Wednesday 18 May 2016

Jedi Starfighter: Revell easykit

Introduction

Let me tell you about an impulse purchase that I made this week.  I found a trader on eBay that was disposing of large numbers of the same old kit.  I can speculate that these may have come from a distributor that has gone bust or a shop that is selling off excess stock.  However, that's just a guess; I don't really know how these models came on to the market.


Anyway, I bought a couple of the Jedi Starfighter kits at £3.75 each (including postage!).  Now the problem I have is what to do with them!

Options

Actually, I have seen this kit before and therefore I know that it makes a very nice, small sci-fi flyer which is pretty much perfectly scaled for 28mm gaming figures.  I know this because my younger son went through an intense Star Wars phase some years ago and built pretty much all of the relevant "easykit pocket" kits from Revell.  They're not to a constant scale (nothing like!), but all of the models in the range are about the same finished size, somewhere around 10-15cm long.

So, I've borrowed my son's rather dilapidated Jedi Starfighter and posed various figures alongside it to try to inspire a colour scheme and back story.

Spectrum "Angel Interceptor"


My first idea is that I could paint the 2 new starfighters white and give them Spectrum (Captain Scarlet) markings.  They would then make good alternatives for the iconic Angel Interceptor craft and I could use them in games of 7TV or the like.

I'd prefer a "real" Angel Interceptor, but I'm pretty sure that nobody makes a model that is even close to 28mm (though there is a paper model available somewhere on the Internet, I think).  Mind you, even if such a model could be found, it would probably be quite large for a games table!

If any purists gag at the idea of calling this an Angel Interceptor then I could call it something else.  After all, Spectrum had quite a range of aircraft in their fleet; this could easily be some previously-unseen jet.  Perhaps it's an "Angel Scout" or something like that?

Viridian Flitter


Alternatively, I could give the models a green/gray splinter camouflage to blend in with my sci-fi Viridian army (or paint them cream/black for my Syntha faction instead).  If I did that then they would be some type of reconnaissance or light ground-attack craft.  Sadly, I cannot see that they'd ever be used in a game since I don't really use any of my VOID armies and cannot see this changing in the future.  Still, they'd be nice to collect.

Star Trek mini-Shuttle


My final idea is that the starfighters could be painted up pale grey (for Federation) or dark grey, green or blue (for Klingons) and used as single-crew shuttles or fighters.  This doesn't completely fit in with the Star Trek universe; such tiny craft don't appear very much in the canonical version(s).  However, there are enough occurrences in spin-off works to justify pretty much anything.  In any case, it's my universe and I can do what I like, so there!

Conclusion

Have you ever bought something without having a need for it, either immediately or in the future?  Just because you liked it and thought that it might come in handy some time?  I'm pretty sure that most people do this at least occasionally!

I don't really know what to do with these kits.  I could even paint them up as non-airworthy sci-fi objectives, perhaps  being maintained and with inspection panels open.  Alternatively there must be many other ways that I could integrate them with one of my existing collections of figures.  I suppose that I could even start collecting 28mm Star Wars figures to go with the starfighters - but that'll not happen; it's a crazy idea!  Ah, what shall I do?

18 comments:

  1. I like them in the Star Trek universe mate, when battling the Borg the Feds converted/commissioned all manner of craft

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    1. I could certainly paint them up as Federation craft to go with my (as yet unpainted) starship crews.

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  2. QUOTE: "Have you ever bought something without having a need for it, either immediately or in the future? Just because you liked it and thought that it might come in handy some time?" Yes and yes... too many times, sigh!

    As for what to do with you models I'd use them as intended as Star Wars vehicles and use them with the 7TV2e Star Wars cast (the PDF file with a lot of stats for Star Wars character is free to download). Failing that, I'd be looking to use them in a Judge Dredd game as non-Judge flyers.

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    1. Yes, Star Wars or Judge Dredd are both good ideas. However, both of these would require me to buy more figures as I don't have anything for either genre already.

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  3. Hugh, many thanks for posting this, as I wasn't aware of this model's size and now I am I plan to get a couple myself. I too like the "Star Trek" link or I may just use them with my "Star Wars" Imperial Assault minis. Bryan's non-Judge idea is equally as sound, as are yours. So many possibilities... so many paint schemes :-)

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    1. They'd fit in well with any 1" or 28mm Star Wars figures (obviously!). And these starfighters seem to be very cheap at the moment as well.

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  4. Like everyone else, nice to see these in a 28mm setting. I'm tempted to just use them as scenery for a space port setting. And of course I bought random stuff! My last impulse buy was from a charity shop. 3 Thunderbird 2 transporters and a Thunderbird 1. Howfully good for 15mm Sci-Fi. Not that I actually have any 15mm Sci-Fi...

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    1. I think that these flyers would make excellent scenery for a star port!

      Thunderbirds is good, but perhaps 3xTB-2 is too many? Nah, of course not!

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  5. I am guessing that this is from a Star wars film I have yet to see. The films kind of went "Squidgy!" when they bought in JAJA Binks so I have yet to watch 2 of them. Anyway it looks a nice model and yes I buy far too much that I have little use for,

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    1. From memory, these interceptors came from Star Wars III. I don't harbour quite the same animosity towards Episode I that many folks do, but even I recognise that it was a low point. Episodes II and III were better, though still not as good as IV, V and VI. My 2c worth...

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  6. I've bought far too many things in this fashion, but not necessarily as versatile as these! Great find.

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    1. At least these were cheap enough that it's not a great loss if I do nothing with them for a few years. Not that I plan such a lack of attention, of course...

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  7. I buy stuff without a specific purpose all the time. But eventually, I have the aha moment and something from this "collection" is a perfect fit.

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    1. Yes, sometimes I suddenly find a use for a part of my collection which has been languishing for years (or even decades). It's a very satisfying feeling, isn't it?

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  8. I reckon it certainly find a use. Even if it is as an objective or scenery. I can be prone to impulse purchases sometimes I have a number of Spectre miniatures moderns with no real plan on what to use them for.

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    1. These flitters would make very good high-tech scenery or objectives, I reckon. At least, that's *my* excuse!

      Hmm, it's just as well that modern combat (excluding zombies and the like) leaves me cold :-) ...

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  9. Wow, that does fit a 28mm figure nicely! Hurried over to Ebay only to find that the cheap ones are all gone. ;)

    You might get away from the iconic look if you reverse the passenger pod, that is have the wings trail away in the back.

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    1. Huh, there were quite a few of these on eBay a week ago. Oh, well - maybe you'll find them some other time :-( .

      Reversing the cabin (or just moving it forwards some or all of the way) is a very interesting idea! I'll have a think about this when I get round to building these kits, when I can tell how much extra work might be involved.

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