1:72 First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter (Bandai)

A black machine with crimson stripes

The special forces fighter appears in the film The Force Awakens in the opening minutes, and soon afterwards a captured Resistance pilot and a renegade trooper choose it for their escape from a Star Destroyer. It differs from the ordinary machines of the First Order in its black finish with crimson stripes on the solar panels, in its two-man crew and in the rotating gun turret under the fuselage, thanks to which a raiding machine can cover its own back.

A kit for collectors

The package comes from a Japanese mold famous for the accuracy of its fit. The parts are injection-molded in several colors, so the model holds together by snapping in and looks faithful after mere assembly. A rotating turret, the frame of the cockpit with its glazing and a stand that sets the machine in a flying attitude are included.

Anyone who wants to go further will appreciate the smooth surfaces of the panels as a base for shading the black and for fine rubbed-through marks in silver paint on the edges. The crimson stripes can either be applied from the decals enclosed or sprayed through a mask, which on a dark base calls for a light undercoat first. The stripes are meant to follow on across the parting seam, so the panels are glued only once the paint is dry.

The finished model will complete a display case with other machines of the saga, and thanks to its clear construction even a less experienced modeler can build it. The hexagonal panels are a rewarding place for dust applied dry, which gives a dark surface depth without lightening it.

Before closing the cockpit it is a good idea to think about whether a crew is going inside; a finished model can no longer be opened and the glazing is fairly small.