Y-Wing Violet Squadron - Bandai 1/72

Some PE parts from the Greenstrawberry set represent the center and side consoles. They will be back-lighted with LEDs to show off the cockpit. In the movie you'll see a bunch of very prominent hoses running through the cockpit. They are not included in the kit so I'll try to make them from an old guitar string. 

A first light test for the center console. You can also already see two LEDs in front of the cockpit hub. These will later go to the sides and light up the left and right side consoles. 

The back wall of the cockpit has no clear part so this was added from some clear plastic sheet that comes with the Greenstrawberry set. I had also purchased their pre-cut masks which helped a lot to prepare the canopy parts from the outside as well as from the inside for the paint job. After that some PE detail was added with a home made pick-and-place tool: a toothpick and some UHU patafix. 

I deviated from the instructions and mounted the fuselage to the cockpit already now. The reason is the wiring that runs through the fuselage. The cockpit tub was painted black to avoid any light leakage. 

 

The lights are still working - now the left and right consoles are lit, too. 

The engines pods are another focal point of the PE set. 

All main components have been primed with Vallejo Model Air 71097 "Gray Primer". Some spots, especially on any edges in the direction of flight are dabbed with Rvell Color Stop which will be peeled off once the light grey base color has been sprayed on. The latter is a 50/50 mix of Lifecolor Light Gull Grey anf Vallejo White. I love those drop bottle spare jars to store self-mixed shades. Mine come from MiG. The one-piece canopy is only there to protect the cockpit from overspray. The finished model will sport the opened canopy option. 

The main paint job is done. The violet is Vallejo Model Color 70.960. Here and there you see the chipping effects where I removed the Revell Color Stop and the gray primer shows through. 

All the main parts have been weathered with different oil washes. First a home-brewed grey wash over all surfaces, followed by two further shades in the form of "oilbrushers". This time only applied on selected areas and structures. 

Some more weathering was applied to the engine pods. Of course, being part of a sci-fi spaceship it's clear that these are not jet engines in the common way. Still, the weathering was applied in a similar fashion as one would perhaps weather an earthly fighter jet's engine. Doesn't look wrong to me... 

Just when you think all the big parts are more or less done you come to realize that it's far from over - the kit comes with a multitude of pipes and hoses that need to be painted, weathered and connected with the fuselage. I decided to work in three shifts. Otherwise it would probably have ended in chaos - if I had removed all small parts at once from the sprues.
Here the first batch of pipes is already in place and the second batch awaits installing. 

Some more pipes have been added, as well as one of the engine pods. The other engine will be displayed with the round front cover removed. Therefore some more detail painting needs to be done to show off the engine's interior detail. You can see it in the background, already masked for a first airbrush job. 

Almost there - the yellow ladder and work platform come from the Green Strawberry PE-set and will later be part of my brother's diorama. The only thing still missing are - some more hoses. This time inside the cockpit and not included in the kit. A small diameter guitar string will be used for them. 

Here there are - cockpit hoses made out of a guitar string. Now let's close the cockpit up again. 

The canopy is back on - and the lights are still working! 

And a few more shots of the finished Y-Wing. 

 

 

 

You can see one of the cables for the cockpit lights.