Cantwell Prototype X-Wing, with a new paint job

Colin Cantwell X-wing concept model

The Falcon that Almost Was.

A while ago I posted some renders of a proto-Falcon which featured the body of the Blockade Runner, the cockpit of the actual Millennium Falcon, and details adapted from McQuarrie Paintings.

Well recent I ran across some good photos of the actual studio filming model that almost was the Millennium Falcon. It featured most of the same details I mentioned, originally designed by Ralph McQuarrie, but had some differences. I had some spare moments, so I knocked together some details lifted from my other Falcon model, to get another look at the Falcon that Almost Was.

This is a rough draft, without many greebles, but you can get the idea. I've also included some shots of the real thing.

Here are some interior renders, based on Production Designer John Barry's sketch of this ship's interior.

Millennium Falcon: what might have been

The original designs of the Millennium Falcon was basically what we now know as the Rebel Blockade Runner, but with the current Falcon's cockpit for a nose. This version was slated to be Han Solo's ship for quite some time. The filming model was fully built, and blueprints exist for full scale shooting sets. But the flying saucer with mandibles we now know and love took its place. Below are some renders of what might have been, if that original version had made it into the final cut of the film.

T-16 Skyhopper

I spent some time this weekend perfecting a model of Luke's T-16 Skyhopper. One of my favorite ships throughout the world of Star Wars.



The ship shows up in the garage scene on Tatooine. Luke holds a model of it while complaining about his bleak future. Something it took me years to notice was that there was a full scale T-16 in the background of the very same scene.

I made the model using Sketchup's Photomatch tools, combining a number of photos of the original scale model made by Colin Cantwell. I've also been building in such a way that it will be 3D-print ready. Once complete, I may even sell some kits.

here an image of the actual model

and the scene where the ship shows up.

Classic Size Comparison Chart (Part 2)

As a follow up to Part 1, I've added a basic model of the Blockade Runner, based on Mike Marincic's excellent orthgraphic drawings. I've also used his scale for the Tantive, which puts the ship at about 495' long. As you can see, she's quite a bit bigger than the scale drawing originally indicated.

(click to enlarge)

I suspect that the scale of this drawing was based on the second iteration of the Blockade Runner, when it first transformed from being an early Millennium Falcon:

as you can see from the windows of the hammerhead section, the scale was quite a bit smaller than the final model eventually implied.

 And now, for fun, here are some renders of all the ships stacked up together, as they might be seen from an observer standing on the ground, taking in the scale in person... (Click any, to enlarge.)