Originally posted on November 1, 2015.

I’ve been working on this model since July, and I figured it was time to get around to writing the first entries to my build log.
While I know that the 32″ filming model had only the most modest of details for things like the cockpit, I decided that I wanted to use the filming sets as my sources. The kit cockpit works okay at a distance, but when examined closely, there are a lot of details really off. I’m not a fan of using stickers for these things, either.
My options included the lovely Paragrafix photoetch set, but I wanted to do a lot more detail, so I began to scratch build the cockpit from styrene.

The cockpit is the natural place to start, since that comes complete within the first two months of parts. I really like how De Agostini is spreading out the parts of the construction. The start with the cockpit and main hold/lounge area, with external parts sprinkled in. I’m currently at five months in, and I have plenty to keep me busy for a long while, as I intend to extensively customize the hold and cockpit areas to match the filming sets from the movies.

Starting with the cockpit. Here’s what the general look of the stock parts look like:

This was taken after I had already cut the floor where I was originally intending to put in the levels that should be in the cockpit. Here is what it looked like with the dividing wall.

The floor levels-

After looking at things, I decided to build the entire floor.

Here is the original cockpit resting on the new floor-

Building up the side walls. You can see where I’m lengthening the cockpit to be more accurate to the ESB set.