How I built a STAR WARS A-Wing starfighter
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- Bandai Star Wars A-wing model kit 1/72 scale - Full build, lighting, painting and weathering.
Shout out to @modelsbychris for inspiration with the power supply.
Affiliate links to products used in this video:
Airbrush: Iwata Eclipse HP BS amzn.to/3v2fegE
#starwars #bandai #hobby #scalemodel #plasticmodelkit #returnofthejedi #empirestrikesback #anewhope #ahsokatano #rebels #modelpainting #weathering #electronics #leds #tamiya #akinteractive #starwarsships #starwarsvehicles #starfighter
This whole build was fantastic, but that patch job was next level. So well done
Hey thanks so much for saying that. Glad you liked it!
Your doing great people who said they would do this or that a different way .do it your way.👍
Thanks 👍
Great result, and great recovery on the paint blooper! Subbed!
Thanks so much!
Just discovered your channel. I'm about to attempt to paint a Buck Rogers Thunderfighter that I 3d Printed, so thanks for the tutorial.
Glad you found it helpful! Good luck with your build!
Very well done!
Thanks so much!
Great stuff. Inspired solution to the painting mistakes!
Thanks! I ended up feeling like this was actually MY model now, not just a replica. Making me rethink how I may want to approach future kits.
It looks great! Cant wait to see more!
Thanks so much! Glad you like it.
Great work👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you so much!
the applause caption was amazing hahahaha. love your work, hope to see more soon!
I'm glad you liked it! Though, not sure what you mean about an applause caption. Where did you see that?
Humor and craftsmanship create an excellent video - absolutely, I will subscribe.
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This is some of my favorite model building I've seen on here, criminally underrated right now, but I hope you don't stop and gain the trqction you deserve. Lovely work and I like the chill and humorous commentary/narration.
Thanks so much for saying that. I really appreciate it! I'm really glad you enjoyed it and I'm definitely working on more.
@@wcgwmodels ofc! and good to hear :)
I really appreciate when lightning is added while using the standard Bandai stand. I was able to pull this off on the tiny 1:144 scale Razercrest. Running the wiring up through the tiny ball joint of that stand, so the model could still be reposed was a chore, so I appreciate the effort involved in using the stand that comes with the kit. That said, it’s much better IMO.
I had my doubts it could work and still a tight fit with the wires I used but it worked. I had thought about swapping the stand and using a metal tube but I figured I'd try the stock stand first and if it went wrong I could always pivot to a replacement. My hat's off to you for doing something similar with a ball joint, though. Not sure if I would have even attempted that!
Very nice build! I absolutely love this and will probably do something similar for my A-Wing... if I ever can remember to get around to it haha! I love the weathering effects too, I'm also stealing these 😜
May I offer a tip regarding pre-shading that might help? Go a little deeper with it. To get a good pre-shade, you need a good, *dark* line of black on your panel lines. The ones in this video were too soft and not enough black paint was placed on the model. It's hard to put too much down; as you saw, if you make a mess of it it's easy enough to fully cover up. So don't hesitate to put a little more down when you do it!
Thanks! Glad you liked it and of course steal away lol. I don't claim to be doing things a "right" way but if others like it then I'm happy to share. Appreciate the tip for pre-shading. I agree. Better to have more and cover up than less and can't go back. Though, I'm doing black basing for my next kit and really like the result of that method. I might stick with it for any paneling in the future.
The detail is exquisite. Just WOW!
Thanks! Glad you like it!
Great video again.. I wish you wold make more!
Working on it!
I personally would have added some type of metallic paint on the white "chipped" areas to add more depth. But it looks amazing over all
Thanks! I actually did try a metallic silver on the front edge chips and left it on for a bit trying to convince myself I liked it but I felt it clashed too much with the rest of the colours. Maybe a darker metallic would have worked but in the end I covered it up with some dark grey instead.
Beautiful job on the A-Wing! I really need to get this model now. Keep up the fantastic work!😀
Thanks so much! It's a great little kit.
May the force be with you
Great atmosphere. Nice work and narration made the entire process entertaining and inspiring to watch as a viewer.
Hey, thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
This needs 100k views the dedication here is insane!
Hah, thanks so much. Maybe one day the algorithm will agree with you 😂
Hey, very nice project, thanks for taking us along. I very much like your easy and laid back approach. Also that you are not afraid to go for new horizons like with the light kit is awesome. As someone who is also just beginning to understand the finer details of wiring kits, it's very much appreciated - and yes, also modelbychris is a great inspiration.
I did a very similiar built recently with a signal unit that can simulate engine flickering. Those signal units are a great way to improve the result with preprogrammed flashes, patterns, etc and it is just switched in between LED and power source like a resistor. It's a bit easier then the full arduino-setup that of course gives more options. But if you are like me and do not want to deal with arduinos right now, signal units are a great way.
Thanks a lot! I'm glad you liked it. I've been tinkering with an Arduino, myself, and hope to include some dynamic lighting some day. I haven't heard about signal units, though, but now I'm intrigued and will have to take a look!
Nice recovery from the errors. The results came out great. Sci-Fi is allot like armor. You can add as much or as little as you want.
Thanks so much! And this is why I'm doing Sci-Fi. Very subjective reference material ;)
I have extremely shaken hands, I’ve had hand tremors all my life. I purchased a Harder and Steenbeck Colani for really fine detailed airbrushing and it works fantastic. The trigger allows so much more control with my tremors. If my hand tremors aren’t to bad I use the Harder and Steenbeck Infinity Plus for the fine details.
That looks like a beast of an airbrush! Must be pretty fun to use!
Looks amazing. Great job!
Thanks so much!
I really love the idea of incorporating electronics into models, I’m just not brave enough to try it yet 😂 I’m currently following along with your AT-ST video with my own build. It’s really helping me to see the fun of trying new techniques rather than stress!
Wow, that's so cool to hear! I'm glad that video can help you in that way. I can stress a ton also and often have to tell myself that it's just a piece of plastic and even if I screw up, the experience and practice gained is worth it. Good luck with your build!
this awesome, please more star wars model kit
Glad you like it. Have a TIE Striker on the way!
I love A-Wing
One my all time faves as well
Nice job
Thanks!
This was work well done
But in regard to anything that flies, it’s referred to as an instrument panel not a dashboard.
That's a great correction. Thank you!
My pet peeve … “if it flies, it’s referred to as a SEAT, not a CHAIR”
🤠
@@ernestgalvan9037 You are not making sense.
Looking great,nothing botched here!
Haha. Not that you can see anymore! But thanks!
Cool. I might have used Tamiya weathering set B:soot to cover the masking oopsie and B:snow to do the foot-wearing round the cockpit. Alternatively , you could try using a scribing tool to "make" a panel where the mask was. Sounds a bit scary, and I wouldn't do it, but a better modeller than me might risk it 😀. The snow is good, I've found, on the 1:144 scale for emulating paint wear on X-Wings. I haven't built my 1:72 scale kits yet, so the results might differ, but I'll try it anyway.
I love it when people show their "differently successful" experiences. It's so helpful to us less talented modellers. Thanks mate!
Excellent results by the way!
Thanks for the feedback! I love the idea of scribing a panel line - never occurred to me. I've been trying to get my hands on some Tamiya weathering powders but all my sources never seem to have them in stock. They seem to be quite a powerful tool.
@@wcgwmodels Yes, I love them. I managed to get a set of 6 (A thru F) from a Japanese online store called Saqramart for just 28 UK quidpounds! Over here you're lucky to get a single set for under a tenner, so I couldn't say no to that. I also got a load of Bandai Star Wars kits for silly prices too, and free delivery if you spent over 100 dollars! Sadly, they were blocked from selling to the UK soon after. It was maybe 18 months ago so I'll check back.
I really like the idea of the quick and dirty repairs like you did on the A-Wing though. I'm not to fussed about screen accuracy. I prefer if the model tells it's own story. Also, I don't know what the cannon is for starship manufacture but I always imagined that the armour plating would be some sort of exotic ceramic. The off white colouing of the rebel ships makes me think of that and using metal plate for temporary repairs seems to fit in-universe.
Cheers!
I just checked, 3.98 USD per set. I'd get em whilst they're in stock!
You can use artist pastels for weathering. A lot cheaper too!
@@eclectipunk thats true. The Tamiya weathering kits seem to have a very similar makeup (pun intended) to eyeshadow and are very finely ground into tiny particles. I've found it's best to use a mortar and pestle to get a good grind and\or *very* fine sandpaper.
🤔 I'll have to steal some of my daughters' eyeshadow and give it a try . There's a lot of cheap sets on amazon, so if it works I might get some. Also, thinking about it, mascara might make for a good tool for scratch marks and the like. Another thing that works well are cheap acrylic paint pens. Good for touch ups and small details like painting control panel lights if you're not actually lighting a kit.
I think I may have tried to just lightly re-airbrushed the main color to minimize that sporch on the rear stabilizer to minimize the problem, then maybe add some pastel weathering chalk to cover up the mistake. You did a good job. I finished lighting the MPC A-Wing earlier this year, and I took it off my shelf while watching your video. I had lighted those four smaller engines with fiber optics, but apparently that bulb has burned out already. Drat!
Thanks for the insight! I did consider airbrushing but got too in my head about not matching the colour exactly as the other parts. I realize now that's stupid as someone else mentioned that entire paint scheme had to do with mismatching coloured panels.
Interesting that you lit up the little engines! I hadn't seen that done online - I think that would look pretty nice accenting the larger engines. I'll keep that in mind if I ever do another one!
@@wcgwmodels The MPC A-Wing is 1:48 scale, so it's a bit larger than the Bandai one. I had a hard time lighting those four tiny engines in the middle with fiber optics because to light them I had them going to a light bulb in the front of the ship. After I finished the model, they looked too dim. I should have used SMDs instead! Now all that work was for nothing because the bulb has burned out. I did a video series on this build and you can see the final video from February on my video list, a few rows down on my channel's timeline.
I would have made big glancing scorch mark.
Thanks for the comment! That was my first thought and I started to but wasn't confident I could pull it off.
Turned out awesome
Thanks a lot!
Looks fantastic!! I have several SW kits I'd like to light but too afraid to try, well done!
Thank you very much! I was very hesitant to try lighting, myself, but you'll only ever know if you can do it if you try. In the end, its just plastic though. I say go for it!
Great results! For small-scale builds I suggest using smaller electronic parts, for example, you can get thinner wires and smaller resistors (same Ohm) which will make life so much easier to fit them or route them around.
Thanks so much! I am intrigued by this idea of smaller resistors and will seek them out. The wires were 30 awg but the silicone insulation was pretty thick. I'll definitely look for some thinner ones, too. Appreciate the advice!
@@wcgwmodels I found thin electrical wire to be hard to get, especially im small quantity, but if it helps, it's called enameled copper wire. It's the same wire you get with pre soldered SMD LED's, I recently decided to go that route instead of actually soldering each individual LED.
@@scaleadventures9018 I'm starting to lean toward pre-wired LEDs. Soldering these 0.5mm ones are tiring lol. Plus I've lost several to the carpet when they just bounce off the table.
Can someone recommend a good website/store to purchase LED, resister, and wiring kits? I am looking for good quality. I have seen kits online, but worried about the quality. Also I see some model artist using LEDs and some using SMDs. What’s the difference and when to use? Thanks.
@bobafett2243 If you are not afraid to try basic soldering, any electrical store should have LEDs and resistors. It's hard to recommend a store without knowing where you are in the world, and having the parts shipped from a different country is not worth it, unless it's from China, through aliexpress. SMD are smaller, perfect for scale models, gundam etc. More than that, SMDs are more efficient and provide more light (lumen) per watt. Power consumption is also a plus, you can power multiple SMDs with a coin cell battery like cr2032, without any issues.
I would also like to botch with some Bandai assembly kits, but given how much they cost I don't think it will happen in the near future
I hear you. Maybe when Revell starts shipping them we'll see some more affordable prices.
@@wcgwmodels Let's hope this happens and maybe even soon...
You had me until ‘D’cal’! It’s D-cal!
Sorry aboot that, must be Canadian thing eh?
Dude, I just subbed. that is an honestly good job you did there. If my films were on a slightly higher budget, I might hire you to make my models, although those would probably be a bit harder to make, as they'd be custom rather than based on any existing ship. maybe I might just hire you to paint and add decals, and not to fabricate the actual plastic parts. I also have no idea where to go to find experts in miniature pyrotechnics, let alone who to hire.
Thanks, mate! Appreciate the kind words. Unfortunately my "real life" keeps me too busy to do more than one of these every 6 months haha. I could never keep up with additional work.
@@wcgwmodels ...well darn. I understand, I'm only able to do my short, over glorified "fx test with a plot" videos once a year or so, but that's more because of creative burnout than "real life". Still I understand.
I have a Star Destroyer model I need to do lighting for. I'd like the engines to flicker. Where do you recommend I learn about this?
I haven't done this yet but I've seen a few options. First there are LED bulbs that have built in flicker. You should be able to google that and find some resources for it. Second, and much more difficult but customizable would be to use a microcontroller to program a varying voltage on the LED and make it flicker. Arduino is a popular choice. Again just google that and there should be lots to find. I also subscribe to @paulmcwhorter who has some great Arduino tutorials.
How does a spacecraft become "weathered?" Worn, sure, but "weathered?"
The rebel fighters are capable of atmospheric flight - and are generally exposed to more atmospheric weathering than imperial fighters - I think. 😀
That's it! We have lots of imagery of Star Wars craft operating or staging in atmospheric conditions so there's some basis for being "weathered".
Ah yes, the A-Wing...
As Star Wars ships go it wasn't the most interesting design wise for me,.. nevertheless I really like what you have done with it, the paint job and weathering looks great!
I have started lighting my models lately, figuring out where to go with wires and switches is a fun pastime in itself... ;)
As for pre-shading,... I stubbornly and pigheadedly keep trying on every build, only recently I think I managed to keep a hint of it intact on the 1/144 Millennium Falcon and a Monogram Cylon Raider restoration project, but most of the time... it gets lost under the base coat.
But yeah,... keep trying, one day I'm sure we'll get the hang of it. ;)
The patch panels were certainly a creative solution, I would have probably just taped off the parts I needed to respray and have taken a slightly off color to the surrounding color to actually suggest a part was resprayed and the rebels didn't have the exact matching color. This is not uncommon even on real fighter jets or in studio models for movies actually.
If needed new panel lines could be scribed before or after painting to suggest a more elaborate patch job involving plate materials.
As for Tamiya white,.. it does indeed have a tendency to have a blue sheen, especially over darker colors, so I almost never use it pure.
I always add a few drops of Deck Tan or Desert Yellow, depending on what I am going for. Just enough to break the white but keeping it clearly on the white side of the spectrum.
Even if I mix greys (I mainly mix my own colors) I will add a just a touch of one of those colors.
I told you about the crazy high tolerances of Bandai kits, there really is nothing for it but to assemble as much as you can before priming and keeping the touching sides of parts clean,...
As for protecting the plastics from solvents used in weathering, that is where gloss coating plays a big part in combination with control over how much solvent to use for oil paint weathering or removing excess panel lining.
Panel liners by themselves often contain solvents too so you might want to be careful with those.
All in all,... you had no major issues with this one, so that's good. ;)
Curious as to what your next build will be and looking forward to the next video!
Hey, thanks for the awesome feedback. I like that idea of respraying the whole tail fin a different shade. You're right - it would have fit really well with the scheme.
And I know, when you made those comments about Bandai tolerances I'd already hit that snag with this kit so couldn't avoid it but I'm going to back to the build then prime approach with the next one. I did thoroughly clear coat the A-Wing and it worked out well except for the opening in the gun that receives the barrel. It cracked after I used some enamel grime to dirty up that area. The solvent seeped down inside and caused it to split. Not noticeable as I was able to glue the barrel in but the smallest naked section found a way to get attacked. I may grab some oils next time as I really don't want to worry so much about this problem.
But, this is what the process is all about! Live and move on to the next one!
Sorry to be a d!(k.
Your video is fantastic by the way.
Name of music please
Lots of music was used. Send me an email and I'll try to get a list for you.
It's not entirely off-topic: the A-wing from Micro Galaxy isn't the original body. Someone call the cops!
Not sure what you mean. I'm not familiar with the Micro Galaxy.
@@wcgwmodels ua-cam.com/video/Ukhv8t3d1tA/v-deo.html