[MOC] [INSTRUCTIONS] UCS Tantive IV - CR-90 Corvette

[Kristof]

Satisfaction here :) The instructions look well crafted, especially for such large model. The design appears great as well. Thanks Kit!

[Kit Bricksto]

I wanted to thank everyone who has decided to start building this model for themselves! The excitement all of you have shown so far really makes me look forward to seeing the first WIP-pictures, build feedback and especially modifications to the design! I've heard people considering microscale interiors and all sorts of cool modifications to the ship itself! So please keep me posted on your progress and I'm always happy to help whenever I can along the way, too! :)

Have fun building everyone! And if you want to join in, just PM me for the instructions!

[Schneeds]

Definitely going to have to build this at some point. 

Quick question, what is the distance from stand-end to stand-end.  As in, what is the minimum length of a shelf required to display it?

[teos]

On 5/8/2019 at 9:18 AM, Anio said:

I've always wondered how people can achieve that... O_o

It makes less than 0.08€ per part. And 0.08€ is barely the price of a plate 1x2.

I did tons of Bricklink order over the last 10 years to build tons of MOCs. I have never ever been even close to 0.08€ per part.

I agree, especially if buying new parts.  Once you factor in many orders and all the shipping costs, I would expect this to cost around $1000 if not more (assuming you don't have any parts).  There's a point near the end of any project where pieces become difficult to find, leading to several tiny orders.

BTW- Awesome model.  This is the model I was hoping we would get from Lego.

[kajrehn]

Awsome model, and as a previous user states, the white wheels are gonna become a problem, a brick built solution or change of colour will be needed soon

[atlas]

Very impressive, the only thing that jumps out at me that could really improve the look without much work is making the slopes on each side of the hammerhead front section a little steeper.

[Kristof]

@atlas By that you mean making the 'rings' progressively smaller with faster rate? I feel like that would make the steps look too big and ugly.

[ClassicLook]

One more happy costumer here! :-) It seems to be a long project (at least 6 months) for me to build this.

At the moment Bricklink calculates me 620 USD or 550 EUR from 6 stores with mixed parts (new/used), so I think it's achievable, but only in small portions.

The problem is, that the many white parts can look weird, if you don't have the same condition for all.

With all new white parts the total cost is exactly 1000 USD or 900 EUR...

What do you think? How would it look like with yellowed/dirty white parts?

Edited May 18, 2019 by ClassicLook

[atlas]

16 hours ago, Kristof said:

@atlas By that you mean making the 'rings' progressively smaller with faster rate? I feel like that would make the steps look too big and ugly.

i would definitely do the staggered curved slopes in steps of 2 (like in the outer red ring) instead of 3. For me the cockpit shape is very distinctive and having a steeper angle would make it really shine. The rings would still be the same size but instead of 3 side by side on each level you'd have groups of 2, so it reaches higher points in the middle of the two truncated cones. Just looking at it i'm pretty confident the steeper silhouette would bring attract more attention than a couple extra edges created by the groups of 2 instead of 3. They would still go up one plate per 'step' so it would look very similar, just taller.

It would also be possible to bypass this issue and instead make each of the four main surfaces of each cone one row of curved slopes angled down together, instead of placed in steps at right angles. You could fill in the gaps with a similar technique which is used in jerac;s tie bomber cockpit with 1x2 cheese grate slopes between curved slopes. However the 'steps' are a not a problem at all for me aesthetically because they maintain the silhouette well with only minor 'pixelation' effect, and the same technique is used elsewhere is the model to good effect so it flows well too. Basically I would just make the cockpit section taller by doing steps of slopes in twos rather than threes. It could make a noticeable difference for minimal effort, would be cool to see in bricks. Im only harping on this because it's the only part of the model that distracts me because everything else is so well done that it appearing a little off draws the eye away from all that excellent work. I know kit has already released instructions so I get that it's not practical to implement this change, it's just an idea I had looking at it again

[Kristof]

^ Yep, makes sense when you explain it more. Good, albeit non trivial suggestion. these good looking ring diameters made out of curved slopes don't just run around in arbitrary sizes :D I would like to see a take on it though. Could be interesting.

[Kit Bricksto]

21 hours ago, ClassicLook said:

One more happy costumer here! :-) It seems to be a long project (at least 6 months) for me to build this.

At the moment Bricklink calculates me 620 USD or 550 EUR from 6 stores with mixed parts (new/used), so I think it's achievable, but only in small portions.

The problem is, that the many white parts can look weird, if you don't have the same condition for all.

With all new white parts the total cost is exactly 1000 USD or 900 EUR...

What do you think? How would it look like with yellowed/dirty white parts?

I wouldn't actually recommend using all new parts, not just because they're more expensive but because the Tantive IV isn't perfectly shiny in-universe. In fact I used a lot of used bricks in my model, even some with quite a bit of yellowing and I really quite like the look of it. In fact, I think it would look weird having it perfectly shiny and new.

18 hours ago, atlas said:

i would definitely do the staggered curved slopes in steps of 2 (like in the outer red ring) instead of 3. For me the cockpit shape is very distinctive and having a steeper angle would make it really shine. The rings would still be the same size but instead of 3 side by side on each level you'd have groups of 2, so it reaches higher points in the middle of the two truncated cones. Just looking at it i'm pretty confident the steeper silhouette would bring attract more attention than a couple extra edges created by the groups of 2 instead of 3. They would still go up one plate per 'step' so it would look very similar, just taller.

It would also be possible to bypass this issue and instead make each of the four main surfaces of each cone one row of curved slopes angled down together, instead of placed in steps at right angles. You could fill in the gaps with a similar technique which is used in jerac;s tie bomber cockpit with 1x2 cheese grate slopes between curved slopes. However the 'steps' are a not a problem at all for me aesthetically because they maintain the silhouette well with only minor 'pixelation' effect, and the same technique is used elsewhere is the model to good effect so it flows well too. Basically I would just make the cockpit section taller by doing steps of slopes in twos rather than threes. It could make a noticeable difference for minimal effort, would be cool to see in bricks. Im only harping on this because it's the only part of the model that distracts me because everything else is so well done that it appearing a little off draws the eye away from all that excellent work. I know kit has already released instructions so I get that it's not practical to implement this change, it's just an idea I had looking at it again

Thanks for the feedback, atlas! I agree that the angle might be a bit flat on my model but if I remember correctly I tried making the sections two studs wide and it didn't look right at all. It didn't look smooth enough and was actually to high of an angle. The Jerac-technique might work but I am very bad at building in that style and I prefer the cockpit being smooth and sturdy to the minor setback of the angle being slightly off. I'd be very interested in seeing others modifying the cockpit, though! So please share photos here if anyone makes modifications to the design! :)

[Anio]

43 minutes ago, Kit Bricksto said:

I wouldn't actually recommend using all new parts, not just because they're more expensive but because the Tantive IV isn't perfectly shiny in-universe.

No fake : you can buy new parts and still have hue variations.

haha haha haha.

[ClassicLook]

8 hours ago, Kit Bricksto said:

I wouldn't actually recommend using all new parts, not just because they're more expensive but because the Tantive IV isn't perfectly shiny in-universe. In fact I used a lot of used bricks in my model, even some with quite a bit of yellowing and I really quite like the look of it. In fact, I think it would look weird having it perfectly shiny and new.

Thanks, I'm going to do that way.

[atlas]

On 5/19/2019 at 9:21 PM, Kit Bricksto said:

 

Thanks for the feedback, atlas! I agree that the angle might be a bit flat on my model but if I remember correctly I tried making the sections two studs wide and it didn't look right at all. It didn't look smooth enough and was actually to high of an angle. The Jerac-technique might work but I am very bad at building in that style and I prefer the cockpit being smooth and sturdy to the minor setback of the angle being slightly off. I'd be very interested in seeing others modifying the cockpit, though! So please share photos here if anyone makes modifications to the design! :)

Fair enough. I'm glad you considered it. As I said it looks fantastic, it's only that it looks a tiny bit uncanny because of the angle. That might just be me though.

[Kit Bricksto]

On 5/12/2019 at 8:28 AM, Schneeds said:

Definitely going to have to build this at some point. 

Quick question, what is the distance from stand-end to stand-end.  As in, what is the minimum length of a shelf required to display it?

Sorry for ignoring your question! I checked the distance the other day and I think it was something around 56-57cm. 

The whole model definitely fits on top of one and a half Billy shelves from Ikea though if that helps :D

[ProvenceTristram]

I didn't read the whole thread, so this may have been asked: how fragile is it? Does it have a technic core?

[Kristof]

@ProvenceTristram I haven't built it but just from looking at the instructions, it looks plenty rigid. There is quite a bit of technic structure combined with layers of plates to stiffen everything longitudinally.

[Kit Bricksto]

@ProvenceTristram I don't have much to add to what Kristof said. The front part of the model has a technic core that goes from the back of the neck right back to the connection point with the engine section. That part can be easily held and swooshed around in one hand. The engine block is slightly more fragile due to it's more significant mass but once both parts are connected on a shelf they can be handled reasonably roughly without falling apart. Unfortunately you can't pick up the whole ship in one piece due to the imbalance of mass the engine block creates.. or at least I never dared to try it in fear of breaking the technic beams at the connection point. :D

[Altair1]

Your MOC is beautiful but too expensive to make... I just got the 75244 for 199 Euros, it will be enough for me :-)

[Kit Bricksto]

On 7/7/2019 at 8:08 AM, Altair1 said:

Your MOC is beautiful but too expensive to make... I just got the 75244 for 199 Euros, it will be enough for me :-)

Fair enough, if you decide to modify the set please post some pictures of it. I'm really interested in what can be done with the set! 

How is everyone else coming along? Anyone started building yet? :) 

[bricksmarlin]

1 hour ago, Kit Bricksto said:

Fair enough, if you decide to modify the set please post some pictures of it. I'm really interested in what can be done with the set! 

How is everyone else coming along? Anyone started building yet? :) 

Haven't started yet, but I'm almost there!
There are to many fantastic models I'm collecting parts for at the moment!

My latest order has just arrived!

 

Edited July 13, 2019 by bricksmarlin

[MoppeW40k]

I am only at 25 percent of the parts i need

[AfolFree]

18% here, so far the white wheels are the most troublesome to get in quantity. I got 9 out of 11, getting close 

[Brick-Wombat]

@bricksmarlin I'm just impressed with the fleet of B-wings you're building!

 

[bricksmarlin]

31 minutes ago, K_W said:

@bricksmarlin I'm just impressed with the fleet of B-wings you're building!

 

Thanks!
I just liked the model so much that I built two more!
They are all slightly different in color and the degree of damage!
I'll take some pictures and post them in another thread (or in Inthert's B-wing thread)!