[MOC] The X-Wing Strikes Back

[cehnot]

I updated the LDD file with a corrected Back fuselage after ScottishDave messaged me about the bottom slope. That should have never been there. I guess I overlooked this and now I stand corrected. Thus, the new LDD is at the top in the first post. I am calling this file finished for now. 

 

Since I got a few Private messages requesting to show what the vehicle looks like with the landing gear, I present this:

Edited January 10, 2020 by cehnot

[ScottishDave]

3 hours ago, cehnot said:

I updated the LDD file with a corrected Back fuselage after ScottishDave messaged me about the bottom slope. That should have never been there. I guess I overlooked this and now I stand corrected.

Thanks for fixing that so promptly - it looks much more accurate now!

Seriously, that was the only thing that was bothering me. The rest of the model looks damn fine, and the shots with the landing gear down are quite lovely.

Good luck with the physical bricks build.

 

[Littleworlds]

Looks like a very elegant construction. And a very proper looking as well! 

[Calanon]

It looks so damn nice with the landing gear. So sleek and elegant.

[cehnot]

12 hours ago, ScottishDave said:

Thanks for fixing that so promptly - it looks much more accurate now!

Seriously, that was the only thing that was bothering me. The rest of the model looks damn fine, and the shots with the landing gear down are quite lovely.

Good luck with the physical bricks build.

 

Thanks. I really do like the back of the non gear version better. I am thinking of drilling a hole in a 2x2 gray tile slightly off center to accommodate for the technic part. Then drill a X through the center of a 2x2 round tile for the gear axle. Seems very sad to do LEGO, but it would allow me to keep the look. Until LEGO creates a square tile with a round hole, this may be my only option. This along with the custom canopy I plan on making, would basically be the only 2 altered places. I think of it as using custom lego parts. 

 

4 hours ago, Littleworlds said:

Looks like a very elegant construction. And a very proper looking as well! 

Thanks for the view. I now need a proper build of it to test. 

 

2 hours ago, Calanon said:

It looks so damn nice with the landing gear. So sleek and elegant.

Only complaint I have, like I said in my first post is the lack of 2 plate heigh slopes and inverted slopes. MEGA Bloks has them and I may use one for the first landing gear. There are a lot of pieces MEGA Bloks has that LEGO needs to jump on. 

[LOBOT-OMY]

INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Wow, that is a fantastic design.   I don't know how you guys do it but these lego star wars MOC/LDD designs are simply amazing.

I love this website! 

Edited December 15, 2016 by LOBOT-OMY

[ScottishDave]

10 hours ago, cehnot said:

 I am thinking of drilling a hole in a 2x2 gray tile slightly off center to accommodate for the technic part. Then drill a X through the center of a 2x2 round tile for the gear axle

Hmmmm... that sounds like truly desperate measures. Before you go that far, how about this older bracket ? That should give you an off-centre plate with a hole, and as an added bonus, you can use them for some snot. I'd suggest having one with studs pointing up, one with studs pointing down, and the axle providing a (loose) join between the two.

 

...

[cehnot]

11 hours ago, ScottishDave said:

Hmmmm... that sounds like truly desperate measures. Before you go that far, how about this older bracket ? That should give you an off-centre plate with a hole, and as an added bonus, you can use them for some snot. I'd suggest having one with studs pointing up, one with studs pointing down, and the axle providing a (loose) join between the two.

 

...

I looked into that bracket and tried to get it to work. It breaks the whole system with the wings open to their specific opening. Sure, I could not have them open as wide, but it would not match the ILM model. I also would have to completely rethink the back and right now, it would break 2 areas that hinder strength. I think I will build the geared wings and consider opening them from the bottom from a stand for now. I may try the build without a physical working gear and only need to fix the back at a later date. That way it will look great from the back since there is only 4 total pieces I think making the back different on them. The gears currently rest between the wings without a gear chamber. So my only 2 options are bottom or back. I won't mess with the top.

[Tyutyu]

Again man. Thx for your work and the updates we get in the LDD. It inspired me look into the Ldd. I plan to simplify/change the design of the brick build cockpit (Nothing major or worth sharing). It feels good to be playing around with Ldd again. Cheers 

[cehnot]

16 hours ago, LOBOT-OMY said:

INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Wow, that is a fantastic design.   I don't know how you guys do it but these lego star wars MOC/LDD designs are simply amazing.

I love this website! 

Thank you. I am pretty new to it myself. Started on it last year with my 74 Stud long Ghostbusters Firehouse around this time. I just got all those pieces in this week and plan on building that in the coming months. If I don't see an UC Millennium Falcon LDD with full interiors I think that will be my next major project. Now with the new interior scenes from the recent film and Star Wars Land coming to Disney World, I expect to see the rest of the set locations inside the Falcon. I think this will be my ultimate gift to Eurobricks if nobody else approaches it. 

 

1 hour ago, Tyutyu said:

Again man. Thx for your work and the updates we get in the LDD. It inspired me look into the Ldd. I plan to simplify/change the design of the brick build cockpit (Nothing major or worth sharing). It feels good to be playing around with Ldd again. Cheers 

If you come up with a better way to fit the console in there by all means share the images and LDD here. The angles from the plates cause it to be the way it is. I plan on building the console out of 2 1x3 tiles now that I bought an Ultimate Collectors X-Wing sticker sheet. It was placed on a wedge that is about the same surface area and I think that will go nicely in that area. 

If I can get an acrylic top to match the actual one in spare Canopy pieces I plan on cutting, gluing and modeling my own and then place on stickers from the UC x-wing sticker sheet, cut and resize to fit. I think that process will involve using the new 2x6 angle plates to get the right shape down for the base and model the acrylic canopy parts to fit it. Should be 2 studies wide at the front, 4 studs wide at the back. 3 studs wide at the top. 

[cehnot]

I had a few requests to see what my proposed canopy would look like so I rendered a few parts in BlueRender and finished the job in photoshop. This will work. I swear. I really would lie this madly somebody professionally. I think we all would buy it, even if it cost us $10-$20 for just 1 part. 

The height of the whole thing is 4 plates tall, just like most car canopies. The height of their official one is 5 plates tall. I think it would hold together in the family. 

The front of the canopy is based on a 2x6 angle plate. The top is a standard 3 plate wide and it slopes down 2 plates like a normal cheese wedge. The bottom "cute" angle is based on the same angle as the larger canopy, so it moves 2 plates forward. The hinge rests on the the side of the 3rd plate like a regular 1x2 plate modified with a bar similar to the official part. 

I may only make my canopy with a smooth top, instead of the stud one. 

How will I make my mockup part?
Cut apart 3 different larger canopies and hope for the best.

1. Large canopy: Cut off the 4 stud long top. and cut it into a 3 stud wide x 1 stud wide.
2. Use the two sides and cut along the edge. 
3. Cut the long triangle shape
4. Use the scrap and cut the short 4 sided shape
5. Use the front of the large canopy and cut out the front shape.
6. Place the sides onto two 2x6 angle plates to get the correct angle and sand down the edges smoothly. 
7. Cut the grooves in the same spots as the angle plates
8. I figure if I keep the base straight edges for the front and sides then all I need to do is cut the appropriate angle on the edges meeting the top and then poof, done. 
9. Cut the back off the smaller canopy and attach it to the other.
10 Cut UCS X-Wing stickers to fit the canopy and like a model, hide edges and I got myself a canopy. 
I may need to use 800-1200 grit sand paper to make it smooth and not scratched. Maybe add some model polisher to keep off any scratches. 

Why 3 large canopies? In case I screw up the first one I have extras. If all goes well, I may need to call this a prototype and see if anybody would make this. 

[cehnot]

One side note: The angle of the back bottom cut should be more like the official canopy for correct shape. I cannot decide in my files whether it should slope down 1 stud instead of 2. As you see int he early stage side shot, the angle is correct, and would allow me to basically keep the same x-wing. I just guess I may do the 1 stud, after all that fudging in photoshop. No Idea how to do the back angle to get it to 3 studs if I do this. The place of the hatch in the model goes with the current final proposal art you see above. 
Or I could ask you all for options: Please feel free to chime in for suggestions.

[jameseilers]

Cut apart and then... glue? with what glue? I think its going to end up looking terrible, to be honest. I think a better option would be to have a high quality 3D Print done in a translucent plastic. 

[Flandy]

I love what you're doing, and I am very interested to see the results. I don't know what your philosophy with building MOCs is, but as many ships have unique or infrequently used canopy moulds, I don't think custom making one to suit is too far removed from "legal"! It's certainly better than one made out of pins and rods.

How difficult is it to glue clear parts together and maintain the clarity? I can imagine it's very easy to end up with something the right shape but that looks a real mess!

[cehnot]

31 minutes ago, Flandy said:

I love what you're doing, and I am very interested to see the results. I don't know what your philosophy with building MOCs is, but as many ships have unique or infrequently used canopy moulds, I don't think custom making one to suit is too far removed from "legal"! It's certainly better than one made out of pins and rods.

How difficult is it to glue clear parts together and maintain the clarity? I can imagine it's very easy to end up with something the right shape but that looks a real mess!

I used to make models as a hobby and I think i could use super glue for acrylic and brush it on lightly. I don't know how it will hold up yet. before I even glue it I need to x-acto the shapes. I think I could do it in a day. In order for it to glue, I need to make sure that all edges are completely smooth and flush to the other pieces. You brush it very lightly on the one side nd apply pressure. Hold for a few seconds and let it set for a few minutes. To maintain the correct shape, I plan on propping the canopy on the 2x6 angle plates when I get the right shape and use them to keep the correct angle. The sides and front need to go on first. Then the top and then the hinge. You use the top without glue to keep the rectangular shape and resistance from it warping. Any excess glue gets sanded down with super fine sand paper. That keeps it flush to the plastic. Then you clean it and should be okay. 

If I could get somebody to make the 3d model then I could see what it costs for a low run production on canopies. If it a few hundred dollars then I could kickstarter the project for interest. I am sure I could sell a few dozen, not sure a few hundred. 

[Tyutyu]

Here is my modification to the Cockpit and Nose cone. I have removed the internal detailing as I don't need it. I will try to make is stronger so when I get drunk and swoosh it, it wont fall apart :D

[Inthert]

Love the look of this! Great to see yet another fresh approach for the nose carried out so well. Having the nosecone in line with the middle of the ship really goes along way to making it look like the real thing. Not to mention the use of the official Lego cockpit which keeps looking better and better the more mocs I see it used in. My one and only complaint though, (and forgive me if someone else already pointed this out) is the underside, compared to the smooth and clean lines of the rest of the model it seems a tad messy. That said If I can ever bring myself to make another version of my own X-wing (which is more than likely lets be honest!), I'll be sure to take a closer look at how you achieved your nose solution (if that's okay )

Overall I can't to see this in real bricks, I reckon it will look stunning!

[cehnot]

On December 26, 2016 at 6:51 PM, Inthert said:

Love the look of this! Great to see yet another fresh approach for the nose carried out so well. Having the nosecone in line with the middle of the ship really goes along way to making it look like the real thing. Not to mention the use of the official Lego cockpit which keeps looking better and better the more mocs I see it used in. My one and only complaint though, (and forgive me if someone else already pointed this out) is the underside, compared to the smooth and clean lines of the rest of the model it seems a tad messy. That said If I can ever bring myself to make another version of my own X-wing (which is more than likely lets be honest!), I'll be sure to take a closer look at how you achieved your nose solution (if that's okay )

Overall I can't to see this in real bricks, I reckon it will look stunning!

I tried to make it smooth like Gray Mouser did, the huge issue is strength. I wanted to have it not sag or bend as you hold it. I admit, once I get all the parts in from my brick link orders I will post photos of the final build. I have 3 or 4 part orders to arrive.made it as smooth as possible. It now has a completely enclosed bottom. I agree about the fact it doesn't slope upward and I use the height of actual plates to show the slope, but the bottom was my least concern. I achieved making an entirely enclosed bottom by accident. It also allows me to make the front landing gear function as an alternative option. I won't., and will just keep it as a separate attachment like the back since I have a few ideas on how to display the ship. 

Within the next month or so I should have the model done and plenty of photos. 

On December 25, 2016 at 9:28 PM, Tyutyu said:

Here is my modification to the Cockpit and Nose cone. I have removed the internal detailing as I don't need it. I will try to make is stronger so when I get drunk and swoosh it, it wont fall apart :D

Care to share your LDD file?

[atlas]

On 26 December 2016 at 1:28 PM, Tyutyu said:

Here is my modification to the Cockpit and Nose cone. I have removed the internal detailing as I don't need it. I will try to make is stronger so when I get drunk and swoosh it, it wont fall apart :D

that is superb 

[Gray_Mouser]

@atlas: I think you're close to nailing the look of the canopy from the side. Unless lego can be bothered to make an accurate windscreen canopy, I keep thinking bricks are the way to go. However if I may, I'm not a fan of the canopy lower part (that gray wedge). Using a wedge as part of the canopy is a good idea though. I wonder if the trick that Inthert used in his first version could be used here (basically two overlapping wedges, one white and one gray, with the gray one slightly laterally offset).

@cehnot: it seems I didn't voice my opinion on your toptic yet. It is very, very good. It could be my favourite x-wing so far. You really tried to make the proportions right, and you made a much better job of it than I did. Once it's finalized, I may take my x-wing apart in order to build yours (possibly with atlas' canopy). I would have liked the angle underneath the nose to be smooth, but it may not be worth the effort.

  

[atlas]

Haha, thank you for the compliments but it's not my work! I quoted Tyutyu's post. They really nailed the whole fuselage though, I agree with you. The cockpit especially looks great

[cehnot]

On December 26, 2016 at 6:51 PM, Inthert said:

8 hours ago, Gray_Mouser said:

@atlas: I think you're close to nailing the look of the canopy from the side. Unless lego can be bothered to make an accurate windscreen canopy, I keep thinking bricks are the way to go. However if I may, I'm not a fan of the canopy lower part (that gray wedge). Using a wedge as part of the canopy is a good idea though. I wonder if the trick that Inthert used in his first version could be used here (basically two overlapping wedges, one white and one gray, with the gray one slightly laterally offset).

@cehnot: it seems I didn't voice my opinion on your toptic yet. It is very, very good. It could be my favourite x-wing so far. You really tried to make the proportions right, and you made a much better job of it than I did. Once it's finalized, I may take my x-wing apart in order to build yours (possibly with atlas' canopy). I would have liked the angle underneath the nose to be smooth, but it may not be worth the effort.

  

I think the 1x2 plate with 1 center stud fits were, just not legal That whole are is suppose to line up, but I think it will be a very tight fit. My plan is to shove a plate in that space. That is why there is one laying on the file below it. 

[TheBear]

Very awesome model, I might have to finally replace my Psiaki

[Tyutyu]

On 12/28/2016 at 1:32 AM, cehnot said:

Care to share your LDD file?

Sure mate! Here you go:

http://bricksafe.com/files/Tyutyu/star-wars/ehnot_T65_121416_Tyutyus_Cockpit_and_Nose_Version.lxf
 

I was not able to come up with a solid structure yet, but my modifications should be more or less plug and play with your components.

The file includes the:
-cockpit and the slight mod to the side panel.
-3 versions for the side of the nose.

Cheers

[cehnot]

17 hours ago, Tyutyu said:

Sure mate! Here you go:

http://bricksafe.com/files/Tyutyu/star-wars/ehnot_T65_121416_Tyutyus_Cockpit_and_Nose_Version.lxf
 

I was not able to come up with a solid structure yet, but my modifications should be more or less plug and play with your components.

The file includes the:
-cockpit and the slight mod to the side panel.
-3 versions for the side of the nose.

Cheers

Thanks. Never thought of using the hinge you used. Anyways, thanks for sharing. The cockpit mod works well for those wanting to keep a brick shape closer to the real model. I will build mine soon and then work on the custom canopy.