MOC mini A-wing *Redone*

[DonBrizzel]

Really was unhappy with how my last A-wing turned out. In case you don't remember, it looked like this:

Well, I completely ripped that model up and started over. I am much happier with the new one. Much much happier. It is still the same size as the older one, but looks bigger, which doesn't help is for scaling, but I don't really care because I love how well it turned out. The other things is that I can't rotate the wings like before, but not worried about that either.

Here she is:

[BEAVeR]

It looks great! Just like a tiny version of the official LEGO set .

The proportions seem right, and I love that you've added more detail in the back.

No more suggestions on this one! However... wouldn't it be great if it had some kind of landing gear as well?

[DonBrizzel]

Thank you for the kind words!

Thought about landing gear for all of my models, and that may still happen in the future. For now, I am just going to use clear display stands until I figure out if I want to use landing gear or make a scene out of them all.

[Snowspeeder Pilot]

Perfetct! this A-Wing is great for the new microfighter series. Could you please try to put an A-Wing Pilot?

Thanks in advance.

[DonBrizzel]

Re-worked it some more. Pics below:

[Brickdoctor]

Those clips on the tail fins attach to the steering wheels perfectly-spaced? Huh, I'd never noticed that.

[DonBrizzel]

The thing about those pieces. They may go. They are spaced perfectly, however, they don't clip to the steering wheels as the wheels are smaller than the hooks. I thought I might keep them there anyway as extra stability, if there is any. When I order the pieces, I will order 1x1 tiles as well to replace the clips if the clips do nothing.

Also, I have a question. Will the holes on technic pieces (the back middle engines, hold those 1x1 round bricks?

Edited January 13, 2014 by DonBrizzel

[Brickdoctor]

They are spaced perfectly, however, they don't clip to the steering wheels as the wheels are smaller than the hooks.

Ah, I see, so it's technically an illegal connection, but LDD gets close enough that it lets it slip.

[DonBrizzel]

Ah, I see, so it's technically an illegal connection, but LDD gets close enough that it lets it slip.

Correct. I will see how it all plays out when I order the parts and put it together.

[Brickdoctor]

It depends on the type of 1x1 tile with clip that you get. The older ones with the thicker, more squarish, dull-looking clips are a little more flexible; they'll probably be fine with the slight stress of not being clipped all the way. The newer ones with the rounder, shinier-looking clips are harder and will either crack or force themselves all the way on or all the way off. (or both)

In any case, the stud-in-Technic-hole is a very robust connection, and especially considering the low weight of those fins that it's holding in place, that single connection shouldn't be a problem. Clips could still be used if you like the way it fills in the area, though.

[DonBrizzel]

Roger that, and I think at the same time, you answered my other question about the technic hole and if it fits a 1x1 round brick nicely enough. Thank you.

When I buy I will try to buy the older thick ones, I am certain I know which ones you are talking about, as I ran into some of them when ordering my x-wing bricks.

Just watched the ROTJ Endor space battle, noticed that the middle 4 ports are not engines, perhaps exhaust ports, so I changed their color.

[Brickdoctor]

Yes, a stud will fit perfectly into the Technic hole, and it's usually a legal connection, too. (If you put a 1x1 cone into a Technic hole, that's illegal because the cone can be forced further into the hole, compressing and stressing the pieces. If you put the stud(s) of a brick with stud(s) on side into the hole(s) of a Technic brick, you can't have bricks or plates on top or on the bottom of them connecting them, because the distance between the center of the hole and the distance between the center of the stud are ever so slightly different. And if you go the other way, putting a pin into a hole intended for a stud, that is usually always illegal since it compresses the pin.)

[DonBrizzel]

Perfect, Brickdoctor, thank you! That answer actually made a lot of sense as to why I couldn't use certain bricks to connect the back middle exhaust ports. I had to really think hard as to how to get them connected, but it worked out.

[DonBrizzel]

I have a question. I just tried to bricklink this guy, but about 5 of the pieces do not come in the color that the LDD says they are. This a common occurrence?

[Brickdoctor]

Which mode of LDD are you using? It shouldn't happen with the non-Extended mode. Which bricks are the ones in question? (LDD and TLG, by the way, use a different color categorization system than BL does, so also check this chart and make sure you have the colors right.)

[DonBrizzel]

The bricks that are not in the correct colors are:

The trans neon green 2x2 round plate

The dark red 2x2 round plate

The technic 1x2 Arm in white

The flick missle in black

I checked brickset as well and these bricks do not seems to come in these colors.

[BEAVeR]

That's very strange indeed... They are listed in the normal LDD mode, but have never been released...

The only thing you can do now, is to find replacements.

The technic beam is available in light grey, so that would still be suitable. You can always try to replace the 2x2 plates with 2x2 radar dishes. The dark red ones maybe could be replaced with a 2x2 round brick, that does appear in dark red.

If that flick missile wouldn't be black but light grey, it wouldn't bother me, I think...

[DonBrizzel]

I found a work around for the flick missle, and I think I am going to use the 1x2 bley technic arm. The problem with the 2x2 round brick is that I only used 2 2x2 round plates so it will make the engines longer and I don't know how it will make the ship look. As for the neon green, I am going to try the radar dish tonight when I get home.

[Brickdoctor]

You can't put a 2x2 dish right onto a 2x2 round; you'll have to put a 1x1 stud between them.

[DonBrizzel]

You can't put a 2x2 dish right onto a 2x2 round; you'll have to put a 1x1 stud between them.

That was the plan.

[DonBrizzel]

Okay, so I think I managed to make the updates needed to so that I can order all of the parts. Thoughts on it?

[Brickdoctor]

The guns look a little fat and stubby this way. I'd take out the white pin. I know the guns don't bulge that much at the tip on the 'real' thing, and that removing the white pins will make your model's guns significantly thicker at the tip than along the barrel, but I think it'll be worthwhile in order to make (or at least give the illusion of) a skinnier gun.

[DonBrizzel]

I understand what you are saying. But, unlike your mini a-wing, I could not find the red peg on LDD, also could not find the red peg on brickset. I was going to use a white car and the red peg, but the damn red peg was nowhere to be found. What I used was a red flick missile, so I had to cover up some of the red. Maybe some other suggestions on what I can use to make the guns better?

[Brickdoctor]

Oh, I gotcha. I didn't even know the flick-fires came in red.

The red pin I used never appeared in a set; it was likely a prototype. At the time, there were four or five for sale on BL. I decided to use it because I thought it looked better, but if someone couldn't find one, then it would look almost just as good in grey.

[DonBrizzel]

I did the bley peg. Looks okaaaay, not great. Any ideas? Maybe redo the entire gun? I can't really think of any parts to use.