The better X-Wing?

Hi,
Which would you say is the better/cooler Star Wars X-Wing Fighter kit to build and display? The Estes Maxi-brute or the NCR by Estes version? I do have an 18mm kit in my build pile for comparison.
Thanks!

Whatever you do, don't attempt an HPR one as the video of the flight didn't go so well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogYrvEEM0Ts

Kurt

ksaves2 said:

Whatever you do, don't attempt an HPR one as the video of the flight didn't go so well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogYrvEEM0Ts

Kurt

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That one was a disaster, for sure. We had a young man build one and fly it at our local club on a K motor, he suffered a drag separation otherwise the flight would have been pretty good I believe. The fins are the issue sometimes they need to be extremely stiff to resist fluttering.

Does anyone have a plan for an X-wing they could share (or where to get good info), I would like to try and build one myself? As for Maxi Brute vs NCR versions I have no knowledge.

Check out Aus Rock Forum, scratch section. I believe it's also posted in the Q1 Geo contest here on TRF.

The specs are actually pretty similar. Both were advertised to be of the same scale as used in the film.

#1302 Maxi-Brute X-Wing Fighter (1978) Skill level 2, 24mm motors, length 21 5/8", wingspan 16 1/4", weight 11 oz. Not sure what is meant by "small fins have been added for Earth flight".

NCR 3450 X-Wing Fighter High Impulse Rocket (1997), 29mm motors, length 20", wingspan 18", weight 16 oz.

Thanks

Tramper Al said:

The specs are actually pretty similar. Both were advertised to be of the same scale as used in the film.

#1302 Maxi-Brute X-Wing Fighter (1978) Skill level 2, 24mm motors, length 21 5/8", wingspan 16 1/4", weight 11 oz. Not sure what is meant by "small fins have been added for Earth flight".

NCR 3450 X-Wing Fighter High Impulse Rocket (1997), 29mm motors, length 20", wingspan 18", weight 16 oz.

Click to expand...

I believe that the Maxi-Brute X-Wing was an upscale version of the smaller 1298 X-Wing which has small fins on the exhaust tube of the four engines. The NCR version has clear plastic fins between the wings. Without the extra fins, an X-Wing would not be stable on the lateral (yaw) axis. The two X-Wings are constructed a bit differently from the information I have seen over the years. I haven't found a complete instruction set for the 1302 X-Wing online yet. From the partial set that I have (Parts list and exploded diagram) the construction of the Maxi-Brute is a bit more involved than its contemporary produced smaller cousin.

ksaves2 said:

Whatever you do, don't attempt an HPR one as the video of the flight didn't go so well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogYrvEEM0Ts

Kurt

Click to expand...

I get a kick out of watching that one every time.

I think this is a better view of the x-wing flight...


[video=youtube;QgF9hBL-CuA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgF9hBL-CuA[/video]

Tramper Al said:

Hi,
Which would you say is the better/cooler Star Wars X-Wing Fighter kit to build and display? The Estes Maxi-brute or the NCR by Estes version? I do have an 18mm kit in my build pile for comparison.
Thanks!

Click to expand...

If you do a bit of research on the forums for the hardcore Star Wars modelers, you'll quickly learn that the recipe for an absolutely accurate X-wing replica involves starting with the fuselage from the Maxi-Brute kit and scratchbuilding almost everything else. Legend has it that the masters for Maxi-Brute X-Wing was based upon the remains of an on-screen pyro model that the Estes researchers were able to take back back to Penrose following a visit to the ILM workshop.

While the Maxi Brute and NCR kits share a bunch of parts, the fuselage is not one of them. We are admittedly after different things with our flying models than the static guys are pursuing, but it is interesting that they consider a model from our little world far more desirable for this particular subject than anything the static model world ever produced.

This thread is fascinating, if you'd like to learn more: https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=73828

James