75244 - Tantive IV - MODS and Improvements

[MAG85]

Since I started LEGO Star Wars in 2015, I wanted to own a Tantive IV. The sets from 2001 and 2009 were far too expensive on the secondary market. That's why I was really happy when a new version was announced.

There was a lot of discussion about the set. Everyone had a different expectation. I am glad that it has become an improved version of the 10198.

Nevertheless, there were a few things that bother me. The biggest criticism for me is the cockpit. I do not like stickers. In a few years they will take off and then the model looks bad. That's why I built it with bricks. The role model was the @Kit Bricksto  UCS Tantive - CR-90 Corvette.

More improvements:

-          Removed the stud shooters!!!

-          Removed the handle

-          Colour matching

-          Facing the bottom with inverted bows

-          Extension gun turrent on the botton

-          Radar turett mirrored down

-          Brickbuilt upper wings between conference section und radar tower

My next goal is to change the inside of the cockpit, because at the moment, Captain Antilles can’t sit inside.

Maybe you have more ideas for improvements. Then like to post here.

 

Here are the pictures.

Tantive_IV-01, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-02, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-03, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-04, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-05, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-06, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-07, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-08, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-09, on Flickr
 

[TeeNuggetTa]

Although I like how you built the cockpit with bricks its not yet at the right angle and looks more like a cylinder than 2 cones.

Great Job still

[Cylo]

Looks pretty nice! The cockpit looks well shaped, although I still wished that they printed those cones.

[Sucram]

Yeah I think the cone build is more accurate and looks better, but youve done an admirable job. Maybe something like a smaller version of the UCS cockpit may be possible?

[MAG85]

Thanks for the feedback!

 

On 11/2/2019 at 11:51 PM, TeeNuggetTa said:

Although I like how you built the cockpit with bricks its not yet at the right angle and looks more like a cylinder than 2 cones.

 

Great Job still

Its difficult to build a cone shape with bricks in this little dimensions. Maybe I can rise the plates with bows in the middle of the cockpit higher?

On 11/2/2019 at 11:53 PM, Reaper said:

Looks pretty nice! The cockpit looks well shaped, although I still wished that they printed those cones.

Yes, printed cones would be so cool. Stickers are a no go for me for these big and important parts. In a view years the stickers peel off and than the over all look from the cockpit is bad.

On 11/3/2019 at 5:36 AM, LEGODrongo01 said:

Yeah I think the cone build is more accurate and looks better, but youve done an admirable job. Maybe something like a smaller version of the UCS cockpit may be possible?

Yes, a cockpit like the UCS version is possible, but I wanted to take off the roof and place some minifigures in the cockpit.

 

I hope I will see more Tantive IV from other forum-users with modifications in this thread.

[ChemicalWorld]

My Tantive IV with a UCS Y-Wing style stand and an alternative to the fins in the mid section. Not to everyone's taste I imagine but I'm pretty happy with the end result.

Edited January 7, 2020 by ChemicalWorld
spelling mistake

[MAG85]

16 hours ago, ChemicalWorld said:

My Tantive IV with a UCS Y-Wing style stand and an alternative to the fins in the mid section. Not to everyone's taste I imagine but I'm pretty happy with the end result.

I like your idea with the thicker and direction inversion (plates) of the fins. Mybe we have to add more little fins between the rescue capsule and the engine section.

[ChemicalWorld]

50 minutes ago, MAG85 said:

I like your idea with the thicker and direction inversion (plates) of the fins. Mybe we have to add more little fins between the rescue capsule and the engine section.

Mmm will have to see if we can fit something into that section. Might prove difficult though. 

[ChemicalWorld]

Finally got round to doing a few mods (had to order a few more parts on brick link, multiple times due to forgetting to order certain parts...).

Got rid of the spring loaded shooters

Spoiler

And the stud shooter plus some colour swaps

Spoiler

And then the big one, had to extend the rear section of the model to fit two sets of fins between the escape pods and the engine

Spoiler

Only issue is that due to the stand I use I had to pop two double A batteries into the bottom of the cockpits to offset the weight...

Spoiler

But she's looking fine and that's what counts :D

Spoiler

 

[Kristof]

It looks to me like your cockpit is too low. May be less than a brick... 2 plates possibly. But it still shows very much from all angles, particularly from the side view :) Looks like the Tantive is tired and its head is going down. I can imagine it should be possible to move it up a bit without much problems.

And I agree with others that it’s just way too cylindrical - enlarging the midmost ‘ring’ may improve that a lot!

Otherwise I like your changes a lot and I agree 100% that the stickers absolutely kill any appeal of that official one.

[MAG85]

On 2/17/2020 at 2:23 AM, Kristof said:

It looks to me like your cockpit is too low. May be less than a brick... 2 plates possibly. But it still shows very much from all angles, particularly from the side view :) Looks like the Tantive is tired and its head is going down. I can imagine it should be possible to move it up a bit without much problems.

And I agree with others that it’s just way too cylindrical - enlarging the midmost ‘ring’ may improve that a lot!

Otherwise I like your changes a lot and I agree 100% that the stickers absolutely kill any appeal of that official one.

Yes, you are right. My plan for future is to rebuild the cockpit section. The feedback of you helps me a lot. I will post new pics in near future.

[YodaSkate]

On 2/16/2020 at 11:46 PM, ChemicalWorld said:

Finally got round to doing a few mods (had to order a few more parts on brick link, multiple times due to forgetting to order certain parts...).

Got rid of the spring loaded shooters

  Reveal hidden contents

And the stud shooter plus some colour swaps

  Reveal hidden contents

And then the big one, had to extend the rear section of the model to fit two sets of fins between the escape pods and the engine

  Reveal hidden contents

Only issue is that due to the stand I use I had to pop two double A batteries into the bottom of the cockpits to offset the weight...

  Reveal hidden contents

But she's looking fine and that's what counts :D

  Reveal hidden contents

 

How are you attaching the fins to the body? 

[MAG85]

Here we go with my cockpit 2.0:

- moved up the cockpit two plates

- the shape is now more like a cone

- two rebel pilotes can sit in the cockpit

Tantive_IV-12, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-13, on Flickr

Tantive_IV-11, on Flickr

 

I am currently working on a studio file from the cockpit. I will publish it soon.

What do you think?

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by MAG85

[Kristof]

The shape is much better now and think the overall look improved by a lot! I still can't get rid of the feeling that it's low, though. You say you lifted it up 2 plates. but I think that the 'neck' which connects the cockpit to the body should be higher. The centerline of the cockpit cylinder should be level with the centerline of the greebles on the sides of the body. The red stripe that runs alongside the 'neck' should also be at the same hight. Meanwhile, I think it's 1 stud too low. Last, perhaps it has some structural reasons but I don't get why you extended these light grey round endcaps on the cockpit by that 1x6 plate in the middle. It's very visible that the shape isn't am perfect circle now and I think it looks a bit weird :)

[MAG85]

7 hours ago, Kristof said:

The shape is much better now and think the overall look improved by a lot! I still can't get rid of the feeling that it's low, though. You say you lifted it up 2 plates. but I think that the 'neck' which connects the cockpit to the body should be higher. The centerline of the cockpit cylinder should be level with the centerline of the greebles on the sides of the body. The red stripe that runs alongside the 'neck' should also be at the same hight. Meanwhile, I think it's 1 stud too low. Last, perhaps it has some structural reasons but I don't get why you extended these light grey round endcaps on the cockpit by that 1x6 plate in the middle. It's very visible that the shape isn't am perfect circle now and I think it looks a bit weird :)

Yes, you are right. the centerline of the neck with the red line is one stud to low. This section is nearly antouched from the original Lego model. It's not easy to change it.

The problem with the grey 'round' endcaps is the odd number of bricks. So the shape is not round. Until now I have no idea for a better look.

Here is the studio file of the cockpit:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PwImy29vGfdpbiLohABa5kcLk7VCNsn9/view?usp=sharing

 

[Kristof]

@MAG85 I tried some quick patch in your Studio file for the end caps. I first did one side with just modifying the attachment points so the round plate circles on the end could sit centered. I didn't spend much time optimizing it so there likely are things to improve but I think it's not too bad structurally and the properly round end looks better. Then just out of curiosity, I tried a different approach on the other side with the overhanging bows and inset end caps. It allows for some cool detail with that greeble thing that extends to the front but I am not a huge fan of how squarish it looks overall and I don't think it's a good fit for this modification - it has a different style than the rest of the model.

Modified Studio file for the cockpit

As for the 'height' of the whole front end, you only just pointed out for me that the issue is inherited from the official model... how weird they went for this. Anyway, I didn't attempt fixing that because I am not sure how the rest of the model goes together behind the 'neck' but I think your best shot is to force an extra 2 plate offset right where the neck connects to the body. I suspect there is some continuing sort of 'spine' from the sandwiched technic bricks though so it might be tricky to do that without violating the structure too much... but hey, it shouldn't be too much of a rocket science :) alternatively you would have to just offset the 'vanity' plating with the red stripe one stud up on these SNOT brackets and then deal with lifting the cockpit once again (2-3 plates seems like a proper amount), which would likely yield to sacrificing that long white bow piece that shapes the bottom of the neck. That part is IMHO quite poorly designed anyway as the piece just hangs in there with a bit of a gap... idk, not a spectacular design.

[Mandalorianknight]

12 hours ago, MAG85 said:

Here we go with my cockpit 2.0:

- moved up the cockpit two plates

- the shape is now more like a cone

- two rebel pilots can sit in the cockpit

I am currently working on a studio file from the cockpit. I will publish it soon.

What do you think?

Looks great, much better than the original design IMO, but that might just be because the giant molded cockpit parts take away from it looking like a lego set IMO.

honestly, I'm now wanting to get this set more than I previously did , just so I can switch out the cockpit for your design.

[MAG85]

@Kristof Thanks for the fast feedback and the studio-file. You are right, with your optimazation the end caps looks much better. The second version looks nice, but I also think its to big for this scale of model. The two studs in red looks to massiv for the cockpit.

I will see how I can improve the 'neck' in the future.

 

11 hours ago, Mandalorianknight said:

Looks great, much better than the original design IMO, but that might just be because the giant molded cockpit parts take away from it looking like a lego set IMO.

honestly, I'm now wanting to get this set more than I previously did , just so I can switch out the cockpit for your design.

Thanks! Go out and buy it. Beside the cockpit it's a great model. An update version from LEGO of this ship will come in ten years

[WizardSleeve]

Hi MAG85, I’ve just come across your mod for the Tantive.. I love it! Are there any instructions available? I’m a newb and can’t tell just from the pictures what’s involved.
 

just starting to build this set and would love to use your flight deck 

thanks 

[MAG85]

On 3/1/2021 at 7:55 PM, WizardSleeve said:

Hi MAG85, I’ve just come across your mod for the Tantive.. I love it! Are there any instructions available? I’m a newb and can’t tell just from the pictures what’s involved.
 

just starting to build this set and would love to use your flight deck 

thanks 

Nice that you like it.

I have no instructions but you can use the studio-file from @Kristof:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xwqR5If61CHMJRi23mkXojC-a_M56uCI/view

I hope this helps. Have fun building the Tantive.