This is another fine product from RetroSF: The Twin-Pod Cloud Car in 1/72 scale. I decided to go with a very traditional paint scheme, augmented with only a few small decals.

While this was a pretty straight forward build there were some technical issues that needed to be hammered out. Number one: the engine housing between the pods might eventually warp and bend so I put a brass rod through it, connecting each pod. A little reinforcement never hurt. Number two: the top and bottom halves of each pod hull did not fit, as it seems they were made in an open mold. Each part needed to be sanded and then the gaps were filled when they were joined. Not a serious issue but a small pain. And number three: the canopies were crap. They were cast way too thin and were broken into tiny bits. Rather than contact RetroSF about the issue (shipping from the UK can be a pain, especially for something so small) I decided to rebuild them. This seemed the logical choice because getting a new set might not have solved the frailty issues...So I rebuilt them. Not perfect but they work.

Finishing wise I put 2 coats of rattle can paint on to get that nice shiny orange color. In this case it was Model Master's Hugger Orange lacquer. Perfect. Additional paneling was created with international orange and rust. Weathering was accomplished by both dry brushing steel in key spots and using a Tamiya weathering kit. The base is my standard base with some pulled cotton balls to mimic clouds. The most important factor in this build for me was finishing it in 2010, since it was the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back!

Bottom

Cockpit

Pilot

Front Left

Left Front

Top