Star Wars Full Scale Millennium Falcon Project: Underway and Geeky

Extreme Star Wars fans in Tennessee are on a quest to build a full scale Millennium Falcon replica — we kid you not.

The site, which is raising money and seeking help from geeky Star Wars fans, explains:

This is a quest to build the ultimate Star Wars prop: a 1:1 scale ESB/ANH hybrid Millennium Falcon with complete, correctly scaled interior. Yes, I have completely lost my mind, just like most of my friends and family say. Except for those close Star Wars fan friends, who say “cool, can I help?

The full-scale Falcon team says completion could take as long as five years. Hit this link for a BBC video to see what they’ve accomplished already. The sheer breadth of the effort is pretty astounding. It isn’t the first time fans have built full-scale replicas of the Fan or of other Star Wars Tie Fighters, but this project is particularly intense. Project leads are doing it on 80 acres in Nashville. And yes, according to FullScaleFalcon.com, LucasFilm is aware of the effort. LucasFilm reps weren’t available for comment at this writing.

Source: BBC Video

Scroll below the fold to see a video describing a 2002 project to build a full-scale Falcon and an animated walk through of the fictional ship’s interior.

But first, here’s an excerpt from the project maker’s FAQ page:

Where is the Full Scale Falcon project site located?
The build site is about an hour west of Nashville, Tennessee USA.

How long will the Full Scale Falcon project take?
We don’t really know. That’s part of the fun. The journey is the reward, as they say. The excitement of the build, and of friends and fans working together on a group project is what we are going for.

Sounds expensive. Who is paying for this?
It will be expensive. It’s also labor of love. Everything it takes to make the project a reality is coming from us, the fans. That’s why it has moved at the pace that it has so far. We are open to donations of materials, services, and labor to help us construct the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.

How large is the Full Scale Falcon?
It will be somewhat larger than any of the movie sets:

Length: 114 feet
Beam (docking ring to docking ring): 81.485 feet
Height to top of body (not counting quad-laser turret): 24.878 feet
Height to top of dish: 30.889 feet
Clearance: ground to landing gear bay level: 7.779 feet
Clearance: ground to outside bottom of cockpit tube: 13.081 feet
Does Lucasfilm Ltd. know about the project?
Yes.

Why not use Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, etc. to raise money for the project?
We value our relationship with Lucasfilm Ltd., and respect their intellectual property rights. As such, we will not be publicly soliciting funding through any type of online or other fundraising mechanism. This is a fan-driven project.

Who are you? What’s your operating number?
Our founder, Chris Lee, is one of the original members of the 501st Legion of Imperial Stormtroopers. His operating number is TK-326.

I want to help. What can I do?
Currently we have several teams working on different aspects of the project. Depending on your skills, you may be able to contribute in one or more areas. If you are a prop builder or model maker, there are many interior and exterior construction and detailing projects that need to be tackled. We are also looking for forum moderators, heavy equipment owners (if you have access to earth moving equipment in the Waverly, TN area and can donate your time and the use of the machines, please get in touch), and once the hull is roughed out, we will be organizing build weekends where many fans can gather and help. If you wish to contribute and join the team, contact us to start the conversation.

Will it fly?
Heh. Not likely.

Here’s a video from YouTube — the designers call this particular effort improvisational construction — describing how Star Wars fans built a full-sized Falcon in 2002.

Source: MentalWardFilms