This was my very first model build, and I was a little nervous about whether I could do a decent job, especially considering I owned zero tools/supplies, and one notable YouTube video said that this model is definitely not for beginners. However, I think as long as you have decent eyesight and a fairly steady hand, this is THE PERFECT model for beginners, because as Luke Skywalker said, “What a piece of junk!” so you can mess it up pretty badly and still know that “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.” Should you buy this particular model of the Millennium Falcon? It partly depends on how big of a model you want. This 1/144 scale model measures only 9 1/2” by 7”, and the pictures don’t really show how small it is. However, the level of detail of this kit is insane, and if I were to tell you that these photos were of a five-foot-long model, you might believe me! In my case, I thought it would be the perfect size for displaying on a bookshelf. How hard is it, and how long does it take to build? One reviewer here said it takes just a couple of hours, and maybe that’s possible for someone with experience, but even then that’s probably just snapping it all together. I spent about 20-30 hours on mine, including painting. How much “other stuff” will you need to buy? It depends, but here is the list of what I ended up buying. I spent about $200 (including this kit), and I don’t regret any of my purchases; everything was extremely useful. My supplies list: —“Professional 9 PCS Gundam model tools kit.” (Absolutely necessary for cutting and filing parts.) —“Revell Contacta Liquid Glue with Professional Needle Applicator.” (This kit is entirely “snap-together,” but there are several tiny external parts that really need to be glued on if you don’t want them to fall off.) —“Model painting stand base and 20 PCS alligator clip stick set.” (Very useful for holding the model and some of the parts I wanted to paint separately.) —2 cans “Tamiya TS-63 Nato Black” spray paint. (With two cans I just BARELY had enough to paint all the parts on their trees as a “primer”, which made the white paint look much better.) —1 can “Tamiya AS-20 Insignia White” spray paint. (I mostly sprayed the model when it was fully assembled, and 1 can was just BARELY enough. This color is the recommended Millennium Falcon color from many online sources, and I thought it was perfect. Note it can look very different depending on the lighting.) —1 bottle “Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color 40ml Black.” (Watch how the YouTubers apply it; it flows easily along all the panel lines, and mimics dirty rain streaks and leaking black oil. I applied it to every tiny part and protuberance on the model, and it brought out so many details in the plastic that I hadn’t even seen before!) —1 bottle “Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color 40ml Brown.” (All the YouTubers talked about adding lots of rust, but when you see brown streaks on old airplanes, it’s really leaked hydraulic fluid.) —“Microscale Micro Sol and Micro Set, 1 Ounce Bottles with Paint Brushes.” (You’ll want this to soften the decals so they wrap around all the tiny outcropping parts. I made the mistake of using the Micro Sol too much when it wasn’t conforming to the parts, and I just ended up with some shriveled decals in some areas. Rather, use mostly the Micro Set to soften them, and then use the side of a rectangular toothpick to stretch the decals into place. By the way, I decided to use the clear cockpit canopy with the decals on it. It was pretty tricky and I messed it up a bit, but I think it still looks a little better than the chunky windowless frame choice. I also didn’t use the black engine exhaust circle decals.) —“Testors Acrylic Value Finishing Paint Set, 9196T Multicolor.” (I used this set to paint the inside of the cockpit and gun turrets. Don’t be afraid to use a toothpick to mix tiny amounts of the colors to make tan, brown, etc.; just Google the primary colors that mix to make the color you want. You can barely see inside the cockpit, so this wasn’t too necessary, but it was fun to try to paint it all.) Recommendations for beginners: —Watch a few Youtube videos on “building the Bandai 1/144 Millennium Falcon.” —Do what I forgot to do until after I was done(!), and before you paint it, Google actual images from the Star Wars film, and actual photos of the original studio model(s). Mine looks pretty good, but it’s not exactly like the originals. I just used what I know about actual dirty, leaking airplanes to make the model look similar, and I think it turned out well. —Don’t worry about too little or too much weathering. If you look at the life-sized studio set Millennium Falcon from the first Star Wars film, it’s weathered beyond belief, but the smaller studio “flying” models look much cleaner. So I imagine Han had to have had the thing cleaned every once in a while…. ;-) Also, the amount of perceived weathering will vary considerably depending on the lighting. You can see the huge difference between my indoor and outdoor photos, yet it’s the same paint job. Overall, I highly recommend this model!
