When Mike Salzo released the V-2 Studio Scale X-Wing, I was so completely excited that I purchased 3 sets of parts from him immediately! I envisioned a trench scene large enough to have all three studio scale X-Wings within it. This diorama was also to have Vader (with his two Wing-men) in pursuit, and it was to be about 50 feet long, embedded into the floor of the display area that people may walk over it’s heavy glass top. At that time, Modeler Magic was to be opened in Las Vegas. Alas… 2008 was a tragic year on many levels for everyone… and this placed the Modeler Magic Gallery on hold. One year before that time, Model Maker Richard Long was doing many amazing works for me, and he took on this beautiful V2 X-Wing. Richard made it the Biggs Darklighter RED 3 X-Wing, replicating Biggs himself, and the droid that sat behind the actor in the full sized prop. When Mike Salzo released the V3 X-Wing, and I went crazy again… purchasing 6 of them to replicate the entire 1977 X-Wing lineup that resides here on display today. As Modeler Magic went into a holding pattern, I decided to end my vision of a floor entrenched TRENCH scene. Michael Kuehner contacted me in 2010 about wanting all three V2 studio scale X-Wings (what I call the TRENCH TRIO, and of which comprised of Red 2 (Wedge), Red 3 (Biggs) and Luke’s Red 5. I sold them to him on September 3, 2010. All three were supremely packed by a ‘white-glove’ shipper and shipped to Germany to go into Michael’s Collection. Disturbingly…. only two of them survived an International Customs Agency that became involved… Red 2 and Red 3. Allow me to clarify this wrong-doing. One of the V2 Studio Scale X-Wings (Red 5) was unpacked, unwrapped, played with, destroyed (as if someone threw it into the air for it to crash on the ground), then all of the parts and packing materials were thrown back into the original container, taped up and sent on it’s way THREE MONTHS LATER when we finally identified where it was abused through a shipper investigation when it disappeared. I know… I made a run on sentence for sure.. LOL. Moving on… this was a huge disappointment for Michael and myself. Because it happened in the ‘grey’ area known as “Customs”, the shipping company no longer had control of the item and therefore we learned what happened in “Customs” stayed in “Customs”. Apparently the heavy insurance policy I had taken out on them for any issues that could arise no longer applied. Unfortunately International Customs Agencies are not held liable for anything that goes through their hands. A great loss was incurred and was very much felt.
In any case… Richard Long did wonderful work on this V2 RED 3 Studio Scale X-Wing Replica, and Michael has a few fantastic studio scale X-Wings in his Collection.
I photographed this Salzo V2 studio scale RED 3 directly after I received it. I showed them here on Modeler Magic back on January 8, 2009. This is basically a refresh of that original showing back then. This RED 3 was a pleasure to have in the collection, albeit a brief time, and it was a treat to photograph. I thank Richard Long for his fine work, and Michael Kuehner for his patience during the Customs issue.
Enjoy the photos taken back in 2007!
Kurt Kuhn
Kuhn Global Incorporated
Modelers Miniatures & Magic
Kurt Kuhn
USA
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Richard Long
“Sovereign Replicas / REL”
USA
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Michael Kuehner
GERMANY
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MSLZ22 MODELS
Mike Salzo
USA
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