I started by cutting the basic shape of the Millennium Falcon out of two pieces of sheet styrene. They basically looked like a disk with the shapes of the two front mandibles sticking out of it and two little wedges missing on each side (for the "escape pods"). Each half also had a hole in the center where the gun turrets would go later. I was not planning on putting an interior into the ship, but these holes were supposed to enable me access to the wiring of the cooling fans and lights in the ship.

Next, I cut small pieces out of the back of the two halves to make room for the 6 cooling fans (small CPU fans, about 1.25 inches in diameter). At that time I was planning to light the ship's engine with a custom-made neon tube.

Then I glued curved radial ribs onto each of the two halves: About an inch and a half high at the center of the disk and falling off towards the edge. Between these ribs I glued more curved piece of styrene to give the radial ribs more support.

                                                                                   

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