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Star Wars® Millenium Falcon

by Simon Mercs - images & text © 2005

This will be a longer build than usual for me. I will accurize the basic (and old) MPC/ERTL kit using a lot of aftermarket parts, plus add full lighting.

Image: The first step is to invntory everything in the box and familiarize yourself with the instructions

Image: Next, I remove the major components from the sprues and clean up the attachment points, any mold seams, flash, etc.

Day 1

Basics are fundamental and the cleaning and sanding of parts is the first order of the day. Nothing exciting yet, but you have to do this dull stuff before you get to the good stuff. This process applies to all the parts. Also a good time to make sure all parts are accounted for. Try playing some "Enigma" in the background, it helped me a lot.

Time spent today, about 6 hours.

Image: Closer look

Image: Making a list, checking it twice....

Image: Marking spots for lights

Image: Cockpit tunnel drilled and in place

Image: Hull spots

Image: No piece is too small to be skipped

Image: Lower hull

Image: Light block paint goes on the inside of all exterior parts

Image: Main hull halves

Image: Fixing the canopy

Day 2

Today we start to use the reference material I have and some sent in by the client. A lot of good shots are put on the backlit display so I can plot drilling for the eventual lighting. Careful measurements and a good eye are invaluable at this stage. This is ordered to be a "Prop" quality version of the Millennium Falcon, full lighting and a special "Weathering" package. A lot of homework to do on this model. The paint stage requires a lot of other reference material of close-ups of the actual prop.

But one step at a time.

With the light plot all figured out, I begin to drill out the holes (3mm) to allow the later placement of the lighting system. This model will have several different systems and different bulb sizes in the exterior Navigation/Landing lights array. A thick layer of black "blackout" paint goes on all the hull parts that will have lighting within them. This is a mix of my own invention and uses some powdered rubber compound to really block out any potential light leaks that ruin the illusion.

The cockpit canopy requires 4 additional struts to be accurate, as the MPC kit does not make this correctly. Four tiny styrene struts are carefully cut and glued within the existing part to make it accurate.

Time spent today, about 9 hours.

Day 3

Today I am soldering the many LEDs and their respective resistors to have them ready for assembly. The client has ordered many after-market parts for this project, so I must build in segments that can be dealt with in the meantime. This model has a lot of electronic "goodies", so this stage can take several days. The rear cockpit wall will be highly detailed with many strands of fiber optics to really give the viewer a "feel" of looking into a real functioning control room. Once the after-market parts arrive, we will be switching into high-gear and begin assembly. This will be followed by paint and detailing.

Time spent today, 10 hours.

Image: The stand, roughed into shape

Image: This piece will slip over the stand to cover the hole

Image: Marking the rough outline of the stand

Image: Opening the hole with a motor tool

Image: The interior support is epoxied in place

Image: Test fit

Image: Stand in place

Image: That sucker ain't goin' nowhere

Image: End result

Image: Inside look

Day 4

More electronic soldering today. Then, on to the Stand/Base unit.

The weight of the model and the client's requirement that it be "coming in for a landing, landing gear deployed" requires me to do some sculpting and a little engineering. Finding the point of balance requires some time, then figuring out an assembly that will be very strong, yet flexible and visually pleasing is a challenge. I went through several tests until I found the perfect system. Using an old Playmates stand, and hiding the coupler in the battery compartment this kit used to have in its first release, I rigged a strong, epoxied and bolted assembly that will do all the client has requested. The shape of the arm was altered using super-strong epoxies that allowed me to shape and sand the stand into a very cool shape to add to the overall presentation of this piece. This took quite some time as it is a "scratchbuilt" concept. The stand is not removable as this is meant to be a showpiece, not a toy. Hopefully the client will put in a presentation case as it is designed for this.

Time spent today, 11 hours.

Image: Basic stand is complete

Image: Dramaculous!

Image: Puttying the seams

Day 5

More work on the Stand/Base unit today. Sanding and sweating is the operative work of the day, as it is in the 90's in Florida at this time. The epoxy work continues and the stand is "merged in" with the model. I want this to be as discrete a connection as possible. All the bolts and such are internal not to ruin the illusion I am trying to create. After 2 days I believe I have the look I was shooting for.

Time spent today: 6 hours.

Image: The white styrene pieces reflect light through the translucent diffuser

Image: The whole thing has to fit around the mount/wiring box

Image: Diffuser assembly

Image: Test fit with the top of the hull

Image: Oh yeah, that'll do

Day 6

Editor's Note: Some time elapsed between the last update and this, while Simon was waiting for parts to come in.

Aftermarket accurizing parts are coming in next week, so I'm now resuming the build. The "lightbox" that holds the CCFL bulb is provided by VoodoFx.com. The bulb was upgraded from a 350mA to a 1250mA, as the kit provided bulb was not bright enough. Some modifications to the lightbox were needed as my stand assembly uses a "shock absorber" housing in the same section.

The blue glow is quite even in the light tests -- unfortunately, digital photographs don't look exactly the same as in person. Some dark room shots give you a better feel of the look of this feature. Test fits indicate the box fits correctly in the model and should look seamless after construction.

Time spent today: about 8 hours.

Image: Etched details

Image: All resin parts require some cleanup

Image: Test fitting sidewalls

Day 7

Today I am working on the aftermarket parts. These are made of resin, metal tubing, and laser etched brass. All resin parts must be cleaned so the casting residue doesn't prevent good paint application. Their defects and flash must be sanded and filled. Some test-fittings show the height of these alternate side panels reduce the height of the model, and alter the entire hull structurals. In essence, the entire kit is "cut down" in height to be closer to the original ILM prop.

Time spent today: 8 hours.

Image: Gear bays are secured with epoxy

Image: Three kit-supplied bays in place

Image: The aftermarket pair will go here

Image: Template to aid in positioning everything

Image: Some surgery is required

Image: New holes made

Image: New resin structures in place

Day 8

The landing gear bays must now be placed and attached on the bottom hull section. This will enable me to place the lighting inside the perimeter of the work in progress. There's a problem, though: the ERTL kit only comes with 3 landing gear bays. The original prop/studio version has five. The after-market kit supplied by Falcon.com resolves this issue with excellent parts that blend in with the kit and make it accurate.

As you can see in the photographs, the need to remove sections to allow the Bays to seat correctly. The "filler" sections that go into the hull recesses have an alignment slot that helps correctly place the bays. Once enough of the hull bottom is complete, we can move on to the side sections. I have left the landing legs off for now. This will make it easier to have a nice finish on the primer and primary color applications later on.

Time spent today, 6 hours.

Image: Piece by carefully-test-fit piece, the side walls take shape

Image: Tedious, but done

Day 9

Side sections are now placed according to instructions supplied by Falcon. This is a tricky process as you have to place the top hull section each time to get a good average center location for later assembly. You sort of have to think a step or two ahead as you do this to make sure all will fit later. Gaps and seams will have to be filled to prevent light leaks.The "airlock" sections will have to be trimmed down eventually, as the height of the prop has now been reduced by just under 1/2 an inch (13mm). As I go through this process I start to see that the sleeker Falcon being produced will be a lot more accurate in contour and overall look. I cannot stress enough the value of a lot of test fits as you go piece by piece. Taking the time will pay off big later.

Time spent today: 7 hours.

Image: Several parts have to be drilled for lighting

Image: Mandibles, boxed in

Image: This dog will not hunt

Image: Better; the top parts are removed to allow better fit

Day 10

The side section assembly continues. As most of these are in place, I now must consider the top hull section. The alignment of the top and bottom pieces are so-so. With all the modifications, the mandibles are not quite lined up correctly. This is solved by making these an independent section. This accomplished, we have a lot more control on fit.

The round recessed sections that detail the top and bottom mandibles must be trimmed down as well. These are too thick for the lowered side sections and prevent a good fit. Some fine sanding and trimming get the mandibles straight and level on each side. These sections will be blended back to the round Hull section when we seal the internals later.

In an illuminated model such as this, you have to build a seamless body to be painted and detailed after almost all is built up. Masking the glass and light parts will be needed to keep these sections paint free. Little details like the landing legs and laser turret guns are added last.

Time spent today: 6 hours.

Image: First, the base is connected to a wall unit and leeds run to the model.

Image: Building up the supports/light box for the CCFLs

Image: The first CCFL is in place

Image: The inverters in place

Image: Small squares of mirror help the white box scatter as much light as possible out the back ...

Day 11

Today I am concentrating on getting the engine lighting tested, installed, and completed. The "lightbox" structure was modified to allow the now slimmer craft to accommodate it. Careful positioning of the two CCFL tubes was needed to allow a good even dispersal of light to get that blue crescent just right. I also added some refractors (mirrors) to augment the light reflecting inside. The clear engine cover was frosted to get an even light seen outside, and not allow the spectator to see the inner workings and ruin the illusion.

After several tests, the look seems correct and I am happy with the results. Notice the inverters found a good home in the recesses of the gangplank and the space docking coupler. There are also vents that are not obvious around the stand to allow heat from the inverters to escape.

Time spent today: 9 hours

Image: ... like reinforcing this seam.

Image: Base/stand unit is primed

Image: Now it's masked

Image: Grey primer is sprayed on the rest of the model

Day 12

Today, I'm going through the model to find potential light leaks in seams and corners. This is a needed chore whenever you light up a model or prop, because it looks lousy if light leaks in small areas that are not blocked correctly. I use an epoxy compound that is wonderful for this purpose. It is found at most hardware stores and is used in various repairs. It also costs a fraction of what Hobby Stores charge for similar products.

After that, the exterior was primed with a gray primer to allow good paint adhesion later. A blue masking frisket is used to protect the base from overspary. The base will be finished in a glossy black, and has already been primed.

Time spent today, 4 hours.

Image: Marking the position for the cockpit

Image: Bottom half in place

Image: More plumber's putty reinforces the joint

Image: Test fitting the top half

Image: Drilling out spots for lights on the rear wall

Image: Blue lighting gel will be used to "change the bulb"

Image: Cut to fit and covering the back of the piece

Image: Detail painting

Image: Canopy framing primed

Day 13

I spent some time getting the cockpit installed correctly today.

The location of the after-market cockpit bottom from Falcon Kits was marked then installed according to my best judgment based on the fit when the top cover is positioned. All seams and spaces were filled to make sure the part is unified into the main Hull section. The interior was also tackled and some detailing to the panels with very tiny instruments was done.

I used reference pictures of the actual Millennium's cockpit to get the correct color scheme and instrumentation patterns. The forward instrument panel will be drilled out to allow several lights and blinkers to be installed. This will give a very nice effect to the viewer looking in through this section. As it is the only glimpse into the craft on the entire model, I strive to make it the best I can in the space allotted. The controls were painted silver to allow a lot of reflection of the colored gels that were installed in the spot where the lighting in the actual Falcon's cockpit are located. Notice I used a blue gel to get those linear fluorescents seen in the real prop's wall to come alive. Yellow gel was used to enhance the controls spread throughout the panel. All this will be lighted from behind by two ultra-bright LEDs. The cabin layout was accurized with the addition of the 2 highback chairs behind the pilot's chairs. Lastlty, the rear wall was painted in off-white, gray, and black.

Time spent today: 9 hours.

Image: Running wires

Image: Cockpit lights

Image: From the back

Image: I'll tame this mess later

Image: Lots of lights

Image: By the gear bays

Day 14

Today was a fun day for me as I love to light up a model! The pictures show the process of installing each LED in its correct position. There are a heck of a lot of lights in this one. The wiring will have to be tamed later as my goal today was merely to place each LED in the positions matched to the real prop in the initial survey I did before starting the build.

The cockpit looks very cool upon being tested, and it should really add to the build's impression to the buyer. There are almost 50 LEDS in this build-up, and all have a purpose. The model is presented in a "Landing Descent" so the legs will be down, and all that glorious landing lighting will project down. All the connections will be done later and the main power line will be strung down through the opening I have created in the stand rod. This will lead to the power coupler in the base.

This should be a very brightly lit mdel when completed. I am thinking of issuing a pair of sunglasses to the recipient.

Time spent today: 8 hours.

Image: Bright, even in daylight

Image: Bow lights

Image: Even the gear bays are lit

Image: Not what you want to see in the wee hours of the morning, on a deserted back roat .....

Image: Bright lights!

Image: The cockpit shines

Image: From the front it's almost good enough to read by

Day 15

Wow! Is the operative word of the day. Today I finished taming the electrical mess created yesterday. All leads were hooked up to their respective polarity and soldered for durability. All connections are then wrapped to prevent any potential short circuits from other wires in the assembly. The light tests were a blast, sooo bright!

The idea of the model is that it's in its descent to landing, like in the scene when the Falcon was landing on the Cloud City pad - legs extended, all navigation lights on, cockpit aglow with instrumentation. The stand was angle to maximize this effect. As you can see from the darkroom shots, it's a very luminous display! The red and white navigation markers are located per prop reference pictures. The landing bays are also lit to enhance the detailed after-market landing gear that will be installed last.

I let the system run for several hours so my neighbors could stare in amazement. No major heat build-up resulted and all systems are go.

Time spent today: 7 hours.

Image: Seating

Image: Control console

Image: Installed

Image: Little people

Image: You could go blind painting these guys...

Day 16

The illuminated cockpit is the object of today's assembly. All interior sections and the flashing lighting were installed. The seats and figures of Han and Chewbacca were detailed and test fitted before I glued it all in. The forward command console was drilled out with a series of tiny apertures to allow the red and green flashers to give the illusion of a busy control center. Han was positioned in his agitated "I fixed that" position. The lighting tests show the effect looks realistic. The rear cabin wall was light blocked to prevent stray illumination seeping through the paintwork.

This was a very delicate assembly and care was taken not to spoil the clear glass "windshield", as this is the only glimpse of the Falcon's interior details.

Time spent today: 7 hours.

Image: Light blocking paint was applied to the seams

Image: Masking

Image: Base coat applied

Image: Masking removed

Image: Picking out the details

Image: The model is really starting to come alive

Image: Details

Day 17

The hull sections were joined today - finally! Once all seams and light leaks were checked out, I began to paint the primary color, a Flat Gull Grey. The clear engine part was masked with lo-tack frisket, and the cockpit was covered with the same part from another Falcon kit. Perfect fit! Two even coats of paint were applied to get a good foundation.

Then I moved on to detail of tiles. There are numerous sections done in Medium Grey, Dark Gull Grey, and Rust/Red mix. These were applied while my trusty reference material is in full view. I used various shots of the real prop at the Smithsonian exhibit and stills from the newly released DVD set. This was a long process and a steady hand was needed.

Once all the details were applied the model was placed under the hot lamps for a good drying session.

Time spent today: 10 hours.

Image: Larger view of the above

Image: Top of the hull, by the cockpit

Image: Rear view

Image: Underneath

Image: Front office

Image: Detail painting

Day 18

Weathering! My favorite part after lighting. On a Star Wars model, it is absolutely essential to weather correctly. Using a "stippling" method, which is the application of texture by misting, I got a good rough look overall. Then I began to add streaks and other marks seen on the real prop. The difficult art is to be consistent and not too heavy. You still want to see the color underneath, but altered - not covered - by the weathering. It's taken me many years to do this with a certain confidence. Early weathering results by a novice can be a disaster and cause you to completely re-paint the mess you just created. I know this from experience. Go easy and light.

Other than landing gear, gun turret details, and the radar dish, the kit's parts are all in place. Some final weathering will be done with a dry brush, and battle damage still needs to be applied.

Time spent today: 7 hours.

Image: Sidewall detail

Image: References are essential

Image: Blast damage

Image: Top view

Image: More battle damage

Day 19

Today I did some final weathering details. This required some darkening details in the side panel sections and battle scars as seen on the real prop. A lot of rust effects and streaks were also added to reinforce the "worn" look of the Falcon. I am very close to completion now - only a few parts are required to call this complete!

Time spent today: 6 hours.

Image: Priming the fiddly bits

Image: Completed blasters

Image: Radar dish mount

Image: Radar Dish

Day 20

Today I gathered the last of the parts to be assembled and started on the final stretch of this construction.

The guns and radar dish were primed, painted, and finally detailed to match the rest of the model. The guns were given some charred metal colors on the barrels and mounts. The glass sections of the gun turrets were "smoked" to give the look of residue from constant gun battle discharges. The ribs were highlighted in Flat Gull Grey. The starboard and portside landing bay doors were also finished. These are fragile add-on parts, so I waited to the end to apply them. The "yellowish" stains and rust spots on the hull were some of the last weathering details applied. Again, all according to images of the real ILM prop.

The only thing left is the actual accurized Landing Gear which has metal parts and is much more accurate than the provided parts in the ERTL kit.

Time spent today: 7 hours.

Image: Landing gear, from the front

Image: Abother look

Image: Front/left view, finished model

Image: Front/right, lights on

Image: Top/front

Image: Right/front

Image: Right/rear

Image: Top/right

Image: Detail under the engine

Image: Turbolaser emplacement

Image: Port side

Image: Top/left

Image: Another look

Image: All gear deployed

Image: Topside

Image: Overall, right side

Image: Front view

Day 21

I concentrated today on the landing gear and finalizing this model! Landing gear is the accurized version from Falcon Kits and it is a lot more precise in configuration than the ERTL pieces. I painted the pieces to fit in with the overall color scheme. Results are really nice and the deployed landing gear really brings this model to a higher plane.

Once attached and all touch ups completed, I spent some time taking photographs of the results with a starfield background.

Thanks for joining me on this long venture. In a Galaxy far far away this project is now history.

Time spent today: 8 hours.