: I just remembered - Wedge's astromech droid is red.

Edited by fallenangel309, 23 March 2011 - 11:52 PM.

[KielDaMan]

Amazing! This has got to be the best X-Wing MOC I've ever seen! Not only did you overhaul the previous design, you've created your own that is a thousand times better than the official one. Obviously the SNOT build makes this a winner, but even the small details are superb, like the T-shape detail in front of the engine thrusters, and the brickbuilt cockpit piece. Truly a masterpiece marshal banana!

[Brickdoctor]

fallenangel327, on 17 November 2010 - 12:56 AM, said:

The wings look good, but they are just too thick.

He's using SNOT- there is no way to get any thinner. The only other way to achieve such a smooth surface would be to use plates and tiles, but then it would only be a half a plate thinner and you'd have little thinner parts all along the trailing edge since there's no such thing as a wedge tile. Whenever you put SNOT wings onto a minifig-scale craft, it's almost always going to be too thick. It's the price you pay for a much more elegant look.

[Fallenangel]

Brickdoctor, on 17 November 2010 - 01:56 AM, said:

He's using SNOT- there is no way to get any thinner. The only other way to achieve such a smooth surface would be to use plates and tiles, but then it would only be a half a plate thinner and you'd have little thinner parts all along the trailing edge since there's no such thing as a wedge tile. Whenever you put SNOT wings onto a minifig-scale craft, it's almost always going to be too thick. It's the price you pay for a much more elegant look.

Yes, I know. That is why I advised marshal banana to opt for wings that are only a single plate thick; in my opinion a studded wing that is closer to the correct thickness looks much better than a smooth SNOT wing which is too thick. As much as I admire roguebantha for thinking to use SNOT there I don't believe it would suit this particular ship. And given the amount of detail he has shown himself to be capable of incorporating into his MOCs I honestly think that marshal banana could have done without the SNOT wings and still made a great model.

Not only that, but SNOT works best when it's applied to the whole model - that is, if you're aiming to make the exterior even and smooth. That's one reason cavegod's UCS Sentinel shuttle looked so great. And the intensive tile-stacking seen on this model rules out SNOT as a technique that would suit this model.

I realize from your UCS V-wing that you are an advocate of the "use as much SNOT as you can" school of thought but of course SNOT just doesn't look good when used in a situation where the surface in question is intended to be thin, such as an X-wing's wings. Now, if this model had been built in 1/24 UCS scale I think I would very much have encouraged the use of SNOT for the wings since they would be closer to the proper thickness and would indeed look better than plates and tiles, but at minifigure scale I feel plates work best.

[Brickdoctor]

fallenangel327, on 17 November 2010 - 02:26 AM, said:

Yes, I know. That is why I advised marshal banana to opt for wings that are only a single plate thick; in my opinion a studded wing that is closer to the correct thickness looks much better than a smooth SNOT wing which is too thick. As much as I admire roguebantha for thinking to use SNOT there I don't believe it would suit this particular ship. And given the amount of detail he has shown himself to be capable of incorporating into his MOCs I honestly think that marshal banana could have done without the SNOT wings and still made a great model.

Not only that, but SNOT works best when it's applied to the whole model - that is, if you're aiming to make the exterior even and smooth. That's one reason cavegod's UCS Sentinel shuttle looked so great. And the intensive tile-stacking seen on this model rules out SNOT as a technique that would suit this model.

I realize from your UCS V-wing that you are an advocate of the "use as much SNOT as you can" school of thought but of course SNOT just doesn't look good when used in a situation where the surface in question is intended to be thin, such as an X-wing's wings. Now, if this model had been built in 1/24 UCS scale I think I would very much have encouraged the use of SNOT for the wings since they would be closer to the proper thickness and would indeed look better than plates and tiles, but at minifigure scale I feel plates work best.

IMHO, studs are merely a form of detailing. If it's going to be exposed, I like studs to represent something round on the 'real' thing. I realize that this can sometime cause other inaccuracies, and that it's mostly a matter of personal opinions.

BTW, the stacked tiles on the sides are facing sideways and outward- they're SNOT too. Personally, I would have done that area as one long tiles plate SNOTed, but put on hinges at an angle. Sort of like what TLG did with their last two X-wings, but SNOTed instead. But that would of course depend on the internal structure of the model's nose.

[CommanderFox]

Wow...thats so incredibly perfect!
I love the nose, and thats pretty incredible that its built in six directions!
Really good job on this! Looking forward to seeing more!

CF

[CallMePie]

So...I'm thinking best X-Wing ever.      

[Ritz Brick]

Just amazing, so much detail.
Two questions;

Is the cockpit detailed inside?

and also, how did you make the sides of th canopy.

[Ceroknight]

A very unique way to build an x-wing and a fantastic way.
Please keep up the good work.  

[Anio]

Very, very good MOC !
It is not so big but it has a lot of details !
And you use some very interesting building techniques.
Kudos !  

I think, nevertheless, that the model lacks a bit studs (yeah, I love studs   )
I think it would look better with studs on the wings and especially on the main fuselage (the noze).
Putting some studs everytime the noze become thiner would decrease the "stair effect" (dunno if you see what I mean   ).

[lightningtiger]

Just smegging AWESOME 'marshal_banana'......the X-Wing is my favorite SW/CW vehicle and yours is the best one I have ever seen.
Great work on the SNOT components and with such detail....you don't have to look twice to see it's an X-Wing - again AWESOME !
May the brick be with you.....always !

[Darth Jar Jar]

lightningtiger, on 17 November 2010 - 01:33 PM, said:

Just smegging AWESOME 'marshal_banana'......the X-Wing is my favorite SW/CW vehicle and yours is the best one I have ever seen.
Great work on the SNOT components and with such detail....you don't have to look twice to see it's an X-Wing - again AWESOME !
May the brick be with you.....always !

Cw vehicle last time I checked they don't have X-Wings in CW

Great MOC I love the cockpit  
But how is the front nose pointing in 6 different directions?

[DutchRebel]

Very nice indeed! Original approach, nice detailing.

DR

[General Magma]

Fantastic MOC! I really like it.
The details and the greebles are outstanding. The cockpit is great too, it's just a bit too small though.
Keep up the great work.

~ General Magma