[MOC] [INSTRUCTIONS] – LAATi Republic Gunship – The Clone Wars

[Chef]

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INSTRUCTIONS NOW AVAILABLE

Given the number of techniques used from JBB_777’s design I have obtained his consent prior to making my instructions available (for a modest USD 10)

486 pages of detailed PDF instructions on Rebrickable

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It took the better part of the year but I present my rendition of a minfig scale LAATi Republic Gunship. It is based on the version from the The Clone Wars television series, which made a stronger impression on me than the one that appeared in Episode II AOTC. The TV show told the full story of the Clone Wars and the considerable extent of the gunship's deployment and impact in battle. I used both the studio model from AOTC and images from the show as reference materials to design this MOC.

The MOC uses many of the building techniques seen in JBB_777’s 2017 gunship, which I liked very much, such as the Technic frame and the method to attach the wings to the body. The engine took inspiration from Caleb Ricks’ gunship from 2018.

I designed this ship to be as accurate as I could to the source material. One main attribute of the ship I included but that is usually left out in other MOCs is the angled fuselage that widens from front to back. The stepped surface is a compromise to achieve this result given the choice of the internal supporting structure. Other MOCs based purely on the version from AOTC did not have to face this issue due to the omission of doors in the movie model, which left empty spaces on the ship’s lower body.

My builds tend to be sturdy and this MOC is no different. However I made a little gaffe – the ship is slightly off balance. The engine and wings of the ship went through several redesigns and by the time I was satisfied with the look I did not realize how much additional parts and weight I had added. However the ships still sits fine on its own as long as no extra pressure is applied to the rear.

Additional Facts:

• The MOC consists of 1917 parts and took 7 months to complete
• Measures 33cm long (excluding turret barrels) with 38cm wingspan
• Shares 50% of the parts with JBB_777's gunship
• The AT-RT from the final image is a moded version of one of JoeChu1980's AT-RTs

 

Chef_LAATi_View1 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View2 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View3 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View4 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View5 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View6 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View7 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View8 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_View9 by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Chef_LAATi_Geonosis by Chef Aslopert, on Flickr

Thanks for reading!

Edited November 11, 2019 by Chef

[SteamSewnEmpire]

Wow, really nice. I love that rear shot.

Edited October 30, 2019 by SteamSewnEmpire

[Cylo]

That looks great! I really like the wings!

[gotoAndLego]

Years ago I made a midi-scale version so I know its hard to get the shaping correct. Very good job. I like that you used the grey stripes for the sliding door hinges. I also like how you used the big wedge plates for the angled parts on the top of the wings.

This is one of several vehicles I wish they would have done a UCS version of instead of the Star Destroyer.

Edited October 30, 2019 by gotoAndLego

[momoe]

3 hours ago, gotoAndLego said:

This is one of several vehicles I wish they would have done a UCS version of instead of the Star Destroyer.

Agreed 100%!

Definitely one of my favorite crafts in the entire SW universe and I would love a UCS version!

[Ellisss_2]

Awesome gunship, you’ve achieved some great angles!

[lowlead]

WOW!!  Fantastic build!

Great solution for the long, angled top section - looks super clean.  The stepped approach you used for the gradually widening sides is very effective because of the subtle change as you move aft.  Really liking the door actuation, too.  The slopes you used to make the detail on the aft ramp section looks amazing, and the stud-to-tile ratio on the wings is just right.  Not crazy about the blocky octagonal engines, but that's nitpicking.  GREAT JOB!

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by lowlead

[Chef]

20 hours ago, lowlead said:

WOW!!  Fantastic build!

Great solution for the long, angled top section - looks super clean.  The stepped approach you used for the gradually widening sides is very effective because of the subtle change as you move aft.  Really liking the door actuation, too.  The slopes you used to make the detail on the aft ramp section looks amazing, and the stud-to-tile ratio on the wings is just right.  Not crazy about the blocky octagonal engines, but that's nitpicking.  GREAT JOB!

 

Thanks, I can't take all the credit for the angled top section but the rear of the gunship is all me 

For the engine I originally used 3x3x6 cylinders but had trouble integrating them with the details and colours necessary for accuracy. I came up with messy solutions with weak connections but opted out of using them. In the end I found brick building the engine using smaller parts to be less restrictive and allows the engine to be better scaled to the rest of the ship.

[JBB_777]

Really like your model. The stepped sides look great. I designed mine mainly for playability for my kids. Hence the choice for the technic gun balls. The gray ones you use look better but they tend to fall off when you hit something. Also like your engine design and how the rockets appear to continue into the engines/rocket launchers

[Chef]

20 hours ago, JBB_777 said:

Really like your model. The stepped sides look great. I designed mine mainly for playability for my kids. Hence the choice for the technic gun balls. The gray ones you use look better but they tend to fall off when you hit something. Also like your engine design and how the rockets appear to continue into the engines/rocket launchers

Yeah yours could definitely take a beating, and has plenty of play features too. I still have small assemblies of it in my drawers my fingers were too sore to take apart. I figured if LEGO is content with the 4x4 connection of the ball turret all these years then I should too, although I do wish it can be a Technic connection instead.

[JoeChu1980]

be glad to be mentioned, and you liked my one try of AT-RT :)

Your LAAT/i gunship MOC is very great to me, especially the side-doors.

Some time I also thought about to re-design my gunship moc for more smooth and radii like yours.

[Chef]

For those interested I have made the instructions available on Rebrickable. Please see top of post for link.