The main body was first fashioned in balsa, but like the X-Wing the wings were acrylic covered in styrene. The acrylic will hold the weight of the engines at the ends without sagging. I just want to mention the mounting points on the model. Unlike the filming models I don't need to have mounting holes in any specific area based on shot requirements so it was up to me to find the appropriate locations. I chose to put one mounting hole in the rear and one at the bottom. Having two mounting points allowed me some flexibility during construction. I like to use galvanized plumbing pipe to mount the models because of the strength. Inside the body I recess a coupling and secure it with epoxy. The other end is attached to a piece of wood with a pipe flange mounted to it. I clamp the wooden base to the workbench and it keeps the model from falling to the floor. It's a method I use when I work on a sculpture and it works well here too.
The shape of the nose that holds the cockpit is tough to get right. That took me the most amount of time. After shaping it in balsa I had to cover it in styrene but the curves made that harder than it sounds. If I had to do it again I would vacuum form the styrene over the balsa. It would not only be alot easier it would look better. The cockpit canopy is another really tough shape to get right. I first carved the shape out of balsa foam and then built the styrene pieces over it. Before I started cutting the styrene I did a mockup in poster board in order to make templates. Working things out in poster board saves you from ruining your more expensive styrene while you get things just right.
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