AMT ERTL Tie Fighter

[YOULI]

Yeah... I like this one. As you know they were sold by two, and I used one for my Tie Droid conversion kit.
When I wanted to build the other one, it appears that the clear parts and some details (the lasers) were gone. Some parts are in double since I didn't used them for the Tie Droid Conversion. So you'll see 2 pairs of solar panels I used to try some ink and washes.



But, no big deal, I managed to use the front cockpit and glued on a spheric transparent plastic (when you buy light bulbs you know, even though here it was another packaging...)




The pilot is great, greater than the one from the Tie Interceptor anyway, and this kit is FULL of details ! All the panel lines are here. The only thing you have to take care of is the small reactors at the rear bulb, it's supposed to be a hatch or a window, not thrusters. But didn't change anything on mine. I really like this cockpit.




I replaced the lasers by plastic pearls.



The canopy is glued on...



ANother picture with the access hatch...



I began to paint with masking tape the solar panels, but with poor effects so I continued, faster, by hand, the other one. The black surface are treated with Citadel inks, Violet one and Blue one.



All the parts...



Masked Panel.



Unmasked panel.



A bit of work...



Some assembly just to check...

 

[YOULI]

I finished the solar panels painting. I added details when it was left to dry... On various documents you can see a "bow tie" in the cockpit. So I added it. I glued it near the hatch. It's just perfect.



The Pilot is all black, so I used some gloss black, matt black and add some white and even metallic color here and there.



Some beauty pics before adding the canopy and because it's not easy to grab anything cool with the flash on clear parts.



Once build you don't see a thing or not much... The weathering is done with Gundam Markers, a method I really enjoy.



J'ai même mis les petits points rouges qui sont la particularité des moteurs à Ion...



Some pictures of the final result ?



And here is the result. Done last year I thinK; QUite happy with it ! It was done in May 2010.

 

[YOULI]

Last but not least, some beauty shots with official document to compare...

 

[ShutterAce]

Very nice! I didn't even know this kit existed. This is by far my favorite ship from the original series.

 

[Grendels]

I have two of these in the stash with some sort of delusion that I am going to make a diorama with an X-wing.....

Nice to see one built up! Now I know what is in the box.

 

[Jimi]

i too have this kit in my stash but it got sidelined after i got the 1/48th scale finemolds kit. you've done an excellent job on this old chestnut!

 

[YOULI]

Thanks... I think I'll do one Tie fighter in a very bad shape with what is left (solar panels and cockpit, of the other one, with the help of a Tie Interceptor (bought several of them in 2005 at starship modeler shop even thought it's not a good kit, it's cheap and easy to deal with)...

A friend of mine gave me another pair of this Tie Fighter so I'm free to make more, with all the original parts, maybe a white one and maybe a "comics version" one ? With kill markings and maybe a slightly different color ?

 

[Solander]

You've really made this old kit shine, YOULI, great job as always, bud

 

[YOULI]

Thanks

Good kits make the job always easier

 

[Igard]

Really nice work Youli. Might give these a chance one of these days. I had a look at the AMT Interceptor kit as you told me about it earlier. Looks like they've done a better job with this one though.

 

[YOULI]

It's night and day... Interceptor ? Bleuarh ! Tie Fighter ? GOOD !

Even the stand was all right since it's the Death star surface. And you had two of them. And they're big. And detailed. And the Pilot is as he should be... IMHO the BEST Star Wars model kit ever done by AMT ERTL !

 

[ModelMakerMike]

Awesome!
I should crack mine open and build 'em. I just never had high expectations for them because of amt/ertl's track record with S.W. kits.

 

[Glorfindel]

Sooner or later I'm going to need to score this one on EBay. The whole 2 kits in 1 idea is a bit of a bonus.

 

[Ziz]

Minor detail for those that have this kit or are working on it - examine the wings closely. One of them has a minor molding defect in it that is native to either the master sculpt or the steel mold because it's the same on the matching wing for the second fighter. If you're only going to build one fighter and kitbash the body of the other one with the Interceptor wings or some other project, investigate the wings first to find the two good ones.

 

[Junkie]

Thanks for the heads up Ziz.

YOULI, great job on this. Turned out real nice.

Got this kit in the stash too...and a Tie Interceptor for a body switch.

 

[YOULI]

Same here... Body snatching Tie Fighter to make a decent Tie Interceptor (detailing the solar panels won't be as hard than modifying the raised panels on the bulb...)

 

[YOULI]

Minor detail for those that have this kit or are working on it - examine the wings closely. One of them has a minor molding defect in it that is native to either the master sculpt or the steel mold because it's the same on the matching wing for the second fighter. If you're only going to build one fighter and kitbash the body of the other one with the Interceptor wings or some other project, investigate the wings first to find the two good ones.

Good tip !
Can you be more specific ? A picture maybe ?