Custom Marked X-wing

Modeling Subjects Science Fiction
1

Last January, I built Finemold’s 1/72nd X-wing. Having just figured out how to post images, this seems a good time to share what I did:

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With the body and main details painted, I decided to start on my custom Squadron symbol on the Left upper surface. For those who are not Star Wars geeks like me (read n-e-r-d), the upper wing surfaces (called S-foils) are usually where the Squadron symbol was painted, as described in the short X-wing series of novels. For the sake of simplicity, I only painted the upper left wing.

So with the blue circle painted (for a sense of the size, I traced an American Nickle for the mask), I got to work on the “High Flight” Squadron symbol: an X-wing flying over a mountain.

The mountain:

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When that totally (and I mean totally) failed, I sanded off all the paint I just spent several hours painting.

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Unfortunatly, this also destroyed much of the surface detail, but that was OK, with the squadron patch there, it wouldn’t be visible anyway.

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Therefore, with no idea what custom patch to do, I added what I always wanted to see on an X-wing: Green stripes!

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And after a quick night’s rest, Inspiration struck! I finally had an idea, a color scheme, even a name for my new Squadron patch.

First came the Base colors, about four of them, then a quick mask over them, and a coat of (iiick, shudder) Yellow, as shown below:

(Note: I was so eager to follow the image in my head that I forgot to take a pic of the base colors, so they’ll just be a mystery for the moment)

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After another mask, I painted the green final coat. In this picture–hey, there’s my Nickle!–you see the final color on the verge of drying completely. The tape on the wingtips helped hold them still whilst I painted. Yes, this was all hand-painted.

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And voila! The masks were removed, and after a few minor touchups, the symbol came out exactly how I saw it in my head:

(still in the final phases of touchups-some of my masks bled through a bit)

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And then, I moved back to the Green stripes, adding some replaced panels, and touchups to the hull, without masks. I also added the painted canopy.

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With those drying, I painted up the removable landing skids, the standing pilot, astromech (R2-D2 look-alike), and the laser cannons

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With these complete, and the paint dry, I added the laser cannons, and stuck on the landing skids. Finished!!!

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Final pics:

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(Note: as of right now, it has recieved some more wear and tear weathering, but I don’t have pics of that available for posting right now, but I will have more current pics up soon.)

2

LOVE IT!!! I see you are a fan of the “X-wing books” :wink: Those are the best. Love the green stripes, but they turn me off because I just despise Corran Horn for some reason. But it’s a refreshing change from the usual light gray plus red. And I love the logo! It looks great, but I would highly recommend a wash with all that detail present. Black washes work great with Star Wars ships, especially on light grey.

3

Yeah, I gave a light black wash, only noticable on the nose, squadron symbol, and tops of the engines, but, alas, I have yet to take pictures of it. As I said, I will get some current pics up ASAP, probably over the weekend. It looks a whole lot better.

I also have finished a 1/48th Finemolds Snowspeeder recently. Interested in pics? If so, I can post those at the same time.

4

On a side note, Fett, Corran Horn’s entire X-wing was Light Green, with a lighter shade of green for the stripes on the sides. It has a brief appearance in the Rogue Squadron comic series.

5

Looks grear Klik.I would very much like to see more pics and the snow speeder

6

I’m not sure about trusting comics for referance… they screw around with colors sometimes, and other weird stuff. On the Rogue squadron book covers, there is an x-wing with medium green stripes over light gray. I’m not sure, it’s up for debate. PLZ!!! Finemolds snowspeeder? Heck yeah I wanna see it! I have the old MPC piece of junk, I’ll totally re-vamp the cockpit one of these days.

7

Nice work, Klik! Love to see modified and individualized schemes, bruddah! Can’t wait ta see 'er with a bit more weathering… I also dig the grey flight suit!

Lookin’ forward ta seein’ more — keep up the good work, Klik!

Regards and Aloha,

Johnny B.

8

Sorry for the absence–something was wrong, either with my computer, or the forums: I couldn’t get on this weekend.

Here are some final pics of the Custom X-wing, with some light black wash, and some more wear and tear on the side stripes. I really meant this to be a new-ish X-wing, having only participated in a few combat sorties–anyone notice the lack of kill markers?

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and now, for the finalized squadron patch: (I really ment this to look as though the wing surface was slashed open by claws, revealing the underlying braces and wiring. I did not use any sort of blueprints for the underlying braces or wiring, since the pilots in the field, who design thier own symbol, didn’t have blueprints either.)

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Sorry guys, due to the long, busy weekend, and the problem with me getting on the forums, I don’t have any pictures of the snowspeeder I can post at this time…thought I did, but I didn’t. Will fix soon. PROMISE.

9

looks better. IT just seems to be missing on ething… maybe the barber pole stripes on 2 of the laser cannons? Brass cooling rings? It just needs a dash more of color. Not much, but just a bit more. Otherwise I love this!

10

looks like you had a lot of fun building this, which is the main reason to do modelling. This must have been before Green Squadron upgraded to b-wings for the battle of endor…!

Probably the most unusual paint scheme i’ve seen for an X-Wing was black with white ‘stars’, basically a star-field camo scheme.

11

Good and originality is a plus.

I’d recomend that you get tamiya tape (it’s pricey but worth it). Just make sure the edges are well placed and it will make your life easier.

What I don’t get is how come there is a pilot in the cockpit and you painted another one? Are both included in the kit?

12

When it comes to stripes on the X-wing, yes, they are sloppy, but that’s OK. Many X-wing units did not have the time or resources to make perfect stripes every time. (Maybe that’s what happened to mine[:$])

On the subject of pilots, the kit does includes two: one standing, holding his helmet, the other seated, as well as 3 astromech heads (two R2-D2 type domes, and one flowerpot R4 unit), but only one astromech body (the other astromech head goes behind the pilot). When it comes to construction, you can pose the canopy open, using the two-part canopy instead of the one-part one, and have the pilot posed next to his fighter instead of piloting it. The astromech is a must in the X-wing, unless you want to go through and cut the half-torso out and scratch an empty astromech bay.