Written by AP• February 8, 2021• 2:01 am• Models, Star Wars

Lighting the Bandai 1/72 Scale Y-Wing

HomeModels, Star WarsLighting the Bandai 1/72 Scale Y-Wing

My wife hooked me up with the Bandai 1/72 scale model Y-Wing for my birthday last year (and just in time for the pandemic because this kit now sells for over $100!).

Bandai makes some great kits, if you’re new to the hobby, I highly recommend you check them out!

Also, I like to light my kits, sometimes, if you’ve seen my Star Destroyer, that thing is very well lit. I also did the Triple Zero kit, where I put the red LED’s into his eye, that was quite the headache, this should be relatively easy though. I’m not going to go crazy. I’m going to light the engines in the back, and maybe the cockpit.

So let’s get to it.

Things You’ll Need

1/72 Y-Wing from Bandai (https://amzn.to/2MyVgE1)
Photo Etch Kit (http://ebay.to/3jrY2qs)
Red SMD LEDs (https://amzn.to/2N8rVjp)
White SMD LEDs (https://amzn.to/3tDM29Z)
Button Battery Holder with Switch (https://amzn.to/3cR4FBA)
5mm Brass Rod (https://amzn.to/36SWFfp)
Super Glue (https://amzn.to/36M1Vl5)
Zip Kicker (https://amzn.to/2MBGE6S)
Vallejo Black Primer (https://amzn.to/3aI3Bgz)
Tamiya Flat White (https://amzn.to/36QD0wI)
Tamiya Flat Yellow (https://amzn.to/3rASTPT)
Tamiya JN Gray (https://amzn.to/2OgGoKU)

Things to Point Out

Installing the Photo Etching

To accommodate the photo etches I need to remove the panels that were embedded in the plastic.

I drilled some tiny holes over the area that I needed to cut out, almost like perforating paper.

Next time, I think I’m just going to use a Dremel or something because the plastic is REALLY hard.

Once removed, I used some CA glue to attach the photo etches in place.

Engine Lights

It’s pretty much the same process as before. Removing plastic from the piece, and gently gluing in the photo etch.

This is way sexier than the plastic piece, right?

I’m using SMD LED’s for the engine lights, these are just really tiny LED’s. The same ones I used in my triple zero build.

To glue them in place, I just used regular Elmer’s glue. I’m just paranoid with using Hot Glue. I don’t want to like, fry the LED or anything.

Once the glue dried, I started building the engine, strategically drilling holes to run the leads.

To get the leads through the wing, I notched out a channel inside, and then sandwiched the leads inside.

Cockpit Lights

I glued the diffuser in place and then placed white SMD’s on each side of the cockpit.

I then painted the inside black to help block out the light.

I cut some small pieces of electrical tape and placed them over the LEDs to serve as light blockers.

I drilled out a channel down the center of the Y-Wing, and ran the LEDs through.

Finally, I connected the engine lights and the cockpit lights together, running the leads out through a hole in the bottom to the battery and switch.

The battery/switch is just super glued in place in the base.

And there you have it!

I’m very happy with how this turned out. If you give this a go, please let me know in the comments below! Did you try the photo etching? I’d love to hear how it worked for you.

Thanks for reading/watching, and as always. Stop planning and stop making.