Bandai

[Weaver]

I really, really like the Razor Crest and the preceding Republic Gunship, even though I recognise them as rip-offs* from an old 2000AD Rogue Trooper strip. However, given the cost of decent-size kits, I always fantasize about building my own original one from gunship helicopter and aircraft parts.

*EDIT - "Rip-off" isn't quite fair. The Republic Gunship is basically a "Hind" version of the "Hueycobra" one in 2000AD.

[Gondor]

I really, really like the Razor Crest and the preceding Republic Gunship, even though I recognise them as rip-offs* from an old 2000AD Rogue Trooper strip. However, given the cost of decent-size kits, I always fantasize about building my own original one from gunship helicopter and aircraft parts.

*EDIT - "Rip-off" isn't quite fair. The Republic Gunship is basically a "Hind" version of the "Hueycobra" one in 2000AD.

The engineering equivalent of Convergent Evolution at work. There are only so many ways to design a vehicle to do the same job. In this case, carry troops safely and provide some firepower to support them at the same time.

[Weaver]

I really, really like the Razor Crest and the preceding Republic Gunship, even though I recognise them as rip-offs* from an old 2000AD Rogue Trooper strip. However, given the cost of decent-size kits, I always fantasize about building my own original one from gunship helicopter and aircraft parts.

*EDIT - "Rip-off" isn't quite fair. The Republic Gunship is basically a "Hind" version of the "Hueycobra" one in 2000AD.

The engineering equivalent of Convergent Evolution at work. There are only so many ways to design a vehicle to do the same job. In this case, carry troops safely and provide some firepower to support them at the same time.

Nah - too generous. Remember, this isn't hard engineering, it's space-opera rule-of-cool engineering. There are LOADS of ways to design a troop transport and fire-support vehicle when you have "magic" technology like anti-grav, for which you get to make up the rules, capabilities and limitations. It's as much a matter of style as engineering, so when you see the same design cues in an old "forgotten" IP as in a new one, it's a pretty solid deduction that the latter lifted from the former to some degree.

Rogue Trooper from 2000AD (composite image):



Star Wars:



The designer of the Republic Gunship clearly had the Rogue Trooper flyer in mind when he started sketching. I'll happily concede that it might have been subconscious: maybe he saw it in the comic as a kid and it stuck with him (hell it did with me!). He then started swapping elements around to make it less derivative: Hind canopies instead of Hueycobra, flip the triangular fuselage section upside-down, put guns on the front of the engines, turn the clear WWII ventral turret into door-gunner bubbles, replace the wingtip rocket pods with two more gunner bubbles, make it bigger, etc... and he did a good job. The fact remains though, that they're both anti-grav craft with a helicopter gunship front end, a Vietnam Huey cabin with big, open side doors, high wings at the back, and two engines on top of the wing roots. None of that is dictated by engineering or military requirements, but it is "very Star Wars". And "very Rogue Trooper"...

[Captain Canada]

For sure a bit small. But also not completely out of place. One thing I thought was funny was how small a Snowspeeder was. The internet Star Wars people say it's half as long as an A-Wing, so I guess it's scaled right in the Bandai 1/144 range.

[zenrat]

Thanks for the link Mossie.
 

[Mossie]

Thanks for the link Mossie.
 

Welcome.