Original X-Wing Model from Star Wars: Episode IV!

Adam visits Prop Store ahead of their upcoming Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction to get a rare up-close look at one of the few surviving X-Wing miniatures from the making of Star Wars: Episode IV. Inspecting the paint finish and preserved surface of this gorgeous filming miniature is like a looking into the early days of the ILM model shop, with every detail revealing first hand the care and attention that went into the first Star Wars movie.
Check out the props and costumes from Prop Store's upcoming auction: propstoreaucti...
Shot by Josh Self and edited by Norman Chan
Music by Jinglepunks
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[@tested]

Check out the props and costumes from Prop Store's upcoming auction: propstoreauction.com/auctions/catalog/id/319

[@samgranier6735]

Woaouuuuuuuuuuuuu Excellent 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Merci Adam Savage c est cool 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@EGOS42]

Keep us apprised what this fetches at auction. I can imagine quite a bit.

[@davidjacobs8558]

Check out this Amazing AT-AT model from Brazil 14 years ago. about 8 inches tall and It walks !!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWacqn-imdd7hLM kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWXXmKhtirGem68 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpqZgISFZbikisU

[@Outamyhead]

I just saw this prop at the Star Wars Celebration, it's amazing to see something that wasn't meant to survive the movie shoot, let alone forty five years and still look good...I forgot to take a photo of it but this exists so I can always watch it again.

[@kchickenlord]

Estimate of $500,000 - $1,000,000, a bid of $500,000 is already down.

[@chadwcmichael]

So this thing was meant to be destroyed twice, and it’s lasted this long, and looks this good? Fantastic.

[@purefoldnz3070]

i'm surprised it lasted at all with Adam waving his hands around like that

[@lukeskywalker6809]

The Force is strong with this one.

[@EVAUnit4A]

Definitely the Wing Gundam effect at work in this model.

[@carlosbovia6813]

I still recal the chill down my spine when we all saw the X-wings opening for the first time, readying for battle and the "aaawww" exclamation followed by cheers and applause and all the kids in the movie theatre jumping in our seats... And when we left after the movie the smile in my late dad´s face "what an awsome movie"... Those guys made a magic that has lived with me since and has passed now to my kids... I have no ways to thank them...

[@sci-fyguy7767]

Same: saw it in the theater when I was 9! 🔥

[@yukonjon5964]

so true! i was 10 years old

[@30AndHatingIt]

I was born in 86, so only saw it on a wooden box tv in my childhood home around say, 1991-1992? And for the next couple of years, Star Wars was special… only 3 films and a handful of classic games. So I feel sad I missed the theater experience with y’all, but I definitely vibed the magic. Of course, I did get to see the special editions (flaws and all) in theaters and then the prequels. Hard stop after that, if you know what I mean…

[@Jmersh]

Adam, you were giving me heart palpitations talking with such large gestures so close to the model, waving your arms around talking about the groundbreaking aesthetic.

[@brianartillery]

Sad that Colin Cantwell, who designed it, and so many iconic Star Wars craft, died a few days ago. He left a great legacy.

[@Goat4459]

R.i.p i didn't know that..thats so sad 🥺😥😢

[@appalachianunderground8474]

A true artist , his legacy will continue on for many years to come ✝️🇺🇸🤙🏻🅰️

[@cookingwithjesus]

Is that where it came from maybe?

[@pilgrimgrey4191]

@@cookingwithjesus Lucas always said the initial design came from Ralph McQuarries concept art same as a lot of other OG designs.

[@uhitskyle]

Whether he died or not he left a great legacy. I have never even seen a single film of star wars and I totally get it. Sad that 'sometimes' we have to lose something to realize how great that something was e.g Colin

[@davidpetersonharvey]

A friend of mine in high school, just a couple of years after the movie came out, built his own X-Wing and Tie Fighter from balsa wood. He made a tar paper space background with lights shining through holes in the black and did some amazing photos with them.

[@seanbarraclough2484]

Guy built an AT-ACT kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXaUnqVunqipd5o

[@derekwagner157]

What a wonderful experience to have. Thank you so much for sharing it with us! I may be 57 now but for a few minutes I was a kid again,

[@dragons_red]

Oh wow this takes me back. I remember as a kid in the 70s seeing these models in the behind the scenes and just dreaming of owning them as the ultimate replica toy to play with! Adams enthusiasm really reflects my own back then.

[@ttlreviews]

One of my friends works for the film studios in London making the full size versions for the star wars films including one of these and also a full size wooden, glass dome bit from the millennium Falcon. They paid and sent him and some other guys to America to put together the full size x wing outside the cinema for the Premier for one of the star wars films, I think it was rogue one. Basically he does the same as Adam did but on a full size scale. A fascinating and highly skilled job. He's got some pretty interesting photos of projects he's worked on for different movies.

[@johnmacdougall5800]

Adam makes me nervous around these delicate props! He gets so excited and starts flailing his arms so close to it. Lol

[@Richard-Espanol]

Adam nerding out so hard is cathartic, I'd be doing the same thing but with way less knowledge of model building and what not lol. Thank you guys!! This is a huge treat for me! I love this stuff!

[@GuyVardaman]

I wonder if the blue that was washed with white and the purple could have been vestiges of when it was blue squadron? I don’t know if they painted and filmed X-Wings in blue before changing to red for the blue screen effects… What an awesome find!

[@coledakers6127]

3:53

[@jajaman531]

It’s funny that this pops up as my wife just handed me a model kit of the X-Wing for my birthday. ❤️

[@92cb7sedan]

Happy Birthday man, MTFBWY!

[@kadosho02]

Best gift ever! Happy birthday 🥳🎉🎉🎉

[@jajaman531]

Thank you 🥹

[@greggv8]

Google is always listening...

[@eddyjohan8650]

You are so lucky to have such understanding wife. A woman who understand her man. I love my wife but whenever i bought any model kit, I keep it hidden for several months. Suddenly the thing pop up , she would ask if that is a new toy....and I would always say....naaah. i bought it so long ago and i got it cheap.

[@Blake_Stone]

The amount of work put into this thing that was meant to be on screen for three seconds in a scene where it explodes is just incredible.

[@tamidon40]

Saw this at Star Wars Celebration this year. So awesome to be that near to such an iconic piece of my childhood and film history.

[@fredriklundin1560]

This is the most beautiful thing pop culture and sci-fi ever brought us.

[@davidferrick]

Am I the only one that's nervous with how fast and close Adam's hands are waving around the X-wing? Can you imagine accidentally damaging this?

[@peterwisk6797]

yep good point the other guy is hands away. Adam seems like he wants to own the piece with his gestures.

[@nvrmor023]

Im more concerned with his spitting all over it

[@jessicaregina1956]

No issue, just a one day build is all!

[@jessicaregina1956]

Can you imagine referring to the wingtip mounted equipment as RADAR DISHES??????

[@devinpol4258]

This guy has flailed his hands and painted so many iconic objects I wasn’t worried.

[@reggievangleason9511]

Love the way Adam swings his arms and hands around, close to the model. So Exciting!!

[@pallen9044]

Absolutely fantastic! I'm pretty sure Indiana Jones would say it belongs in a museum 😁

[@Sniffy1975]

Absolutely loved Adam's obvious excitement at seeing such an iconic model up close and completely nerding out while describing the techniques used :)

[@utubehanna]

I want to say this is the X-wing that was depicted on the Star Wars lunchbox that I coveted so much as a kid. How is it that the thing looks like it’s going Mach 5 while sitting still?

[@upthebikez]

I love how right behind the model they have 3 of the iconic Star Trek uniforms (TNG and DS9), one being a Borg costume.

[@travishayes840]

The artistry and creativity that went into these models, 45 years ago, is so very impressive!

[@johngrubb1590]

WOW I thought there was none left amazing. Makes you think what else is out there in private collections.

[@unsuisseegare1291]

I love how the ILM painters basically created all the technics we use today in the scale modelling hobby

[@RedHeadKevin]

It blows my mind that none of the REAL, screen-used Star Wars models I've ever seen would come close to winning a prize at an actual IPMS model contest. Gaps, paint splotches, glue marks, mold lines, they all exist on the real models, but they'd all drop the models out of the running in a contest. On one hand, it's a testament to the quality of modern model kits and how well people build them. On the other hand, I always use it as inspiration that "good enough is good enough" when I'm building a model. Rather than spending a week making sure everything is 100% seamless or the paint is 100% "accurate," I don't mind if my colors don't match exactly, or if you can see two parts that don't match perfectly. It reminds me that the hobby is fun, and I don't have to torture myself with it.

[@redkittyproject]

I don't stress when Adam is excited around the model, he's a professional and knows how fragile these things are. Though it always bothers me when wearing the white gloves, he'll touch his face or cross his arms thus leaving skin oil on the outside of the glove before he points to the model yet again. Come on Adam!

[@hazeldavis3176]

There are so many amazing things in the background I can't even pay attention to this awesome find! Overload in the best way!

[@SPAMsammiches]

I love that he's still wearing the temp ruler tat he put on to show it off. :) Awesome video

[@busydadscooking001]

Somehow it just looks so much more "real" than any scanned and cgi reproduced model or even a modern replica. Even just sitting in a prop room while a youtube camera holder pans over it.

[@redadamearth]

Practical effects, when done well, will always be better. The mind knows what's real and what isn't, even if it's unconsciously, there's always a tell. It's much more satisfying seeing an in-camera effect, especially a ship.

[@denniswashburn8701]

Also, a model is a real thing. It’s a miniature representation of something. The model gives the look of realism. Behind the camera, done right, it will look real. For instance there’s a KZbin kid on the real world that makes videos of him taking pictures of diecast cars with real backgrounds. Usually the diorama the kid builds with the car blends in with the surroundings. If you get a chance check those pictures out it’s amazing how real these diecast cars look with the real background.

[@lgab]

This type of comment is just so annoying and inflammatory, you have no idea.

[@Wulfryk]

stuff like this brings nothing but excitement out of me :D

[@jrkorman]

Adam mentions the film "Silent Running" when talking about the models having their "used" look. I have to wonder also about the effect of "Heavy Metal" magazine and similar art, as that was a big departure from the older comics where everything! looked brand new. [edit] I was reading HM back then but didn't realize how new it was [Feb '77]. Still there were people creating that type of art prior to Star Wars.

[@unsoundmethodology]

FWIW, _Métal Hurlant_ , the French magazine from which _Heavy Metal_ got a lot of its content, was launched by comics artist Mœbius (Jean Giraud) et al. in 1974; he was definitely pioneering a lot of the "used future" aesthetic that would be so influential later. (Giraud contributed to early design work on _Alien_ and, while unable to work on the film, was often cited as a big influence on _Blade Runner_ .)

[@jrkorman]

@@unsoundmethodology Thank you - Some information I was unaware of and thank you for the phrase "used future" as I was trying for something similar and failing!

[@3DJapan]

When I was in school for 3D animation back in 2001 we had to model an XWing and all we had for reference was like 9 photos of this model found on the internet. That and some plastic model kits the school bought for us to use (I got to build one of them!). I took it upon myself to grab some screen shots from the movies.

[@goodBEan]

I noticed the borg costume int he background and then the other start trek uniforms at around 2:40, I am freaking out.

[@1pcfred]

It is the prop store.

[@JGooden762]

I just see Brandon dying inside slowly every time Adam emotes with his hands around the priceless model XD

I am not sure if this has been suggested before, but they should place a mirror on the base so we can see the underside (if it had any details).

[@QldChickenPuncher]

oh dude.. am so envious. Thanks for sharing, Adam!

[@Bad_Wolf_Media]

If I had to guess, they had a back-up pyro model in case they didn't get the shot they needed the first time. Once they got the shot, then this would have been tossed in a box or a corner and forgotten about.

[@TonyTylerDraws]

Yeah it sounds like they used it for Red Leader and it mostly survived. So they salvaged to use as a Red 3 backup, like you said. I wonder if there are other unused props from the films hidden away somewhere

[@catfish552]

That's what I thought too. Biggs' X-Wing exploding is a very prominent shot in the film and an important story beat (after that, Luke is alone in the trench), so I can see them wanting to have a backup available.

[@farfromdeathstar]

saw it in person at Star wars celebration. drool.... omg so awesome to see it!

[@882952]

As Adam said, "unfathomable" - that's the only way to describe the feeling I get looking at these incredibly close up views of an object I fell in love with so many years ago. It's part of the deepest history of my life. A part of my childhood.

[@phillee321]

I was watching the video while painting my tank model, using the layered chipping method that Adam talks about in the video! Such a nice coincidence!

[@andrewpettay5409]

I cringed thinking about it getting knocked off the stand what a great piece of cinema history! Keep the starwars content coming!

[@raydzek]

I love that you referenced Silent Running.

[@matze0402]

a piece of pure movie history

[@peterhagan8454]

you got me again Adam, mesmerising your stories are amazing

[@DGRussMB]

Thank you for sharing this moment!! I’m excited just watching you get excited over this piece. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it! My inner Jedi, did a backflip when I first saw your thumbnail!

[@dialupsyndrome1910]

You know it's serious when Adams glasses become pointers

[@frankwire4348]

I swear I am ALWAYS freaked out when Adam starts wildly gesticulating around this super fragile "relics"...

[@briancaldwell9038]

This video stressed me out LOL. Adam talking with his hands so close to it had me nervous that he was going to knock into it.

[@yoshivu8236]

I will always have a soft spot for Star Wars, since my career would've been very different had the property not existed. This one hit me the in feels... lol.

[@rubberduck3421]

everything from star wars is such an amazing design. from uniforms to spaceships. it's like the designers crawled into my head and copied my tastes. unfortunately i found the uniforms and vehicles of the empire more fascinating than those of the rebels. especially the tidierium shuttle and the star destroyers and the at-at hit me. but i found the x-wing better than the tie fighter.

[@MisterRlGHT]

The SS of WWII were at least as unsavory as the Empire, and they had the snappiest wardrobe in the history of military uniforms.

[@rubberduck3421]

@@MisterRlGHT But I mean more the uniforms of the troopers. One can hardly overlook the fact that the uniforms of the officers resemble those of the Nazis :-) But as a child I always wanted to be a Stoormtrooper in kindergarten. I just loved the uniforms.

[@donniemontoya9300]

What an astonishing peice of history. Fantastic shape for its age.

[@iancarpenter441]

AWESOME! The original X-Wing to me IS Star Wars! Such a classic and amazing design, beautiful and stylish. Great artifact!

[@JazzJaRa]

Yeah i knew the X-Wing before i got to see the movies xD I basically watched the movies because of the X-Wing.

[@robwayne8322]

Think about how many "views" this "model" has gotten over the past 46 years! Incredible!

[@dmk351]

i love how the backdrop for this star wars piece is all picards outfits :D

[@thisolddog2259]

I remember my Dad took me to see Star Wars when it hit the theaters. I was blown away!

[@punkworkschannel]

Up close these models looks good but on the big screen they looked amazing! A tribute to the way they made movies before CGI.

[@Zagoreni02A]

I don't know how would i stop myself from touching that X-wing, just to touch piece of history. Darn. I have bunch of X-wings models which of course are new and much better detailed but this one is a treasure, true treasure for future generations of SW fans:)

[@Mike_Costello]

All that handwaving is freaking me out!

[@8474Starscream]

This is so badass! Yes I love my Hot Toys Star Wars action but this...............this is FIRE!

[@shinobi-Wan]

I was lucky to see a few props when they had them at the exploritorium in San Jose CA. They had an x wing about that size, the milanium falcon, a star destroyer, a few costumes including the wampa, anakins pod racer, phantom menace c3po, droidika.

[@spikey556]

a seventies design that still holds up to this day as a science fiction highlight

[@jasonrackawack9369]

That thing seriously belongs in the Smithsonian. However Rick from Pawnstars would be like "look its old its dusty, I have to get a display case made for it, its from one of the early pre CGI movies without Jar Jar Binks..... kids dont even remember this stuff from the 1970s.....I am taking all the risk here.....I will need to have it restored professionally before I can sell it and it may sit in my shop for a few years before I sell it, .......$100 is my best offer"

[@davidjacobs8558]

Perhaps, it belongs at "Lucas Museum of Narrative Art" being built in Los Angels as we speak. opening in 2023.

[@alaingadbois2276]

Unique find for sure! Makes one wonder what could still turn up… The purple color looks exactly like a spray can primer I could buy from the hardware store years ago.

[@mimsnshine]

Painstaking detail!!💖

[@drivewaystar6485]

I've never wanted to grab Adam with both hands, shake him and yell "NEEERD!!!" more than ever while watching this lol

[@RM_VFX]

I still have an unfinished x-wing started 25 years ago when I was at Fox, got the engines lit and mounted, wings painted, detailed a jet pilot to stand in for Luke, and got as far as drilling the control panel for fiber optics, but never painted the body!

[@NHCOHawaii]

Anyone else made nervous by Adam's wild hand motions next to this model?

[@bonorbitz]

Adam needs to be a bit more relaxed around these precious models. In these types of videos, the prop guy always seems nervous when Adam is moving excitedly around these models. Gotta slow down, keep your distance, and be more careful because accidents do happen.

[@grahamfloyd3451]

Content we'll never see: the various Lego UCS X-wings held up side by side with this.

[@mikemotta9754]

Brandon held his breath while Adam "Crazy Arms" Savage was looking at it.

[@NighthawkVsTheDragon]

This is modern day archaeology. So freaking cool!

[@DHBat]

Such an iconic shape. I absolutely hated the half engines on the T-70 and let's just forget about the T-85 existing.

[@scottyhughes9179]

i love the enthusiasm in this.... bravo!!!

[@ray24051]

I have a couple of castings that were taken from the Pyro models that were gifted to me by the owner of "Wonderfest" a few years ago I kept them for reference. I ended up making my own studio scale X-Wing using the old Estes Maxi Brute X-wing Rocket fuselage and the rest scratch building with styrene and using kit parts used in the original models, took me about a year to complete.

[@aethersurfer6793]

It’s interesting that the Sci-fi aesthetic went from clean and chrome in the 50s and 60s to beat-up and used from the mid/late 70s onwards.

[@jessicaregina1956]

🤣 "none of the radar dishes" Yes, because those four things mounted on the ends of the wings are "radar dishes)

[@troophq]

Beautiful - brings a tear to my eye

[@manlymcstud8588]

the way adam gesticulates wildly so close to such a delicate item stresses me out.

[@ficklampa]

Wow, that is such a cool find. So impressed it has held up so well too for being made from that material... Always fun to see actual movie props like this

[@DoctorGeek1]

Brandon’s hair DESERVES to be preserved in a museum.

[@cafespy6906]

Superglue was available to the general public in 1958. Not sayin your wrong here just wanting a clarification because I am fascinated.

[@glennhawley1192]

man love the x.wing my favourite of all the models totally awesome dude......

[@PrimarchX]

Is anyone else nervous watching Adam gesticulate wildly next to the old, brittle, light foam model?

[@ishyab011]

Love ya Adam. Thx for the share! :)

[@burtpanzer]

It's intended purpose was to be destroyed but they never imagined it would happen after being stored for 50 years, Adam!

[@liamh9814]

At the time episode IV came out I bought every magazine I could mentioning Star Wars. In one I remember it being said that Plaka Ink was used to distress X-Wings. I can’t find any reference to that now. Did I dream it?

[@TheJorgSacul]

That's a true fact, I recall it as well. We can't BOTH be addled, can we? I remember buying some for just that purpose back in '78 when the first models came out.

[@liamh9814]

@@TheJorgSacul thanks for that. Good memories. I must have read the ink from the pages of those magazines I looked at them for hours.

[@sentinelmoonfang]

You can definitely tell by the scorch mark on the front of the fuselage it was Red Leader. If I recall Biggs' X-Wing had a good deal more blue on it. I did a ton of research back when I was playing the miniatures game to paint up my X-Wings as a screen accurate Red Squadron from ANH.

[@user-tb5ns7hc5i]

That uber-rare original model is an important piece of film and cultural history. I wonder what crazy price it would fetch at auction? Can you even place value on something this priceless? #ModernArtTreasure

[@user-tb5ns7hc5i]

Ultimate bragging rights and holy grail for some billionaire geek with that hanging in his mansion’s art collection - “Yeah, that’s ILM’s x-wing fighter model from the first Star Wars.” #YupYouWin

[@lkjh861]

[8:57] Not a B-52, Adam - that's the 8-engine jet bomber still in use today, has no ball turret. You probably meant the iconic B-17 or B-24 from WW2. Thank you so much for a lovely cascade of model building details from Star Wars... 🙏😊

[@md65000]

Didn't think I could possibly learn something new about Star Wars--had no idea the Red number was painted on the wings!

[@mnantel3861]

WOW that's so cool.

[@genius2005]

EPIC!

[@jmpattillo]

It would be great if the Smithsonian could buy that. That’s an important cultural artifact.

[@1pcfred]

I'm not sure if the Smithsonian buys anything. I think it's all donated? You probably get a tax write off for the donation though.

[@davidjacobs8558]

Perhaps at "Lucas Museum of Narrative Art" being built in Los Angels as we speak. opening in 2023. I'm not sure how many of original X-Wing models that Lucas owns.

[@1pcfred]

@@davidjacobs8558 me guess is George owns as many as he wants to. There's a famous picture of him standing in the middle of a sea of models. They're all his too. At one point it was all his.

[@davidjacobs8558]

@@1pcfred When he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, did the ownership of movie props went to Disney also?

[@1pcfred]

@@davidjacobs8558 I don't think Disney got everything. In fact it was kind of a raw deal. I don't think Lucas was a distressed seller in the transaction. Disney was more like an aggressive buyer. I heard Lucas even retained marketing rights? So when Star Wars toys come out he's pocketing that. They got the old catalog and the right to make new content. They bought all the intellectual property. Past that I don't think they got squat. Only what George wanted to sell them.

[@noitallmanaz]

I want one of the Star Trek uniforms behind them.

[@ItsMotoMatt]

"The four radar dishes"... erm... they're laser cannons, Adam.

[@jessicaregina1956]

🤣 nerd license: invalid

[@beskararmor7966]

I want Porkin's X-Wing model. Hero's never die!

[@rolflandale2565]

The original model had a paradox in the design very real life paradigm. A hypersonic shape. Turbine VTOL *or* compression convert, micro atmospheric air coolers nose tip. As thermal shield vents. 80s SDI vector cannons. Plasma afterburns & AI ally.

[@paulbennett4548]

Have just seen the final auction price: $2,375,000.00 Just a Tad out of my league, DOOOOOHHHH!

[@bamagrad99]

That thing should be in the Smithsonian next to the model of USS Enterprise used in the original Star Trek series.