AT-ST (All-Terrain Scout Transport)
Source: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Brand: MPC/ERTL
Scale: 1/54 (unspecified)
Medium: Injection-molded plastic
Release Date: 1992
Pieces: 22
Life Lost: 12 hours
Enhanced: Yes (see captions)
TSF Rating: * * * *
An older effort of mine so not a great one...
Again, my attempt at weathering is a bit hap-hazzard, with just a dirty wash-over using a large brush, and no scraping or chipping efffects. I used my mandatory Humbrol Camouflage grey over the entire model with no detail painting or different coloured panels.
The two obvious modifications or enhancements I made to this kit were the handrail around the top hatch and the open viewports in front. The handrail is made, as I recall, from a length of sterling silver wire I had lying around (not sure of the gauge), seated atop slithers of Plasti-struct styrene C-beam (or is that U-beam??).
Why MPC didn't provide open view ports I don't know. I'm sure it would have been a reasonably simple exercise for them, which is exactly what it wasn't for me! Slowly and painfully I scored around the closed hatches until I could get the scalpel in behind and carefully cut them out. Over the years I have contemplated gluing them shut again as they have become the number one repeat casualty of any handling my collection endures!
Back when I put this kit together my skills and patience for scratch-building were limited, hence no interior. One day I might find (or sculpt) a suitable sized Chewie to sit victoriously in the hatch.
Overall, a good effort from the manufacturer but, for me, it loses points (again) for size. Such an awesome vehicle is the AT-ST that it deserves a more dignified scale. Bigger is almost always better!
Again, my attempt at weathering is a bit hap-hazzard, with just a dirty wash-over using a large brush, and no scraping or chipping efffects. I used my mandatory Humbrol Camouflage grey over the entire model with no detail painting or different coloured panels.
The two obvious modifications or enhancements I made to this kit were the handrail around the top hatch and the open viewports in front. The handrail is made, as I recall, from a length of sterling silver wire I had lying around (not sure of the gauge), seated atop slithers of Plasti-struct styrene C-beam (or is that U-beam??).
Why MPC didn't provide open view ports I don't know. I'm sure it would have been a reasonably simple exercise for them, which is exactly what it wasn't for me! Slowly and painfully I scored around the closed hatches until I could get the scalpel in behind and carefully cut them out. Over the years I have contemplated gluing them shut again as they have become the number one repeat casualty of any handling my collection endures!
Back when I put this kit together my skills and patience for scratch-building were limited, hence no interior. One day I might find (or sculpt) a suitable sized Chewie to sit victoriously in the hatch.
Overall, a good effort from the manufacturer but, for me, it loses points (again) for size. Such an awesome vehicle is the AT-ST that it deserves a more dignified scale. Bigger is almost always better!
All images property of The Starship Factory 2010.