GreenStrawberry YT-1300 Millennium Falcon FruitPACK (FP-04) 1:144

[Mike]

YT-1300 Millennium Falcon FruitPACK (FP-04)

1:144 GreenStrawberry

 

 

We're back to Star Wars again!  It's pretty certain that GreenStrawberry are clearly SW fans, as they have released a substantial number of sets for the various kits, including the big and the little Falcons.  Now they're offering the little Falcon sets in a super-set, which gives you both sets and offers a discount on the individual purchase price.

 

The set arrives in a thick card envelope with the details on the front on a white sticker.  Inside are the two individual sets in the usual GS themed dark grey, green and red, each with a header card, the Photo-Etch (PE), instructions and any ancillary parts hidden within a resealable clear foil envelope.  The following sets are included:

 

 

Detail Set (01616-1/144)

If you read my review of the FruitPACK for the big Falcon, you might be expecting a re-tread of that, but this one's a little different due to the way that Bandai engineered the kits separately to cater for the differences in scale.  This is patterned on the Force Awakens Falcon, which has the new-style dish after its removal in ROTJ during the second Death Star battle.  The set contains a large fret of Photo-Etch (PE) and a sheet of self-adhesive stickers, and construction begins with the dish, replacing the chunky kit mounting for a more accurate one.  The central gun emplacements are also heavily modified, with new parts added to the cut-down seats, and a complete emplacement with self-adhesive printed details supplied for your ease.  This is topped off with a bezel that attaches to the rear of the glazing so that it can be easily installed top and bottom, as the two emplacements are identical.  The landing gear has a new set of scale-accurate doors, plus the "cuffs" that sit above the gear legs.

 

 

The cockpit is also heavily augmented, with the kit instrument panel cleared of all the moulded-in detail, and the three joining studs removed to make room for the new detail.  With that done, the glazing receives a quilted headliner, and a new ceiling is folded up with panels added, then more stickers added for detail.  The rear seats get new headboxes to correct their inaccurate appearance, and the side consoles with sticker instruments are added, with a new bulkhead plus surround and door, and of course another sticker for the busy light infested detail.  The new roof is added to the lower part of the cockpit, and faced off with a small faceted modesty panel before the glazing is put in place.  The final few parts include an edge panel for the access walkway roof, and a blanking plate for the end of the walkway inside the hull.

 

 

Grilles (01715-1/144)

Two small frets with 32 circular parts that laminate up to make the six vents on the aft of the Falcon's deck.  Each one is made up of four layers – a lower circle, the grill section, the raised divides, and a final detailed bezel that sits on the top.  There are two types of grille, with the two on the left (looking from behind) differing slightly from the other four.  Their location is shown clearly on the last diagrams, so there should be little room for confusion unless you try really, really hard!  These will improve the detail on the aft deck immensely from the original kit parts.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Lots of extra detail to improve this gem of a kit and make it more impressive than it already is, with a modest discount on buying them separately thrown in as a bonus.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of