Airfix AT-AT

[dr_gn]

Just rediscovered one of my old favourites in a drawer: the Airfix AT-AT walker form The Empire Strikes Back. Always loved them! Seems quite rare - couldn't find a new one on EBay.

I built it in about 1982/83, and made a surprisingly good job of the construction. Luckily I didn't bother painting it at the time, so I've decided to correct the small construction errors and do a proper job on it. It's a very nicely engineered kit - actually an MPC mould, just reboxed by Airfix:



It came with a couple of gun towers and Snowspeeders, which somehow survived intact (I've dismantled the towers today). Even after 24 hours in brake fluid, the 30 year old white and black Airfix paint refused to budge...

[Eric Mc]

I see a snowy diorama on the horizon.

[IroningMan]

He's already made one - can't you see the second pic?

[dr_gn]

Made a bit of progress - repaired the missing cannon on one of the Snowspeeders (brass tubes). Can you tell which one?



And replaced the clunky AT-AT cannon with plastic and brass tubing. Also had to replace some of the AT-AT foot braces with plastic tube and rod.

Started painting with Citadel Fortress Grey. Some panels were pre-shaded with Codex Gray before detail pre-shading with Chaos Black:



The Snowspeeders never had any decals, so I've sprayed the insignia colours over Skull white and it'll be masked before the final top coats. The pill box things were preshaded with Chaos black before overcoating with Skull White:



Obviously quite a bit of detail work to do before it's all finished, but considering its a rebuild of a 30 year old model I'm fairly happy with it so far.

[Nuclearsquash]

Looking good! Are you going to finish it off as some kind of diorama?

[dr_gn]

Nuclearsquash said:

Looking good! Are you going to finish it off as some kind of diorama?

Ta. Yes, my intention is to eventually put it on a white base, or somehow make a few snowdrifts with something like filler. The Snowspeeers will be mounted on stretched clear sprue stuck into small holes I've drilled in the undersides.

[Nuclearsquash]

PVA glue and bicarbonate of soda makes a good snow substitute

[dr_gn]

Nuclearsquash said:

PVA glue and bicarbonate of soda makes a good snow substitute

Really?

[Nuclearsquash]

Really, I know the below is pretty small scale, but it does work:


Charnovokh Overlord by Nuclearsquash, on Flickr

It forms a very hardy solid surface, I haven't tried it on a larger area so your mileage might vary, but certainly worth a consideration.

Edited by Nuclearsquash on Sunday 8th April 20:17

[dr_gn]

Nuclearsquash said:

Really, I know the below is pretty small scale, but it does work:



Charnovokh Overlord by Nuclearsquash, on Flickr

Looks good.

Someone over on SP&R forum just suggested baking powder secured with hairspray. Seemed to work OK too.

[Nuclearsquash]

I thinks there's loads of different ways of getting a good look. What scale is the AT-AT?

[dr_gn]

Nuclearsquash said:

I thinks there's loads of different ways of getting a good look. What scale is the AT-AT?

Approx. 1:100

[NervySi]

Excellent, nice work on the Speeders. Is the AT-AT foot big enough to squash a speeder, as in the film?

I remember my brother had an Airfix Empire Strikes Back set with the Falcon, a rebel transport and loads of tiny figures complete with a vac-formed white 'snow' base to display them on.

"PVA glue and bicarbonate of soda makes a good snow substitute "

Great tip, can't wait to try this.

[dr_gn]

NervySi said:

Excellent, nice work on the Speeders. Is the AT-AT foot big enough to squash a speeder, as in the film?

I remember my brother had an Airfix Empire Strikes Back set with the Falcon, a rebel transport and loads of tiny figures complete with a vac-formed white 'snow' base to display them on.

"PVA glue and bicarbonate of soda makes a good snow substitute "

Great tip, can't wait to try this.

Thanks - yes, the feet are just about big enough.

So the coloured Snowspeeder markings were masked wioth Tamiya tape, and a few random panels pre shaded with dark gray:



Then oversprayed with off white, and the masking removed:



Now for a dark wash and some Tamiya Weathering pastels.

Planning on blocking the windows in with gloss black or very dark blue, and adding scratchbuilt rear guns (hence the drilled holes on the rear decks).

[DubZeus]

Bookmarked, cannot wait to see this done.

[dr_gn]

Hmm, bit too far on the weathering on the blue one. Ah well, it'll have to do. ETA, no it won't, I'll redo the blue one.

Edited by dr_gn on Tuesday 10th April 09:30

[Yertis]

Weird you should post this up now. I was up in the loft at Mum's at the weekend trying to sort out which of my old models I should finally dump, and which I should restore (you may recall my recent enquiry regarding paint stripping). The 1980-era AMT X-Wing is definitely on the 'restore list'. Where do you get the thin brass tube you use?

[dr_gn]

Yertis said:

Weird you should post this up now. I was up in the loft at Mum's at the weekend trying to sort out which of my old models I should finally dump, and which I should restore (you may recall my recent enquiry regarding paint stripping). The 1980-era AMT X-Wing is definitely on the 'restore list'. Where do you get the thin brass tube you use?

I get the brass tubing from the local model shop, or model shows.

[dr_gn]

The AT-AT's finished now, the snowspeeders aren't!

Went about 50% too much on weathering, but it'll do:

[Silver Smudger]

dr_gn said:

Went about 50% too much on weathering, but it'll do:

Have to disagree with you - It looks spot-on. I wasn't sure if they were pictures of your model or shots from the film, excellent job!