[MOC] X-wing Version 8

[Fallenangel]

It's finished!

Many more pictures in the gallery (when public)

Questions, comments and suggestions welcome!

Thank you to everyone who has followed along and gave suggestions on this MOC!

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Dec. 22, 2010:

X-wing version 8 WIP

After a long delay, X-wing version 8 is finally coming along!

Yeah, I like to build the wings first, since they're the most straightforward. There aren't really any tricky angles like there are in the forward fuselage. To be honest, I haven't really gotten into my bricks in a while, so this was kind of a warm-up before I tackled more SNOT-intensive areas. It's going to be quite difficult to top marshal_banana's fantastic front fuselage design; I think I may have to borrow some of his ideas.

Many thanks to Brian Tobin (aka errbt) for the engines. As you can see, my design is quite similar to his, and it was he himself who gave me the idea of putting the curved corner pieces on the 4x4 round brick so that I could properly represent the air intakes.

Yes, I know there should actually be a "T"-shape in there; I could only fit a 1x2 tile in the allotted space. errbt did offer an alternative; however, in the end I decided against it, since 1) I do not use bricklink, so I wouldn't have been able to use that piece anyway, 2) a printed tile just wouldn't look right there, and 3) maybe most importantly, X-wings do not have turbines.

The 33 slope bricks may look fine in this shot, but in real life I think they're a bit too fat; I'm considering using the 2x4 slope bricks instead, though I don't think I have enough.

Notice the beautifully constructed boosters. Notice also how there is only one. Sadly, I don't have enough 2x2 round bricks to build all four of them. In the last rendition, I downsized the laser cannons to 1x1 and used the round bricks from those so that I could include all the boosters, but after errbt pointed out the importance of making the enormous laser cannons the right size I knew I had to fix that first. In the meantime, I'm hoping that someone here can provide me with an alternative...

A shot of the rear. Compare with this picture. The top of the slope should line up with the edge of the angled portion of the wing.

Again, the boosters are a definite issue. this would work very well (Brucey-wan himself did use the piece for his X-wing, after all) but alas, I do not have any. As I've said, suggestions to alternatives would be greatly appreciated. Brickdoctor, this means you.

Note the use of 3x12 wings. errbt (yes that guy again) pointed out on his MOCpages that neither 6x12 nor the older 4x8 wings quite capture the angle of the T-65's wing. Both he and Brucey-wan used 2x4 wings, which gives the wing the additional length of one stud; I didn't want wings that were two plates thick, so I used the closest match.

Interestingly enough, my first attempt actually used 3x12 wings as well; it was only in later versions that I switched to the more conventional 6x12 wings.

This design may look familiar to some to you; in fact, it's largely based off of the cannons on the 7191 UCS X-wing. Of course, it resembles the studio model fairly well; one of the few things that the 4502 X-wing got right was the little bit protuding from the rear of the cannon. I didn't really want to use the astromech body, but as I said, I'm short of 2x2 round bricks, so this is the best I could do while still conforming to errbt's (and my) standards.

My prototype pivot system allows the S-foils to slide into attack position beautifully:

For those of you who are interested, the wingspan is 36 studs, which translates to roughly 12 meters. The X-wing's dimensions are nearly square, and its official length is 12.5 m, so it's about right.

Of course, the mechanism is quite skimpy at the moment. I'd had the design in my head for a while now, but the wings turned out much heavier than I had expected, and those click hinge plates don't hold very well. On top of that, the guns are also pretty flimsy. Swooshing this mechanism is not even an option, as it would fall apart if a 10-year old even tried to pick it up, much less walk around with it. Hopefully when I'm finished with the rear fuselage I'll be able to reinforce the pivot a bit more.

More on the guns: this is the longest design yet. I'm hoping these will finally extend past the cockpit, as the guns on my last rendition barely reached that point.

Yes, I used the cannon pieces from the original 7140 X-wing; this is my most efficient integration so far. I've managed to use both the 3-stud long area and the 1-stud bulb at the tip to my advantage so that they accurately portray the slighter thicker portion of the cannon's body and the little bit just behind the flashback suppressors, respectively. Of course, looking at the studio model, the taper should be more subtle, but this is the best I can do with these pieces. If someone could offer an alternative...

While I'm talking about the flashback suppressors, note that unlike the previous rendition, I've used 1x2 tiles with one stud rather than the more conventional inverted dish pieces; over time, I've increasingly had the impression that said dish pieces don't really capture the thin look of the flashback suppressors on the studio model.

Comments and criticism are very much welcomed. In particular, I'd like to hear from marshal_banana, Swash Buckler (though it appears that at the moment he is Taking a Break), roguebantha, and everyone else whose X-wing I've roasted. Please, show me what you know about X-wings.

Oh, one more thing; to build this MOC, I've had to tear apart over half of my sets, so sadly that nice display I posted in the home and army thread is now gone. The only sets left intact were 6206, 7660, and the midi Falcon. The crew of 7259 made it all right, though their ship's had some trouble:

Pilot: What the MEGABLOCKS happened to my ship?

Churchill, there's your little Q to the right, just under the pilot.

I hope that with the completion of this MOC I'll be able to prove to Brickdoctor that I can, in fact, build some of these ships myself.

That's all for now, more coming soon!

Note: no midi-scale sets were harmed in the making of this MOC. Except one: 8099.

[Brickdoctor]

I never said you couldn't build MOCs, I just asked why you didn't build more.

Honestly, If I were you, I'd go out and find a bunch if sets with useful grey pieces and buy them. You need more parts. I can think of a couple alternatives for the engines, namely to use wheel centers that are 2-wide, if you have any. For the engine intakes, it would be an illegal connection, but could you cram a pneumatic T-piece into that area? Better yet, two, to give the slats some depth.

With your evident knowledge of the X-wing, I'm sure your model will turn out nicely. But you will need more pieces first.

[RoryoCox]

You have made a good start to th engines but something doesn't look right. The guns are to skinner and the engines, for me, are a bit to blocky. You have made a fantastic effort but that bit of work you have to do will make all the difference

[XimenaPaulina]

The wings are looking great so far! I see you fixed most of the inaccuracies of TLG's X-Wing, particularly the quad thrust engines and the wing laser cannons.

I like the way you used the 1x2 curved bricks for the cylindrical engines, but basing on this pic, it seems the top half of the whole engine should be half-cylindrical in shape. I don't know if it's possible to extend those two 1x2 curved bricks all the way to the whole length of the engine to approximate the top half-cylinder shape. Also, is it possible to insert a 1x1 tile inside the cylinder to complete the T-shape detail?

The laser cannons are big improvements too, I think you got the length right, but I feel the 2x2 thickness of the laser mount on the wings seems a bit too large, considering that part should be smaller in diameter than the extension of the thrust engines at the rear part. Also, if there is a way you could replace the this piece with something more cylindrical for the whole length of the laser cannons, it would be more accurate IMO.

Still, this is already a great start and certainly looking forward for the rest of this MOC.

[Fallenangel]

I never said you couldn't build MOCs, I just asked why you didn't build more.

Honestly, If I were you, I'd go out and find a bunch if sets with useful grey pieces and buy them. You need more parts. I can think of a couple alternatives for the engines, namely to use wheel centers that are 2-wide, if you have any. For the engine intakes, it would be an illegal connection, but could you cram a pneumatic T-piece into that area? Better yet, two, to give the slats some depth.

With your evident knowledge of the X-wing, I'm sure your model will turn out nicely. But you will need more pieces first.

Yes, parts are one of my biggest issues right now. I was even considering building this model in MLCad and then ordering all the parts (in the style of Walter Kovacs) but the angles of the rear fuselage are just too difficult for me (I suck at CAD). Maybe one of the LDD pros on this site can do it for me...

I like the way you used the 1x2 curved bricks for the cylindrical engines, but basing on this pic, it seems the top half of the whole engine should be half-cylindrical in shape. I don't know if it's possible to extend those two 1x2 curved bricks all the way to the whole length of the engine to approximate the top half-cylinder shape. Also, is it possible to insert a 1x1 tile inside the cylinder to complete the T-shape detail?

Yes, lowlead's X-wing did something similar to that. I remember I was about to do that for this rendition, but then I held it up to the light and it was just really shiny. I'm not sure why, but somewhere along the way I decided that those large half-cylinder pieces just look too <insert that tiresome argument>. I prefer the look of the 45 slope bricks, even if they are too blocky.

I have tried to cram a 1x1 in there but that 1x2 is just too thick! If the hole was 3x3 like in the LEGO Star Wars engine piece it would fit easily, but not in a 2-stud diameter hole.

The laser cannons are big improvements too, I think you got the length right, but I feel the 2x2 thickness of the laser mount on the wings seems a bit too large, considering that part should be smaller in diameter than the extension of the thrust engines at the rear part. Also, if there is a way you could replace the this piece with something more cylindrical for the whole length of the laser cannons, it would be more accurate IMO.

Brian Tobin says:

Speaking of the wingtip cannons, that's one thing I notice on most MOC X_wings...they're just too small. Not just too short, but too small in diameter. I realize that some people might think that using 2x rounds as I do for the main body part mounted to the wingtip, but if you look at good reference pics, especially of the full scale studio prop, they are HUGE structures! You can even see in THIS PIC (from my first gallery above) that the main structure is easily as wide as a human body, which, in LEGO terms would be 2 studs (I realize minifigs seem rather squat, but I always treat them as being the proper width, but just too short, and make all my customs accordingly, which is why my X and Y-wings are bigger than most other people's).

Anyway, in my opinion, even if you think 2 studs is too wide for the cannon base section, 1 stud is way too narrow, and doesn't allow for enough tapering down the length of the barrel to look at all accurate. I also realize that by making them 2x wide, they become the same size as the rear section of the the thrusters, but again, if you study the ILM models, the main body of the wingtip cannons is only a little bit smaller in diameter than the rear thruster sections. They're certainly not 1/2 the diameter, which is what they end up being if you use 1x rounds instead of 2.

Here is a decent rendering showing what I mean about the diameters. Normally I only trust original reference pics, but this one looks to be spot-on IMO (well, except for those bizzare structures on the top rear edge of the wings and the two extra small cannons on the bottom wings - WTF?) and it was one of the first ones I found and I'm feeling lazy:

http://swg.stratics.com/content/gallery/images/752_X-wing.jpg

Another great shot, this time of the actual Red Leader ILM X-wing:

Again, because your X-wing is a bit smaller than mine, it would mean enlarging yours slightly in both length and width, which I understand you might not want to do.

Posted here when I asked him to critique the last version of my X-wing. And this guy's X-wing was what inspired me to make my own. Truly raised my standards. What's more, he's been doing this for 20+ years, so he definitely knows what he's talking about.

Yes, I was originally going to use minifigure lances for the guns, but those turned out to be too long. I don't have anything the right length and color... it's not easy with a small collection. Besides, the old gun pieces have a bit of a nostalgic feel to them.

Now I know how Anio feels when I critique his UCS customs

[lightningtiger]

Not bad build so far 'fallenangel327'. I see you only problem is having the right part in the right colour.

I like the wing mount laser cannons and you remembered the flashback arresters to protect the cannons....very good !

Keep on going and of course, may the brick be with you !

[Brickdoctor]

Like I said, have you tried a pneumatic T-piece for the t shape in the engines?

If you want, I could do the model in Bricksmith (.ldr format) or LDD, but I'm kinda busy so I can't exactly promise fast results.

[Churchill]

FallenAngel327, this is indeed great timing. Quite a "vergence" in the force! I was just going to ask you if there were other pictures of the x-wing you've done. I'm not ready to tackle an x-wing as a full blown MOC, but I was thinking about starting to tinker with one of my stock x-wings. The one I consider Wedge's. I figure he deserves an upgrade.

Anyway, I'm going to go through this thread with a fine toothed comb later- I have to go to work soon.

Thanks for the Q, too. I just need to get the time to take a pic of one and get it uploaded for my avatar.

Here's a simple quote for the pic with the Q7 and the ARC 170 Q7 to clones: "Now you known how I feel."

Thanks fallenangel327!

PS: What is your first language?

[Walter Kovacs]

Overall I like the direction you are heading. The laser cannons on the wings are shaping up nicely, but I don't like the use of this 8L bar . I've never been a fan of that piece, and can't help but wonder if there isn't a better solution here.

I'd like to see more details on the wing opening mechanism when you're ready to show them. The angle looks pretty accurate, which isn't easy.

Yes, parts are one of my biggest issues right now. I was even considering building this model in MLCad and then ordering all the parts (in the style of Walter Kovacs) but the angles of the rear fuselage are just too difficult for me (I suck at CAD). Maybe one of the LDD pros on this site can do it for me...

If you want or need help or tips on MLCad, I'd be happy to provide what I can. Just make a new thread in the LDD forum and let me know here that you've done it (I don't frequent LDD too often). I'll answer any questions I can.

[Fallenangel]

After a day and a half of trial and error, I've made quite a bit of progress:

I've reinforced the pivot, improved the wingtip laser cannons, and constructed the bottom half of the rear fuselage. I've also made some progress on the nose, but that's nowhere near final, as I'm still considering alternate methods. There's also some makeshift landing skids I put to hold the thing up.

The astromech droid and pilot are placed roughly where they're supposed to be, but I really just put them there to give a sense of scale. As of now, the whole thing measures just over 40 studs in length - a little bigger than my last one, but seeing as both Bruce Lowell's and Brian Tobin's X-wings were over 40 studs, I'd say the size is about right.

After the negative feedback regarding the 8L gun pieces used in the laser cannons in the last rendition as well as comments about the cannon being too thick, I switched to 12L Technic axles which maintain the length but allow for cannons that are both thinner and more sturdy. As you can see, the cannons are quite long enough, extending well past where I predict the cockpit to be. The 1x1 cones used to attach the flashback suppressors are also accurate, as there is a slight taper in that region. I'm still considering these, though.

I tried Brickdoctor's suggestion of pneumatic T-pieces to achieve the "T" inside the air intakes, but they keep falling out since the "macaroni" pieces don't stay in place very well. I'll make it work...

I'm hoping this will show KielDaMan the importance of constructing a proper bottom for your MOC:

A 4x4 tile is attached at an angle with a clip to achieve an accurate and somewhat functional cargo storage area. The same feature is also represented with 2x4 wing plates attached with SNOT. A few rail plates act as stoppers for the S-foils, in accordance with the studio model. (Many MOCers make the mistake of constructing a vertical gap for the opening wings, when the groove on the studio model is actually horizontal, as I've mentioned in the thread about the 10215 UCS Delta-7.) Thanks to dateman for inspiring me to represent the sloped underside with stacked plates. I was about to use click hinges like I did for the rear, but it turned out to be too fragile. (By the way, while I was building this, the whole thing has completely fallen apart on me at least three times. Don't think I'm a slow builder.) Additional thanks to dateman for the nose design - I'd had the idea of using this with this for a while, but it wasn't until I saw a similar method on his model that I decided it looked okay.

As for the back, I used click hinges to create the bottom half of a hexagon. After stressing the importance of a hexagonal rear fuselage on others' MOCs, I knew I'd be in trouble if I didn't include the feature myself!

By the way, there's a piece missing there - I actually had a 1x3 tile next to the 2x3 plate, but I guess it fell off and got mixed in while I was putting away my bricks for the day. As you can see, the midi-scale Star Destroyer's parts have served me well.

I also have an exploded view of the pivot mechanism:

The system is composed of two symmetrical modules, each with two flaps where they attach to the wing. A Technic pin bit protuding from the module on the left plugs into a hole in the back of the module on the right to allow the two pieces to rotate. My prototype system only had two pairs of click hinge plates; I haven't had any structural problems since adding the third. Of course, I've also tweaked the wings slightly, so that accounts for stability as well.

Argh, I just remembered that I forgot to take a picture with the wings open! You can't tell, but the angle that's achieved with the rail plates is like PERFECT. Much narrower than the huge angle you get when you use click hinges like I've been doing.

As for MLCAD, I'm able to construct most of one of the wings, but it's proving difficult to align the components of the laser cannon, both with the 2x2 bracket and with each other. The same goes for the hinged brick. Is there any sort of trick to it, or is it just one of those things that take practice?

Also, the wings are symmetrical, so I'm trying to duplicate them, but I can't select the entire wing... should I use the 'Import Model' feature?

Oh, and another caption for the dismantled ARC-170 above. Its current condition is even worse, but I forgot to take a picture of that too.

Pilot: How was I supposed to know they'd shoot us out of the sky?

Gunner: You idiot, we were on CORVIS MINOR!

(If you've read X-wing: The Krytos Trap you would get this...)

EDIT: Brickdoctor, you've changed your avatar!

Edited December 24, 2010 by fallenangel327

[Brickdoctor]

Yeah, I changed. The whole point of the AT-RT was that it was what I'm known for on MOCpages, but I figured since I'm not that active there it was time to move on. Seeing what CW is becoming and what I myself associate the AT-RT with, I decided to OT-ify the avatar. I stayed with the same trooper, using the scout with AT-ST head instead of Kashyyyk trooper with AT-ST head, and stuck him on my 74-Z since that's the logical choice. (even if my favorite vehicles are TIEs and T-47s)

Anyways, about your MOC, I like the look of the guns a lot more now, but I think they're going to extend too far now. Maybe that's just me, but I'd extend the nose. Your S-foil mechanism is looking quite nice; simple yet effective.

EDIT: Oh yeah, about .ldr programs, I've never tried MLcad, but in Bricksmith I've pretty much given up on drag-and-drop placement. I navigate exclusively with the arrow keys, and use the dialog boxes to enter numerical values when precision placement is needed. Much slower than LDD, but there's a lot of freedom in connections to be gained.

Edited December 24, 2010 by Brickdoctor

[Ceroknight]

looking great

can't wait to see the finished creation

[Walter Kovacs]

As for MLCAD, I'm able to construct most of one of the wings, but it's proving difficult to align the components of the laser cannon, both with the 2x2 bracket and with each other. The same goes for the hinged brick. Is there any sort of trick to it, or is it just one of those things that take practice?

Also, the wings are symmetrical, so I'm trying to duplicate them, but I can't select the entire wing... should I use the 'Import Model' feature?

The first thing I'd do is check your settings. Under the settings drop down, select Change, then go to the Step, Grid Snap tab. I set my Coarse grid to 10 8 10 for xyz and 90 for rotation. That gives half a stud movement both directions horizontally, and one plate vertically. Medium grid I set to 5 4 5 in xyz (quarter stud horizontal, half plate vertical)and usually 22.5 for rotation, but I change rotation often to suit my needs. Fine Grid I set to 1 1 1 and usually 1 degree. This is only used for fine trimming of rotated parts and single piece SNOT. Get used to changing between Grids with F9, F10 and F11. I do that ALL the time.

Speaking of rotated parts, if I have to rotate more than a few parts (usually three is my cutoff), I use the Multipart function to crate a submodel. click on Multipart, then New Model. Build the submodel studs up, and then bring it into your main model. In the small window to your left, where the pictures of your elements are, click on the drop down, and you should see a category called Document at the very end. That is where all the submodels appear, and you can bring in as many instances as you need.

As for rotations, they take some getting used to. Having the right settings help. When rotating around a specific point, you can move the rotation point. Under Settings again, choosing Rotation Point will bring up a small window. There are two check boxes there. Show Rotation point will put a small square on the screen showing the rotation point. Allow On Screen Changes will allow you to grab that point and move it. If you happen to know the precise coordinates that you want to rotate around, you can enter them via the Custom Point, but I've never gotten the hang of the coordinate system. I just move the box to the center of the hinge, then rotate in the appropriate direction.

Those are some quick pointers I have. Hope that helps. If you need any more specific help, just ask.

[XimenaPaulina]

The laser cannons look much better now! Good decision replacing the 8L bar with that more cyclindrical-shaped piece. The nose looks promising too, but I won't critique on it yet since it ain't finished. Just a question, do you intend to replace the white pieces with their grey counterparts? Looking forward for the upcoming developments of this project.

[Churchill]

Are you still going with the 1x2 plates for the flashback suppressors? I tried them out, and I just don't like the way it looks. I changed back to the dishes, but changed the cones to the shaft used in flick fire missles (sorry I still haven't conquered piece identification by name, or linking). Just getting rid of the cones makes a huge difference.

[Brickdoctor]

Are you still going with the 1x2 plates for the flashback suppressors? I tried them out, and I just don't like the way it looks. I changed back to the dishes, but changed the cones to the shaft used in flick fire missles (sorry I still haven't conquered piece identification by name, or linking). Just getting rid of the cones makes a huge difference.

The dishes are inaccurate as well.

fallenangel, have you tried a pair of 1 x 1 plates with clip illegally attached to something along the bar to make the flashback suppresors appear curved?

[Fallenangel]

Hello everyone, thanks for all the comments! I've spent most of the last two days reworking what I've already built (e. g. finalizing the nose) so there's not much to photograph. I thought I'd have this thing finished by Christmas but it looks like it will take a little longer!

The laser cannons look much better now! Good decision replacing the 8L bar with that more cyclindrical-shaped piece. The nose looks promising too, but I won't critique on it yet since it ain't finished. Just a question, do you intend to replace the white pieces with their grey counterparts? Looking forward for the upcoming developments of this project.

I can't, actually - the reason I'm using white pieces is because I don't have them in grey. More on the laser cannons: in the end I didn't have to extend the nose as Brickdoctor said, but I did end up extending the cargo bay area because it looked too stubby. There were some alignment issues as well - I won't go into the details, but let's just say it's very frustrating having to tear apart something you spent half an hour on because your reference pictures tell you that X has to line up with Y or that A actually extends past B. It's fun.

I'm very glad you like the nose - I wasn't sure about using that method at first. Besides, in the WIP picture I posted the front looks a lot like what errbt was doing with his X-wing before scrapping the idea. But I've pretty much finished up the nose area at this point, so I guess there's no turning back now.

Doing it this way was actually kind of a difficult decision for me - it is true that the hinged bricks provide the taper, but both the original 7140 X-wing and Brian Tobin's fantastic rendition use 45 slope bricks to capture the hexagonal cross-section. Also, I wasn't even considering the three-stud connection at first because I thought it didn't have the tapering look of the X-wing's nose cone; I only incorporated that detail after somebody pointed out that the the nose cone on the 6212 was too fat in comparison to the area directly behind it. It looks better than I thought it would.

Are you still going with the 1x2 plates for the flashback suppressors? I tried them out, and I just don't like the way it looks. I changed back to the dishes, but changed the cones to the shaft used in flick fire missles (sorry I still haven't conquered piece identification by name, or linking). Just getting rid of the cones makes a huge difference.

Yes, there is some debate around that. The 2x2 inverted dishes provide the curved look, but the 1x2 plates have the correct width. The best solution would be cutting up the 2x2 inverted dishes (I've seen it done on MOCpages) but we don't want to mangle our legos do we now?

I decided after version 7 that the inverted dishes don't look right, and I finally have more than three grey 1x2 plates with single stud, so that's why I went with that solution. Now, I wonder why LEGO still uses the cones for the tips...

And Churchill, don't feel bad about not having part names memorized - it's really not essential. It is true that I like to refer to parts and sets by name/number (or at least link to the appropriate peeron page) but that's only for clarity.

The dishes are inaccurate as well.

fallenangel, have you tried a pair of 1 x 1 plates with clip illegally attached to something along the bar to make the flashback suppresors appear curved?

At the moment I've tried attaching these to the jumper plates to approximate a curve, but then the curve is in the other direction. It would be much more convenient if I could have the jumper plate facing the other way, as I could then use the flick-fire missile pieces or Technic half pins for the tips of the cannons (which are a more accurate length than 4L bars). But the cone I've got there doesn't allow me to attach it that way... any suggestions?

[Brickdoctor]

Your problem there would be the use of the Technic cross axles. I can think of several ways to make the connection, but they'd be bulky and ruin the width of the barrel. I would suggest redoing the length as a combination of bars and pins, similar to what I did for the guns of my T-47, which would allow you many more possibilities. For the current build, if you are willing to use an illegal connection, I would:

1) Connect two Tile 1 x 1 with clips by clipping the clips to each other. You've now created a piece just over 3 plates high that has stud receptacles on both ends.

2) Attach to flick-fire missile to one of the ends, attach the other end to the cone on the end of the cross axle.

3) Rotate the assembly so that the prongs of the forward-most Tile with clip are facing up and down.

4) Attach a Plate 1 x 1 with clip Vertical to each of said prongs; adjust until desired angle is achieved.

Hope that made sense, if not I can get you a virtual brick example.

As for the hexagonal nose, can't you use the hing brick taper design, but line the nose with SNOTed cheese?

[Fallenangel]

Quite an unexpected but creative alternative.

For the current build, if you are willing to use an illegal connection, I would:

1) Connect two Tile 1 x 1 with clips by clipping the clips to each other. You've now created a piece just over 3 plates high that has stud receptacles on both ends.

2) Attach to flick-fire missile to one of the ends, attach the other end to the cone on the end of the cross axle.

3) Rotate the assembly so that the prongs of the forward-most Tile with clip are facing up and down.

4) Attach a Plate 1 x 1 with clip Vertical to each of said prongs; adjust until desired angle is achieved.

I understand perfectly. I never would have thought of the tiles with clips. Of course, the issue here would be that the section directly behind the flashback suppressors would end up too thick; as can be seen in this picture, that part should be very thin. With the length of the proton torpedo launch tubes standardized as 4 studs (by Brucey-wan's fantastic model) the section behind the flashback arresters would have to be around one stud long. But that would mean the current solution is too thick as well, so I think I can make it work...

As for the hexagonal nose, can't you use the hing brick taper design, but line the nose with SNOTed cheese?

I had actually been considering that a few months ago. Of course, I think that would actually work better if the nose were built using plates attached with SNOT, as you had suggested in the thread about marshal_banana's X-wing. But I was considering alternatives to the brickbuilt nose, so I think that might work very well. Thanks!

[Brickdoctor]

Quite an unexpected but creative alternative.

I understand perfectly. I never would have thought of the tiles with clips. Of course, the issue here would be that the section directly behind the flashback suppressors would end up too thick; as can be seen in this picture, that part should be very thin. With the length of the proton torpedo launch tubes standardized as 4 studs (by Brucey-wan's fantastic model) the section behind the flashback arresters would have to be around one stud long. But that would mean the current solution is too thick as well, so I think I can make it work...

No, because the plate clips are attached to the middle of the tile clip assembley, so in relation to the rest of the X-wing, the bit behind the suppressor would be 1 stud high, 1 stud wide, and around 1.25 plates long. Not sure if that's actually what you were trying to say.

Also, I just built the thing myself, and it turns out bigger than you'd expect. I don't know how big you want the suppressors, but they're around 3 studs high. It makes the bit behind them look smaller, but they might look gigantic compared to the rest of the fighter.

[Fallenangel]

Hello again everyone! Now that all the commotion over the new sets has gone down, here’s another work-in-progress pic:

You’d think that such a small, one-man fighter wouldn’t take so long to build. That’s what I thought too. And then I actually tried building one of these things.

Not wanting to destroy the plate mass I’d built inside the nose before Brickdoctor encouraged me to go ahead with a SNOT approach, I’ve started work on a second nose using the cheese slopes. (The beginnings of version 9, I guess?)

Speaking of Brickdoctor, it turned out that his suggestion of 1x1 plates with clips turned out to be quite large indeed – so large, in fact, that they actually overlap when the wings are open. Of course, this isn’t an issue when the S-foils are in attack position, but I did want to maintain a sense of elegance, so I ended up keeping the jumper plates.

It’s a shame that the pneumatic T-pieces wouldn’t stay in the engines. Fortunately, I found an alternative. Who knew minifigure faucets would ever come in so handy?

Here’s the cockpit, which turned out surprisingly similar to that of the previous rendition. In the end, less out of convention than out of necessity, I’ve used the classic printed piece to represent the X-wing’s canopy. I was pretty enthusiastic about using a brickbuilt method until I realized that marshal_banana’s innovative approach was far too bulky to be applied to my model, and that BaronSat and mikepsiaki’s brickbuilt cockpits wouldn’t properly allow for certain features such as the white lines that define the look. Still, I am aware that the canopy isn’t very close to the actual shape of the cockpit, so I at least remembered to incorporate a one-plate offset, as errbt did with his model. One thing that is new about this cockpit is the main console, which I’ve improved with the 1x2 cheese piece.

And yes, a minifigure fits quite snugly.

Alas, I was sorely disappointed when comparison with the studio model revealed that the angle of the wings was, in fact, too small! However, that’s a quick fix (removing the rail plates) so I’m not too upset.

The bottom, which is more or less finished. The rear fuselage is now 15 studs long, making the entire thing 42 studs. The cargo bay area has been extended to six studs; I’m wondering whether it doesn’t look too big compared to the rest of the ship. The rear fuselage of the X-wing is supposed to be quite long, and it already looked a bit stubby due to the wings being only six studs in length, so I lengthened the cargo bay.

Now, some of you may be wondering how I built the rear fuselage in two days and yet I haven’t been able to complete this after three. There are a couple reasons. One of them is that the ship keeps falling apart on me, as usual. Another is this:

With plates, I’ve maintained the seven-stud width of the rear fuselage all the way to where the cockpit begins, in accordance with the studio model. The 45 slope bricks indicate the maximum height of the rear fuselage as defined by the engines. What I still have left to accomplish is create a double row of slopes that continues to the end of the rear fuselage and stays within the prescribed height while at the same time leaving a gap on the bottom large enough for the wings to open all the way, a three-stud-wide gap in the middle that runs all the way to the back for greebling, and the upper part of the hexagon below the slopes that isn’t the same angle as those achieved with the click hinges. Yeah, it’s fun.

With HJR’s AT-XT having made the front page, I presume it isn’t too far-fetched to hope that my X-wing will also end up there…

[Brickdoctor]

Looking good! Shame the flashback suppressor design didn't work. I wonder if there's a way to rubber band a minifig's helmet visor into place, that would be the perfect shape...

Isn't that cockpit meant for the Y-wing, and TLG was just too lazy (or cheap) to make another one?

Good luck on the rear area; it should really be just a matter of finding the right combo of jumper plates and SNOT.

BTW, where will the landing gear go?

[XimenaPaulina]

Looking great so far! I see you've managed to put the T-shaped detail on the wing engines, very clever use of the faucet piece I must say, but even if the vertical alignment of the 1x2 tile seems a bit broad, I think there's nothing you could do much about it and that set-up would have to suffice.

I also liked the way you built the whole length of the nose straightly from the cockpit sides to the tip, something that was sorely inaccurate in TLG's version. Will you be adding the red/orange strips at the sides? Also, do you intend to tile the top for a smooth finish? It would look better if the top was as smooth as the entirety of the nose IMO. And why is there a vertical studded plate ate the side of the astromech compartment?

I'm certainly looking forward seeing how you do the rear part. Great job so far!

[Fallenangel]

Not that I'm complaining, but it always seems to be you two...

Looking good! Shame the flashback suppressor design didn't work. I wonder if there's a way to rubber band a minifig's helmet visor into place, that would be the perfect shape...

I'm not too sure about that, but I would like to see how it turns out if you ever decide to make an X-wing.

Isn't that cockpit meant for the Y-wing, and TLG was just too lazy (or cheap) to make another one?

It certainly does appear so. It would have been nice if LEGO had molded a new canopy for 6212, but they didn't, and from what I've heard that set isn't due for a redesign anytime soon. *groan*

BTW, where will the landing gear go?

None of the studio models used in the Death Star sequence had retractable landing gear, so I chose not to incorporate any. I do think I could modify the bottom engines to include legitimate landing skids, though they certainly won't be retractable.

I also liked the way you built the whole length of the nose straightly from the cockpit sides to the tip, something that was sorely inaccurate in TLG's version. Will you be adding the red/orange strips at the sides? Also, do you intend to tile the top for a smooth finish? It would look better if the top was as smooth as the entirety of the nose IMO. And why is there a vertical studded plate ate the side of the astromech compartment?

Yes, building the entire length allows for a smoother nose. Of course, I can't take all the credit, as I did see it on Brucey-wan's model first. I really don't understand why LEGO decided on those pieces that leave such awkward bulges. Nothing looks weirder on a model than a curve where it shouldn't be (people over at LEGO who have designed the last couple Delta-7Bs, are you guys listening?) And both the markings and SNOT have been added, which is a first.

Oops! It appears that the rear fuselage should actually be narrower in that area. The plates will be gone.

Edited December 30, 2010 by fallenangel327

[Brickdoctor]

Not that I'm complaining, but it always seems to be you two...

As in, good that we post and bad that others don't?

I'm not too sure about that, but I would like to see how it turns out if you ever decide to make an X-wing.

I actually just tried it, and it curves too much and I can't think of a way to attach it.

It certainly does appear so. It would have been nice if LEGO had molded a new canopy for 6212, but they didn't, and from what I've heard that set isn't due for a redesign anytime soon. *groan*

Yeah. Unfortunately, signs point to yet another production run of the current set, so we won't get a redesign for at least 3-4 years.

None of the studio models used in the Death Star sequence had retractable landing gear, so I chose not to incorporate any. I do think I could modify the bottom engines to include legitimate landing skids, though they certainly won't be retractable.

Really? I remember at least one ofthe X-wings took off (or at least began moving toward the entrance) from Yavin IV with landing gear still down. And Luke's X-wing from ESB (yes, not from DS scene, but still) had to have landing gear.