Fine Molds Tie Fighters

There are so many parts the same on these three kits - the 'Standard' TIE and Interceptor are pretty much the same apart from the front cannons and wings. Building them all three at the same time. 

Assembled the cockpits ready for primer. I've used liquid mask on the column and seat as there are parts to be glued to those after painting. 

Cockpit side walls ready for primer. 

Three figures, not as bad as I remember them being when I first looked in the boxes but they needed some seam cleanup and are now ready to prime.  

Steering x3 ready for primer. 

Primer coat. Gloss Black for the figures and steering. USN Light Ghost Grey on the cockpit parts/ 

The "Three Wise Monkeys" 😉 get some paint. Panzer Dark Grey and some touches of Neutral Grey and Silver. 

Cockpit parts get their base coat of Neutral Grey. 

There's a reason that I don't build many Fine Molds fits and that's because I only need to look at their decals and they fall to bits! The ones for the X-1 worked fine but the Standard and Interceptor TIE decals just disintegrated. I've already learnt not to use any sort of decals setter/softener with them so the only thing left is that I must have the "wrong" kind of water!! Oh well, you're never going to see them anyway. 

The tiny decals on the pilots were OK though! 

Three cockpits completed 🙂 

Started on the fuselages by fitting the sight on the front of the cockpits. 

Front and backs have had their greeblies added and the front section primed with One-Shot grey. 

Front section painted Anthracite Grey and drybrushed with Sky Grey 

Cockpits fitted. 

Body assemblies. Now you can see the slight difference between the Standard TIE (Left) and the TIE Interceptor (centre) - it's just the front blasters.  

The top hatches have been masked and fitted and the front window area masked off. Circle cutters are amazing things if you don't already have one - get one 😉 

Front windows masked but kept seperate for ease of painting. 

The 'normal' TIE bodies have a nice hole each side to grip with a crocodile clip for painting but the X-1 didn't so I've glued a bit of sprue on the side as a 'handle' for holding it while painting 

All three primed with One-Shot Grey. 

This is a grade 1 f*ckup!! I've glued the Ion Engines on the X-1 backwards so I've ended up, not with a TIE Advance but a TIE Retreat 😄. No-one look at the back of it 😉 

Base coated the bodies. All of them Pale Blue Grey/ 

Due to having it's Ion Engines glued on backwards, I decided to stop at that point with the X-1 Advanced and have ordered another so I'll start that one again. Did some hand painting on the Standard TIE and TIE Interceptor bodies with Panzer Dark Grey on the 'clasps' either side of the front window. 

Panzer Dark Grey for the Ion Engines and Anthracite Grey in the centre of the back. Panels picked out with Medium Grey.  

Standard Tie gets Panzer Dark Grey sections on the top hatch, Medium Grey on the Interceptor. 

Front windows sprayed Panzer Dark Grey. 

Made a custom mix of Gloss Black primer and Metallic Blue (approx 70:30) and sprayed all the solar collectors. 

The metallic really shows up in the sunlight - they sparkle 😎 

Also made the stands. Gloss Black primer with Metallic Gunmetal Grey base coat. Picked out the logo with Gloss Black primer. 

Front windows are glued on with Revell's Contacta Clear. 

Both main fuselages get a coat of clear gloss ready for weathering.