I am so glad that AMT finally came out with this model. I got so distressed that they never made one before that I actually at one point took the body of a Tie Interceptor and made flat wings for it at one time, but that model has been lost over time and I never got around to building another until I found this model. It's the first time they released it and I was amazed they actually put in 2 of them on top of it all!

Before I begin a model I do research. I suggest renting the first Star Wars movie if you don't own it and freeze frame the battle sequences. I noticed that the ships were a light blue color and not the light gray that I originally thought. They also were weathered and not as clean as I originally thought as well. I believe this was just the model builders way of adding a bit more realism to the models themselves. They see alot of action and can't be perfect all the time.

First off, go through all your pieces and trim the flash that tends to exist on the edges of the pieces while they are still on the sprue. Flash is the bit of plastic that tends to seep through the cracks of the molds.

Begin painting your exterior pieces with the Flat Light Blue. I used a brush, but you can spray them completely with a complete coat. Make the first coat as light as possible due to the fact that the model isn't build yet and you'll need to sand down the seams after gluing and filling in the cracks. Then you go back over with the light blue along the seams to give it a seamless look.

After you get the body base coat down, begin with the cockpit. Since you don't see much of it, you can put as much detail as you like into it. I prefer putting all the detail that I can into the cockpits I build, but it's up to you. Once the cockpit is completely painted, start on the figure. I tend to glue the arms onto the main body before hand while the body is still on the sprue. This way I can fill in the seems of where the arms meet the body before painting.

Watch the movie again and see how the pilots look. Begin by painting the figure completely flat black. Then use a dry brushing technique of taking your brush, dipping it into the paint and dabbing it on a paper towel until most of the paint is off the brush, then lightly brush the area that needs the color. It produces a very realistic look on small figurines. The pilots in the movie are kinda hard to see, but you can get a pretty good idea of the colors and areas by looking at the action figures. The instructions that came with the model have a pretty good base of the figure painting

I didn't get too detailed simply because while the figure is in the cockpit after the model is completed it is very difficult to see, so I didn't bother making it too detailed. Once you have the figure painted, go ahead and start putting together the model cockpit on both models (steps 1 through 7)

Part #18 I painted a Flat Black, but there are small holes in the molding that I left blue to give it a better look. Then I dry brushed it with Silver to give it a metallic look. Fill in the seems with your putty and sand them smooth. Then when it's dry, go ahead and touch up the seams with your Light Blue. Use a bit of Flat Red on the gun tips.

On the engines, in the movie, they weren't seen at all. It was simply a light blue color that completely covered the engines. Why I don't know. I decided to fill the entire area with a Flat Black and then just dry brushed the edges of each engine with Silver.

After I completed the main body, I used a dry brushing of Silver along the edges to give the model more of a weathering look. I also took a light wash of Flat Black for various oil streaks. I didn't go too nuts with the weathering because they do need to look well cared for. The Empire always makes sure their ships are always in proper working order even if they are the evil baddie guys!

After completing the body, I masked off the ribs of the wings on both sides and began painting the solar panels a Flat Black. Looking back I should have spray painted them for a more even coat. But they still came out looking good. Please note, that the inner areas of Part #4 I also painted a Flat Black with my small tipped brush.

The best feature of this model in my opinion is the highly detailed Death Star Base that came with it. After I completed both ties, the base I spent alot of time on, but not as much as you think. I began by painting the entire base a Flat Black (with a spray) and then I used my thinner to wipe away all the extra areas to give the details more highlighting. The effect is remarkable.

Then after I got most of the black removed in all the right places I dry brushed the details with Silver. As you can see, the detail the remains looks remarkable.

The name plate on the front of the base was completely painted Flat Black, and the lettering was done with Silver and viola!

I hope that this has helped you create and make a great looking professional model, and even due to it's short comings I hope it turned out looking good for you! Congratulations!