X-34 Landspeeder

[Smiffy]

X-34 Landspeeder

Revell easykit

When Luke Skywalker isn’t flying through Beggars Canyon in his T-16, bull's-eyeing Womp Rats, his preferred method of transport is his old, beat up X-34 Landspeeder. Being the Star Wars equivalent of an old hot rod, it is in a constant state of repair and upgrading, no doubt in order to make it go just that little faster.

For the film, the Landspeeder was brought to life using three different props. Two full size speeders were created, the first built on a three wheeler car chassis. During filming, the wheels were hidden behind angled mirrors which ran the length of the speeder, reflecting the Tunisian desert surface beneath. Filmed at a distance (and with the assistance of some selective lens smear), this gave the effect of the speeder flying about a metre above the ground.

The second full size version was attached to an arm on a turntable that simply rotated the speeder in a large left hand circle. This was used for close up shots, when Luke climbs in or out, for example. A miniature model was used for the scene when Luke, Ben and the two droids enter Mos Eisley. The figures in this model were modified “Six Million Dollar Man” action figures. This scene has since been replaced by a CGI version in the Special Edition of Star Wars.

The kit

The Landspeeder is the latest in Revell’s Easykit series. The kit comes in 32 parts, with the main components being pre-coloured in the tan / dark brown colours. Comparing the kit to pictures of the prop, the distinctive striping pattern has been replicated accurately and the kit also has the darker grey ‘repair’ panels, which appear to be correctly positioned.

Construction begins with the cockpit, which is made up from 6 parts. The steering wheel/column is attached to the forward foot well bulkhead, which is then dropped into the tub. The upper dash is clipped in above this and then the seats can be added, followed by the final item which is the gear lever (?). All very straight forward and again it appears faithful to pictures of the full size prop.

With the cockpit tub assembled, attention turns to the main body parts. The lower half has the very distinctive silver grilles added to either side. These simply drop into place and then two rear inserts are added alongside. The clear screen is clipped into the upper body and then the cockpit is added, locking the canopy in place. The third horizontal engine is built from four parts. The front engine faces all feature some nice mesh detail here. A dark wash would really make these areas pop. In front of the windscreen, the small power circuit panel is added. The upper and lower body halves can now be brought together, trapping the rear panel in place.

One of the most visually interesting features of the movie Landspeeder, is the missing cover on the left hand engine pod, exposing all the workings underneath. This has also been replicated on the kit very well. The one piece engine moulding is clipped into the lower half of the pod and then various pipes/wires are added, which busy the area up quite nicely. Three frame pieces are then clipped in, over the top of the engine. The left and right pods are then completed with the addition of their forward and rear faces. The third engine can then be locked in place and the speeder is completed.

A stand is built up from four parts and clips into the speeder with two tabs on the underside. All that’s left to do is to add the figures. Threepio has a couple of separate actuators to be added to his arms, before he can be dropped into the drivers seat, while Luke is inserted in the passenger side.

Conclusion

Being of very simple construction, this will be a great one to introduce a youngster to the hobby. The only areas where adult help may be required, are those little actuators on C3-PO and the hoses around the engine, which look quite fragile. It’s a great subject and I’m sure many hours of fun could be had zooming it around the living room floor.

As a grown up modeller (okay, big kid), it is very welcome to finally have an injection moulded Landspeeder on general release (35 years after the original film came out). The proportions look good and it seems to capture all the little features quite well. It would be a good starting point for a detailing project and repainting will be quite a challenge in itself. The prop had a very beaten finish. The nose in particular, has a stripped back, literally sand blasted exposed bare metal effect, which together with the striping, will involve a fair amount of work to pull off effectively.

I would have to say the weakest area of the kit is the figures, although I’m sure they’ll be fine for the younger Star Wars fan. It is not such a big problem for me really, as I have an idea or two of how I’m going to display the finished item and it doesn’t involve adding any figures.

I know a lot of modellers don’t take these snap together, pre-painted kits seriously, but as long as Revell keep giving us nicely moulded models of subjects which haven’t been done before and at attractive prices, then I’ll remain a fan. From my point of view, the only limit with these kits is your own imagination. My advice is to grab one and have some fun with it.

Recommended to Star Wars fans, young or old alike.

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

[BWP]

The originals were a lot more heavily weathered around the nose and sides.

Note the massive dent on the nose!

(Photos taken from the Star Wars Exhibit when it came to Melbourne in 2009.)

[spruecutter96]

Bought one of these little beauties two weeks ago and I'm looking forward building it soon(ish).

I did think they could have put a bit more effort into the two figures (they're OK, but some more details wouldn't have gone amiss). The fit of the kit after a dry-run looks pretty darned good to me.

Come on Revell, how about making a version with a shallow "canyon" base? Please.............??