"The Little Differences" - A-Wings and Y-Wings

If you have been following my Blog you'll know that I am a stickler for consistency in my collection. This week's "Little Differences" is all about consistency amongst vehicles. I am very selective with what I keep in my collection, so I only want the best versions of figures and vehicles. If either gets improved in a significant way the older version gets chopped up for fodder, traded or sold to help offset the cost of the new one. Like anything in life, there are some exceptions to the rule. There are those instances when a better version of a vehicle comes out with some improved parts rendering the older version slightly outdated. Some of those outdated vehicles sport unique decos that I do not want to part with as the overall sculpt is not outdated.But can they get updated for OCD consistency collectors like myself? YES!

This week I am going to focus on the A-Wings and the Y-Wings. To date, in the modern line each of those vehicles were released three times with three different decos respectively. On the third release of each vehicle style they received some new part upgrades. The 2007 Y-Wing received new larger front cannons and the 2008 A-Wing received an uber detailed cockpit:

Hasbro did a superb job refreshing both of these older vehicles that are still very much up to par to today's standards. (They do still need to fix the limp landing gear on the Y-Wing!) I particularly loved the lastest release of both but I really still liked my older versions of the respective vehicles. Being a consistency enthusiast I bought extras of each of the newer upgraded vehicles to see if I could swap the parts to upgrade the older versions.

The Y-Wing Cannons are very easy to change. I do suggest unscrewing the older versions so you do not stress the front fender to remove the old cannons. You only have to remove the front screws to slightly loosen it to get them out. (If you are lazy they can be pulled out.) Since I made the investment I also used the 2007 Y-Wing windshields, rear thrusters and engine frames on the OTC version to really overhaul it. I used the entire engine frame on the POTF2 one as well. This requires disassembling the vehicle, it's not rocket science just do it slowly and you will know where things go when you put it back together.

The A-wings are slightly more involved as you have to completely unscrew the vehicle body to change the cockpits out. Hasbro has updated some of the internal screw bosses to accommodate the new upgrades. Luckily they did not change too much as the new cockpits will fit perfectly into the older version molds.  I also used the Legacy side canons on the POTF2 version as well to make all three really sync up. Take a look the pictures, they speak for themselves. The Green a-Wing was always my favorite version of the A-Wing thus far and it looks really great with the new cockpit. Yes, I know this is not an inexpensive upgrade but to me it was very well worth it. My fleet is now upgraded and consistent...

Now look at my entire consistent A & Y Wing fleet together with the upgraded parts:

What did I do with the leftover ships you ask? Well, I reassembled them to be completed kit bashed versions and sold them as is on eBay to recoup some of the investment. You can also use the leftovers for customs or diorama fodder or battle damaged vehicles.

As you can see the "Little Differences" can make a big difference to your figures and vehicles! Until next time!