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Author Topic: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review  (Read 29459 times)

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Offline Hamill82

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Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« on: July 15, 2007, 03:38:31 PM »
                        Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition * Item # SW-124                           - M A S T E R   R E P L I C A S -



Memorable quotes:
“Pilots, gunners, and troopers hurry to their stations and their vehicles.
ANNOUNCER: The first transport is away.
Everyone cheers at the announcement, which echoes through the hangar. Luke turns and walks on, heading toward his snowspeeder.
His gunner, Dack, a fresh-faced, eager kid, is glad to see him. They climb in.
DACK: Feeling all right, sir?
LUKE: Just like new, Dack. How about you?
DACK: Right now I feel I could take on the whole Empire myself.
LUKE: (quietly, strapping in) I know what you mean”



“Luke looks back at the walker as it grows smaller in the distance.
LUKE: That armour's too strong for blasters.
On the horizon, another walker moves up past Luke's Cockpit window, twisting out of sight as Luke banks and starts another run.
LUKE: (into comlink) Rogue Group, use your harpoons and tow cables. Go for the legs. It might be our only chance of stopping them.
All right, stand by, Dack.
Dack is at the gunner's controls.
DACK: Luke, we've got a malfunction in fire control. I'll have to cut in the auxiliary.
LUKE: Just hang on. Hang on, Dack. Get ready to fire that tow cable”



Battle Of Hoth Movie Scene:




Prop Story:
From the Battle of Hoth, the modified T-47 airspeeder, known more commonly as the Snowspeeder. At the climax of the Battle of Hoth in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the Imperial forces appeared unstoppable. The battle appeared to be one-sided as the AT-AT Imperial walkers lumbered towards their intended targets unhindered by cannon fire or Rebel heavy blasters. However, the Rebels had another weapon in their arsenal: the modified T-47 airspeeder, known more commonly as the Snowspeeder. These swift, two-man vehicles utilized repulsor-lift technology to hover above the ground. Two primary engines in the rear provided forward momentum, while a pilot and a rear gunner occupied the tiny cockpit in the center. In addition to two blaster cannons mounted atop the wings, this lightweight craft also carried a cannon/harpoon launcher in the rear. Using this harpoon and an attached tow-cable, one of these small snowspeeders was able to topple over a mighty AT-AT.



Snowspeeder Recreated at 3/4 Scale:
In the real world, these fascinating vehicles were created by the ILM model crew in resin, metal, and plastic. There were several different sizes of miniature models created for filming. These ranged from tiny models only a few inches long, to a four-foot long model used for close-up shots like the scene when the foot of an AT-AT crushes Luke's Snowspeeder. Several full-sized speeder mockups were also created for action shots of the actors.

Master Replicas focused on the 21-inch studio scale models that were used for most of the primary shots in the film. The models varied substantially in detailing and markings, so their designers sought out the model with the gray stripes that was used by Luke Skywalker. By comparing the archived models to screen grabs they were able to locate the exact model and used it as their master reference pattern. Master Replicas' design team took hundreds of photographs of the prop and obtained color chips of the paint in order to create an exact match of the prop's coloring.

Because the cockpit of the 21-inch studio model was not designed for close up shots, Master Replicas' designers worked with Lucasfilm to create a composite of both the studio model and full-size sets. The result is a replica that looks realistic and maintains the attention to detail expected by Star Wars collectors. The Master Replicas 3/4 studio-scale snowspeeder replica is a perfect balance of size, value and collectability.



General Snowspeeder Movie Profile:
Size:
5.3 meters long
Type:
Assault speeder
Weapon:
Laser cannons, harpoon and tow cable
Affiliation:
Rebel Alliance
Associations:
Antilles, Wedge
Janson, Lieutenant Wes
Klivian, Derek "Hobbie" (Rogue Four)
Ralter, Dack
Senesca, Zev (Rogue Two)
Skywalker, Luke



Quick Information:
* Assortment: Studio Scale Vehicles

* 3/4-Scale Replica of the original studio model used in "The Empire Strikes Back"

* Museum quality display case with mirrored base, with 3 stands, acrylic cover, numbered plaque and certificate of authenticity

* Luke Skywalker's "Rogue One" 21" studio model used as master reference

* Exact color match the original prop with weathering and battle detail

* Replica is cold cast from high-quality resin with many of the details reproduced in injection-molded plastic and the main guns in aluminum tubing.

* Certificate of Authenticity

* Approximate model dimensions: 16" (40.6 cm) L x 14" (35.6 cm) W x 4" H (10.2 cm)

* Display measures approximately 19" (48.3 cm) L x 18" (45.7 cm) W x 11" H (27.9 cm)

* Shipping weight, snowspeeder and display is approximately 35 pounds (16 kg)

* Numbered plaque 1323 / 2000

* Limited to only 1,500 pieces

* Item # SW-124

* Released 01 Feb 2005?

* Retail Price : $599.00 > €435.00 > £295

* Price I Paid : $523.00 > €380.00 > £258

* Original Store Price : $655.00 > €475.00 > £322



My History With Snowspeeder:
It all started a long time ago when I was a kid and my cousin had these amazing vehicles from Star Wars. Most of them were imported toys and if I recall right those were from United Kingdom. Ofcourse we had some Star Wars vehicles here also, but not in the scale what was released like in U.K. My cousin had several vehicles, this snowspeeder, tie fighter, star destroyer, figures and stuff. I remember how we played with those on the cottage during summers in the 80’s. We still have these old vhs tapes from summer 1986, which show us playing with Star Wars stuff. Even though I was only 4,5 years old, I remember how the star destroyer was so gorgeous during that summer and made a big impression to me. Well probably most of toys would do that to boys at that age, but it happened to be Star Wars vehicle. Later on, as I was staying over the night with my cousin I got more interested about Star Wars, also with vehicles like snowspeeder. I always thought that snowspeeder was so very unique in style as many Star Wars vessels, but it had something so simplified in the look of it and it really stayed in my mind. My cousin also showed me my first Star Wars movie experience, The Return Of The Jedi from rental vhs which made me this huge influence that carries all the way to this date. So my Star Wars fandom carries from those years and made me fall in love with snowspeeder big time. Most of people were/are X-Wing or Millennium Falcon fans, some Tie Fighter and so on, but not that many were Snowspeeder fans. I belong to that rare gategory who loves snowspeeder the most, well ofcourse Falcon and Slave-1 are my favorites too, but I’ll have to admit that I’m a snowie lover most of all. It took me 20 years to have my own beloved snowspeeder, first 20 $ Hasbro’s toy, which doesn’t really give you much to be a happy about, since I really needed something a bit more detailed and worthy of owning. So, being lucky, there came a few snowspeeder studio scales to a local online shop and with 15 % sale days I finally ordered one and now I’m a happy owner of this awesome Studio Scale. If there’s gonna ever be another SS for me, then it’s the Millennium Falcon SS, but we’ll see.



First View Of Rebel Snowspeeder SS:
When I went to fetch the packet from post office I noticed that the packet is huge, I instantly thought that perhaps it’s full of styrofoam once again, but this time the actual prop was huge overall. I had checked the measures quickly from net in advance, but it’s size still surprised me. Most of all the acrylic cover with mirrored base was a bit bigger than I thought, the actual snowspeeder studio scale was something I imagined, but overall it was big and you really have to think twice before acquiring this prop. What happened with me, was that I had to go to the local furniture store to find a new shelf/stand. If I had the extra time, I would had probably visited IKEA near Helsinki, but now I was a big short on time and eager to display it asap. The shelf with glassdoor was around 70 $ and the cheapest I could find, but anyhow the overall cost referring to snowie raised a bit. I could easily just place it on the lower level on bookshelf, but the kids can access that space and I wouldn’t like to see my snowspeeder main guns snapped in half :D. I only wish we can find our house asap, so I can have my own Star Wars show room and don’t have to think about space issues or similar, we’re really running out of space here. There’s just no chance I could get another studio scale into this 60 square apartment.



Closer look:
When you’ll see this Studio Scale in front of your eyes for the first time, you’re totally sold for it’s amazing details, atleast I was. It’s magnificent looking, a real eye candy for all the snowspeeder and star wars vehicle fans.When the box was finally opened and I was going to grab it for a closer look I noticed that it’s quite heavy and if you lift it from box the wrong way it might get broken. So I took my time and gently lifted it out from the styrofoam and placed it on a soft pillow. So at this point you’ll realise that you simply cannot turn around this snowspeeder in your arms like some toys and that it’s extremely fragile item. You can almost imagine yourself holding some porcelain item, so gentle touch is needed here. Now to the actual prop. As I said the details are wonderful, surface details includes the same blast patterns that were added to the models by the ILM crew during filming back in the early days. To capture all the little details, MR crew took some digital scans of original models and the result is wonderful. The fuselage of the snowspeeder replica is cast in durable resin with numerous fine-detail parts reproduced in injection-molded ABS. ABS is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene in case you want to know, the same plastic that’s used to make light, rigid, molded products such as piping, musical instruments, golf club heads, automotive body parts, wheel covers and so on. I find this interesting since I go to that plastic technician school and we deal with all kinds of plastics there. For added strength the twin blaster cannons are recreated in machined aluminum with plastic detailing. What you have to remember by viewing this snowspeeder is that it’s THE Luke Skywalker's "Rogue One" 21" studio model replica and all the details are from that model. You may have the snowspeeder with red lines and paint in your mind, since those are mainly the ones you’ll see in the Battle of Hoth, but Skywalker’s snowie is actully gray colored. You’ll know what I mean when you’ll check that youtube video clip at point 06.20 as Luke has crashed to the ground. I remember reading some really ridiculous reviews about this item from a people that doesn’t understand much about Star Wars as they complained that this item sucks, rated it 1 out of 5, because it’s not colored properly, doesn’t have windows and even some said that it got broken when their kids played with it. Can you believe this, some parent buying a studio scale for their kid to play with and then only write complains about it, because doesn’t understand what a model replica is. This is all sadly true and I have nightmares because of those ignorant people, oh my, think about some 6 year old smashing studio scale against some rock, it’s such a horrible vision for me hahaha :D. Back to the details, so it doesn’t have windows and the reason is reflect issue during filming this model, so it’s honestly a model with big M. If it had windows I found find it disrespectful toward actual models, so thank God there’s no windows. There’s only one big thing that separates this studio scale from actual model and it’s the cockpit. The original 21-inch studio model was not designed for close up shots, so Master Replicas’ designers worked with Lucasfilm to create a composite of both the studio model and full-size sets, so you’ll be able to see the awesome and very detailed cockpit. The result is a replica that looks realistic and maintains the attention to detail expected by collectors. And trust me, you really want it to have this cockpit, since it’s the coolest part of this Snowpeeder studio scale.

360 Video Clip From Rebel Snowspeeder SS:




Last words:
I’m very surprised that I was able to get this studio scale, since it’s been out there for a while and still nicely available and in stock many places. I believe that one reason is that snowspeeder ain’t the most famous Star Wars vehicle like Millennium Falcon or X-Wing and perhaps people haven’t really studied snowspeeders properly and all of the beauty that it actually has. If you don’t yet love snowspeeders, perhaps this review will help you fall in love with it. One important thing that makes this studio scale great is it’s reasonable price compared to other studio scales and with good luck you’ll get snowspeeder ss from ebay with no more than 300 $ and that’s a real bargain. Also it’s limited only to 1,500 pieces, so when next time you’re going to buy another saber, perhaps you could think about adding studio scale into your collection, since it’s so worth the price and more gorgeous looking than saber hilts. Ofcourse I love sabers most of all, but the truth is, this is the centerpiece of my collection at the moment. Most of you people are lightsaber lovers and collect only those, but adding ss, or perhaps a blaster will give your collection some nice variation and trust me you’ll love this studio scale, atleast when you’ll see it live, since as Anakin Skywalker said in his review, pictures won’t do justice for this snowspeeder ss and that’s a fact. Take a moment to consider adding this beautiful studio scale to your collection, since within few years you may have to pay alot more and trust me, soon people start picking these from stocks, atleast when MR says farewell to Star Wars. Anyway, I’m most pleased with this vehicle and I recommend to get one. I hope my two days of making this was worth it and someone reads this, if so, I thank you for reading my first studio scale review and may the force be with you all  ;)

Offline PRINCESS LEIA

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2007, 04:03:34 PM »
 :D Looks really nice Chancellor! Fantastic review!

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Offline Jedi Princess

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2007, 04:07:00 PM »
I read it..and I'm very impressed :o ;D
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Offline darthmorbius

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2007, 04:10:17 PM »
Excellent review Chancellor Palpatine. :)

I really like this SS model, and I could only imagine one sitting in my collection.

Thank you for the review. Now the captured Rebel technology has been identified! ;)

Offline Vosk

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2007, 04:11:04 PM »
Very nice review and video.  Also noice chioce of music for the video. ;)

Offline Hamill82

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2007, 04:24:14 PM »
Thank you all people, the music for the video was from Greedo's music archives, so thanks for that  :). The original review was a bit longer, but I faced some troubles as this review kept falling down, something about max 20.000 characters for review and all. Gladly most of it is there...

Offline GoldLdr

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2007, 05:36:36 PM »
Ohh my lord Chancellor, that is AMAZING.  Your review was incredible and the replica is not to be believed.  Thank you so much for sharing your prop and your passion for it with us!!!  You make me want to buy one before they become very hard to find, like the Y-Wing I search for still!

-GoldLdr

Offline Hamill82

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2007, 05:38:54 PM »
Ohh my lord Chancellor, that is AMAZING.  Your review was incredible and the replica is not to be believed.  Thank you so much for sharing your prop and your passion for it with us!!!  You make me want to buy one before they become very hard to find, like the Y-Wing I search for still!

-GoldLdr

Thanks, I believe now's a good to time to purchase this item when it's still on our grabs. I hope my passion becomes your passion  ;)

Offline Kyp Durron

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2007, 05:46:23 PM »
Awesome review, the Snow Speeder was one of my favorite vehicles from back in the day, I remember having the Kenner version and even built a model kit of it too.

I wish I still had them, but maybe one day I might get this, but right now I have too many things on my plate at the moment. Hopefully they will still be around when I am ready.




-Joclad

2010...I certainly hope it's better than 2009 was! ::)
10/10/10~Well, so far with my Father's passing away, I'd say that this year was actually worse than 2009, even the fact that I now have a full time job (For now) isn't anywhere near enough to make up for that...so...maybe 2011 will be better? I'm not holding my breath... ::)

Offline Hamill82

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2007, 05:52:11 PM »
The good old Kenner, the one that my cousin had also...


Offline Kyp Durron

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2007, 05:59:51 PM »
............


That brings back soooo many memories, thanks for posting that pic. *Wipes tear from eye*




-Joclad

2010...I certainly hope it's better than 2009 was! ::)
10/10/10~Well, so far with my Father's passing away, I'd say that this year was actually worse than 2009, even the fact that I now have a full time job (For now) isn't anywhere near enough to make up for that...so...maybe 2011 will be better? I'm not holding my breath... ::)

Offline BEN KENOBI

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2007, 06:02:21 PM »
 ;D
Congrats chancellor on your snow speeder and a great review I must say!!My wife thought that I was talking about a real one and said""chancellor can always use one of those snow speeders to get around in the winter where he lives""lol :D :D

Offline Hamill82

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2007, 06:03:24 PM »
;D
Congrats chancellor on your snow speeder and a great review I must say!!My wife thought that I was talking about a real one and said""chancellor can always use one of those snow speeders to get around in the winter where he lives""lol :D :D

Hahaha, most funny  :D. Indeed, the long and cold winter of Finland  :D. Is there anyway to turn this 3/4 scaled model into a real one ?

By the way, they filmed The Empire Strikes Back Hoth scenes in Norway, like in Hardangerjøkulen glacier, I believe Padme Amidala has one snowspeeder there? hahaha  :D
« Last Edit: July 15, 2007, 06:09:56 PM by CHANCELLOR PALPATINE »

Offline SAESEE TIIN

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2007, 06:27:37 PM »
Awesome review Chancellor.  The pictures are simply amazing.  I've never seen the cockpit in clear view like that before.

Thanks to Darth Nerdold for the sig!
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Offline Hamill82

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Re: Rebel Snowspeeder TESB Studio Scale Limited Edition Review
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2007, 06:31:58 PM »
Awesome review Chancellor.  The pictures are simply amazing.  I've never seen the cockpit in clear view like that before.

Yeah, good camera helps alot, go CANON!

 

retrousse