lenzie

UCS A-wing Upgrade / Modifications

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Was anyone else slightly disappointed with the UCS A-wing?

Don't get me wrong it is a beautiful and striking looking model but (in my opinion) flawed with a few issues.  In particular the loose/wobbly engines, large stickers and flimsy looking tail fins.

I modified mine to fix these issues and I've published free instructions of these mods on Rebrickable:

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-45277/Simon Lenz/ucs-a-wing-starfighter-modifications/?inventory=1#comments

To see more photos of this model see my Flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/160655025@N08/albums/72157714732198646

What do you think?

 

 

Front Quarter Small.jpg

Edited by lenzie

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Your MOD look very good. Thanks for sharing the instructions. When I have the A-Wing I will do your modifications to.

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Nice mods, replacing the fins with bricks rather than plates looks great and was my main gripe with the model! 

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Is the mod do-abe with only replacing the wings? I kind of like the stickers but I love your wings...

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2 hours ago, Naixin said:

Is the mod do-abe with only replacing the wings? I kind of like the stickers but I love your wings...

Hi Naixin, yes absolutely! 

Just remove the original tail fins from the model (which is easy to do) and then in instruction set part 2, that you can download from my MOC for this on Rebrickable, do steps: 14, 35-50, 53 and then 85-100.  You'll also need to add the 1x8 tiles to the underside of the model as I've shown in steps 3 and 64 (and shift the 4x6 plates around as shown in those steps too).

The parts list covers parts for all of my mods (cosmetic, engine and tail fins) to this model so you will have to look over the instructions and only order the parts you need for the tail fins. Should be easy to do by uploading the parts list to a wanted list in BrickLink and then deleting the parts you don't need.

Simon

14 hours ago, Ellisss_2 said:

Nice mods, replacing the fins with bricks rather than plates looks great and was my main gripe with the model! 

I completely agree, the flimsy plate-built tail fins just don't look right.  In person proper brick-built fins seem to make the model look more robust and well proportioned.

Edited by lenzie

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On 6/25/2020 at 9:05 PM, lenzie said:

Hi Naixin, yes absolutely! 

Just remove the original tail fins from the model (which is easy to do) and then in instruction set part 2, that you can download from my MOC for this on Rebrickable, do steps: 14, 35-50, 53 and then 85-100.  You'll also need to add the 1x8 tiles to the underside of the model as I've shown in steps 3 and 64 (and shift the 4x6 plates around as shown in those steps too).

The parts list covers parts for all of my mods (cosmetic, engine and tail fins) to this model so you will have to look over the instructions and only order the parts you need for the tail fins. Should be easy to do by uploading the parts list to a wanted list in BrickLink and then deleting the parts you don't need.

Simon

I completely agree, the flimsy plate-built tail fins just don't look right.  In person proper brick-built fins seem to make the model look more robust and well proportioned.

I just built these mods. Ive noticed that the end is now much heavier. Did you have to remake the stand so it doesnt droop?

Edited by Naixin

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Gonna buy this parts, cause still need to build this model from scratch

Thanks!

Edited by Dragunov2

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On 8/31/2020 at 12:03 AM, Naixin said:

I just built these mods. Ive noticed that the end is now much heavier. Did you have to remake the stand so it doesnt droop?

Hi Naxin, sorry it's been a while since I've logged on and I only just saw your post.   

Yes the rear of the model would be heavier with the additional parts so the model may not sit level on the standard Lego stand without mods to the stand.  I didn't have this issue as I was using the Wicked Bricks acrylic stand not the Lego one.

Did you come up with a solution / modification to the display stand?

 

4 hours ago, Dragunov2 said:

Gonna buy this parts, cause still need to build this model from scratch

Thanks!

Excellent! ...yes doing these mods when building the model from scratch is easier than doing the changes retrospectively.

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13 hours ago, lenzie said:

Hi Naxin, sorry it's been a while since I've logged on and I only just saw your post.   

Yes the rear of the model would be heavier with the additional parts so the model may not sit level on the standard Lego stand without mods to the stand.  I didn't have this issue as I was using the Wicked Bricks acrylic stand not the Lego one.

Did you come up with a solution / modification to the display stand?

 

Excellent! ...yes doing these mods when building the model from scratch is easier than doing the changes retrospectively.

I did! I redid the base of the model so the stand attaches to the model a few studs back, shifting the center of gravity so it no longer leans.

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22 hours ago, lenzie said:

Hi Naxin, sorry it's been a while since I've logged on and I only just saw your post.   

Yes the rear of the model would be heavier with the additional parts so the model may not sit level on the standard Lego stand without mods to the stand.  I didn't have this issue as I was using the Wicked Bricks acrylic stand not the Lego one.

Did you come up with a solution / modification to the display stand?

 

Excellent! ...yes doing these mods when building the model from scratch is easier than doing the changes retrospectively.

Well I better did this with my Batmobile too, some colored parts are visible, but are too deep to fix them quickly...

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10 hours ago, Naixin said:

I did! I redid the base of the model so the stand attaches to the model a few studs back, shifting the center of gravity so it no longer leans.

That's good to hear Naixin.  I think you posted up a photo of your modified A-wing Rebrickable? Thanks for that!

59 minutes ago, Dragunov2 said:

Well I better did this with my Batmobile too, some colored parts are visible, but are too deep to fix them quickly...

I haven't built that set yet, but I will keep an eye out for visible multi-coloured parts when I build it.  It is good that Lego are also replacing the ugly matt black panel on the roof of the model as well.  I believe if you own the model you can contact Lego customer service and ask for replacement parts. https://www.brickfanatics.com/this-is-why-lego-has-changed-the-roof-of-76139-1989-batmobile/

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Steamboat Willie and some other sets (Boba, Tie fighter Pilot and Stormtrooper helmets for example), I fixed those leaking through colors aswell.

Just did the request, I wonder if I gonna receive the three tiles.

Already made a Wanted List on Bricklink of your mod

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On 12/22/2020 at 2:55 PM, Naixin said:

I did! I redid the base of the model so the stand attaches to the model a few studs back, shifting the center of gravity so it no longer leans.

Pic of it?

Thanks!

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47 minutes ago, Dragunov2 said:

Pic of it?

Thanks!

Im unable to take one at the moment as im on vacation. But it looks the same from the outside, I just rebuilt the base and shifted the gap where the stand attaches a few studs back.

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Do find your step 11 necessary?

I like it more the way it is, if u look to the pics...

I only changed the 1x2 plate and those Slope, Inverted 45 2x2 in Light Bluish grey, but not those curved pieces

If u look to an original toy model

bwing2.jpg

Edited by Dragunov2

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34 minutes ago, Dragunov2 said:

Do find your step 11 necessary?

I like it more the way it is, if u look to the pics...

I only changed the 1x2 plate and those Slope, Inverted 45 2x2 in Light Bluish grey, but not those curved pieces

If u look to an original toy model

 

Hi Dragunov2 - my reasoning for the cosmetic change to the 'battle damage' was that the sloped pieces in my set with the grey printing on them were miss-printed and looked terrible.  Several other people had the same issue.  So I wanted to represent the battle damage using a combination of light blueish grey and white pieces only - not relying on the printed parts at all.

But that's just my choice.  If you want to do it differently you should!  That's the great thing about modifying Lego sets, you can do what ever you want!  :classic:

Enjoy!

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01.jpg

I even changed some more technic pins, some to the grey ones, some to black ones, so the cockpit is completely uniform to the technic bricks used

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In step 13, those headlight piece together with 1x1 brick round doesn't fit nice with those 1x2 plate under it, correct?

And the reason it doesn't fit properly at first?

Cause it seems it's just a shorter plate

Thanks!

Edited by Dragunov2

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On 1/9/2021 at 6:28 AM, Dragunov2 said:

In step 13, those headlight piece together with 1x1 brick round doesn't fit nice with those 1x2 plate under it, correct?

And the reason it doesn't fit properly at first?

Cause it seems it's just a shorter plate

Thanks!

Hi there - yes that is correct, there won't be a perfect fitment, but as you see on the next page in my instructions in the photo for those torpedo tubes, everything is covered up by the hull plates.  If you want you can swap out the 1x2 tile for a 1x1 tile in step 13, but up to you.

Cheers, Simon

Edited by lenzie

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