Bandai Star Wars 1/72 X- Wing Starfighter

Probably the best mass produced X-wing model ever made. When compared to the Fine Molds model that this effectively replaced, there are nothing but good things to be said. In almost every way, Bandai has delivered a product that is far superior than its predecessors.The thing I really like is the droid socket behind the cockpit. A fully assembled astromech droid slides into the socket, instead of just the dome. You remove the butt plate and slide the power generator trench back and out comes the droid. The kit also comes with two droid bodies so you can build both an R2 and R5 series droid. This is great if you choose to build one of the other members of Red Squadron. The only downside is that only decals for R2-D2 are included. Luckily, the detail on the droids is crisp and quite impressive and will lend nicely to hand painting the droids if need be. The S-foils lock together snugly making it easier to display the craft in a landed position if desired, which opens up diorama options. The decals are quite nice and respond well to decal solvents to hug the surface of the model. The only downside is that the squadron markings and colored panels are not weathered like they are on the studio models. Personally, I paint all those anyway but for some less experienced or younger modelers, it could be a little bit of a letdown.The only thing I dislike about the model is the flight stand. The Death Star base and exhaust port are both brilliant, but the flight stand is clunky and looks out of place. I used it on the first few I built but have since moved on to 3mm clear acrylic rod, which fits perfectly in the plug on the bottom of the model. It lends itself to less of a toy-like appearance and looks a little more "professional."The bottom line is that this is a wonderful model kit in every way. The price point is also very fair, especially given the detail and engineering of these kits. It also makes it easy to build a small fleet of them to model the entire Red Squadron!

This was the first model I'd ever built...ever...And it was a BLAST. I decided to use the stickers instead of the water decals and found that to be somewhat easier, especially since I am a beginner. I'm a huge Star Wars fan, though, and I'm a huge sympathizer with the Rebellion so I felt like the only option was to start with an X-Wing similar to the one that Luke Skywalker flew around in and blew up the Death Star with. Since it was my first model kit, it took me about 4-5 hours, including the stickers and gluing of some pieces. The detail is awesome, and my dad (also a Star Wars fan) loves seeing it on one of the shelves in the house. He kinda lingered over my shoulder for a bit when I was half-way done with it and I could tell he wanted to join in a little bit.I think the most handy thing about Bandai models is that they snap together, but I also think it's necessary to use some Tamiya Extra-Thin Cement. It dries pretty quick and is easy to clean up if it gets somewhere it's not supposed to, so I'd recommend getting that. I'd also recommend just getting a simple 8 piece tool kit for starters. The kit I purchased was by the brand Gundam, and was sold by LENX, for about $10. It's up to you if you want to get a cutting mat for putting everything together, but that's just something I'll get down the road if I ever truly need it. As long as you have a bit of desk space, some simple tools, some cement glue (that works with plastic), and a tv show or music on in the background, you'll be set for a few hours of your day.Seriously, it's worth the buy.

I purchased the Bandai Star Wars 1/72 scale TIE fighter, Advanced TIE fighter, and X-wing fighter together, and I'm going to write a mass review of all three -- basically because I'm lazy and fail to see any purpose in repeating myself three times. So here goes....These three kits are amazing -- beautifully molded, exquisitely engineered, flawless in their detail. I have no idea how much access the Bandai moldmakers had to the original studio models, but however they accomplished it, they rendered these three iconic vehicles in jaw dropping detail. These kits are designed to snap-fit together, and they do, solidly and securely, and do so without sacrificing any detail whatsoever. Forget the kits made by MPC and Revell back in the late 70s and 80s -- these are of an order of magnitude better in every respect. In a way, they were worth waiting forty years for: the fanboy in me finally has the Star Wars models he always wanted!A word of caution -- the assembly instructions are a bit confusing, as they are not really linear in their layout and presentation, so it's well worth taking a few minutes to study then before beginning assembly. A nice touch is that the kits all come with two sets of markings, one a set of self-adhesive stickers, probably meant for younger modelers, and the other a full set of conventional decals, for older -- or at least more experienced -- model builders.If you've ever considered yourself a Star Wars fan, you owe it to your inner fanboy to get these kits!

There is a whole series of X-Wings in various styles, shapes and sizes. This is from original Star Wars movie and you get the plasma bombs for the Death Star scene.The model itself is good and with plenty of detail but I did break one of the cockpit parts removing from the sprue. My fault I guess as I was moving and building the kit too quickly and got careless. You can build this kit in an hour if you want our take your time and apply paint and skills. I would buy another kit the same scale showing the newer Star Wars designs just as a comparison between to the models and their detailing.One 'extra' piece to note - if you don't use the bases for this kit there are the same pieces and can be used to expand the 'Death Star Attack Set' from Bandai to make an even more impressive diorama.