[MOC] UCS Tantive IV - 2023 Edition

[Veynom]

Ten years after building a first version of an UCS-like Tantive IV, inspired by official sets 10019 and 10198, I have decided that it was about time to provide some lifting to my MOC. Believe me, coming back to an old MOC is a challenge. Over 10 years, many new parts have been released, many new build techniques were introduced and if means what can be seen as a simple re-lifting may become a total rebuild. Anyway, without additional blabla, here is the result:

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

And you may compare it with my previous edition from 2013:

CR90 Corvette Tantive IV by Veynom, on Flickr

Just as the previous version, it can be opened to reveal a detailed interior:

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

Instead of letting you spot the 7 differences (and there are more than 7), I will review the main changes brought to the model. The first one is about the color scheme. The old dark gray and red have been replaced by DBG and dark red everywhere. The model is also globally whiter than the 2013 version. The second global change is a massive move from studfull to almost studless, only keeping studs were it could provide greebling advantageously.

And now, let's start to zoom on some sections, starting with the rear engine section. 

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

It is 6-stud wider than the original, with extra space added between each engine pod in order to add some extra details. Just making it wider implied a full rebuild from scratch. Many, many details were added everywhere to closely match the original model. The engines are a bit longer and the exhaust part was revisited to provide a nicer visual effect. Just detailling the exhausts added more than 400 extra parts to te model.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

With the radar section, I made structural strengthening, extra details on the lateral pods with smoother ending, detailed inside, brick-build white wings, and a brick-build radar.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

The roof section was also rebuild from scratch. Details were added to all panels for visual improvement and also to ensure minimal holes between angled panels.

Then we have the head...

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

I cut the head just after the central section and rebuilt it completely. As the original shape is somewhere halfway between a hammerhead and a double truncated cone, just reproducing it is already a challenge. If you further want it hollow in order to add a detailed cockpit then it becomes a very interesting challenge. The solution I used is maybe not the most esteatic one when looking at it closely but it does the job when moving a bit away from the ship and it allows to put 4 sitting minifigs and some walking ones in the central corridor.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

It was really not easy to capture the curves, the outside details and still proposing an easy way to open it. Yet, the result is quite strong with enough details inside.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

And there is a corridor allowing us to guess about some well know scenery from ANH.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

And now the main room.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

With Darth Vader, always elevating people around him with his typical sense of Imperial justice.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

My lateral pods are still present, each with a small vignette inside and more details or better smoothing.

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

Tantive IV - 2023 Edition by Veynom, on Flickr

A few more pictures from the build:

Tantive IV uplifting WIP by Veynom, on Flickr

Tantive IV uplifting WIP by Veynom, on Flickr

TantiveIV uplifting WIP by Veynom, on Flickr

A friend of mine told me the radar metabrick was not up to the level of the MOC. So I built a new one ... the result if indeed much more appealing and aligned with the original model.

TantiveIV uplifting final WIP by Veynom, on Flickr

A color swap which truely improve the visual impact: replacing the LBG engines (wheels) by dark pearl gray ones.

Tantive IV uplifting Engine colors by Veynom, on Flickr

Now, there is still a major disadvantage to this re-lifting. The beast weights now 25% more than before, increasing from 4.4 to 5.5 kg. Heavy MOC, I tell you. The length remained identically (that was a surprise to me).

I've no clue if I will change it again in 10 years, maybe it will switch to a blue color-scheme...

[TeddytheSpoon]

Awesome work! I love seeing comparisons with MOCs that people have updated. Am I right in thinking those printed pieces at the back are from the old escape pod set?

[Veynom]

2 minutes ago, TeddytheSpoon said:

Awesome work! I love seeing comparisons with MOCs that people have updated. Am I right in thinking those printed pieces at the back are from the old escape pod set?

Thank you!

And you are absolutely 100% correct. Those printed panels comes from the old 7109 escape pod set. Under valued parts, so happy I purchased a stock 15 years ago.

[RedgeRepublic]

Amazing and what an upgrade to the old one. Love to look and find all the changes you made, there's a lot! 

[Kage Goomba]

Great build -great detail.

 

Only one nagging thought - maybe I'm seeing things - seems the neck between the cockpit section and the turrets/pod section seems squished - neck should be a tad longer shoudln't it?

Other than that - this is very nicely detailed.

[Veynom]

On 10/4/2023 at 12:38 AM, RedgeRepublic said:

Amazing and what an upgrade to the old one. Love to look and find all the changes you made, there's a lot! 

Thank you! Glad you enjoy it.

13 hours ago, Kage Goomba said:

Great build -great detail.

 

Only one nagging thought - maybe I'm seeing things - seems the neck between the cockpit section and the turrets/pod section seems squished - neck should be a tad longer shoudln't it?

Other than that - this is very nicely detailed.

You put your finger on the pain point! Just like a proton torpedo hitting some random exhaust port of a space station somewhere. 

This is indeed the section I am not too fond about. The problem is however not the length but the height. Looking more closely at pictures, I should probably do the following:

• Move the bottom turret back where the landing gear is located
• Remove the meta conic piece and make a flat bottom from the bottom turret
• Move the entire "head" section 1 brick higher for better alignment. It would allow to smoothen the slop ramp down from the top turret till the head.

But where to put the forward landing gear then. in front ? it will also not be nice from a visual point of view. And references pictures are a bit contradictory.

Thank you so much for the feedback!

[Kage Goomba]

7 hours ago, Veynom said:

You put your finger on the pain point! Just like a proton torpedo hitting some random exhaust port of a space station somewhere. 

This is indeed the section I am not too fond about. The problem is however not the length but the height. Looking more closely at pictures, I should probably do the following:

• Move the bottom turret back where the landing gear is located
• Remove the meta conic piece and make a flat bottom from the bottom turret
• Move the entire "head" section 1 brick higher for better alignment. It would allow to smoothen the slop ramp down from the top turret till the head.

But where to put the forward landing gear then. in front ? it will also not be nice from a visual point of view. And references pictures are a bit contradictory.

Thank you so much for the feedback!

I tortured myself for 2 days or so before I had the nerve to say something - we MOC'ers are utter masochists I swear lol.

Persistence and stubbornness are our stock in trade - I'm sure you'll find a solution soon enough. Considering my two major MOC projects - I know all too well lol.

Regardless - you have a great moc here!