Star Wars Snowspeeder [WIP - Power/Repulsor/Laser Systems & Airbrake Flaps]

Filling up the snowspeeder's upper hull involved assembling and painting two large units, each of which contains the power coupling/convertor, laser activator, air intake, repulsor and air brake flap. They are basically the second most focused-on eye candy apart from the pilots inside the cockpit. As such it's well worth it to put in the necessary hours to make them look as good as possible. At this stage their paint job is more or less complete with weathering as the only step yet to be done.

Bandai Snowspeeder work-in-progress: Power/Repulsor/Laser System and Air Brake units

Assembly was easy and straightforward with each unit having options to deploy the air brake flaps as well as have certain sections showing its innards. I chose to have the left air brake flap deployed and all other sections completely covered up. Both choices relate to how Wedge's snowspeeder looked inflight during the Battle of Hoth, specifically when it was banking upwards from dive and turning leftwards at the same time. This will require both air brakes on the lower hull to be deployed as well (please refer to the two separate unattached pieces on the lower left quadrant of the last photo).

Assembly of the right unit together with an undeployed version of the main air brakes

Assembly of the left unit together with a deployed version of the main air brakes

One key weakness of Bandai's plastic (used to mould the parts) is that it's susceptible to cracking when exposed to white spirit or enamel thinners in general. I've had many parts break into two after being weakened to the point of brittleness by overexposure to thinners. In fact the smaller trapezium-shaped section on the left unit broke off and had to be reattached with the help of some glue. When this happened I was too busy cursing and swearing to take any photos of the damaged stage. 

Similar to the hull, the whole unit/piece was treated with an enamel-based panel liner ...

... and the excess liner was cleaned up with enamel thinner

Chipped orange stripes put the not quite finishing touch to the pieces. There is still some weathering streaks as well as decals to add before these can really be called one. But those steps will only be carried out once the snowspeeder has been fully assembled. Also missing from these two large units are the laser barrels, which I had inexcusably forgotten about. So that needs doing too.

All painted up and ready to be attached to the snowspeeder's upper hull

Before the snowspeeder is fully assembled and given its decals plus weathering streaks, it will undergo its second dry fitting session. Here, everything except the laser barrels, deployed air brake flaps and canopy will be attached to the main hull. It is essentially the last opened-cockpit look at the vehicle before the final photos are shown. So the end is near and the snowspeeder that took down a AT-AT walker during the Battle of Hoth will soon have its day in the sun ... or is that snow?