U-Wing

[JediPatrick]

Okay, managed to put a few hours of painting work on my U-Wing tonight...

A first coat of paint for the engines and engine rear block. Tomorrow, I'll start working on the white for the haul.

Global view:



Engines paint job:



Interior paint job (mostly the seats):

 

[JediPatrick]

Sorry, here's the global view of the ship:

 

[Julythrunov]

Absolutely beautiful

 

[Trooper31]

Nicely done. Too bad Hasbro couldn't have done all of this in the first place.

 

[Sturm86]

It looks amazing!

 

[RogueKnite]

I'm not sure if anyone has posted it yet, but GameStop is selling these for $16.

 

[War_in_The_floor]

Online deal?

Anyone else bought extra nerf darts for these or the Striker? My boys and I are actually starting to play with that feature a lot, it actually hits pretty hard, is decently accurate and will knock over figures even on stands and some small vehicles like ATRTs. I was just wondering what the best bang for the buck is buying extras and which color or style would work best. I actually saw some Death trooper branded Star Wars darts the other day and considered those. but buying nerf darts is like buying printer cartridges ort real ammo these days, there's a whole aisle practically and I don't even know from the differences

 

[soulydyes]

I'm not sure if anyone has posted it yet, but GameStop is selling these for $16.

Thank you for the post : )

 

[bladerunner1]

I'm not sure if anyone has posted it yet, but GameStop is selling these for $16.

Went and grabbed one after work. Thanks

 

[jrice73]

Absolutely amaze-o-***** awesome! If only Hasbro could have given us an U-Wing in this scale instead of that overpriced AT-ACT atrocity.

 

[Whills_Scholar]

Star Wars: Rebels -- U-Wings will appear next season

The trailer for the 4th (and final) season of Rebels shows U-Wings! This makes me personally happy since this extends SW fan interest in the ship (and also perhaps for my build-it-yourself plans/kit for a 1:18 scale U-Wing playset :awesome. This probably explains why Hasbro appears to be keeping their U-Wing on the shelves for their next 3.75" figure wave releases.

Here are screen grabs with my observations:

The paint details (hard to tell as the ship flies by too fast to capture) suggest this is not Cassian's.

These three shots of what appear to be the same ship are interesting: The top two engines are missing, and I think maybe the two swing wings have also been removed. So why is this? Perhaps this is a plot point -- the heroes take a U-Wing and remove its top engines and wings in order to improve its speed and maneuverability? But I am absolutely certain this is a U-Wing that's been "gimped" and not a variant ship design... having closely studied and stared at the ship for so long to make my 1:18 vehicle playset, I am confident in declaring this.

 

[Machew_Man]

The trailer for the 4th (and final) season of Rebels shows U-Wings! This makes me personally happy since this extends SW fan interest in the ship (and also perhaps for my build-it-yourself plans/kit for a 1:18 scale U-Wing playset :awesome. This probably explains why Hasbro appears to be keeping their U-Wing on the shelves for their next 3.75" figure wave releases.

Here are screen grabs with my observations:

The paint details (hard to tell as the ship flies by too fast to capture) suggest this is not Cassian's.

These three shots of what appear to be the same ship are interesting: The top two engines are missing, and I think maybe the two swing wings have also been removed. So why is this? Perhaps this is a plot point -- the heroes take a U-Wing and remove its top engines and wings in order to improve its speed and maneuverability? But I am absolutely certain this is a U-Wing that's been "gimped" and not a variant ship design... having closely studied and stared at the ship for so long to make my 1:18 vehicle playset, I am confident in declaring this.

Filoni said that Saw and Edrio have a u-wing and judging by their janky/modified xwings in Rogue One, perhaps this is a similar situation. The partisans take what they can get ship wise or modify for reasons we don't know yet

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset kit -- UPDATE 2

“The devil is in the details” comes to mind. As I planned to prep my U-Wing for painting, I noticed some more detailing and a fix to its design were needed. Maybe I should not risk stating this, but I do not anticipate another update will be needed -- at this point, all I see that I need to do is paint.

The major highlights of this second update: detailing the rims of the engines; applying moulding pieces running around the troop hold and bottom cockpit windows; and slightly redoing the cannon housing front.

Templates for the engine rim details and moulding are in the folder UPDATE 2:
www.mediafire.com/?todzssgzqyqy48u/

 

[Whills_Scholar]

Other news: I may design and release separate plans to finish out the inside of the U-Wing, maybe this summer if I have the time. This is because I am inspired by two YouTube users: hoppycreations and Scruffy Looking Workshop. Both built U-Wings that have interior pieces. (hoppycreations is for 3.75” figures but his may be a little smaller than 1:18 scale -- I think it could be about 1:20. Scruffy designed his for 6”, but the proportions of his U-Wing’s sections are not in scale to this figure size.) After studying their videos carefully, I believe it could be fairly easy (famous last words) to make these main elements:

1. The interior backplate with the circular power reactor (I envision that we could use the bottom of a large, plastic juice bottle for this).

2. The removable, 6-seater bench.

3. The two archway pieces that separate the cockpit and troop hold sections.

4. And, of course, two separate pilot seats. (The single cockpit seat in my current design has always been meant to be a placeholder.)

If my U-Wing vehicle playset could be considered a dollhouse (which it essentially is), then these four things would be furniture. So that’s why I plan to release the plans for these as a separate download kit, and not an “update” to the main build.

The interior of hoppycreations’ U-Wing:

The interior of Scruffy’s U-Wing:

In my next post, I highlight the U-Wings built by hoppycreations and Scruffy.

 

[Whills_Scholar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9eKcDDjnBM

To be completely honest with you guys, had I known hoppycreations was building a U-Wing for 3.75” figures, I’m not sure I would have continued with mine! This guy is a Jedi MASTER cardboard modeler. Check out his other videos -- he built SEVERAL vehicles from the Prequels and Clone Wars for 3.75” figures. He built a remote control Rogue One Imperial Hover Tank for 3.75” figures that I was aware of before I knew he was working on his own U-Wing. It’s awesome.

Studying his U-Wing motivated me to redo the front grille of the cannon housing of my design to look more like the original U-Wing design.

The more I studied the videos of his U-Wing (honestly, with a mix of jealousy and intent to borrow/steal elements to put into my build-it-yourself kit, lol), the more I saw differences in each of our designs and intent. I believe his is closer to 1:20 scale. (I reached out to him to ask about the specs of his. But I haven’t heard from him.) I think his may be smaller and its length shorter than 55 inches, because of the tight fit of the two figures in the cockpit, and how large his hands look relative to the cockpit and wings when he moves these things. 1:20 scale is still big enough for 3.75” figures, of course.

I am most impressed with the engines, the interior components, and -- especially -- the sliding doors. He made his engine housings from scratch. I cheated using salt containers and plastic cups, but I also wanted to make things easier for someone else to make my design. The ends of his engines look like the actual U-Wing design, and his craftsmanship of them is beautiful.

His U-Wing uses thick paperboard (cardboard that has no corrugation/flutes), the kind used for building architectural and professional models. Mine is mostly made from garbage -- discarded Amazon and snack boxes, lol. But again my intent was to design a kit that would encourage an amateur to try building it using everyday materials. I notice that his U-Wing appears to use thin sheets of wood in the back part, probably to brace the engines and wings in place securely. I considered using a stronger material but decided to avoid any material that is expensive and harder to cut so as to keep my kit simple and cheap for amateur builders.

I wanted to ask him about the weight of his wings -- how he dealt with keeping them straight vs. being too heavy. In the video, when he swings back the wings, his U-Wing tilts back. (I rectified this same issue with mine by putting fishing line weights inside the cannon housing to counter-balance.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5zn0gPT2hs

Now the one element of his I am MOST jealous of: I have been repeatedly watching the video of him sliding open and closing the doors. They are amazing. When he closes them, they make a satisfying “thunk” sound. Wow. His design work for the doors is jaw-dropping to me.

Because of his doors, I am playing around with improving the door design of mine. My idea is to not replace the current doors or sides of the troop hold, but to devise “aftermarket mod” pieces that you would cut out from cardboard and glue to the interior sides of the troop hold, and to the outside of the doors to achieve a look and more secure sliding that is (hopefully) similar to his. (If I do this, I’ll add these templates and instructions to a separate kit, which would include templates for other interior pieces.)

Poppycreations has not released plans for his U-Wing. (Apparently, he hasn’t released plans for any of his Star Wars vehicles; he may not have any. His model making method could be scratch-building without documenting his process.) His U-Wing could be a little smaller than 1:18 scale, and it looks like a very well built model. My design (based on another’s papercraft model plans, which I’ve admitted and credit him for) is meant to be a kit for amateurs that uses everyday materials, is purposely meant to look toy-ish clean (like one of those giant G.I. Joe battleship playsets from the 80’s), and is at 1:18 scale. His is one-of-a-kind, and mine is meant for anyone to download the plans for and make themselves.

So our individual intents are different and unique. But I am very much inspired by his, and thank him for indirectly motivating me to keep updating mine. I will give him credit for the possible secondary, accessory kit I have in mind to create, because it will probably contain designs (interior pieces and upgrades to the doors) that I’ve “borrowed” from his!

 

[Whills_Scholar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rugOI8zwaI

Scruffy’s U-Wing is for 6” figures. You can tell it’s obviously not to scale to this figure size. Its wings and engines are smaller than this scale. In fact, the wings and engines look to me like they could be closer to 1:18 scale, and have been attached to a much larger main body. Which is kind of weird looking once you notice this.

But I find his still very impressive, and I have been studying it closely, too. First, because he made his from plastic/styrene sheets, a material I’m not familiar with using. (I have wondered how difficult it would be to use the templates for my U-Wing kit and cut plastic sheets from them.) It’s an expensive material, so I imagine his U-Wing cost quite a lot to make.

There’s a lot of space inside for the 6” figures. I’m studying the designs of the inside components he created, particularly his take on the cockpit seats and archway. Like the way poppycreations kitted out his U-Wing’s interior, his work in this aspect impresses me and is also motivating me to consider designing and releasing these things in kit form to the public for my U-Wing kit, basing them on his designs.

Like poppycreations, Scruffy hasn’t released plans for his U-Wing (as far as I’m aware). His video shows a time lapse of him building it, but I didn’t notice any templates. He appears to have measured things out from blueprints on a tablet. He is of course another master builder. I enjoyed this time lapse because it brought back memories of my own struggles with design and construction. (“Yeah I remember designing that section -- what a pain in the *** that was to figure how to get right!”)

In his two videos of his U-Wing, the ship doesn’t have side doors, but he did make the doors themselves. I wonder how they will work on his U-Wing. I also wonder how sturdy his U-Wing’s wings are. They look like they may not be rigid enough when swung back.

Look at the details of this flight control!

Scruffy has also built other vehicles for 6” figures, and you should check out the videos for them. Especially his take on the Imperial Hover Tank from Rogue One. He made it out of plastic sheets and foam board, and the result looks like a commercially made product.

 

[DonWanKihotay]

Thanks for sharing ^
The talent shown there, and throughout this thread is tremendous, and inspiring!

Here is a vid of Doug Chiang traceing the design history evolution of the U-wing. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGyOenuNmIw

 

[DonWanKihotay]

Edit:

Doug Chiang traceing the design history evolution of the U-wing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGyOenuNmIw

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset -- tools used to make it

A good question I’ve been asked is what tools did I use to make this U-Wing. And here they are -- not pictured are super glue and toilet paper.

Just as I wanted to keep the materials that the U-Wing is made of simple, cheap, and easily acquired (shipping boxes, food packages, etc.), this philosophy extended to the tools. There is nothing expensive, hard to find, or “exotic” about these tools.

The Sharpie marker was used to quickly trace the template patterns onto cardboard sheets. The red pen was used to mark off measurements.

Masking tape was mainly used to temporarily hold pieces together until they were glued. The tape would be carefully pulled off before pieces were glued together.

As for the glue, believe it or not, it’s just cheap school glue. I suppose a hot glue gun could be used, but I avoided using this, because hot glue tends to dry too quick for me to handle cardboard pieces, positioning them correctly before the glue dries. School glue is designed for paper, and that’s what cardboard is -- two thick paper sheets that sandwich a corrugated (fluted) sheet between them.

The coffee stirrer was used to spread the glue thinly across the cardboard, wipe off excess glue, or jab glue into tight spots. Toilet paper was used to wipe away excessive amounts of glue and also spread it.

The only other kind of glue I used was super glue. You should use this when gluing together the plastic cups that make up the engines, and when gluing plastic detailing pieces onto these cups. Don’t use super glue on the cardboard or paperboard. Super glue doesn’t work as well on paper and damages this material.

The glue stick is for applying the decal sheets onto the cardboard.

The white masking tape was used on various parts of the U-Wing to cover the ends of the cardboard and other detailing. I didn’t cover all exposed ends. This is mainly an aesthetic choice. (You can find white masking tape in the arts & crafts section of Walmart.)

The black electrical tape was used for the cannon guns.

A cutting tip: Cut your cardboard against two large-sized sheets of scrap cardboard. Even if you are working on a cutting board table that has a surface that can withstand cuts, you will get cleaner, straighter cuts if you cut against two layers of cardboard. This also helps to keep the blade of the utility knife sharp, since it won’t get worn out faster running against the harder surface of the tabletop.

 

[soulydyes]

Gamestop is offering free shipping on the U-Wing ($15) and Tie Striker ($14) when ordered from the store : )

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset -- how to start building it

Another question I’ve been asked: if you’re not familiar with model building with cardboard, how should you start trying to build this U-Wing?

My recommendation is to start with building the cannon housing. It’s a small component and not too difficult to build, but is also one of the most important since it “anchors” the look and underlying front structure of the ship. Focus on getting it right, and you will be well on your way.

Next, build the top cockpit. Focus on getting this part right. You’ll need to use the xacto blade to carefully cut out the windows, and this should encourage you to hone your cutting skills.

Next, build the top section. It’s just 5 main pieces (without the detailing).

Next, cut out and assemble the wings.

Once you have the above 4 components built correctly, this should motivate you to continue because when you arrange these parts on a table or the floor, you will see that it’s already looking like the U-Wing. You’ll have the top section of the ship, which should give you a boost and sense of accomplishment.

The troop hold can be difficult to put together and align correctly. I suggest building it upside-down. Temporarily tape the sides of the troop hold to the bottom plate/floor of the troop hold, then tape the sides onto the large core plate. Take the three sections of the back: temporarily tape the largest bottom piece (which would be the top piece, right-side-up) to the troop hold sides, and adjust to make sure the sides and bottom are properly aligned. Then take the smallest, top piece (which would be the bottom piece, right-side-up), and temporarily tape it to the troop hold sides, adjusting to maintain proper alignment. You fit in the middle piece last.

It is important, of course, to ensure that the troop hold’s sides and bottom are in correct alignment. Otherwise, the ship’s bottom section will be lopsided, and this will also throw off the three triangle pieces that make the lower cockpit windows, the moulding pieces that join the troop hold and lower cockpit windows, and mess up the sliding of the doors.

 

[Sith_Dreamer]

Was out of town today, and found the U-wing for $20. Didn't have it yet, so I finally picked it up. I'll echo pretty much all the sentiments that it's undersized, and doesn't need the Nerf feature.

However, I like it in the same way I like the old Sith Infiltrator. This isn't as flimsy on the plastic on the TFA X-Wing's were, and in terms of design, it looks mostly like the ship from the film. It's got one or two features I'm not big on, like the Infiltrator, but it's still fun to mess around with.

 

[JediPatrick]

To be completely honest with you guys, had I known hoppycreations was building a U-Wing for 3.75” figures, I’m not sure I would have continued with mine! This guy is a Jedi MASTER cardboard modeler.

I couldn't disagree more with you. You're way too humble. Your design is awesome and is very inspirational. In fact, have you not done this model and shared your templates, I wouldn't have tried it. The time you took to actually make all the model templates fit is impressive. It's really more than 80% of the work just there. Really, it's a true masterpiece.

Poppycreations has not released plans for his U-Wing. (Apparently, he hasn’t released plans for any of his Star Wars vehicles; he may not have any. His model making method could be scratch-building without documenting his process.)

I have the same problem. I usually don't keep plans and templates of what I do, except the core parts. The detailing is mostly done on the spot without keeping any templates. I usually go with the flow...

Here are my last progress, and I must say it's 99% done at the point. Putting more energy and time into it would be insane and obsessive, as no one will ever see the interior design unless I open it on my shelves, which is not what I intend to do. It will either be suspended on the ceiling or displayed on a shelf in a Rebel Base (which shelf? Arghhh! No room in my Star Wars Bunker!!)

 

[indysolo007]

Wow...just wow!

 

[Julythrunov]

My hero. Job well done. You put hasbro to shame.

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset -- accessory pack preview

Here's a preview of the upcoming Accessory Pack I'm currently designing. It will have templates and instructions for interior items -- which will include better pilot seats, the troop bench, and these you see here: the archways and power generator back wall.

This Accessory Pack (which will be a separate download package) will also include templates to upgrade the look of the side doors.

You won't need to cut new doors -- just cut out and glue on this additional piece!


There will also be three new pieces you glue to the sides of the lower half of the U-Wing that will make these upgraded doors flush with the sides of the troop hold... and improve their sliding.

 

[atomics20]

Check out the weathering I did to my Rogue One U-Wing.

 

[DarkArtist]

picked up one last night at my local Walmart for $19.97. going to try and customize it and weather it.

 

[rgeezzy]

Check out the weathering I did to my Rogue One U-Wing.

makes all the difference in the world, very nice

 

[Whills_Scholar]

Accessory Kit for U-wing 1:18 vehicle playset kit -- current status

The Accessory Kit will be ready for free download before July 1! I plan to include some old-school, Kenner-style decals, too.

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset -- accessory pack bonus

Here's a bonus item that will be in the Accessory Pack: templates and instructions for building this rotating gun mount. You'll be able to put this inside the U-wing's troop hold, aiming it out one of the side doors. I'm trying to design it so that most of the missile launcher accessories that come with the Rogue One figures can fit on it.


I deliberately designed this to be a toy-ish, asking hypothetically, if Hasbro made a U-wing at 1:18 scale, what play elements might they include in it? Now you can put those action figure missile accessories to good use!

 

[Whills_Scholar]

Another piece that is planned for the U-wing 1:18 scale Accessory Pack:

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset -- accessory pack -- pilot seats & control panel

The pilot seats and control panel glued together. (The left seat is set back a little for K2.)

Current status of the Accessory Pack -- I'm well ahead of schedule! Just working on the decals*, and taking instruction photos for the guide.


* -- Blank decal templates will be included to invite anyone who has better art skillz than me to design their own decals for the interior. My limited drawing skills only allow me to create Kenner old-school style art.

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset -- Accessory Pack final sneak

One more sneak before I release the Pack later this month (only have to work on the decals now). Before and after the interior is filled out:

 

[Whills_Scholar]

Accessory Pack for 1:18 Scale U-Wing (build-it-yourself kit) RELEASED

I’m proud to announce the release of the Accessory Pack today!

This ZIP package contains plans and photo guides for building things that go inside the 1:18 Scale U-Wing, turning it into a true playset for the 3.75” figures. This includes the pilot seats, troop bench, and other interior elements of the U-Wing as you see in the movie.

Download it now:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/v90cence644d3y1/U-wing_1-18_scale_accessory_pack.zip

The Accessory Pack also includes templates for pieces that improve the look and function of the side doors...

BONUS: you'll find plans in the pack for a rotating gun turret that can be used with the missile launchers that come with many of the Rogue One action figures...

And this Accessory Pack even includes these decals below. (I designed them in old-school Kenner style.) After you've built and painted these interior components, just print these two sheets​ in color on 8.5 x 11", cut the decals out, and stick them on with glue stick or spray-on glue. (Two of these decals have an Easter Egg -- can you spot it?)

You can see more images, and follow photo updates that I put online here:

http://imgur.com/a/P8OP2


Happy building... and may the Force be with us!

 

[Whills_Scholar]

TIP FOR DIORAMA BUILDERS: the components in this Accessory Pack can be used as a display set for your figures.

To build a diorama that is more true to the internal set of the U-Wing as you see in the movie*:

1) Don’t add the front-most piece to the power reactor wall. (This is the sheet of cardboard that has the two handles made with toothpicks). Build another archway (like the one that’s placed behind the cockpit). Put this second archway up against the front of the power reactor wall.

2) The depth of the circle of the power reactor wall measures 0.5 cm. Increase this depth to 1.0 cm.

3) Extend the length of each interior wall mod plate, so that there’s more wall space to fit an additional wall chair (the non-functional square piece) toward the back of the ship. So on each wall mod plate, there will then be two wall chairs, framing both sides of the side doorway.

4) Using the templates from the 1:18 scale U-Wing build-it-yourself kit, assemble the lower half of the troop hold, the bottom cockpit, and side doors. (Remove the starboard or port side of these three pieces if you want to display only one side of the interior set.)

(* -- The interior set of the U-Wing is physically longer than what can realistically fit inside the ship, based on its exterior design, as you see in the movie. I’ll explain this discrepancy, which happens all the time in movies/TV series, between the outside and inside of he U-Wing’s design, and the compromises I made for this, in a follow-up post later this week.)

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset -- paint preview

I've been painting the entire playset inside and out. Here is a quickly snapped sneak preview of the interior components fully painted and with the decals glued onto them.

After the painting is done, I'll put online a whole bunch of new photos of the completed ship. I'm also hoping to get a Bodhi figure for the shoot -- you can't break up the team!

At the same time, I'll also post a brief guide that will explain how to properly prep and paint cardboard/paperboard models.

"She has a gun."

"Hand it over."

"We're going to a war zone!"

 

[Bantha5]

Cool build, do I dare try to build one of my own?

 

[Whills_Scholar]

Paint guide for U-Wing 1:18 scale vehicle playset kit

PDF version of this paint guide:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/bcoq2p5o28z51l5/U-wing_1-18_scale_paint_guide.pdf

This guide can also apply to prepping and painting any cardboard model properly.


General rules for painting cardboard and paperboard models:

1. Brush GESSO over the cardboard and paperboard pieces and sections to be painted. Use art paintbrushes to apply the gesso. DO NOT use foam brushes.

2. Apply the gesso in thin strokes. You are not applying color -- you are just covering the piece with a thin surface of gesso. Wipe off excessive amounts of gesso with a napkin, paper towel, or toilet paper.

3. After the gesso has fully dried, if there are any rough areas, smooth them out by gently brushing the dried surface with an anti-static wiping cloth. Use a used toothbrush to smooth hard-to-reach spots. Fine-grain sandpaper can be used but do so very carefully.

4. Paint over the dried gesso'ed areas of the ship pieces and sections using art paintbrushes. Use ONLY ACRYLIC paints. (DO NOT use any other kinds, which would include enamel, oil, spray paint, tempera, and watercolor.)

It is advised that you use a new set of brushes, not the ones you used to apply the gesso. This is because the gesso will likely have worn out those brushes.

5. DO NOT apply gesso or paint to the top section of the U-Wing or its wings. There's no need to since the white poster board plating sections and wing decals already provide color.

6. TIP: DO NOT squirt gesso or paint onto a model piece/section from the bottle or tube. Put the gesso or paint first on a scrap piece of cardboard, and dab your paintbrush into that:

7. TIP: Avoid applying gesso and paint to areas that will not be seen when the U-Wing is fully assembled, and areas that will be covered with decals. You want to avoid wetting and weighing down the cardboard and paperboard with excess gesso/paint:

8. TIP: Black gesso can be used to block out text and graphics printed on cardboard. But it will make a lighter-colored acrylic paint painted over it a little darker.

9. TIP: When they're still wet, gesso and acrylic paint can be washed out of paintbrushes under running warm water. A dab of dish soap can be applied to the brush to help remove the paint. Paint thinner is not necessary; it doesn't work well for removing gesso or acrylic paint anyway.

Painting the plastic sections of the engines:

1. Apply BLACK GESSO to the engine mid-sections and end sections (which are made of plastic cups). The black will help cover up the graphics and text printed on the yogurt cups.

2. After the gesso has dried, paint the mid- and end sections with MULTI-SURFACE acrylic paint. (Regular acrylic paint will more easily flake off from the plastic after it has dried.)

3. Alternately: spray-paint the engines, if you are skilled at using spray paint. (You need to use a good quality spray paint that can bond to plastic.)

I suggest detaching the mid-section and end section from the main engine, so that you can spray-paint these sections separately. To do this (if you have already put these components together), carefully cut the rear rim of the main engine and unwrap it. Then you can pull the mid-section and end section off:

My personal paint color guide for the 1:18 scale cardboard U-Wing:

1. Apply BLACK GESSO to the arch, cannon housing, outer-facing sides of the interior wall mod plates, pilot seats (including stand and control panel), power reactor wall plate, rear heat fins piece, engine mid-section and engine end sections.

Apply WHITE GESSO to the remaining pieces/sections.

2. Paint with MATTE GRAY ACRYLIC: arch, cannon housing, pilot seats (including stand and control panel), power reactor wall plate, rear heat fins piece, engine mid-section:

3. Paint with MATTE BLACK ACRYLIC: the flight controls (and the stems they are attached to), and end sections of the engines:

4. Paint MATTE WHITE ACRYLIC: everything else.

5. For the top section of the U-Wing, use a white-out correction pen or white paint marker to fill in the gaps between the plating sections:

6. Paint in SILVER ACRYLIC: the troop bench:

7. DO NOT paint the underside of the wings. This will add weight to them, and probably cause them to bend. Leave them alone, since people will rarely see their undersides. If you still really want to cover the original cardboard, cut to fit and glue white paper sheets, or white construction paper, onto the undersides of the wings.

What is gesso?

It is a tacky paste that’s usually a mixture of acrylic paint, talcum powder, and white glue. You brush it over a canvas or wood to prep these surfaces for paint. For cardboard/paperboard models, it does the same thing and can also help protect the paper surface from getting soaked with excess paint. You can buy it from arts supply stores in a bottle or tube:

When dry, the gesso'd surface will feel chalky to the touch. This helps paint to stick to it.

TIP: as it starts to dry, gesso can be used to fill in small holes and narrow gaps between pieces of cardboard/paperboard:

Why only use acrylic paint?

Acrylic dries fast and doesn't consist of as much water and oil compared to other kinds of paint:

If you use other kinds of paint (e.g. enamel, spray paint, etc.), you risk wetting the cardboard a lot, which will likely warp and damage it.

NEVER slather on the gesso or acrylic paint. Brush on thinly, let dry, before you apply another layer -- but only if it's necessary to have more.

 

[Whills_Scholar]

U-wing 1:18 scale engine alternate build

It can be difficult to properly paint the plastic sections of the engine -- the paint might peel or flake off due to the flexible nature of the plastic cups. So here's an alternate way to add color to them, by glue-sticking paper wraps around these cups.

You can download the photo guide to this engine alternate build as a PDF. Or, scroll through the step-by-step photos at the second link below. (These photos also show a closer look at the layout pattern of the engine detailing that uses plastic wire ties.)

U-wing 1:18 scale engine alternate build guide (PDF file):

http://www.mediafire.com/file/tu7cl7m19ze4j6e/U-wing_1-18_scale_alternate_engine_midsection_and_end.pdf

You can view the complete photo guide to this U-Wing engine alternate build here:

Rogue One U-Wing 1:18 (for 3.75" figures) -- UPDATES:

http://imgur.com/a/P8OP2