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DeAgostini 'Build the Millenium Falcon'


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Interesting, what accuracy issue dod the FM one suffer? I didnt buy one when as i looked at it, some of the details werent right, ( gearbox thing next to cockpit nacelle springs to mind , im no afficianado bot do know it quite well, did it have shape isues?

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Given the quality or lack of so far reported on not just this page. There are a great many who will buy the first or first couple of issues and then just give up.

Other than the vast majority who buy this won't be ardant modellers and what is being produced will more than meet thier expecations.

...and has been said further up the thread there are plenty of SW fans who will be more than happy obtaining a studio replica for nine spondulaks a week.

From what I have seen DA have put a lot of effort into improving the accuracy, just nip over to RPF and on a model of this nature some of the parts will require attention, but thats no reason to say it has a complete lack of quality on the model itself, given they scanned the original filming miniature.

Marty...

Edited by marty_hopkirk
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The funny thing with this is , the SW modellers seem to be over the moon with this and can see the potential. Everybody else seems to be fixated on the price which as others have pointed out , is no more each week than a trip to the pub. How much is a packet of cigarettes these days?

Price aside , I think it looks great.

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The funny thing with this is , the SW modellers seem to be over the moon with this and can see the potential. Everybody else seems to be fixated on the price which as others have pointed out , is no more each week than a trip to the pub. How much is a packet of cigarettes these days?

Price aside , I think it looks great.

I have to agree with you, trying to get a studio scale kit means you have to be part of a particular 'club' and even then what you will get is a resin casting- accurate as it might be- I am not sure if it even exists?. Chasing after this kit I felt like Indiana jones dodging Nazis for the Ark of Covenant.

The Dego has a metal skeletal frame with injected plastic plating- thermally stable even if you have it in a loft. Looking at the blueprint It potentially looks like alot of fun and I'm eager for next Wednesday to arrive sooner as I am after issue two. I'm intending to subscribe after issue 3. The mods that can be done on this.....the mind boggles - I'm hoping I can add extra maintenance pit detail if there is enough space. Got my tent pitched up outside WH Smith and stock of Big Issue to sell for funding this... ;-)

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Well,


As A sci-fi fan, I popped into town to get the first edition.

My primary reason was to get it just for the blueprint.

I'm impressed with what you get. I think gunpowder17 has hit the nail on the head about the cost issue.

Let's not forget, for the money you pay you not only the parts to build an impressive model, but the magazine and extras. There is a wealth of details in info in the magazine.

Plus, I just learned that the falcon doesn't use glass, but 'Transparisteel'. :coolio: :coolio:

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I got my first parts in the post today. I must say im actually really impressed with them. They are the same colour and quality as my Master Replicas one was. Once its finally finished the whole thing will look fantastic.

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I have the Fine Molds Falcon kit back from when it was originally released. I really must crack on with it some day. I'd be really interested to hear about the issues with the kit if you're happy to share this info with me as well. I was always under the impression the Fine Molds kit was an accurate replica. I really enjoyed looking at the sprues and noticing things like Panther/King Tiger engine decks, engine parts and Tamiya .50cal parts etc

As for the De-Agostini model I think I'll give it a miss.

Thanks in advance,

Mark

FWIW the "issue " with the Fine molds Falcon is that the "mandibles" dont have enough "toe in" .........it took me two years to realise that what i thought were the Falcons mandibles , were in fact not, and when i was shown this apparently glaring error....i thought " THATS it ?????? ..THATS whats the internets been moaning about for the last 4 years????? " and then have never noticed it again.....IMHO its something thats only noticable if youre eyeballing the falcon head on , and even then theres equal difference between the various filming miniatures of the Falcon that make me feel its an insignifigant error.....

what bugs me more with the FM falcon is that it has 5 undercarrige units instead of the 3 feature in chapter IV : a new hope ...... so scrub out any ideas of doing a mos eisley docking bay 94 diorama....... :(

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FWIW the "issue " with the Fine molds Falcon is that the "mandibles" dont have enough "toe in" .........it took me two years to realise that what i thought were the Falcons mandibles , were in fact not, and when i was shown this apparently glaring error....i thought " THATS it ?????? ..THATS whats the internets been moaning about for the last 4 years????? " and then have never noticed it again.....IMHO its something thats only noticable if youre eyeballing the falcon head on , and even then theres equal difference between the various filming miniatures of the Falcon that make me feel its an insignifigant error.....

what bugs me more with the FM falcon is that it has 5 undercarrige units instead of the 3 feature in chapter IV : a new hope ...... so scrub out any ideas of doing a mos eisley docking bay 94 diorama....... :(

Hey, if you are happy with the FM Falcon, then that's what's most important, for you. It is a fantastic kit, well engineered and highly detailed. It'll a great build and a lot of fun to paint. ;)

Btw, the reason it has 5 gear positions is that it is specifically modelled on the 32" miniature which was built for Empire, which of course, did have the 5 gears. They did this to emulate the full size filming mock up, which required the extra support, stability and strength of 5 sets of legs.

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In the interests of research and because it was only £2.99 I sprung for the first issue today. Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons looking at the parts individually....


Cockpit Bulkhead....the printing on the instrument panel is excellent and presumably the holes in the bulkhead are there to allow light through when it is backlit. My only misgiving with this piece is that for the scale, supposedly 1:43, it's a little one-dimensional...if this was a regular kit this would be moulded with some relief on the individual panels.

The hull part....this is interesting as, to my eyes at least, this is an injection moulded plastic part as opposed to the 'resin' described in the advertising. Hard to tell if it's styrene or ABS but it definitely doesn't feel like any resin I've ever come across. Detail is very good with no obvious flaws or seams on the visible outer surface. I think the material could easily take additional detailing or scribing if needed. The paint job is OK given that it's just a uniform colour that's had a minimal wash applied....interestingly the magazine says it will be featuring articles on additional weathering techniques. I'm certain that a lot of builders, if they are modellers, will want to repaint anyway....

Cockpit floor...this part is OK but I think most serious modellers would want some additional detailing and lighting on the console...

Metal structural framework....these are well cast and strong, they resist flexing or bending, it does make you wonder though how well these will stay together over time, if they will require additional bonding, will they creak or flex as the model is handled and what the total weight of the completed model will be...

Cast metal Quad Gun assembly....well cast with some fine detail, the odd thing about this is it's not painted and the instructions make no mention of this...not a problem for the seasoned modeller but not ideal for the casual builder...

Overall I think it's a nice looking kit. Is it worth the investment? Well I guess that's all relevant to whether you can afford it.
Given the interest that's been shown in this on many of the forums I frequent, I'm almost certain that somebody out there will produce aftermarket parts for this and I'm also certain that some talented modellers out there will
use this kit as the base for a museum quality replica.
I have to admit I am sorely tempted to push the button on this.....
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I too bought issue 1 today, I wanted the blueprint for the mancave. The model is not for me but it has loads of potential for beginner and pro alike. Good fortune to all of you who take up the challenge and I look forward to seeing your results!

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Metal structural framework....these are well cast and strong, they resist flexing or bending, it does make you wonder though how well these will stay together over time, if they will require additional bonding, will they creak or flex as the model is handled and what the total weight of the completed model will be...

11Kg is the final weight. That's like picking up a box containing 5 A4 reams, not exactly easy to handle.

Edited by Flektor
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Metal structural framework....these are well cast and strong, they resist flexing or bending, it does make you wonder though how well these will stay together over time, if they will require additional bonding, will they creak or flex as the model is handled and what the total weight of the completed model will be...

11Kg is the final weight. That's like picking up a box containing 5 A4 reams, not exactly easy to handle.

Or.............About 22 pounds of spuds I know what thats like to lift! Not easy to be gentle with that weight.

Check out the weight of pound coins to buy this falcon. Its....................... 8.5 Kg!

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It's all about perspective in the end. If you think it's worth £900, then it is, and DeA are letting you sneak it into the house on a weekly basis disguised as a magazine. How much would a daily subscription to a newspaper cost you these days? I bet it's not far of £9 a week now, and all you get from that is depressed, and the next day it's bin lining material :shrug: At least with a weekly dose of escapist Star Wars fun, and some parts towards a blimmin' massive Millellium Falcon, you're not in danger of getting depressed.

I think it's a great offer when you compare it to the $4700 replica that's already been mentioned, but I'll not be joining in, as it's too rich for me - it's aimed more at the Star Wars obsessed folks, which is fine by me. I'll have to wait until I have some money and either a Finemolds squished MF turns up, or Bandai do a new tooling in 1:72 or larger. :)

Meantime, I'll make do with my little 1:144 kit instead :pilot:

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I heard today that Martin McColl and WH Smith are pulling out of selling it due to a complete lack of interest and that as they say is that.

Source?

I expect the majority of purchases would be through a direct subscription to DeAg, so I don't see any problems, even if this is true.

Edited by Ian Shumsky
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Picked up issue two from Smiths also subscribed. When a critical mass of parts are in my hands I'll start to put this beast together.....what a piece of junk!

Don't quite follow...

Why subscribe if you think it's junk?

Or are you just referring to the poor old MF being a 'piece of junk' in the movies?

Roy.

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Picked up issue two from Smiths also subscribed. When a critical mass of parts are in my hands I'll start to put this beast together.....what a piece of junk!

Sorry that was a reference to Luke Skywalker's quote in Star Wars when he first clapped eyes on the Falcon. In no way am I referring to the quality of the kit parts which are excellent, hence why I subscribed.

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Despite my skepticism regarding, if all part works complete their run. However, given the waves this kit has created around the internet, I do believe this will complete it's run. I firmly believe that part works offer an excellant way of "Mr. Man in the Street" obtaining a type of kit which that as a one off purchase would be normally out of reach.

I'm tempted to dip, if for no other reason, when the run is complete, what will a complete unmade kit would reveal as a return on investment :-) at the completion of the run? I bet, one would get their spondulaks and some back on eBay. But, I'm currently out of the country so will have to wait.

Marty...

Edited by marty_hopkirk
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