Tweaked Tie Fighter MOC

[cdavidc29]

 

Hello. I've been lurking for a while and finally decided to make my first “real” post.

I bought the instructions for @Jerac's Tie Fighter about a year ago, but before I bought the pieces, I wanted to try tweaking the design in Stud.IO to better match its on-screen appearance. I've continued modifying the design even after I built the physical model, with each extra tweak expanding the scope of the project. I currently have a Tie Fighter that, while still sharing the original model's bones, is nonetheless significantly altered. Given all the changes I've made, I decided to make a post about them to get some feedback.

 

 

 

Wing Struts

The armor panels have been remade for more visual cohesiveness and screen accuracy. The space constraints of the new construction necessitated a new approach to the sloped pieces that lie between the panels. The ones near the central pod are now made using 1x4 Slopes and are held in place with only a 1 stud connection. They maintain their stability by resting on top of the 1x2 30 Degree Slopes I incorporated into the struts to give them a rounder look. The lengths of the long slopes and the wedge plates near the wings were changed to better reflect their positioning and size relative to the other visual elements on the struts. While this decision leaves both elements slightly over and undersized, they come the closest that can be represented in Lego using a plate-based construction for the core of the struts.

Wings

I've redone the visual detailing for the wing hubs while leaving the support structure relatively unchanged. Jerac's construction method emphasized a balance between greebling and overall appearance, but this resulted in noticeable gaps in the hubs and a squished hexagonal shape. I modified the wing hubs to make a gap-less, regular hexagon that fits in an 8x8 space. The wing panels were slightly modified for more stability using groups of 1x1 Bricks w/ Holes connected by Technic pins. These preserve the vertical panel lining of the original while providing as much stability as longer horizontal bricks. Finally, I unified the construction of all the wing panel struts. They are all now 2 plates tall and capped with a curved slope leading into the wing's outermost border. I tried to go for a smoother appearance due to the fact that 1 plate thick wing struts are impossible to make while also serving as support for the wing panels.

 

 

Central Pod - Front

            I covered up a small gap in the upper cockpit flap using 1x3 Jumper Tiles. The cannon assemblies use a modified version of the build method I recently saw on BrickVault's Tie X1, though the cannons themselves require the builder commit the ultimate sin of MOC design: part modification. They are made by cutting a length of flex tube to roughly twice the thickness of a horizontal clip piece. This kind of modification is something Lego has instructed the builder to do in some sets before, so I count it as a “legal” move, if not exactly smiled upon. This method results in the most accurate placement, size, and shape of any method I've seen for representing cannons recessed into a curved surface.

Central Pod – Bottom

            A detail of the original model that irked me is that the top hatch sits flush with the top of the central pod and lines up with the slopes on either side of it, while the same area on the bottom of the ship was made with curved slopes. I was able to provide the half-plate recess necessary for a 4x4 Dish on the bottom to mirror the appearance of the top, though this one change required a substantial internal alteration. One of the two connections holding the central pod together stood in the way of creating the recess, but I figured out a compromise. By making the connecting plate 1 stud wide instead of two leaves space under the pilot's chair to run a sort of scaffolding to the 4x4 Dish's correct location. The scaffolding itself isn't very sturdy, but it only has to hold the dish in place; support is provided by all the pieces the dish now rests flush against. Aside from looking good, this construction method is strong enough to support the weight of the entire model resting on its stand. Additionally, the whole pod is now 2 plates thicker to give a more spherical appearance compared to the original model. It's a detail you can't unsee once you spot it, especially when the model is placed next to other BrickVault Ties.

Central Pod – Back

The original construction of the engines used hollow, round studs slid over the vertical arm of modified 1x2 plates to represent exhaust. While I like the effect, and tried to keep it in my revisions, this method of construction keeps the thrusters from being flush with the central pod's curved surface, as well as either too close or too far apart. I used a modified version of the “bow tie” detailing on the front of the pod to represent the thrusters, a trait shared with the on-screen Tie Fighter models. Regarding the rearmost portion of the ship, the original model uses 1x2 30m Degree Slopes to create the hexagonal rear window. However, the window is shown to be flush with the surface of the central pod in official depictions, meaning a redesign was needed. I wasn't satisfied with any solution I tried that used slope bricks to make the hexagonal window pattern. None of them were flat enough to match the source material, so I had to resort to the second greatest sin of MOC creation: a custom sticker. I think it turned out pretty well.

 

Let me know what you all think!

 

 

 

Edited February 4 by cdavidc29

[Max_Lego]

This is possibly the best Lego TIE fighter... But the decision of using 4x4 dishes instead of 6x6 ones seems controversial to me. I think we need 5x5 dishes, which are yet to be realised by TLG... You did a great job redesigning @Jerac's model, and it looks MUCH BETTER than the original. Especially the solar panel struts, I've never seen such a beautiful decision before. Congratulations! 

[Feuer Zug]

Great build. Lots of work on the small details. Thanks for the in-depth explanations.

[Monkeyulize]

Beautiful model. I was about to say there was no way you got that engine shaping with bricks and then saw it was a sticker . 

[Max_Lego]

4 hours ago, Monkeyulize said:

Beautiful model. I was about to say there was no way you got that engine shaping with bricks and then saw it was a sticker . 

TBH, @cdavidc29 mentioned it's not the engine - it's the rear hexagonal window. I personally solved the problem without stickers on my TIE interceptor (but the cockpit design of my model is very different, though):

 

[cdavidc29]

Thanks for the kind words. I had actually developed some variants of the design I wanted to post pictures of alongside this one, but I needed some time to get them cleaned up. Here are the Textured Wings, Inferno Squadron, Big Hatch, Emperor's Guard, and Mining Guild versions of the tweaked Tie Fighter, with all the improvements of the former model.

This is a version adopted from a build variant offered in the instructions by Brickvault. It aims to depict the Tie's corrugated solar panels with ribbed 1x2 bricks.

This is a another version adopted from a build variant offered in the instructions by Brickvault. The red stripes signify their belonging to Inferno Squadron, as well as necessitate some altered construction to maintain the pattern.

Spurred on by @Max_Lego's comments, as well as some attempts in Jerac's thread on the original model, this is a version that utilizes 6x6 dishes for the top and bottom of the cockpit-ball. It's a little unsightly in the back, but it's a compromise for getting a more accurately sized hatch.

This version is taken from the "Emperor's Guard" paint job in Star Wars: Squadrons. It makes sense in-universe too, as the Royal Guard had to fly something before their specially-modified Tie Interceptors were created.

This variant applies the changes I made to the Mining Guild's Tie Fighter. This is technically a bit more involved than a simple variant of the base model, given that it's a separate product on Brickvault's website, but all the changed I made to the base model can similarly be applied here.

Edited February 25 by cdavidc29

[Max_Lego]

Formidable! 

[jainser]

amazing!!