Hiding in plain sight with Star Wars.
Michigan, United States
Joined: July 05, 2006
KitMaker: 112 posts
Armorama: 106 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 08:11 AM UTC
This is picture of the rear of my son's At-At toy. All us Star Wars fans know what one of those walking giants are. But staring at me all this time and me just noticing is a pair of armoured shields from a Flakverling 38 and the rear of a Sd.kfz. 222 or 223 used as important structure pieces of the machine.
All of which I can only assume are bashed from the Tamiya kits as they were the only ones available at the time. I can imagine that Mr. Tamiya's 1/35 kits were very popular with the model makers working for Mr. Lucas.
I am sure there are a lot more armor kits hiding in plain sight on Star Wars Machines.
Anyone else have one to share?
#424
Queensland, Australia
Joined: April 23, 2015
KitMaker: 4,648 posts
Armorama: 2,248 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 08:21 AM UTC
Cool discovery! Now everything is CGI, so model parts are no longer necessary.
"Artillery adds dignity, to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl."
Frederick The Great
Western Australia, Australia
Joined: May 05, 2006
KitMaker: 900 posts
Armorama: 510 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 08:33 AM UTC
There are whole forums dedicated to building studio replicas of movie models, not just replicating the look of the studio model, but replicating it completely right down to using the exact parts from the exact models used on the studio version.
Somewhere I still have the PDF file that lists a lot of the kits and parts used to build the Tie Bomber.
Quoted Text
Cool discovery! Now everything is CGI, so model parts are no longer necessary.
Not entirely true, there are still a few physical models that get built, and kit bashing is still quite common. And it's not done just on vehicle models, the techniques are also applied to full size props that actors handle.
I highly reccomend checking out
The Replica Prop Forums if you are interested in that sort of thing
Don't you feel more like you do now than you did when you came in?
#384
Nevada, United States
Joined: August 23, 2005
KitMaker: 1,426 posts
Armorama: 1,316 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 08:38 AM UTC
http://www.therpf.com/studio-scale-models/Seek out the "parts maps" on various builds.
Washington, United States
Joined: March 11, 2016
KitMaker: 1,792 posts
Armorama: 1,186 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 09:52 AM UTC
Look at the back of an X-wing and you'll see the hull and turret of an M4 Sherman. They also used parts from a Panther in there somewhere. And if you look at the top of the original Battlestar Galactica you can see two tank turrets, a couple sdkfz 251's and on the engines themselves the back deck of what looks like a tiger 2. They really knew how to kit bash back in those days.
barkingdigger
Associate Editor#013
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: June 20, 2008
KitMaker: 3,981 posts
Armorama: 3,403 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 03:01 PM UTC
Back in the day, my original Cylon Raider plastic kit had quite a few bits of Panzer IV (long-barrel 75mm) on it! IIRC they used main gun halves and drive sprockets mainly...
"Glue, or Glue Not - there is no Dry-Fit" - Yoda (original script from Return of the Jedi...)
New York, United States
Joined: August 25, 2004
KitMaker: 752 posts
Armorama: 378 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 05:17 PM UTC
Very cool find. I had a G.I. Toy in the 80s that used the rear deck of an M48 as part of a rocket launcher.
I should dig my old Joe and Star Wars toys out, I'm sure there are more things I'd recognize now.
Ontario, Canada
Joined: September 19, 2010
KitMaker: 194 posts
Armorama: 148 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 06:14 PM UTC
ILM studio in the 1970s. Note the shelf of Tamiya kits! Many photos like this exist showing threads huge stock of kits they used to source 'greeblies' for movie models. Isn't there a Hasegawa Jagdpanther hull on the top deck of the Millennium Falcon?
Western Australia, Australia
Joined: May 05, 2006
KitMaker: 900 posts
Armorama: 510 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 06:22 PM UTC
And if you want an example of how not to do it, just Google "starcrash models".
Ships made of foam core, with parts still on their sprues glued on.
Don't you feel more like you do now than you did when you came in?
Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
Armorama: 12,507 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 06:31 PM UTC
In this CAD drawing of Bandai's 1/144 Scale kit, you can also notice a T-34 exhaust cover, and something that suspiciously resembles a part from a Centurion suspension unit (upside down) ...:
H.P.
"Find the Bastards, then Pile On"
Col. George W.Patton III 's standing order for the troopers of the 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment
Quebec, Canada
Joined: January 01, 2004
KitMaker: 7,600 posts
Armorama: 6,110 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 06:35 PM UTC
The freighter "Nostromo" from the first ALIEN movie was also bashed from a lot of Tamiya parts.
New South Wales, Australia
Joined: January 27, 2016
KitMaker: 41 posts
Armorama: 9 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 06:56 PM UTC
Quoted Text
In this CAD drawing of Bandai's 1/144 Scale kit, you can also notice a T-34 exhaust cover, and something that suspiciously resembles a part from a Centurion suspension unit (upside down) ...:
H.P.
... and the back half of the aforementioned 222, shields off the quad 20mm flak etc; plus just above that inverted Centurion suspension unit, there's clearly an inverted T-34 Driver's hatch with the latches off a Tiger driver/radio op/commander's hatch and T34/76/1942 model turret hatch... wouldn't be suprised if that curved bit below the 222 back half wasn't the turret rear off something either !
They used a lot of 350th scale Tamiya ship bits on them too I heard. Looks suspiciously like a paravane just ahead of the T-34 exhaust guard.
Best
Matthew
Veni, Vidi, Ego Transierunt Ventus
New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 06:57 PM UTC
The parts on the rear of an AT-AT are from top to bottom Flak 38 20mm quad shield, Sdkfz 222 rear hull with T-34/76 top hatch and driver's hatch interior inside with Centurion bogie on bottom. All Tamiya kits. Small scale Fujimi and Nitto armor bits are in there too as the conduits.
I used to be called on to do the parts identification that was put in the earlier referenced PDF file.
There are also a lot of ship model bits in there including whole superstructures. And of course the Mother Ship from Close Encounters has the Millennium Falcon hidden on top.
In the original series episode of
Star Trek "The Doomsday Machine" the second star ship was a built up AMT model kit.
"The only thing a man should take seriously is the fact that nothing should be taken seriously."
Samuel Butler, Victorian satirist
Steve Willoughby
Washington, United States
Joined: March 11, 2016
KitMaker: 1,792 posts
Armorama: 1,186 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 06:59 PM UTC
Quoted Text
ILM studio in the 1970s. Note the shelf of Tamiya kits! Many photos like this exist showing threads huge stock of kits they used to source 'greeblies' for movie models. Isn't there a Hasegawa Jagdpanther hull on the top deck of the Millennium Falcon?
Bow on between the mandibles, bottom hull.
http://www.collectivemodels.com/wp-content/gallery/millennium-falcon/falcon-12.jpgTop of hull above engines
http://www.collectivemodels.com/wp-content/gallery/millennium-falcon/falcon-24.jpgCalifornia, United States
Joined: April 27, 2011
KitMaker: 255 posts
Armorama: 250 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 08:07 PM UTC
I bet that was a fun job to make all the props for this movie.
Ohio, United States
Joined: January 21, 2008
KitMaker: 735 posts
Armorama: 707 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 09:07 PM UTC
The original Star Destroyer props had tons of model parts on them too.
Check out Central Ohio's best hobbyshop at www.hobbylandstores.com
New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 09:52 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Text
ILM studio in the 1970s. Note the shelf of Tamiya kits! Many photos like this exist showing threads huge stock of kits they used to source 'greeblies' for movie models. Isn't there a Hasegawa Jagdpanther hull on the top deck of the Millennium Falcon?
Bow on between the mandibles, bottom hull.
Can you find the Tamiya M41 rear hull lift rings? Or the Bandai armor ammo racks? Or the JS-111 travel lock?
Plus some gun barrels and road wheels.
The Star Destroyers had whole Bandai armor kit interiors and superstructures of waterline ship models on their sides. The Bandai 1/24 as well 1/48 scale armor models with interiors raided endlessly. Lots of 1/24 scale cars and motorcycle kits were raided too.
"The only thing a man should take seriously is the fact that nothing should be taken seriously."
Samuel Butler, Victorian satirist
Steve Willoughby
Florida, United States
Joined: October 21, 2013
KitMaker: 751 posts
Armorama: 751 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 11:05 PM UTC
After reading all of these replies they are very interesting and also one other thing.It's 100% weird.You do learn something new everyday.
Klaus-Adler
Campaigns Administrator Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: June 08, 2015
KitMaker: 1,505 posts
Armorama: 840 posts
Posted: Friday, April 28, 2017 - 11:16 PM UTC
i remember talking to peter mayhew aka chewbacca about this a few years ago and he mentioned walking through the props department and seeing stacks and stacks of model kits in boxes.
England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: November 19, 2008
KitMaker: 2,249 posts
Armorama: 2,007 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 29, 2017 - 03:09 AM UTC
That looks distinctly like a pair of motorcycle front forks with rubber gaiters, and the handlebar stock below the centre Panther engine deck, and below that possibly BMW R75 cooling fins, then there are engine crank cases or clutch covers to either side.
Washington, United States
Joined: March 11, 2016
KitMaker: 1,792 posts
Armorama: 1,186 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 29, 2017 - 03:35 AM UTC
Quoted Text
i remember talking to peter mayhew aka chewbacca about this a few years ago and he mentioned walking through the props department and seeing stacks and stacks of model kits in boxes.
Now it's all done digitally. Sad. I used to get the old Starlog magazines and the other 70's movie mags and they showed models begin built for all the old movies. I read about R2D2 being on the mothership from Close Encounters and for years I'd look for it. Finally saw it about 10 years later.
Queensland, Australia
Joined: August 06, 2005
KitMaker: 3,353 posts
Armorama: 3,121 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 29, 2017 - 04:01 AM UTC
Quoted Text
That looks distinctly like a pair of motorcycle front forks with rubber gaiters, and the handlebar stock below the centre Panther engine deck, and below that possibly BMW R75 cooling fins, then there are engine crank cases or clutch covers to either side.
..and the steering arms for movable front wheels ... and skdkfz road wheel and Kugelblende MG ball mount... and the list goes on
On the Bench:
Dust, styrene scraps, paint splotches and tears.
#384
Nevada, United States
Joined: August 23, 2005
KitMaker: 1,426 posts
Armorama: 1,316 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 29, 2017 - 04:57 AM UTC
Sitting on the back deck of something quite German
Quoted Text
Quoted Text
That looks distinctly like a pair of motorcycle front forks with rubber gaiters, and the handlebar stock below the centre Panther engine deck, and below that possibly BMW R75 cooling fins, then there are engine crank cases or clutch covers to either side.
..and the steering arms for movable front wheels ... and skdkfz road wheel and Kugelblende MG ball mount... and the list goes on
Washington, United States
Joined: March 11, 2016
KitMaker: 1,792 posts
Armorama: 1,186 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 29, 2017 - 05:02 AM UTC
On the underside of the Falcon there are parts of m60 series tanks. I can't find good pictures of the bottom of the filming model but I've seen them before and they are reproduced on the Fine Molds 1/72 Falcon.
Arizona, United States
Joined: February 25, 2007
KitMaker: 1,066 posts
Armorama: 789 posts
Posted: Saturday, April 29, 2017 - 09:48 AM UTC
Very cool. I have tremendous admiration for people who can use their imagination. Imagine if that was your job, to dream up and assemble imaginary vehicles and spacecraft.
