Model Specifications:
Scale = 1/48
Length = 9.9 cm
Width = 17.5 cm
Height = 18.1 cm
I was interested in this ship because it was a "model". We all dream and it was nice to see the future Jedi as a boy
(and model builder!) who constructs models of the ships that he loved. The only reference for
the T-16 was "A New Hope" and a vague blueprint in the
'Star Wars Blueprints' pack. Then the Star Wars Technical
Journal came out! With reasonable drawings, my first scratch build was underway.
The only kit parts were a thrust
nozzle and a pilot from my spares box.
.040 sheet styrene framed the triangular fuselage and made the wings. I put two seats in the cockpit but only one pilot. The cannon was carved from sprue as were
other small details.
The Gray stripe is again Testors while the top stripe and emblem
were painted Tamiya Red. (The emblem by the way is from either a city or
province in Germany and can be found as markings on Bf-109 fighter aircraft of Jg-26 from the second world war.)
The windshields are clear styrene sprayed with
Tamiya Clear Blue. The model was sprayed with a tone of
White/Brown that I mixed from Testors paints. It was then over-sprayed
with Light Brown to simulate the grime that a desert causes.
Weathering and details were various Blacks, Grays and Chrome Silver.
The large ring on the rear fuselage
surrounding the nozzle was made from sheet styrene, The smaller
Black rings were slices of of Q-tips...(spare parts are wherever you find 'em! )
Thus, my first scratch build!
I learned a lot, like make sure you use thick enough plastic...I didn't and ended up rebuilding the fuselage when the first buckled under my
fingers. Also, as soon as you get it finished...new info will come out to show you that many things on you newly crafted gem are wrong!!!
Build it anyway...
This
is the Griffin emblem on the sides of the T-16. The ILM model
makers made many of the Star Wars models from whatever model kit
pieces they could get their hands on and the markings were the
same. The marking on the Skyhopper was actually just a decal
from a German aircraft model kit.
