Star Wars 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon [WIP - Upper Laser Turret sans weathering]

When it came to completing the Millennium Falcon Upper Laser Turret, I had been procrastinating to a higher than usual level. Perhaps not dissimilar to the urges of an obsessive compulsive behavior, my need to paint the interior of a turret that's barely visible to the naked eye - something I wasn't too keen on in the first place - had caused me to repeatedly put off completing the turret. In the end what made me go ahead anyway was a self rationalizing compromise. What I'll do - I had convinced myself - was to paint the turret but to do so in a less detailed way. Just enough to see some indistinct details past the Quad Laser Cannon and through the Clear Viewport on the turret. 

Bandai Star Wars Millennium Falcon 1/144 scale Upper Laser Turret sans weathering

Unlike the turret on the Lower Hull which had Finn on the gunner's seat, the Upper Laser Turret's seat remained unoccupied. For The Force Awakens scene I had in mind for this Millennium Falcon project, the only other people in the ship was Rey and BB-8 and they were in the cockpit. Just to reiterate, the scene I'm trying to replicate is one in which the Falcon is in a free fall with its engines switched off in order to evade as well as target a pursuing First Order TIE Fighter.

Painted interior of the Millennium Falcon Upper Laser Turret

Unlike the Lower Laser Turret, the one on the Upper Hull doesn't have a gunner seated in it

Color scheme is based upon the Falcon interior as seen in Star Wars: A New Hope

In terms of color scheme, I used the only reference I had of the Upper Laser Turret interior i.e. the TIE Fighter Attack on the Millennium Falcon Scene in Star Wars: A New Hope. In the scene, Han Solo was operating the Laser Quad Cannon in the Upper Turret (see below) while Luke Skywalker operated the one in the Lower Turret. This was also the first time the turret interiors were being shown in the movie franchise, at least it was if my memory serves me correctly. And having decided not to spend too much time painting the interior as per my compromise, the end result isn't quite like-for-like (see above). But it's close enough that I could let go and move on with the project.   

Han Solo seated on the Upper Laser Turret in Star Wars: A New Hope

Another reason I procrastinated was the need to prime and paint sections of the clear part provided i.e. the turret viewport (see below, leftmost part). Rather than masking and airbrushing the part as I maybe should've done, I did it the old fashioned way namely by hand using a paint brush. The colored armor panels on the Upper Laser Turret are actually water decals. The chipped paint effect on the brownish red panel was a result of me scratching at the decal with a toothpick after it had dried. 

Upper Laser Turret parts (clockwise from left): Hull Armor Plating, Turret Interior, Viewport & Quad Laser Cannon

Millennium Falcon Upper Laser Turret plus interior just before the Quad Laser Cannon is attached

Upper Laser Turret will all the parts attached including the Quad Laser Cannon

Still missing from the Upper Laser Turret is any form of weathering effects. This I will do later together with the Upper Hull, Forward Mandibles, and Cockpit sections. And with that I would like to add another non-related quote from one of my all time favorite TV series Community ... "To me, religion is like Paul Rudd. I see the appeal, and I would never take it away from anyone, but I would also never stand in line for it," says Jeff Winger pseudo-leader of the show's lovable study group.

COVID-19 Lockdown Update: While the pandemic here in Malaysia is seeing consistent signs of a flattening curve and health/scientific experts predict the peak has passed, the feeling among the authorities and general populace alike is still one of caution. With that the lockdown has been extended for a third two-week period until 28 April 2020. The battle wages on ...