11 replies to this topic

[pedro]

Hello all,

This year I decided to upgrade an old MOC based on a favourite starfighter of mine, the Z-95 Headhunter. Many of you will know the ship, here's some information from Wookieepedia for those that don't:

'You gotta love the Z-95. Nothing beats the feeling of power they give you.' - unknown Bandit Squadron pilot.

The Z-95 Headhunter was a starfighter designed jointly by Incom and Subpro Corporations years before the Invasion of Naboo. Its resilience and longevity meant it remained a staple of private and low-priority government starfighter forces long after its introduction.

Considered one of the most capable fighters of its day, it boasted a distinctive bubble canopy and a set of blasters mounted at the ends of each of its two variable geometry wings; later versions dispensed with the swing wings and bubble canopy in favor of more precise maneuvering thrusters and canopy instrumentation.

It was named after the Coromon headhunter, a predator native to the Coromon Islands on Fresia, the planet where Incom was headquartered.  

Z-95 Headhunter



Rear View



Side Three-quarter



Reactor Cowl Close-up

One of the distinctive features of the Z-95 is the bubble like reactor that makes up much of the main hull. I decded recreate it including a large cone part. It clips closed and there's is plenty of space underneath for an engine. I built one originally but recently removed it 'cause I didn't like it. I'll build a new one though and post pictures when I do



Landing Gear

The landing gear flip up flush with the wing, hence the simple design.



Cockpit

100% Corellian pleather seat!



Thanks for looking! You can find all my Star Wars MOCs and more with my links below.

Comments and criticism welcome.

[meschepers]

I have seen a handful of Z-95 MOCs through the years and I must say, this one is BY FAR the best I have ever seen.  It is almost perfect from what I can see.  Great job on the cockpit and tricky reactor bubble.  I hope to see a lot more MOCs from you in the future!

[Big Cam]

This is a great rendition but I guess I am spoileed with the X-wing, your wings are very blocky. I'm not sure how I would change it and it still looks really good.  I think some sloped pieced for the long nose would improve its looks as well.

[pedro]

Big Cam, on Nov 11 2009, 07:14 PM, said:

This is a great rendition but I guess I am spoileed with the X-wing, your wings are very blocky. I'm not sure how I would change it and it still looks really good.  I think some sloped pieced for the long nose would improve its looks as well.

Thanks for the comments chaps!

The Z-95 does lack some of the subtletly of the X-wing but then it's it's predecessor. The wings are blocky, but that's just the way they are! They do have some thickness to them, so I thought I'd built them with SNOT. It's hard to create a subtley curved nose for these ships, but it's something for me to experiment further with on my next version

Here's a shot of my old 4-engined version from way back when...



No competition really!

[Legostein]

Hello!

This is the excellent result of proper research and good building technique, and exactly like that a Z-95 set schould look like!

I don't like the landing at all, however. The retractable idea is excellent, no question, but the way you did it here looks like a leg without foot. As if someone would have hacked it off. Some little stabilizing add-ons won't affect the retractibility.

Cheers,

~ Christopher

[pedro]

Legostein, on Nov 12 2009, 10:13 AM, said:

...but the way you did it here looks like a leg without foot.

Cheers Christopher. I know what you mean about the rear landing gear - for me it was a trade off between function and form. When the landing gear is flipped up it blends well with the wing, I thought extra detail might bulk it out too much so kept it purely functional. I didn't experiment with it a great deal beyond that though, so might try a few different ideas now that you've mentioned it.

[lightningtiger]

Beautiful MOC ! I'm a sucker for a cool Star Wars Fighter and this is very cool, like in the deep freeze !
Engines great, weapons great, cockpit great, and yes, it is better than the old one !  
By the way, I don't really see a problem with the thickness of the wings, remember it's a space fighter which doesn't need too much in the way of aerodynamics, since theres no air in space!

[CommanderFox]

Lovely Z-95 Pedro
This is the best Z-95 ive seen on EB since joining.
I really like the area behind the cockpit and i especially like the back of the seat for the pilot
Very Well done and looking forward to seeing more MOCs.

CommanderFox

[RileyC]

Superb Z-95 Pedro!

I really like the reactor bubble at the back it looks really great. The seat is a really clever as well and I bet the pilot is going to love it!

THis is one of the best Z-95 ive seen ever great work

[Commander_Rob]

Very cool, I kinda like the Z-95, even though it is outdated in pretty much every single appearance (if you know what I mean).

The rear landing gear also troubles me though, it needs some kind of foot or skid. Have you tried make it retract partly into the wing? Perhaps with one of these:
pieces integrated into the wing. I am not sure wether that would work, but I guess it is worth suggesting.

[pedro]

Thanks for the comments everyone, and thanks for the suggestions too!

Commander_Rob, on Nov 13 2009, 04:31 PM, said:

The rear landing gear also troubles me though, it needs some kind of foot or skid. Have you tried make it retract partly into the wing?

That's a good idea Rob and I've started thinking about how I can use those panel pieces. I have them in light bley too! Now, where have I put them...?

[I Scream Clone]

Great work Pedro. This is a really nice MOC, with loads of details that appeal.