Action Figure Customs Blog

Vintage Scum has a very cool twist on one of my favorite Star Wars vehicles with his Custom Star Wars Imperial Tie Fighter. One of the aspects I really like about this custom is the wing design. The wing have an aerodynamic flair to them with the flat pieces in the middle of craft. The cockpit is very different as it protrudes from the front but it still retains the classic imperial look and feel of all of the classic Star Wars vehicles. This is why I made this website! It is talented customizers that keep their imagination flowing, which keeps me writing and writing. Let's hear how Vintage Scum describes this one of a kind vehicle:

"Here we have a custom tie fighter for the 3 3/4 scale. The tie fighter has been painted and weathered to give it a "battle worn" look. Acrylic model paints were used with a finishing dull coat. The entry/exit hatch is one piece. The custom tie pilot is also included. He is articulate only at the neck, shoulders, waist and upper thighs (again made from figs of the potf2 line). His blastech e-11 is included but not shown in the pix. The 4 round torpedo magazine below the canopy can be removed if desired. The flaps on the magazine open and close. The stand is also included. The tie is built pretty sturdy and may be handled just be careful if you place the pilots hands on the steering mechanism."

Bid on Vintage Scum's Custom Star Wars Imperial Tie Fighter today and add this vehicle to you Empire!

Labels: Custom Star Wars, Custom Star Wars Vehicles, Star Wars, Tie Fighter, vintage_scum

rik_biel knows what Star Wars fans want! He has taken one of the most anticipated vehicles and made it not only movie accurate, he has created a metal finish that would rival some automobile finishes. What I really like about his Custom AT AP is the realistic metal finish and the carbon scoring on the vehicle makes it look it has just come back from battle. He explains how he created this great custom:

The first step in transforming this vehicle was to separate all of the pieces and take apart the centre pod console. I then individually spray painted each part carefully with a more authentic looking gray color. Once this had dried, I then carefully painted the instrumentation buttons and switches and added seat detailing as well (see the close up pictures). Next I then assembled all of the pieces and applied the model detailing and weathering techniques to get dark paint in all of the grooves (a "wash") and to then highlight all of the edges and add realistic weathering ("dry brushing"). These two techniques combine to give "scale" and realism to the model and really bring out the detail in Hasbro's sculpt. I then used special model-making masking tape to get the straight lines on the green and red unit type markings, the dark gray stripes on the legs and the circular red and white "Republic" insignia. A light dry brushing of brown on the "feet" to simulate dirtiness and the painting was then finished. The next step was to apply some "battle damage" - this is an area where it is very easy to go too far and lose realism. Using a special technique that I discovered only two weeks ago, I applied several "scorch" marks around the vehicle to simulate blackened blaster burn marks. The key to maintaining a realistic look is to not apply too much weathering on a small scale vehicle. Moderation and restraint were exercised here to give the appearance that the vehicle has seen battle, but has not been too badly damaged. You want something that looks like it is still "in service and potent." Once I was happy the painting and weathering were complete, I then gave the vehicle a generous coat of protective "dull cote" lacquer to ensure that it could be handled normally with the paint and effects still being protected. And there you have it! Look closely at the pictures - this AT-AP vehicle looks as close to "real" as you can get! It has also retained all functionality, including full movement of all legs (see 3-legged picture) and moving of all guns.

These are becoming scarce in stores but you can own this awesome custom by heading over to eBay and bidding on this Custom Star Wars AT AP All Terrain Attack Pod.

Labels: AT AP, AT AP All Terrain Attack Pod, Custom Star Wars, Custom Star Wars Vehicles

The introduction of the Republic Gunships to Hasbro's lineup of vehicles was a welcome addition! The first time I saw one of these bad boys was on the silver screen and Attack of the Clones finally lived up to its name as thousands of Clones decended onto Geonosis to battle the Separatist forces and rescue the Jedi. The databank over at starwars.com succintly lays out the details of these massive ships:

"Rugged, combat-equipped repulsorcraft, Republic attack gunships rained down blistering barrages of laser and rocket retribution against the droid forces of the Separatists. Each winged gunship was covered in weapons, offering air-to-ground and air-to-air support as well as serving as an infantry transport.

The front of the gunship features hunchback-style cockpit bubbles, wherein the gunship pilot and copilot / gunner sit in single file. Chin-mounted on the craft are a pair of laser cannon turrets. On the gunship's dorsal surface are its primary armaments, two massive rocket launchers fed by a rear-mounted missile belts. The vessel's splayed wings have a pair of automated bubble-turrets, with composite-beam laser weaponry. A second pair of bubble-turret cannons extends on articulated arms from the troop cabin, and are gunner-operated by clone troopers encased within the armored spheres. Air-to-air rockets are slung on the ventral surface of each wing. Rounding out the gunship's armaments is a single tail-cannon that provides covering fire for troops and small vehicles leaving the gunship. ." - source: starwars.com

As far as the toy representation that Hasbro produced to compliment the toy line for Attack of the Clones, the gunships suffered from one serious flaw - missing bubble turrets. As described above, the cockpit turrets (as seen in the movie representation below) sported these massive turrets, very reminiscent of the B-17 bubble turrets on the under bellies of the bombers in World War 2.

The eBay seller, vader9900, created a simple fix for Hasbro's oversight and lack of attention to detail. He created custom bubble turrets for the gunships (as seen below):



A very nice addition to the Gunship and fans of these vehicles had an opportunity to bid on one of these customs in an eBay auction that ended September 9th. Vader9900's creation nabbed him $204 on eBay! Nicely done! If you are impressed with his work, you can find links to other custom star wars figures and vehicles that are being sold on eBay.

Labels: Custom Lego Star Wars, Custom Star Wars, Custom Star Wars Vehicles, Republic Gunship