SALZO "Hero" SS X-Wings

[Kuhn Global]

Mike answered an email for me this morn and stated that he fixed the "dip" in the fuselage today. He will not be changing the cockpit tub for pratical reasons and for possible lighting. He is also addressing the bottom engine covers using the suggested info of Mini-Ray and Beaz. Lastly he states "the rest of the kit is headed in the right direction to capture the spirit of the "hero" version.".

I agree with Mike in the fact that if a person can't hold a real used X in their hands, that person can ONLY do their best at it's recreation. I think any other detail will be up to the specific builder to place/change on their build as they see fit.

As of now I am planning on their delivery when I return from my impending travel,.. the end of the first week of Oct. This, of course, barring any problems or changes that may be made to them or my travel. I have told Mike that there is NO RUSH. As Bob has stated... "You can't rush art." Well,.. not all the time, but within reason...lol.

Kewl input fellas.

I would love to see MORE of the CG stuff in another thread specific to it.

BTW... anyone know what happened to the "pyro" parts that were told to me to have been cleaned up by J.E. and used as example to create the ICONS X? :confused ... I would enjoy a conversation directly with J.E. on this and other topics.

 

[Kuhn Global]

Quick update from Mike Salzo.

<div class='quotetop'></div>

I have fixed the fuselage dip, and i am finalizing the panel lining and detailing. The engine covers are done, the wings are done, nose is done, tail only needs panel lines, and i have fabricated a second laser cannon so that the kit has true left and right laser cannons instead of 4 of the same.
[/b]

Things are progressing nicely.

My excitement stirs.

 

[Kuhn Global]

Looking at the most recent progress pic that mike sent me to view,.. I must say this beastie is looking AWESOME... The changes being made are true to the RED 5 reference pics in this thread. I believe we will all be happy campers.

BTW... While there are just three X-Wing kits coming to me from mike to start,.. there will be another 3 soon after in order to complete REDS 1-6. I have commissioned Hand Solo (Bob) to do them ALL except for RED3, which will be done by REL (Richard). I had originally wanted John Eblan for those commissions, and since right now his plate is waaaaayyyy full, he showed his great professionalism to me in releasing the commissions to another in order to grant a personal special request of mine. Professional to the end is this man. And,.. I thank you, John, whole heartedly. :thumbsup :thumbsup

 

[moffeaton]

I spent a large portion of a day studying a surviving Red 3 ANH X-Wing last year, and am happy to say Mike is really doing great things with the patterns. He is taking what was already a stellar model and is making it as close to perfect as we can expect, without being unrealistic. This new casting will make it easier for the modeler to make a "hero" X-Wing... and that is a good thing.

Red 3 fun fact - did you know the bottom of the model has GREEN panels?. Also, the cockpit tub was very close to the CC kit part, but less detailed, as others have said.

 

[Lynn TXP 0369]

<div class='quotetop'>(Kuhn Global @ Sep 7 2006, 12:56 PM) [snapback]1314911[/snapback]</div>

Looking at the most recent progress pic that mike sent me to view,.. I must say this beastie is looking AWESOME... The changes being made are true to the RED 5 reference pics in this thread. I believe we will all be happy campers.
[/b]

Now you know you can't come in and say something like that and not have pics to show. :lol How long did you think it would take for someone to call you on it? :lol

Sounds awesome..
Lynn

 

[Kuhn Global]

:love

Well,... I am not showing the pic until Mike says it's absolutely OK to do so..lol... I can assure you that I have a very wide smile for the changes he has made. I didn't think it would make that big of a difference,.. but boy was I wrong. Mike is continuing to prove his talents,..... as if he really needed to. LOL.

I will email him today...

 

[Dobber]

Who would have thought that Kurt would be a Sith Lord.

Can't wait to see more pics Kurt.

Chris

 

[Kuhn Global]

OK... LOL.... you're killin me Chris. LOL

Here are a few more pics of the corrected fuselage. You'll notice the there is NO dip any longer and the panel lines are B-E-A-utiful. Mike is going to shoot pics of the right and left laser cannons later to show the difference between them.

Mikes pics are a bit washed out and the resolution for posting is bad, however, you can still tell that this is the best thing since Mom's cookin where the X-Wing is concerned.

Oh... and he will be adding the raised panels soon.

Truly,... the KING of the Block now.

Keep up the GREAT WORK Mike.

 

[PHArchivist]

I noticed something odd today that may or may not directly relate to this thread. But it does involve X-Wing accuracy.

Kurt knows I have a Maxi-Brute kit, and am currently tweaking the nose cone for my own purposes.

Has anyone else who owns this truly analyzed this MB nose cone? And does anyone know the TRUE lineage of the MB fuselage. The box states its the same size as the studio models, but has it ever been confirmed if it was taken directly from a studio model?

Reason I ask is this:
On my MB nose cone, if you look at the thing dead straight on, the two outer-most, widest points are not in line with each other; one is higher than the other.

In other words, looking straight on the thing, starting from the bottom it angles out, then back in, right? Well, the points where it angles back in (the widest points) are not in line with each other, horizontally. I'l try to get a pic.

So...

--Was this how the (or an) original was?
--Is this merely a production flaw in the MB?
--Is this merely a flaw in MY MB?

Hmmmmmm.....

 

[Miniaturizer Ray]

<div class='quotetop'>(moffeaton @ Sep 7 2006, 07:40 PM) [snapback]1315064[/snapback]</div>

I spent a large portion of a day studying a surviving Red 3 ANH X-Wing last year, and am happy to say Mike is really doing great things with the patterns. He is taking what was already a stellar model and is making it as close to perfect as we can expect, without being unrealistic. This new casting will make it easier for the modeler to make a "hero" X-Wing... and that is a good thing.

Red 3 fun fact - did you know the bottom of the model has GREEN panels?. Also, the cockpit tub was very close to the CC kit part, but less detailed, as others have said.
[/b]

Tell us something interesting about the noseblock...

 

[Kuhn Global]

Here is a quick update from Mike...

<div class='quotetop'></div>

The upper fuselage mold is done, i just pulled the first casting, other than the splochy primer spots (usual on the first casting) it looks good. The first half of the bottom fuselage is poured and i am pouring the second half today. the first set of wing molds are done, i will make another before starting production, first set of laser cannon molds are done, same as the wings i will make a couple of sets. I will finish up the nose and hopefully make a mold of that today, i should finish up the tail in a day or so. After that it's just a handful of detail parts and it is good to go.
[/b]

 

[moffeaton]

You mean how the noseblock is constructed?

The split?

 

[Miniaturizer Ray]

Well, um, yeah. Maybe it's not really all that interesting, actually... :$

 

[Kuhn Global]

Quick update note from Mr. Salzo...

<div class='quotetop'></div>

Upper and lower fuselage molds are done, i glued together the first castings and they look nice.
Wing molds are done.
Engine housing molds are half done, need to make multiples of these.
Tail and nose molds will be poured tomorrow.
Need to mod the harrier pilot (i am really happy how the harrier pilot looks in the new fuselage) and make multiples of some of the other molds (like the laser cannons) and we are good to go, i will likely do a quick and dirty build to show everyone how the kit looks built and painted before i proceed.
[/b]

 

[REL]

Man that looks nice.

 

[Dobber]

Woo Hoo.

Chris

 

[vaderdarth]

Am I too late to get in on this??? I'm really liking what I see.

Dave

 

[Kuhn Global]

<div class='quotetop'>(vaderdarth @ Sep 14 2006, 06:27 PM) [snapback]1320479[/snapback]</div>

Am I too late to get in on this??? I'm really liking what I see.

Dave
[/b]

salzo1@aol.com Good luck.

 

[Kuhn Global]

Just got off the phone with Mike and he stated that he will be doing a few more things to the X and then most likely shipping while I am away the next two weeks.

They're comin guys.

I will try to stay in touch during that time. Thank goodness for the Internet, eh?

 

[Ewok]

If anybody might be interested. I could deliver exact measurements of the additional panel lines for the engine part since I do have an original. Simply let me know...I will gladly help if I can.

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/598/pict3152mj8.jpg