Sign in to follow this  
siseon

My T-47 Snowspeeder

Recommended Posts

gallery_101_23_281.gif

I would like to preface by giving credit where it is due. This build is inspired by the original work of Larry Lars with some notable design influences from the BrickDoctor and Marshal Banana.

I have built two if them. One of which was the prototype (Red/Gray) for the all Gray version. I've been steadily working on this for approximately 3 months – working with Larry's flickr photos (one of which he showed a breakdown shot), I first worked on the nose, then onto the right wing and left wing, then finally onto the main fuselage/cockpit – all the while making connection adjustments to the completed main components. By no means is this an exact brick by brick replica, but I think I came pretty darn close to it. This build was a challenging yet rewarding experience for me. I very much enjoyed the trial and error process. It was quite fun… except when my 15 month year old son decided to swing by, take some parts and put them in his mouth.

As you can see, I've incorporated some of the more notable improvements to the Lars design like the BrickDoctor angled slope radiator fins in the rear and some of the greeble work reminiscent of Marshal Banana's T-47.

My T-47 does have working flaps both on the top and the bottom rear of the vehicle, although I do not have a working retractable cable like some of the other well designed T-47's listed above. The cockpit also swings open and contains the pilot, gunner and my interpretation of the interior and controls.

I'm very happy with my T-47s and it is currently my favorite Lego model I have built.

On to the pics:

5473723407_3f1bef8c47_b.jpg

5474321520_c07e95f922_b.jpg

5473722725_af47878700_b.jpg

5473722371_4be0bbb0e6_b.jpg

5474320454_8dbb8897b2_b.jpg

5474320194_0de141e346_b.jpg

5474319898_692ae5687a_b.jpg

5474319662_1a8e5e9341_b.jpg

5473721123_a7f4863f02_b.jpg

Edited by KielDaMan
Indexed

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Looks good! You can see the influence of other MOCers though, it seems like a lot of techniques are theirs... I also think its not quite fat enough. I just see a bit too much of other designs, maybe its just me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Really nice work, siseon. :thumbup:

I really like them, although I can see which versions you've used to build them.

Nevertheless, I really like them both. Some details in the gray version look better than your "prototype" as with the guns for example.

But I also like the red one, which has a nice colour. :classic:

the Inventor

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I really like these. The gray one is my favourite though. You can see the influences, but I do think you've improved on the design. The detailing on the back and the engine blocks work really well. :thumbup: Well done.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow, these are really great siseon :wub:

What's your flickr account?

I'd like to blog this, but I need to use a smaller image from your flickr.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That's great! It looks really accurate, and yet compact and small like the actual speeder at the same time. Nicely done!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow, these are really great siseon :wub:

What's your flickr account?

I'd like to blog this, but I need to use a smaller image from your flickr.

KimT,

Here is the link to the set in my Flickr Account.

Thanks for the generous comments everyone. I hope everyone understands that I am not claiming this build as a true "MOC" – because really, it's not. The builders I have mentioned in the first post above really deserve much of the credit since they spearheaded the original designs. I just wanted my own well-designed T-47 on my desk/lego collection. :cry_happy:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

AWESOME totally AWESOME 'siseon', the T-47 is my second favorite Rebel craft after of course the X-wing ! :grin:

The detail especially the engines and blasters....though the red trim one it's muzzles are to narrow for the craft it's size.....the double grey one - perfect. :thumbup:

But I feel that from the engine the radiator is missing it's blocking plates to retain the heat to allow the speeder to work at all.....snowspeeders actually don't like the cold ! :laugh:

Excellent designing 'siseon' and may the brick be with you.....always ! :grin:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

KimT,

Here is the link to the set in my Flickr Account.

Thanks for the generous comments everyone. I hope everyone understands that I am not claiming this build as a true "MOC" – because really, it's not. The builders I have mentioned in the first post above really deserve much of the credit since they spearheaded the original designs. I just wanted my own well-designed T-47 on my desk/lego collection. :cry_happy:

Thats what I was sorta getting at. This model doesn't have a ton of original design, its more of a merging of others work.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thats what I was sorta getting at. This model doesn't have a ton of original design, its more of a merging of others work.

Yup. I totally agree with you.

There was a point in the building process where I felt the original models were already so well done that it was difficult to improve upon them.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yup. I totally agree with you.

There was a point in the building process where I felt the original models were already so well done that it was difficult to improve upon them.

I know what your saying their-I have to say BrickDoctors really takes the cake out of the three you mentioned, I'm a sucker for SNOT. :blush: By the way How'd you do that transition from plates, to SNOT?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I know what your saying their-I have to say BrickDoctors really takes the cake out of the three you mentioned, I'm a sucker for SNOT. :blush: By the way How'd you do that transition from plates, to SNOT?

Yeah, the Doc's is pretty darn excellent.

Which transition do you speak of? the only transition I can think of is from the main rear fuselage to the radiator fins in the back. I can post up a break-away shot of it if you like. :thumbup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Probably the best minifig-scale Snowspeeder MOC I have ever seen.

No, definitely the best. I mean if you just saw the silhouette, one could be forgiven for not knowing it was made with LEGO.

I'm going to steal this recipe, make something as close to this with the pieces I can find. Because dayum it. is. good.

Edited by Jedd the Jedi

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah, the Doc's is pretty darn excellent.

Which transition do you speak of? the only transition I can think of is from the main rear fuselage to the radiator fins in the back. I can post up a break-away shot of it if you like. :thumbup:

The one from the middle gun Housing, to the plate-thick wings.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh wow, those are a lovely pair of custom-built T-47s. :wub: I must say you really did a remarkable job incorporating all the great points of each of the three inspirational models that you used to recreate both of these. I still don't have a snowspeeder, and seeing these two makes me wanna build some for my collection. Thanks for sharing this and great job! :thumbup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Very interesting, siseon – you’ve done a very nice job of replicating many of the best points of Larry Lars’ T-47 – with some adjustments, I can see. Though I don’t see anything wrong with borrowing others’ ideas so long as the original builders are acknowledged – heaven knows how much I borrowed off of Brucey-wan’s X-wing. (It’s not copying, it’s research! :tongue: ) The scale looks pretty good, and the red highlights are very nice.

There are some points I think could be improved on Larry Lars’ rendition, and I think taking these suggestions into account could also make this more of your own MOC than a copy of someone else’s. (That’s another thing I did.) So, here goes...

A significant issue is the guns. I’m sure Brickdoctor mentioned in the presentation of his T-47 that most people make the guns too thin, and beefed up his guns with Technic pins accordingly. I, too, think that the guns on your model appear too skeletal, giving the model a somewhat awkward appearance – they need to be beefed up more. There are also a few alignment issues you’re going to want to keep in mind while doing this – certain parts of the guns have to line up with certain features of the vehicle or else it’ll look disjointed like the LEGO set.

Another point is the cockpit. The T-47’s cockpit should angle upwards towards the rear. On the contrary, it appears as if your model actually has a downward slope in that area, which throws off the overall shape. Plates with handlebars and clips should do the trick.

Furthermore, there is a one-stud area that is flat, when there is clearly no such area on the real model – it should be a straight cockpit-wing transition. This will make that area of your model look cleaner.

There’s some random cheese slopes around the gunner’s cockpit – I would suggest removing those, as they add unnecessary angles to the model and thus make it appear more messy.

I do wish the front could be made a bit cleaner, but as Brickdoctor has told me that really is the best solution for the nose at this scale, so I’ll leave that be.

Part of the power couplings (not the inner gun housings, as brickartist called them) should be parallel to the harpoon deck in the rear – the structures are essentially a flatter version of the repulsor drive units. The 45 slope brick you’ve placed there doesn’t quite do the trick.

Actually, I think the same could be said for the 33 slope bricks you’ve used for the outer edges of the repulsor drive units – the angle is wrong and it makes that area look too wide (causing the laser cannons to be displaced outward as well). That area needs to be much more compact.

There’s a seemingly random bit of greebling around the pilot’s cockpit – what’s up with that? It looks messy. The T-47 is actually pretty lacking in surface greebling.

Your harpoon deck is too flat – it needs some small plateaus around the harpoon and a sloping area leading to the gunner’s cockpit as seen here. Including that will hopefully make it a bit less bland in that area.

The grilles look good, but you’ve overlooked an important detail – the plug for the T-47’s tow cable, as seen in this picture. (It’s the gap in the center of the grilles near the bottom.)

AWESOME totally AWESOME 'siseon', the T-47 is my second favorite Rebel craft after of course the X-wing ! :grin:

:thumbup::grin:

But I feel that from the engine the radiator is missing it's blocking plates to retain the heat to allow the speeder to work at all.....snowspeeders actually don't like the cold ! :laugh:

Whatever do you mean?

Yeah, the Doc's is pretty darn excellent.

You know, I left a page of suggestions on Brickdoctor's model as well (when he posted it here on Eurobricks) - you may want to take a look at that.

EDIT: I think I know why it looked kinda strange - the laser cannons are positioned parallel to each other when they should angle inwards. Having them straight makes them appear as if they flare outwards (since they're not bent in) which honestly looks pretty weird.

Edited by fallenangel309

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

fallenangel309,

Thank you for the much needed critique. :thumbup:

I believe with your assessment of this build I can start to make more improvements to it's accuracy and further make it my own individual T-47.

I'll make some tweeks and hope to post up an updated version in the near future. I think some significant tear down is on order to address some of the issues you have brought up – but like I said in an earlier post, this is the fun part for me. :classic:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Blogged

I had to upload a picture to our own flickr as your's didn't allow linking to a single picture.

I hope that's ok?

I left a link to your set and the topic here.

Great work and nice mix of those mentioned MOCs :thumbup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Strange, Fallenangel went soft on you, all the same, I'll adress what he didn't :grin:

Here is a good Reference, from ESB.

If you look at that screen capture you'll see that the biggest flaw is the wing trajectory, they should look fatter.

At the back the wings should come out a little, and then their should be a gap between the engines, and the wings. You've got a reference to that, but theirs no real gap. Removing that Jumper should do the trick.

I think the whole model might be too big(Looking at the reference pic I linked). You can look at the nose and see thet its considerably shorter than what you've portrayed it as.

Like Fallen said, The guns need a little work.

The top of the cockpit has a Black-Trans that is 2 bricks tall, and 2 studs wide; You probably want 1 1x2 brick Bley, and one Trans black.

The wings may be a bit 'Busy' as well. They Also may need some proportional work.

Anyways good luck improving upon this model, can't wait to see where you go with it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Strange, Fallenangel went soft on you, all the same, I'll adress what he didn't :grin:

Here is a good Reference, from ESB.

If you look at that screen capture you'll see that the biggest flaw is the wing trajectory, they should look fatter.

At the back the wings should come out a little, and then their should be a gap between the engines, and the wings. You've got a reference to that, but theirs no real gap. Removing that Jumper should do the trick.

I think the whole model might be too big(Looking at the reference pic I linked). You can look at the nose and see thet its considerably shorter than what you've portrayed it as.

Like Fallen said, The guns need a little work.

The top of the cockpit has a Black-Trans that is 2 bricks tall, and 2 studs wide; You probably want 1 1x2 brick Bley, and one Trans black.

The wings may be a bit 'Busy' as well. They Also may need some proportional work.

Anyways good luck improving upon this model, can't wait to see where you go with it.

Thank You for your criticism as well DobbyClone. I hope to put it to good use as well. :thumbup:

I still have to provide you a cutaway shot of the wing so you can see what madness lies beneath the plating. I'll try and get to that this weekend. :grin:

Blogged

I had to upload a picture to our own flickr as your's didn't allow linking to a single picture.

I hope that's ok?

I left a link to your set and the topic here.

Great work and nice mix of those mentioned MOCs :thumbup:

Thank KimT. Much like with everyone's responses, I'm very flattered this has been blogged in other LEGO community sites.

Your uploading to my Flickr set is perfectly fine. My Flickr account is not a dedicated "LEGO photo archive" like other users so hopefully just providing you the link to the set will suffice.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Probably the best minifig-scale Snowspeeder MOC I have ever seen.

No, definitely the best. I mean if you just saw the silhouette, one could be forgiven for not knowing it was made with LEGO.

I'm going to steal this recipe, make something as close to this with the pieces I can find. Because dayum it. is. good.

Agreed.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.