Return to the BUILD
“This issue brings you a selection of parts for your Millennium Falcon, including the first electronic component – the cockpit bulkhead lighting panel.”
Contents
Parts
Materials: All of the non-electrical parts in this issue are plastic.
Screws: I have designated the screws supplied in this issue as Type H for Hull plates. See my Screws page for more details.
Magazine
- Starship Fact File – Makers of the Millennium Falcon: Corellian Engineering Corporation
- Secrets of Spaceflight – Modular Configuration
- Build the Falcon – Assembly Steps
Build
Fitting the Lighting Panel
Steps 01-03
Retrieve your Cockpit assembly from the previous issue. Fit the Cockpit Bulkhead Lighting Panel onto the matching two pins of the back of the Cockpit Door with the LEDs facing the Cockpit as shown, and then secure it into place with one (1) Type H screw.
In Issue 09, we will receive a Battery Box and Wiring to be able to test these lighting components:
Fitting the Cockpit Instruments
Steps 01-02
Press the two tabs of the Left Instrument Panel and Right Instrument Panel into the matching slots at these locations of the Cockpit Base.
Do not glue anything in this issue. These parts will be secured permanently later on in the build:
I had so much fun dry-brushing the Cockpit Front Panel from the previous issue that I decided to do it all over my Cockpit. Not only did I dry-brush these Instrument Panels with the same Tamiya XF-16 Flat Aluminum acrylic paint, I added other colors to them too. I used a toothpick to carefully fill various areas with Tamiya XF-2 Flat White, Tamiya XF-3 Flat Yellow, and Tamiya XF-7 Flat Red to accomplish this effect. Finally, I lightly washed each Panel with Vallejo Game Wash 73.201 Black to dirty everything up a bit:
Then, I dry-brushed the same Aluminum paint around the details/edges of the lower center console, forward Control Console, and the rear Passenger Seats. The sides of the round central detail on the lower center console was painted with a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-2 Flat White and Tamiya X-14 Sky Blue to give it a light blue ‘glow’:
This paintwork is entirely optional and in no way required to complete the build, but I do feel it adds a very authentic touch to my model:
Assembling the Passage Tube
“The passage leading from the cockpit to the hull is supplied in two halves which form the upper and lower sections of an angled tube. You
can fit these parts together temporarily to see how they will join onto the outer shell of the cockpit, but do not glue the assembly.”
Step 01-02
There are nine pins on the Passage Tube Lower Section that will match up to nine holes in the Passage Tube Upper Section. And, there is a groove molded around the interior of both Passage Tube Sections that will enclose the edge of the Cockpit Bulkhead, as shown.
Do not glue anything together in this issue. These parts will be secured later on in the build:
Step 03
Without fully seated the Passage Tube Sections together, we can see how this will eventually secure the Cockpit assembly in place:
The floor of our Cockpit will be further supported by the Cockpit Shell assembly that arrives with the next issue:
Understanding this fitment, remove the Cockpit assembly from the Passage Tube Sections before we continue with the build.
Thoughts
There wasn’t much to build in this issue, but it is fun to see the Cockpit mounted. I also enjoyed adding the paint details to bring a worn used look to our model!
Next Up
Issue 06 – Cockpit Instrument Panels/Displays, Control Levers, Link Ring/Shells/Front Window, Lounge Seating Support, Plant-On Details