krispy

[MOC LDD] A-Wing (with LDD file)

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update 2013-07-30

I've finally managed to brick build it! I've included some studio shots below. Also there's a little pointer on getting the angle of the cones to work. Finally, I've also updated the model file, as I found some errors in the 1.2 version.

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I've been taking a break from building, but there was one model I haven't yet posted. I was going to do a topic after I brick-build it, but seeing as that might take awhile, I've decided to post the model file anyway. Also someone has already brick built it using my model file; I'm fairly confident that this model will work in real bricks.

Disclaimer

Like the B-Wing, most of the modeling was done by others, mainly Jerac and Scott34567. I've merely modified the base model to take full advantage of the parts from TLG's #75003 A-Wing model. Also some optimizations were made.

So, without further ado: here she is!

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Studio shot 1 by Krispy's brick stuff, on Flickr

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Studio shot 2 by Krispy's brick stuff, on Flickr

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Jerac/Scott A-wing - v1.2 by Krispy's brick stuff, on Flickr

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Jerac/Scott A-wing - v1.2: Lego®-Vision by Krispy's brick stuff, on Flickr

You can find the LDD model file here: v1.4

Building tip: inserting a pneumatic T between the cones and the round brick helps the side to keep its shape.

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How to angle the cones by Krispy's brick stuff, on Flickr

Happy building! :classic:

Edited by krispy
Updated dropbox link

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Great model :thumbup: :thumbup: I really like it because it is very close to the original :wink:

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Yeah looks pretty epic! The cones have always bugged me though, I wish there was a cleaner way to get that shape.

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The physical model by Jerac is the gold standard for minifig-scale A-wings right now, and it’s great to see someone optimize it for and convert it into LDD. :thumbup:

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Hi Krispy, thanks very much for making this available. One of the nice things about the A-Wing is the way it looks oval when viewed from the front. Although it is not possible to get it completely right with the available parts in lego, Jerac's version (and subsequently this one) at least have that oval look while the official Lego set doesn't even try to do it. For this reason alone it is far more accurate than the official set.

I would be interested to know why you have deviated from Jerac in several places (for example the fins, engines, the gap in the front of the ship and the back part of the cockpit) because to my eye it looks like Jerac's version in all those places is the more accurate. You've ended up using a lot of different parts to the official set anyway so it wouldn't cost a whole lot more to buy the extra parts needed. I hope you don't think me pedantic, but the whole point of making something other than the official set is to improve the accuracy so it seems to me you might as well make it as accurate as possible.

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I would be interested to know why you have deviated from Jerac in several places (for example the fins, engines, the gap in the front of the ship and the back part of the cockpit) because to my eye it looks like Jerac's version in all those places is the more accurate.

Glad you asked! The honest answer is that I'm not really sure: I was building of Scott's initial model file, but I can hazard a guess comparing the two. Bear in mind (pun intended :wink:) that because this was done in LDD, a lot less options are available with respect to legal connections (which is why you can't build the BrickWright's Y-Wing in LDD). Short version: I'm guessing that's why the two deviate.

One of the biggest differences (literally) is the space the pilot has. I believe Jerac commented that the way the insides were constructed didn't leave much room to work with. As Scott's initial model was pieced together without instructions, I'm guessing that they differ much on the inside, probably due to the whole legal connections thing. I believe that this model is actually a little bigger that Jerac's original. Hence there is a little more room for the pilot which does leave more room for instruments and seating.

The fins have me a little frustrated too. I'd like them thinner as well, but the way the engines are connected to the main body doesn't allow for it. That is to say: my attempts at redoing them failed so I let it be. I might hazard another attempt though; or someone here might figure something out :classic:

As for the engines: the rear part of Jerac's engines aren't that accurate as they should be ring-like (not unlike the Y-Wing actually). Jerac emulated that by using light grey wheels with white stickers on the side. That's why I've used pulley's: they come the closest. I'm mildly confident that with some rigid hose and some tinkering you could get that the same way as Brickwright's Y-Wing exhausts at the end. LDD won't allow that though.

On the whole though, I like my models to be LDD-able. It means it's likely to hold together and it's easy for other people to build and reverse engineer them as well even if it means sacrificing detail.

Edited by krispy

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Thanks for the insight Krispy, it's very interesting. I realise that it is easy to just look at something and comment on the accuracy without understanding all the tradeoffs that go into it. Ultimately I'd trade a bit of accuracy so that the model doesn't fall apart every time it's touched.

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A fantastic LDD a-wing! Thankyou for showing us it's nicely constructed and looks sleek.

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Too add a little to the discussion: I had some ideas regarding the little tail fins. Here's a comparison of them with the original as well.

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Comparision of wing modification ideas by Krispy's brick stuff, on Flickr

Mod. A is fully LDD proof and has the wings mounted on headlights (pretty straight forward).

Mod. B Is a far-out-there mod; replacing the rear rings and actually using the new ring to mount the fins on.

Mod. C is like Mod. A, but assumes you press the 1x8 plate of the wings into the underlying 2x2 plate (illustrated here). This is an illegal connection in LDD, but in practice it works.

All in all, I'm not sure I'm too fond of the plates. They are thinner, but do lack in shape (the radius of the rear upper corner is actually too big) and overal smoothness. I am a little partial to Mod. C but I'll probably build the original.

What do you guys think?

Edited by krispy

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I must say the original doesn't look that bad, I don't know how to say it, but it feels more coherent. Mod C is probably the best, but like you I'll go for the original.

I looked at how I did the fins on the awing like ship I built, and adapted it to your model:

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Jerac A-wing - 1.2 (1) par BobDeQuatre, sur Flickr

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I like the brick-wide fins. I like SNOT/brick wings and fins in pretty much everything. Especially in this case, the exposed studs (and the anti-studs on the bottoms of the plates making up the fins) sort of interrupt and ruin the sleek look and have enough of a negative effect in that way to negate the positive effect gained with thinner fins.

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I think if you view the ship head on from the front or back the plate fins will look better, but from the side the brick version looks better. Since most of the time people will see it from a side angle the brick version probably wins out.

I'm starting to understand that accuracy of shape doesn't always lead to a more pleasing end result in a Lego model, at least with the minifigure scale models. After all, the minifigures themselves don't have realistic proportions so why should the ships they inhabit? This was something I didn't get at first and looking back through old discussions on this forum I see that other people have made the same mistake.

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I'm starting to understand that accuracy of shape doesn't always lead to a more pleasing end result in a Lego model, at least with the minifigure scale models. After all, the minifigures themselves don't have realistic proportions so why should the ships they inhabit? This was something I didn't get at first and looking back through old discussions on this forum I see that other people have made the same mistake.

Yes, it's a key thing in building, not sacrificing too much of the aesthetics for accuracy. You do have to remember the accuracy, because an accurate model will often look aesthetically pleasing because it looks right. But an ugly (gappy, bad pattern of bricks, etc.) yet mostly accurate (in angles, in dimensions and proportions, in shape, etc.) model is still ugly.

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I'm starting to understand that accuracy of shape doesn't always lead to a more pleasing end result in a Lego model, at least with the minifigure scale models. After all, the minifigures themselves don't have realistic proportions so why should the ships they inhabit? This was something I didn't get at first and looking back through old discussions on this forum I see that other people have made the same mistake.

Yes, it's a key thing in building, not sacrificing too much of the aesthetics for accuracy. You do have to remember the accuracy, because an accurate model will often look aesthetically pleasing because it looks right. But an ugly (gappy, bad pattern of bricks, etc.) yet mostly accurate (in angles, in dimensions and proportions, in shape, etc.) model is still ugly.

Hear hear! That's the difficulty of designing a model. But it really payoffs when you're building... :laugh:

I've added some studio shots to give you an impression of what it looks like when it's done. I've also updated the model file as I've found I had overlooked some things.

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Congratulations on the build, it looks amazing in the photos! and thanks for the update, I'll be building this soon.

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I've enjoyed reading the discussion about the fins. I must agree with brickdoctor, that even though the plates are more movie-accurate the studs do break up the sleekness of the ship. I think the regular stacked bricks look better.

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Since they are now making tiles that are 'upside down' (studs on top, smooth bottom) could those be used on the inside of the plate fins, or would the increased thickness not be worth it?

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Since they are now making tiles that are 'upside down' (studs on top, smooth bottom) could those be used on the inside of the plate fins, or would the increased thickness not be worth it?

Generally the bottoms of plates don't break up the smooth-ness as much as the studs on the tops do, so the bottoms don't need smoothing out as much as the tops do, and I don't believe the inverted tiles come in the angled and curved shapes that would be necessary to avoid having jagged edges on the fins.

If there were properly angled and curved versions of both normal and inverted tiles, and they all overlapped so they didn't need any plates between them to hold them together (which would be some very specialized pieces), then they would be a half-plate thinner and just as smooth as the SNOT solution. But for now, there's no way for plates to be smoother and sleeker than SNOT in this situation.

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But for now, there's no way for plates to be smoother and sleeker than SNOT in this situation.

Thank you Brickdoctor: that sounds like my cue.

Thank you, Krispy, Scott and Jerac for a wonderful model.

I altered Krispy's 1.4 A-Wing design to include a smooth SNOT bottom and a landing leg at the front:

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There are a lot more photos in my set on flickr. It should be enough to let someone recreate my modifications. If you need more photos taken from any angle, please let me know.

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Nice job ScottishDave, thanks for posting. This is similar to what Jerac's looks like underneath.

Thanks! Do you happen to have a link to pictures of the underside of Jerac's model? The two pictures on flickr show every other angle, but not that one. I'd love to see how he did it.

I used photos of the actual studio model for reference (radical, I know!). I think it was this page

The one thing I am unhappy about is that the grilled (intake?) area on the bottom should be narrower at the back: but in the end I decided to ignore that detail in favour of my sanity.

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