Finally getting to build a Super Star Destroyer! This will be a 24″ long, lighted display model. The model will be accompanied by five Star Destroyers in scale. The display stand for the model will be something different from the usual-” up the middle of the model with a stick” display stand. ( If I can make what I have in mind work )

On a model this size, I start with a foam core board mock-up as a volume study model. The Star Destroyer models are shown in one of the images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to start cutting plastic!

The upper & lower hull halves have been assembled as separate parts. They will be kept as separate parts to allow the lighting components to be placed and serviced. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Establishing the engine sizes. There are two different sizes, 13 engines in total!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most important part of this build is the display stand. As stated above, don’t like the model-on-a-stick display, so I am going to create a mount that goes through the side of the model. I am using rectangular brass tubing and tubing with-in tubing, so I have good strength and room for wires.

It took about ten minutes to solder together the brass parts. Shown is the underside of the   upper hull with the support in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before all of the detailing can be finalized, all of the engines are positioned and made to be removable until they have their LED’s in place and then final assembled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of detailing to do!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The engine area is just about completed;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  Vengeance is the first SSD constructed after the loss of the Executor. Improvements were added to the ‘V’ such as additional gun emplacements and an expansive hangar bay. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom plate detailing is complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On to the dorsal side.

I opened some interior areas to allow for interior lighting and the location for the circuit boards One board for the engines, one for the city lights. Now I have to create removable sections so I can install and test everything. There are three in total. Once the lighting is in place and working, I can secure the sections permanently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of detailing will help hide the break between the different sections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was asked to make the main bridge larger than standard SD bridge. Everything on the Vengeance is bigger & better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More detailing and NEW bridge;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New bridge design, note the much larger shield generators:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detailing is complete on the cities. Working my way around the upper hull now with more details and tons of guns!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going for that ‘jagged city-scape’ look of the filming model;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guns & more guns………..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A huge gun battery on the ventral area, just behind the main engines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This area is removable to help with the placement of fiber optics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More guns and domes……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With this model, the primer will be the finish/base color as well.  

First, I need to add light-blocking material before I prime so that material can stick to the raw plastic. LEDs will be located in this area on the upper hull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little clean up and masking….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to the enormous amount of undercuts and tiny spaces in the detailing, I brushed on primer to work it into areas that the airbrush just won’t reach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using my old Paasche, double action airbrush, I applied Stynylrez primer. It goes on nice right from the bottle, with a little flow agent mixed in. Cannot tell where I brushed on the primer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All sections are primed and test-assembled. It turned out better than I had envisioned!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Started some detail painting….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adding the lighting is what brings any model to life. I started with the engines, so that most of those wires will be out of the way of the rest of the wiring and fiber optics that need to run throughout the rest of the model. Space is extremely tight inside the model.

I am using Madman Lighting’s “Big Ass Engine Effects FX” and a 24 white LED pack, along with their wall power supply kit. Tenacontrols has now purchased MML product line.

The engine lighting kit has a nice subtle pulsing effect. 

The effects board test;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wire wrapping & routing…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even more tedious are the many ‘city’ lights.  A quick test of the white LED board;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dozens of fibers to run and LED’s to place….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More testing..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to  mount this properly. I used store-bought wood bases to build the display stand. Test fitting the support rod went as planned and it is quite sturdy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found an etsy store that made the imperial insignia in vinyl in the size I needed. I painted the base in a semi-gloss black that matched the vinyl. The fit & match was perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a well-placed SD and a little paint, you will be hard-pressed to see the support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for surface deco. The filming model has a ton of finely drawn panel lines covering the upper & lower hulls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the filming model was approx. 9 feet long, that model shop could use fine pencils or mechanical pens to draw all of those lines. This model being only 2 feet long, using a pencil is not practical. To keep a thin & consistent line, I would have to sharpen it after every line drawn! I settled on a .005 mechanical pen for a nice dark and consistent line, the thinnest I could find.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The client requested separate switches for the engines and city lights.

I used some wiring connectors from a toy for a quick-connect set up and standard rocker switches. This has to be assembled by the client, so it has to be ready to go, nothing overly-complicated. I built a box out of styrene and a vertical tube that hide the wires from the model. A cover plate screws on to the box for a nice clean, protected look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to assemble the fleet! ( a Start Destroyer escort )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Model is completed and shipped to its final destination, the customer.