Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon [WIP - Sublight Drive Exhaust/Engines & Lower Hull Weathering]

Over four years ago, way back in January 2016 when this project first began, I didn't yet have enough experience with scale model kits and as a result lacked the necessary confidence to build a lighted version of the Millennium Falcon. When the project resumed late-2019 after stalling for three and a half years, I finally found the courage to try installing a stock LED lighting system into the Falcon. But because I had previously glued shut a lower hull panel allowing access to the lighting system's on/off switch as well as batteries, any hopes of building a Falcon with lighted engines were dashed.    

Millennium Falcon 1/144 scale work-in-progress: Sublight Drive Exhaust [Completed]

Instead, what you see here are Sublight Drive Exhaust and Engine parts meant for a version of the Millennium Falcon with its engines off and its landing struts deployed. Unfortunately, to further compound matters I inadvertently removed even this mode of display by having also glued shut all openings that the landing struts were supposed to slot into. A facepalm moment for sure. Luckily for me there was a scene in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in which Rey, while piloting the Falcon in an evasive maneuver, had switched off the engines and left the ship in a free fall. Who knows? Perhaps I had unconsciously noted this while absentmindedly gluing shut all those armor panels.   

Millennium Falcon Sublight Drive Engines (above) and Exhaust (below) come in separate pieces

Millennium Falcon Sublight Drive Exhaust are then attached over the Engine parts for added 3D depth

Both the Sublight Drive Engines and Exhaust actually came in two separately molded parts. Like the Side Hulls, Escape Pods and Exposed Innards before it, this allowed a level of three dimensional depth that raised the realism factor. Meanwhile, sans the complications of having to install LED lights meant that the painting and assembly of the Sublight Drive Engines/Exhaust was a straightforward and quick affair. This in turn freed up precious time for me to apply weathering effects on the surface of the Lower Hull, primarily desert dirt and sand stains of planet Jakku. 

Sublight Drive Engines and Exhaust arranged next the rear of the Millennium Falcon

Sublight Drive Engines and Exhaust attached together prior to being fitted to the Falcon's rear

Sublight Drive Engine and Exhaust fitted onto the rear of the Millennium Falcon

Closeup view of the Sublight Drive Exhaust at the rear section of the Millennium Falcon

Bandai 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon Sublight Drive Exhaust [Completed]

In terms of movie accuracy, my decision to weather the Lower Hull with desert sand effects makes sense seeing that the Millennium Falcon in The Force Awakens had taken flight in Jakku, a fictional desert planet in the Star Wars Universe. Although I was light-handed with the sand weathering of the Lower Hull, the overall effect imbued an ocherish tint on the surface that I'm wasn't too keen on. As a result, I intend to weather the Upper Hull differently i.e. with more traditional effects of soot, dirt and grime that adorned the iconic ship in the Original Trilogy movies.

Angled top view of the Lower Hull with the Side Hulls, Escape Pods, Nose Section and Sublight Drive Exhaust

Angled bottom view of the Lower Hull with the Side Hulls, Escape Pods, Nose Section and Sublight Drive Exhaust

Round pegs and holes on the Lower Hull are points where the Upper Hull will eventually attach to

Angled top view also shows the weathering effect applied onto the Lower Hull

As a matter of personal taste, I prefer a light-handed touch for weathering effects on the hull because the aforementioned surface area already looks so 'busy' with its many panel lines. Some modelers like to heavily weather both hull surfaces which tends to cover up not only the hull details but also the basecoat color. If this is your preference, all well and good, but I tend gravitate towads the minimalist end of the weathering spectrum. Even then, as you can see from the pictures above and below, the hull surface look extremely 'congested and busy' for want of a better description.

Millennium Falcon Lower Hull work-in-progress: Weathering to reflect atmospheric flight in the deserts of Jakku

Sand and dirt effects were carried out using Tamiya Weathering Master pastels

Weathering effects were reasonably subtle and care was taken to avoid over doing it

So now work moves on to the Millennium Falcon Upper Hull and complementary sections such as the Cockpit, Forward Mandibles, Exposed Innards, Radar Dish and Laser Turret. There is no stopping the momentum this project has garnered and I'm optimistic it'll be completed before end of May. In the coming weeks I also hope to put together a video of a figurine I had finished painting earlier (i.e. the Race Queen by atelier iT). But it's likely a post of her photos will come first as I come to grips with using Vegas Pro 15, a video editing software. And with that I'll end with a quote from Abed of the show Community as I reflect on the state of my hobby WIPs ... "Cool. Cool cool cool.