[MOD] Wing and landing gear for Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle

[Master Chief]

http://imgur.com/gallery/8cDl5

I made some relatively simple mods to the set, to make it my favorite of the wave so far.

[BalrogJ]

Any chance you could give more detail about how you achieved that result? It does look a lot more menacing that way..

One thing though, in the trailer the ship's wings could fold at a downwards angle to get that V-shape. Your pictures only show an upwards angle. Does the mod need to be reversed for it to go downwards?

Thanks in advance!

Edited September 6, 2015 by BalrogJ

[Master Chief]

Actually, the wings only point upward in the trailer, though we have yet to see it in the movie. I will likely post some pictures tomorrow, showing the landing gear, the modifications made to wings and hull, and the parts left over from original build.

[BalrogJ]

Actually, the wings only point upward in the trailer, though we have yet to see it in the movie. I will likely post some pictures tomorrow, showing the landing gear, the modifications made to wings and hull, and the parts left over from original build.

You're correct. I have no idea why I thought they angled downwards in the trailer, I must have seen this thing a thousand times.. Well nevermind then, it looks awesome that way and I really look forward to seeing how you did it! Thanks!

[Steph 104th]

This is a beautiful mod, I will definitely be attempting this when I acquire the set.

[Mahtion]

Awesome job! This mod needs to be copied immediately when I build my set tomorrow. Thanks for giving us a chance to make a more accurate Command Shuttle. Now you just need to change the ship black with red trans windshield.

http://www.disneystore.com/vehicles-rc-toys-toys-star-wars-the-force-awakens-kylo-ren-command-shuttle-die-cast-vehicle/mp/1383294/1000268/

[Master Chief]

http://imgur.com/gallery/pr0bf

The imgurians don't seem to approve. Perhaps "tutorial" is not the best description. Any and all feedback is appreciated, and I reflected some of my own gripes with my design in the picture captions. Also don't forget to load the 3 extra images at the bottom, as they may provide further assistance.

The black and red design looks really cool, but so does the white version seen in posters and other toys. I'm just going to make the assumption that this is the correct color scheme based on what little footage we've seen.

Edited September 7, 2015 by Master Chief

[zerog270]

Actually the wings do open like a "V". Check out this screen grab from the second trailer:

Edited September 7, 2015 by zerog270

[J_Alexander]

You're correct. I have no idea why I thought they angled downwards in the trailer, I must have seen this thing a thousand times.. Well nevermind then, it looks awesome that way and I really look forward to seeing how you did it! Thanks!

In your defense, that's how the OT Imperial shuttle works :)

It looks so much cooler this way... I hope the real color is black, it would look even more menacing (like a giant crow).

[Master Chief]

More pics on the way tomorrow. I've fixed a few aesthetic issues that I've had with it.

My guess is its half way between dark gray and black in the movie, so Lego just went with gray.

[joebiwankenobi]

EXCELLENT MOD I may reconsider picking this up so I can do this...

[Master Chief]

EXCELLENT MOD I may reconsider picking this up so I can do this...

Thanks! I recognize you from my many days of lurking on the forums

[Lynx]

Nicely done! Thanks for sharing! And I agree with anybody saying that the shuttle looks amazing in black!

[BalrogJ]

Can see a little more in those new pictures, but it's still hard to really figure out where the mod begins and the actual build ends.. would really appreciate if someone can make some clear instructions on how to get that result, please. :-)

[lowlead]

Great solution, MC

The nice thing about the original set design is that it's quite easy to change - almost as if the designer intentionally created a pathway for this fix. There are lots of different ways to modify the wings, and after building and modifying the set myself, I would encourage everyone to try their hand at their own mod...it's fun! You certainly don't need a master's degree in engineering or the parts collection of Anio to achieve a good result.

I opted to use slightly different technic beams for the pivot points and reinforce the 'carry-through spar' using a brick beam in place of the technic beam (located in the center of the interior cabin). I found that overnight, the weight and moment of the wings will begin to pry the structure apart with its own heft - some reinforcing is definitely called for in order to counteract this.

[pcsguy88]

I chose to do a variation of Jangbrick's mod which took very little change. I can pin the wings in either position using the flick fire missile parts for swoosh-ability. My wings are about 5 degrees too vertical, but having them locked in more important.

MC, why did you leave the now debunked lower wing sections on?

Edited September 7, 2015 by pcsguy88

[Master Chief]

I choose to do a variation of Jangbrick's mod which took very little change. I can pin the wings in either position using the flick fire missile parts for swoosh-ability. My wings are about 5 degrees too verticle, but having them locked in more important.

MC, why did you leave the now debunked lower wing sections on?

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e275/pcsguy88/IMAG0330_zpsoqrtbewh.jpg[/img]

http://imgur.com/a/S52iS

Funny you mention that, I've already taken those off since I took the original pictures. Bonus size comparison to UCS Slave 1

Great solution, MC

The nice thing about the original set design is that it's quite easy to change - almost as if the designer intentionally created a pathway for this fix. There are lots of different ways to modify the wings, and after building and modifying the set myself, I would encourage everyone to try their hand at their own mod...it's fun! You certainly don't need a master's degree in engineering or the parts collection of Anio to achieve a good result.

I opted to use slightly different technic beams for the pivot points and reinforce the 'carry-through spar' using a brick beam in place of the technic beam (located in the center of the interior cabin). I found that overnight, the weight and moment of the wings will begin to pry the structure apart with its own heft - some reinforcing is definitely called for in order to counteract this.

I like that idea a lot actually. I'm going to go find a long technic brick now.

EDIT: wow the ship feels a lot sturdier. Great mod lowlead!

Edited September 7, 2015 by Master Chief

[mordatre]

Great to see some working mods. I think the Lego designer did a pretty good job with what he had available, and now it´s up to us to mod it. Who´s first to make a black one and a white one?

Edited September 7, 2015 by mordatre

[LegoPercyJ]

Great MOD! I've been waiting yo see something like this.

[pcsguy88]

I just reworked mine to keep it as stock as possible and let the wings fall another half notch. I'd post pics, but this is probably the 8th redesign and doubtful to be the last.

I want to see someone put a crank on one to raise and lower the wings.

[BalrogJ]

Do you or any other members have a instructions on how to accomplish this? I plan on picking up this set over the weekend and I definitely want to display it like this! Thanks in advance!

I, too, modded my Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle, and the instructions on how to accomplish my modifications are very, very simple. If you are interested, these are the pictures of the result, I'll post the instructions below (no pictures needed, it's really that simple)..

As for how to do this mod, at some point you'll have to put 2 1x4 red technic bricks on either side of the ship, and then another 2 above those, separated by a thin plate. I simply removed those red technic bricks entirely and replaced them with 1x6 black technic bricks for the lower ones, and 1x8 black technic bricks for the upper ones. This allows to use the axles provided in the package to attach the wings at an angle. You can make the angle different by simply changing the length of the technic bricks used to attach the wings. Note that this mod allows the spring shooters to remain functionnal. I'm probably going to use some greebling to cover the extra technic "holes" that can be seen near the attachment points.

Edited September 9, 2015 by BalrogJ

[lowlead]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I tore apart (again) the Command Shuttle to include something from Jang's mod that I have found really helps improve stability and reduce deformation over time. The link to his mod video is below for convenience...

Fast forward to time index 1:42 to 1:50 and pause the video. You will notice that he removed these two parts and replaced them with a smaller assembly of inverted 1x2 slopes and inverted 1x2 corner slopes in order to create a 'stopper' for the wings to rest against in flight mode. The resulting force that the wings exert on this area significantly reduces the prying action that slowly separates the parts above this area.

One crucial element of this mod is the removal of the two bottom, outboard 1x10 plates (dark grey). These two plates will interfere with the lower technic lift arms of the wings when pivoting them outward, and need to be removed altogether from what I can tell.

[BalrogJ]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I tore apart (again) the Command Shuttle to include something from Jang's mod that I have found really helps improve stability and reduce deformation over time. The link to his mod video is below for convenience...

Fast forward to time index 1:42 to 1:50 and pause the video. You will notice that he removed these two parts and replaced them with a smaller assembly of inverted 1x2 slopes and inverted 1x2 corner slopes in order to create a 'stopper' for the wings to rest against in flight mode. The resulting force that the wings exert on this area significantly reduces the prying action that slowly separates the parts above this area.

One crucial element of this mod is the removal of the two bottom, outboard 1x10 plates (dark grey). These two plates will interfere with the lower technic lift arms of the wings when pivoting them outward, and need to be removed altogether from what I can tell.

Those are good ideas, obviously my feedble mod cannot compare to Jang's, but I'll try to incorporate some of his ideas into mine next time.

I took another picture to show that the angle on my mod can be modified very easily (simply took out the axles, moved the wing to another angle and shoved the axles back in), no removal of bricks needed whatsoever.

[lowlead]

Looks great, Balrog. I think that's the best angle judging by the teaser trailer.

Your technique might not even require Jang's stopper underneath, as it appears your wings are anchored at two points per wing instead of just one. With two anchor points on each side, the weight of the wings will pull at a totally different area - in your case, the upper technic bricks. It looks as though it would be really stable - is that the case?

Edited September 9, 2015 by lowlead

[BalrogJ]

Looks great, Balrog. I think that's the best angle judging by the teaser trailer.

Your technique might not even require Jang's stopper underneath, as it appears your wings are anchored at two points per wing instead of just one. With two anchor points on each side, the weight of the wings will pull at a totally different area - in your case, the upper technic bricks. It looks as though it would be really stable - is that the case?

My mod does not require a stopper underneath, and yes the complete assembly is very stable and sturdy. I do think that Jang's mod is better because it allows to easily switch between what I call "landing mode" (with vertical wings) and "flight mode" with the wings in the V-angle.. mine requires to disassemble and replace the technic bricks I used with the original bricks to go back to vertical. But if you're going to put it in V-angle wing position and keep it that way, I can certainly recommend this way of doing it.

Here is a crude LDD attempt to show how to do this mod..

On the left you can see the technic bricks that are used in the actual build, two lower red 1x4 bricks and two upper.. the axles go through these to attach the wing vertically.

On the right is the mod I used. It replaces the red bricks completely, I chose black because it fit the color scheme better. The lower two are 1x6 and the upper 1x8. The red axles show the points where you should insert them to achieve this angle seen above. The tan axle shows another possible angle that simply requires to slide out the axle and change the slot, in which case the angle is even more pronounced and the wings look like a bird of prey, seen even more above. Hope this helps!