Back again with a new conversion I mentioned at the start of my centered cockpit YT-1300 custom that it was kind of a practise run before I took on the armored hull YT I found in the Haynes Millenium Falcon Owner's Workshop Manual:

This design which looks more like a Gozanti freighter from the side really caught my eye so I wanted to have a go at it, much like ZombieHedgehog's YT-1200 and Oota Goota this will involve scratchbuilding a whole new engine area and new prow.

Step one cutting off lots of Falcon. This time I used a razor saw instead of a knife since I value my thumb. Also assembling some tank barrels and wheels to use in the engine bay.

Filling in the holes and puttying up the joins.

sketching in panel lines before scribing

and scribed

Nice... its similar to the one I'm doing except no cockpit on the starboard side... cool.. I like it.

What do you use to scribe your panels...

Nice! Looks like its going to turn out slightly epic!

This is where I have to thank TRamsey's Gozanti scratchbuild thread for a bit of an idea on how to build the prow.

I started with the sides with precut out window areas then the glass glued in behind them.

Then i clearly forgot to take photos for an hour or so as I put a roof on the box and a front before building the bottom of the box in the same way. Waste not want not I glued on a bit of the original detail on the front.

Here it's starting to look like something as I have fun with my Tamiya scriber making lots of panel lines. Really can't recomend this gadget enough if you are going to work a bit with plastic card.

Wow, just wow. I thought your other custom was amazing.

It's really cool seeing a totally different looking custom YT-1300! Looking forward to seeing the progress with this ship.

Thanks for posting the link for the scriber, I think I'm going to have to pick up one myself.

I'll have to see if my local shop has one.. and I'm kicking myself for not buying that book when a copy was in my LGS... sigh...

I need to get working on mine.. lol... being a modeler and procrastinator are counter productive.. lol

And here I go nuts looking at the details on the Falcon instead of the farely sparce illustration in the book and start coverring the thing in gribbly detail.

Nicely done, sir.

Outstanding work... I see this and want to do the same.. or my best.. and then I stall.. lol... maybe this weekend I can get motivated... couple shots of whiskey and a big stogie and then roll up my sleeves and just get it done..

Next I put in a new floor at the back and put in some sides before making a new flat top for the engine deck. Again lots of scribing and a radiator made from layered plasticard.

For the new engines I started blutacing some barrels and wheels and bits with some vernier parts attached. I kept adjusting the arrangement of the engines until inspiration hit me for filling in what to build my engines onto.

LEGO! or to be precise some Megabloks left over bricks which I didn't mind putting glue on, don't think I could bring myself to deface real LEGO

Doing the engine area took most of a day. I again went nuts with the gribblies adding pipes, and details inside the bulkheads around the engines.

Wow, that's really amazing work!

If only you could have used lights in those engines.. I want to do that, but might not be able too.. need to find scraps to build the engine parts..

Obviously my initial version of the rear deck matched the illustration but I couldn't leave alone and again looking at the engine deck detail of the normal Falcon decided to try and match the detail level again.

Doing this was done over a couple days before and after the engines were arranged. I just made it more and more complicated. Just the edge has 4 layers

The underside which is kinda visible got the ribs.

If only you could have used lights in those engines.. I want to do that, but might not be able too.. need to find scraps to build the engine parts..

Ooh hadn't even thought of trying to light it.. bit too late I'm afraid. I think it would be quite possible but you'd need to build around the LEDs. Not really possible after the fact.

And all assembled, well with the engine deck taped on anyway since I'll have to paint it's underside and the engines before glueing it down.

Insane. Absolutely insane, crazy-good work. Can't wait to see more progress!

Oh and next to my other 2 Falcons

Now the big question is how to paint it.

That is amazing. Your attention to detail is wonderful.

Oh my god.

This is amazing.

Thank you for sharing. Excellent workmanship.

And here I go nuts looking at the details on the Falcon instead of the farely sparce illustration in the book and start coverring the thing in gribbly detail.

this has to be some of the finest detail work, very nice, thank you.

I feel inspired to finish work on Foxcatch.

Thank you for all the positive comments now I have to decide how to paint her. I'm leaning towards making her look like Ebon Hawk from KOTOR I always liked that ship.

You're just a crazy man!

I'm jealous.

That's all kinds of awesome! Wish there was an area off the FFG forums that was just for cutomiziers.

Brilliant stuff, I have the Haynes guide to the Death Star, but seeing this I really need me to get the YT 1300 issue as well!