"Circle the Jedi. A perimeter, create, around the survivors!"
(Master Yoda)

or

How I built a realistic Republic Gunship and an AT-TE Carrier out of two Kenner-Hasbro Gunships.

When I got my first Republic Gunship on Christmas 2002, I was immediately sad, that Kenner didn´t included the Cannonballs. The Cannonballs, which were later delivered with the Pilot-figures, didn't fit also. They were a) too little, b) not transparent and c) unmanned.

Therefore, I built it by myself. A report for that I already published.
These improved Balls didn't satisfy me enough. I wanted to suit the gunship more to the original in the movie. Also, I wanted a second Gunship, which carries the AT-TE.
So, in detail as follows:

1. Republic Gunship:

First, I cut away the toy-handle on the topside. Then, I surfaced and abraded the remaining holes. Next, I took the both included red rockets and cut the rear part away, so they had the same length and look like the rockets melt in the Turbines/Rocket launcher.
I copied the rockets 10 times with silicon milk and surfacer. Then, I mounted the rockets on 16mm round wood and screwed it into the pit. Then, I painted the rockets

before: after:

Next, I built the net, were the clone troops and Jedi can hold their self. Ich searched for a suitable wide net, but found nothing. Therefore, I took a wooden plate, draw a 16cm x 10cm net with a net-width of 10mm x 10mm and layed 1mm thick sailing strings on. The ends, I fixed with stickers. Then, I "sewed"vertical again sailing strings over and below the horizontal levels and fixed them also with stickers. Then I fixed the knots with glue. Finally, I separated the net from the wooden plate, painted the net black and cutted out a 3cm x 3cm quadrate on each corner. Then, I bent the long and the small sides up and stuck the net into the roof of the gunship.
I clipped finally my Cannonballs to the ship. Ready!

2. AT-TE Carrier

First, I built another AT-TE, which was this time 3 times bigger than the Action-Fleet AT-TE.
The first AT-TE I built 4 times bigger. A report about my first AT-TE already exists.
Then, I took my second Gunship and cut away the bottom from the centre wall backwards to the enginges.

The cut-lines:

Then, I abraded everything. A painting was not necessary, because the basic colour of the gunship was also the colour of the plastic, Kenner used.
Next, I cut the rear Cockpit-bubble away (because the AT-TE Carrier is operated only by one pilot), placed a pilot in the front Cockpit, screwed the front Cockpit-bubble on, covered the rear Cockpit with a fly-net (usually for protecting windows that fly can not come into a house) and surfacer, abraded and painted it grey.

I had to cut the little automatic Cannonballs out of the wings and replace it with polystyrene plates, which I painted grey. Also, I had to cut away the rocket-launchers, because the AT-TE has only turbines. I covered the remaining hole with a wooden round part, which I painted black. Additional, I covered it with a ring of aluminium. After that, I cut the original Kenner-Hasbro molded rockets on the launcher away, surfaced, and abraded a painted it grey.

Then, I closed the area of the play handle with a 1mm thick plastic plate. Finally, I built the gadgets, which hold the AT-TE and painted it black. Then my both gunships were ready.

The Originals: