Hello RPF! I’m new here and I’ll introduce myself as a guy prepping to work on a studio scale TIE fighter.
Trying not to be too needy with part ID requests. I'll start out by thanking all the good folks on this forum who have shared photos, IDs, data, and general musings on TIEs over the years.
I thought this particular case would be generally interesting and worth asking the forum because I think more experienced folks than I have even struggled with it, too. Without naming any in particular, two really nice studio scale TIE Fighters that I have images of don’t seem to have gotten this part right (or they appear to have at ID'd the part differently).
The part in question is a U-shaped greeb on the beveled part of the central 'plinth' of the wing star hub (the bevel that orients in the vertical direction, usually down), sitting on top of a mast-type piece I believe is from the Airfix HMS Belfast and next to the Yardley vent:
I’ve highlighted this in green in the image above in panel A; unlabeled panel B for clarity. C and D are two castings of pyro models from the Propstore auction site. The images suggest there were bubbles in the mold which might add to the confusion/uncertainty about this part. C and D show something that appears to be descending between the masts of the Belfast part. A and B don't appear to show it. But C and D show more clusters of bubbles, suggesting to me that descending bit is also a cluster of bubble infills.
My current guess is that the U-shaped part is a towing hard-point seen often in British or American armoured vehicles (possibly with fitting nubs clipped off). I have guesses on two kits (one more “worrying” than the other $$$$$!).
Thanks in advance for any hints, clues, or feedback on my guess.
Trying not to be too needy with part ID requests. I'll start out by thanking all the good folks on this forum who have shared photos, IDs, data, and general musings on TIEs over the years.
I thought this particular case would be generally interesting and worth asking the forum because I think more experienced folks than I have even struggled with it, too. Without naming any in particular, two really nice studio scale TIE Fighters that I have images of don’t seem to have gotten this part right (or they appear to have at ID'd the part differently).
The part in question is a U-shaped greeb on the beveled part of the central 'plinth' of the wing star hub (the bevel that orients in the vertical direction, usually down), sitting on top of a mast-type piece I believe is from the Airfix HMS Belfast and next to the Yardley vent:
I’ve highlighted this in green in the image above in panel A; unlabeled panel B for clarity. C and D are two castings of pyro models from the Propstore auction site. The images suggest there were bubbles in the mold which might add to the confusion/uncertainty about this part. C and D show something that appears to be descending between the masts of the Belfast part. A and B don't appear to show it. But C and D show more clusters of bubbles, suggesting to me that descending bit is also a cluster of bubble infills.
My current guess is that the U-shaped part is a towing hard-point seen often in British or American armoured vehicles (possibly with fitting nubs clipped off). I have guesses on two kits (one more “worrying” than the other $$$$$!).
Thanks in advance for any hints, clues, or feedback on my guess.
