Before you begin:

• OK, here are the instructions in detail for the "New and Improved" Headhunter. After posting my first Z-95 for critique, I used all of the suggestions to build this improved version. It uses more parts and takes more time, but the finished ship is a more accurate Headhunter.

Step 1

Disassemble the whole X-Wing, and remove the seat, wing assembly, landing gear, nose cone, and rear battery cover.

Step 2

Use sculpey to fill in the area where the nose "laser" was, cure, and sand smooth. Set aside, we'll get back to it at the end.

Step 3

Now take the rear battery cover and cut off the flap. Cut down the rear cover in size. (Trying to explain in words will be difficult, if you have questions, please email me.) Looking at the piece from the side, there is the "front" part, and a "rear" part. The "rear" part is smaller, and contains "scallops" at the top. The "front" part is what has the holes for the peg to hold it in place when the X-Wing is assembled. We want to cut off the "front" part, and keep the rear part. I used the angle as my guideline for cutting. Once you have it cut, set it aside.

Step 4

Dissasemble your A-Wing, including the canopy glass. (Set the glass far away, because if it gets near the super glue, it'll cloud the "glass".) Remove the seat to later transplant into the X-Wing body.

Step 5

Now cut off the cowling and cockpit section of the A-Wing. If you look closely at the A-Wing, there is actually a square line that runs around the whole section that makes a perfect guide line to cut. Basically it starts right in front of the little hump, and runs all the way to the back. The sides will be thin where the canopy closes, but that's ok. Once you have that cut, cut off the piece from the engine section that will fill in the back of the cowling. That is all you'll need from the A-Wing.

Step 6

On the X-Wing, find the line below the R2 unit that runs from the point of the cockpit to the rear. It's about 1/4'' from the top. It has an exact match on both sides. Cut along that line from the rear to the back of the cockpit.

Step 7

Also, remove the thin section on the back that the battery cover piece set on. To make sure you've gone far enough forward, check vs. the size of the new rear piece you have now. That should remove the entire top aft section of the X-Wing, and leave a place the exact size of the A-Wing canopy and cowling.

Step 8

Then, using the dremel, slice away the pegs that held the A-Wing's seat in place, as well as all extra plastic protrusions in the X-Wing body that take up room. The A-Wing seat and control panel are much larger than the X-Wing seat, so you will need lots of room. Remove all the electronics, wires, etc...

Step 9

Looking at the front of the A-Wing cockpit seat you'll see where the pilot's legs stick out. There is just a little ledge where the stickers are applied. Cut that section out, and save it. Now, there should not be a front of the cockpit, just 3 sides. That should allow you to squeeze the cockpit into the bottom fuselage. Check to make sure you do not need any adjustments by putting the top back on, and making sure there are no gaps along the side seam. Don't worry about the top sticking out, because the new cowling will cover it up. Ok, it fits, great. If not, trim the edges of the new seat slightly and try again.

Step 10

Test the fit the A-Wing cowling with the X-Wing top part. Glue into place, and let dry. Take the little piece you cut from the A-Wing engines, and glue into the back of the cowling.

Step 11

Sprinkle some baking soda along the seams where there might be a gap, or crevice you don't want. Smooth the soda flush with the hull, then run a bead of super glue over the top. That will form an instant bond harder than plastic, and great to sand down, to fill the seams. Now, the cowling should be in place, all seamed together, and the Headhunter's body should be taking shape.

Step 12

For the wings, carefully disassemble the wing assembly. Get rid of the R2 unit, and his housing system. There should be a rod that allows the wings to swivel. Keep only the wings themselves and the rod.

Step 13

Glue the wings together, and make sure they are flush all the way around. Make sure to glue them well at the swivel point, and glue all along the edges. Set aside until glue is dry.

Step 14

With the sanding wheel, sand down the mounts on the top and bottom of the wings that hold on the cannons. Make them as flush with the wing as you can, but don't ruin the edge of the wing.

Step 15

Now, take some thick styrene, or several sheets of thin stuff (which I did), and make the corner piece of the wing to square them up. The old wings tapered to the gun mounts. You want to square up the wings. Basically it involves a thin triangle. Place the wing on a sheet of styrene, draw the pattern, and cut. Once it's glued in place, the wings will be square. Ok, once you have built two styrene "sandwiches" the right thickness, glue them onto the wings, and fill in the seams.

Step 16

Once the wings are dry, take the bottom part of the hull, and set the wings into place. There should be a place to put the rod. Drop some glue into those slots where the rods go, and along the ledge of the hull where the wings set. Let that set until good and dry as well.

Step 17

Test everything again to make sure it will fit. The top will be snug, so be careful not to break your glue seal when trying this. If everything fits, then run some glue along the edges of the fuselage, and let set.

Step 18

Once the fuselage is dry, glue the rear piece on, and then fill in the seams. I rounded my rear piece a bit with the sanding wheel at the top to follow the cowling's curve.

Step 19

Put the nose cone back on, and screw it back in.

Step 20

Primer at least one coat over the whole ship (I used red primer because it's heavier, and when the gray is sanded, it gives it a neat effect).

Step 21

Next, coat the entire ship with the Light Aircraft gray.

Step 22

When the paint is dry, Paint details such as blast marks, engine intakes, exhaust residue, anything. Paint on your own design of squadron colors (I followed the original reference picture loosely). I also printed off the Gargoyle thingy that was on Luke's T-16, after I had altered it navy blue. The blue and green went well together. You could make them corresponding or not.

Step 23

Slice off the very end of the gun tip of the X-Wing guns. Then slice off the cannon barrel back at the stock. Cut 2 pieces of dowel rod about 6 inches long. Glue the tip on one end, and the stock on the other.

Step 24

Once the glue has dried, give them a good gloss black or gray coat. Glue on the wings (if the wings were done right, they should fit on there, with the front part and rear part of the stock hanging off the wingtips.

Step 25

Put the canopy in place and you are finished. This is a long and involved recipe, so be sure to e-mail me if anything isn't clear.

Tip provided by:  agwyant@mcmsys.com Aaron Wyant