Introduction: K'NEX B-Wing Starfighter From Star Wars

By KnexFlux forum page
About: Hello! I'm a maths tutor and primary school teacher and have always had a passion for making things. This started at an early age with LEGO and K'NEX. I share my K'NEX projects on instructables for others to …

“Always pass on what you have learned”

- Yoda

And in this instructable I will pass on how I made a K'NEX B-Wing Starfighter from the original Star Wars trioligy! I've made this model out of appreciation of this somewhat "underdog" starfighter. Personally I'm a Star Wars fan and the B-wing is one of my favourite ships (Next to the Millenium Falcon, Slave I and the Lambda-Class, which I already made out of K'NEX)

The ship has several moving parts, such as the S-foils (like the real ship) and and a rotating cockpit that always locks on it's target. (On Earth it adjusts to gravity ;) The whole model was built in just 7 hours.

If you're not the flying-around-type-of-person, you can display the model with a display stand. I've made a customized information plate that's available to download. (The original comes from the LEGO Ulitimate Collectors Set 10227)

The steps are as followed:

  1. Parts needed
  2. The Thrusters
  3. The Hull
  4. The Bottom Wing
  5. The S-Foils
  6. The Cockpit
  7. The display-stand

Each step has an appropriate Yoda-quote to keep the theming right ;)

Step 1: Parts Needed

“Much to learn you still have…my old padawan. This is just the beginning!”

You will need the following for the Starfighter:
(below you will find the extra parts for the Display Stand)

Rods: Buy here

  • 89x Black rod
  • 53x Silver rod
  • 1x Black rod (same size as silver, for aesthetic purposes)
  • 2x Flexible purple rod (same size as silver, to prevent painful fingers)
  • 10x Blue rod
  • 2x Flexible blue rod
  • 9x Dark grey rod
  • 3x Metallic green rod

Connectors: Buy here

  • 4x 8-way black connector
  • 5x 7-way blue 3D connector
  • 7x 4-way silver 3D connector
  • 43x 5-way grey connector
  • 24x 4-way metallic green connector
  • 13x 3-way dark grey/red connector
  • 20x 2-way (V-shape) grey connector
  • 5x 2-way (long-shape) brown connector

Clips/Other: Buy here and here

  • 16x Clip with hole end dark gray (1-way connector)
  • 6x Complete hinge (consists of 6x hinge blue part & 6x green/black part)
  • 5x Metallic spacer (1½ width)
  • 6x Blue spacer (½ width)
  • 15x Black clip with rod end
  • 7x Metallic grey clip with rod end (for aestethic purposes)
  • 9x Clip with Angled end 3D Orange (used in cockpit)
  • 9x Clip with Ball end
  • 9x Clip blue
  • 6x Interlocking clip Tan/brown
  • 9x Ball and socket Large
  • 2x Cone Grey (on site only red available)

Panels: Buy here

  • 8x Tri panel mini silver

Wheels: Buy here

  • 3x Wheel 25 mm Open centre black
  • 1x Hub Motorcycle Grey

If you want to build the Display Stand, you need also:

  • 12x Black rod
  • 14x Silver rod
  • 1x Black rod (same size as silver)
  • 4x Blue rod
  • 2x Dark grey rod
  • 1x Black rod (strengthened/rigid rod)
  • 1x 8-way black connector
  • 2x 7-way blue 3D connector
  • 6x 4-way silver 3D connector
  • 3x 5-way grey connector
  • 3x 4-way metallic green connector
  • 6x 3-way dark grey/red connector
  • 3x 2-way (V-shape) grey connector
  • 1x 2-way (long-shape) brown connector
  • 1x Black clip with rod end
  • 1x Clip with Ball end
  • 2x Tri panel mini silver
  • 2x Tri panel small silver

Step 2: The Thrusters

“Feel the force!”

This step will show you how to make the engine of the B-Wing, which is also the core of the model and gives it it's strength.
First you start off with core, then propulsion is. The cross beam is placed to increase strength. Then the sides of this part are attached, which create the specific shape of the B-Wings hull. Hereafter the parts are attached which will let you attach the bottom wing and the cockpit. After this you can move on adding extra parts of the hull structure in the following step.

Step 3: The Hull

“You must unlearn what you have learned.”

Because some rather unique building techniques are used in this step. This step will show you how to make the hull, via the pictures.

First you start with adding some parts that will late be used to attach the start of the cockpit and the bottom wing. NOTE: Pay attention to the rod which is present on the bottom wing side and NOT on the cockpit side! You also make both the first parts of the bottom wing and the cockpit. The next step will show you how to make the bottom wing.

Step 4: The Bottom Wing

“Your weapons, you will not need them.”

But we do, because this bottom wing of the B-Wing holds it's biggest ion-cannon. Did you know that the B-Wing is slower, but much stronger than an X-Wing? B-Wings have much greater firepower and shielding, at the cost of speed.

You start with the "foot", attach the cannons and add the lowest part of the wing to the part you made in the last step. In the next step you will make the S-Foils (in attack position ;)

Step 5: The S-Foils

“PATIENCE YOU MUST HAVE, my young padawan”

Because we're not ready yet. Two more steps to go.

In this step, first you'll start with the left foil (which has the attachments for the display stand), which you attach to the hull of the B-Wing. After that it's the right foil's turn. In the next step you finish the B-Wing itself by adding the rotating cockpit.

Step 6: The Cockpit

“Control, control, you must learn control!”

Because the B-Wing's cockpit is where you'll find it's controls.

First you add the last parts to the Hull, after which you start building the Cockpit. Make it and attach it so, that it has some freedom to move around (so that gravity will make it, that it stays level). Then your B-Wing is done!
If you want, you can build the Display Stand with the help of the next step.

Step 7: Display Stand

“Do or do not. There is no try.”

That's is about the Display Stand. You can choose to not make one, or make it and let your B-Wing have a good rest after you have flown with it for a while :)

First you will make the stand itself. Print the pdf-file and cut out the information sheet. Put it on the stand and attach the stand to your B-Wing as shown in the pictures. As mentioned: Don't forget to fly it once in a while, otherwise the thursters get rusty...

Thanks for reading my instructable and Happy building!

“May the Force be with you”

Yoda & GWorks

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