SPA Modeler

FADE IN ON:

A WAREHOUSE IN VAN NUYS. OCTOBER, 1975. DAY.

There was no interior; the warehouse was probably 1,300 square feet and smelled like a gym locker. It was hotter than hell. The walls were two-by-fours, Visqueen stapled onto them. Every once in a while the music started—the big record was Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. 45 people working in the space. The average age was 25 or 26. Everybody there was an industrial designer or architect or engineer. Welcome to Industrial Light & Magic, 6842 Valjean Avenue.


Pyrotechnics in the parking lot: exploding Death Star surface tiles.

You gotta love the way they did things. I wish there was a Delorean time machine capable of going back to 1975 here right now this month. I really do.


Joe Johnston weathers Gold 2.

So this will be an ILM style paint job of the classic kit by Fine Molds and is a commission project. We shall see, said the Blind Man! Hopefully I will get this done before the rent is due. Since I already have two other FM kits in their first stages, I feel confident that their Y-Wing will not disappoint in terms of plastic. I read a FSM side by side build of the 1/72 Bandai versus the 1/72 FM and I wanted to point out that the two kits are based on very different models. Basically Bandai’s kit is based on “Gold 3,” and Fine Molds’ kit is based on “Gold 2.” The detailing and proportions of the FM are quite good overall; dem engines look nice.


Side by side Y-Wing comparison images: Adam K. Johnson, (c) 2015

I am also going to try to correct the proportions of the cockpit canopy by using Green Strawberry’s vac set with masks. The cockpit canopies are designed for the Bandai kit, but I have high hopes that sanding and slicing will be enough to fit a superior shape to the Fine Molds. At least I will have a possible option and me likely an option here as the FM canopy windows look wrong.

The best HD photo I have found of the filming miniature so far is from Gakken’s Star Wars Chronicles:


Star Wars Chronicles, Episodes IV, V, VI: Vehicles. Copyright (c) LUCASFILM.

Should be a awsome project Bruce! Fine Molds made some extremely good Star Wars models, the Falcon was probably the best kit I have ever built.

Awesome. I love the older generation of Sci-fi with proper models rather than the CGI stuff we have today.

42 years later, and still my favorite fighter of the Star Wars saga. I am curious though, and perhaps I am overlooking something subtle or obvious, but how are the Gold Squadron ships differentiated? On the X-Wings it is quite obvious on the wing hash marks. But so far, I have yet to find a similar marking system on the Y-Wings.
I am gonna watch this project of a favored subject. Awesome choice Brice!

Stikpusher wrote:42 years later, and still my favorite fighter of the Star Wars saga. I am curious though, and perhaps I am overlooking something subtle or obvious, but how are the Gold Squadron ships differentiated? On the X-Wings it is quite obvious on the wing hash marks. But so far, I have yet to find a similar marking system on the Y-Wings.
I am gonna watch this project of a favored subject. Awesome choice Brice!

The First 4 Y-Wings by Adam K. Johnson, copyright (c) 2105.

Thanks for your kind regards, gents. Carlos—I will research and get back with you about how the squadrons of Y-Wings (Red, Gold, Green and Grey from ROTJ) were identified. Most of my research is in how the models were developed at ILM. Hardcore fans named the three Y-Wings, and Red One became Red Jammer which comes from a West Coast truck route, I think. My guess is that the original body shell was where the wing markings were displayed, and those pieces were left off to lighten the spacecraft to make it more maneuverable.

speedgraflex wrote: My guess is that the original body shell was where the wing markings were displayed, and those pieces were left off to lighten the spacecraft to make it more maneuverable.

Stuart! That is awesome. What a beauty. Beautiful lines. I don’t see any individual markings, though. Lee Stringer makes a model version of the BTL in resin at 1/72 that I kind of definitely maybe positively covet want need:

Master pattern:

Now how did I know there would be one of these out there somewhere!

Stuart, Lee is on FB. A must have but he only makes very small batches. The advantage is you get something made by a Lucasfilm CG artist.

Back to Seventies ILM, here are the Master patterns for the Y Canopy and Back Plate. These went up for auction recently.







... and last and most important view:

They can’t be too hardcore of fans...

The only Gold Squadron call signs ever spoken in 1977 are Gold Leader and Gold Five. Red Jammer? I wonder if that was the survivor along with Luke and Wedge?