Today is May the 4th be with you, making it one of the most important holidays for Star Wars fans all over the world 🙂 But before we dive into the details of our new kits, we’d like to tell you what this special day is all about.
What’s Behind Star Wars Day?
May 4th has evolved over the years into the unofficial holiday of the Star Wars community. The reason is a simple but brilliant play on words: “May the Fourth” sounds almost identical in English to the legendary greeting “May the Force be with you”, which has been a staple of pop culture since the very first Star Wars film in 1977. The origins of the holiday can be traced back to 1979, when the British Conservative Party congratulated Margaret Thatcher on her election victory on May 4th using the phrase “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie”.
What was a political anecdote at the time was picked up by the fan community and developed into a worldwide phenomenon over the decades. Today, millions of fans celebrate the day with cosplay, marathons of all the films and series, and of course with what we do best: scale modelling.
20% Off Selected Star Wars Models
To mark Star Wars Day, we’ve prepared a special offer for you. Get 20% off selected Star Wars models in our shop now! Simply enter the code STARWARS20 at checkout and save on your favourite galactic models. You can find all available kits in our Star Wars Collection. Including the two models we’d particularly like to recommend today: the Razor Crestand the New Republic X-Wing Fighter.
“The Mandalorian & Grogu” Hits Cinemas on May 20th
In just over two weeks, a real event awaits us. On May 2026, Star Wars is finally returning to the big screen with “The Mandalorian & Grogu”, the first live-action Star Wars film since “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019. Directed by Jon Favreau, the creator of the hit series of the same name, we follow Din Djarin (played by Pedro Pascal) and his protégé and now apprentice Grogu on their biggest mission yet.
What we know about the plot so far points to an epic adventure. The Galactic Empire may have fallen, but scattered Imperial warlords continue to threaten the fragile peace of the young New Republic. To combat this threat, the legendary Mandalorian and his little companion are recruited by the New Republic. With Hollywood icon Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward, a veteran of the Rebellion, and Jeremy Allen White voicing Rotta the Hutt, the son of Jabba the Hutt, the film promises not only gripping action but also entirely new insights into the power dynamics of the galaxy. It could mark the beginning of a new era of Star Wars cinema, as Disney CEO Bob Iger has emphasised that the film is intended to launch a new Star Wars film series.
For fans who want to prepare properly, we recommend watching the three seasons of “The Mandalorian” as well as the essential episodes 5, 6 and 7 of “The Book of Boba Fett” on Disney+ beforehand.
The Razor Crest: From Military Patrol Ship to a Bounty Hunter’s Home
No spaceship in recent Star Wars history has achieved cult status as quickly as the Razor Crest. Since its very first appearance in the opening minutes of the first episode of “The Mandalorian” in November 2019, it has won a place in the hearts of fans. And that despite the fact that it’s hardly a picture of elegance. Quite the opposite: the Razor Crest is rough, bulky, dented and looks like a workhorse that has already clocked up countless light-years. But that is precisely where its charm lies.
The Design Story: A Warthog in Space
Jon Favreau himself had a very specific vision of what the Mandalorian’s ship should look like. His design brief to Lucasfilm concept artist Ryan Church was clear: the A-10 Thunderbolt, affectionately known as the “Warthog”.
This legendary ground-attack aircraft of the US Air Force is renowned for its ruggedness, its massive armament and its ability to keep flying even with severe damage. These are exactly the qualities the Razor Crest was meant to embody. In addition, the designers, much like their colleagues on the original films, drew inspiration from the aesthetics of old World War II military aircraft, particularly weathered machines found in aircraft boneyards. Both a physical model and a CGI model were built for the series.
The Role of the Razor Crest in the Series
In the Star Wars universe, the Razor Crest is an ST-70 assault ship (also officially designated M-111), originally used as a military patrol craft for local territories in the era before the Empire. By the time Din Djarin acquired the ship, it was already a veteran of countless missions. The Mandalorian retrofitted it to suit his personal needs: spartan living quarters, a weapons locker and a carbonite freezing chamber for transporting bounties all found their place on board. There is even a so-called vacc tube, essentially a toilet, which is a notable rarity in the Star Wars galaxy.
The ship played a central role in the first two seasons of “The Mandalorian”. On Arvala-7 it was stripped for parts by Jawas and had to be painstakingly rebuilt. On Tatooine it was repaired by the mechanic Peli Motto. Throughout all these adventures, the Razor Crest was more than just a means of transport: it was Mando’s home, Grogu’s refuge and a character in its own right within the series, comparable to the Millennium Falcon for Han Solo.
All the more painful, then, was the moment when the Razor Crest was completely destroyed in Season 2 on the planet Tython by a single shot from Moff Gideon’s light cruiser. For fans, it was a real shock. Din Djarin then had to find a replacement ship and, at Peli Motto’s workshop, found not another ST-70 but an old N-1 Starfighter, which he rebuilt to his own specifications.
The Return of the Razor Crest in the New Film
But the good news is: the Razor Crest returns in the feature film “The Mandalorian & Grogu”. And in factory-fresh condition, no less. Doug Chiang from Lucasfilm recently confirmed that this is a pristine version straight off the assembly line, complete with the original factory markings. The New Republic has apparently resumed production of the ST-70 design to equip its Rangers with patrol ships that offer more space and firepower than a standard X-Wing. This potentially makes the Razor Crest in the film a mobile operations base for a covert mission in the service of the New Republic.
Our Kit in Detail
To coincide with the cinema release, we have brought out the Razor Crest as a Film Edition, which matches the depiction in the new film exactly. The kit in 1:72 scale consists of 101 parts and is suitable for ages 10 and up (Level 3). It offers you numerous options for individual customisation: the entry doors and the large rear loading ramp can be built either open or closed, allowing you to either reveal the interior or present the ship sealed up.
The cockpit is detailed and includes a pilot figure of Din Djarin, bringing the model to life. You also have a choice with the landing gear: mount it for a ground-based diorama or build it retracted for flight mode. A display stand is already included to present the Razor Crest dynamically in flight. The authentic decals reflect the look of the 2026 film and give you the opportunity to enhance the distinctive hull shape, the massive engines and the worn metal finish with weathering effects.
Included in the box are illustrated multilingual building instructions, a decal sheet in the decoration of the film “The Mandalorian & Grogu” (2026), a display stand and the pilot figure Din Djarin.
The X-Wing: Sword of the Rebellion and Backbone of the New Republic
If there is one spaceship that defines Star Wars, it is the X-Wing. Since the very first film in 1977, the Incom T-65 has been the unmistakable symbol of the good side in a galaxy far, far away. And no other ship has such an impressive design history behind it.
Colin Cantwell: The Forgotten Father of the X-Wing
Most Star Wars fans know Ralph McQuarrie as the legendary concept artist whose paintings shaped the visual identity of Star Wars. Less well known is that the spaceships have another origin. Colin Cantwell was hired by George Lucas as early as November 1974, possibly even a few days before McQuarrie, making him quite possibly the very first employee on the Star Wars project. Previously, Cantwell had worked on Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking “2001: A Space Odyssey” and served as an advisor for media coverage of the American space programme.
Lucas tasked Cantwell with designing numerous vehicles and ships, including the X-Wing. Cantwell’s inspiration came from an unexpected source: a throwing dart and a dragster. He designed the iconic S-foils, the folding double wings, with a very specific idea in mind. The opening of the wings was meant to look like a cowboy drawing his guns. Cantwell built his designs as physical models using the kitbashing technique, in which he combined parts from various off-the-shelf model kits to create something entirely new. These models served as references for McQuarrie’s famous concept paintings.
Originally, Lucas had planned to hire the Spanish Air Force and redress their F-104 fighter jets as Rebel fighters to film them taxiing and taking off on a real runway. That is why Cantwell’s first design even featured wheels on the landing gear. When this idea was scrapped for budget reasons, Cantwell replaced the wheels with landing skids.
The X-Wing in Film History
The X-Wing’s big moment came with the Battle of Yavin in the first Star Wars film. Luke Skywalker launched in a T-65B X-Wing on his fateful attack run on the Death Star and fired the decisive proton torpedoes into the battle station’s exhaust port. That moment made the X-Wing a legend. In “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”, the X-Wing remained the Rebellion’s fighter of choice, and in “Rogue One” we saw T-65 X-Wings in action above Scarif, where they supported the theft of the Death Star plans.
Ironically, the Incom T-65 was originally designed for the Galactic Empire. Incom had been commissioned to build a rugged single-seat fighter for the Imperial fleet. But when the engineers defected to the Rebellion, they took the plans and prototypes with them. The X-Wing thus became a decisive advantage for the Rebellion, because unlike the mass-produced TIE Fighter, it was equipped with deflector shields, a hyperdrive and proton torpedoes, making it one of the most versatile fighters in the galaxy.
From Rebel Fighter to New Republic Patrol Ship
After the fall of the Empire, the T-65 was not decommissioned but became the backbone of the New Republic’s defence fleet. In the era in which “The Mandalorian” is set, the X-Wing serves as a patrol fighter on the Outer Rim of the galaxy. Pilots like Captain Carson Teva use these proven machines to maintain law and order and to take action against Imperial remnants and pirates. This transition from offensive Rebel fighter to New Republic security patrol ship gives the X-Wing an entirely new significance, which is also reflected in the design of its paint scheme.
In the feature film “The Mandalorian & Grogu”, the New Republic’s X-Wings will once again play a central role. The blue markings of the New Republic replace the familiar Rebel colours and underscore the transformation from revolutionary fighting force to galactic government.
Our Kit: Beginner-Friendly and Screen-Accurate
We have deliberately designed our New Republic X-Wing Fighter as a beginner-friendly kit. With 38 parts in 1:57 scale, it offers quick building fun and an impressive result without overwhelming you with too many parts. The highlight: the characteristic S-foils are movable. You can mount them closed for cruise flight or opened into the iconic “X” for combat mode. The included decals match the New Republic design exactly as seen in the film.
With the X-Wing too, you have the choice between extended landing gear for a hangar scene and retracted landing gear for a dynamic flight display. Building the X-Wing is a relaxing pleasure: assemble the fuselage and cockpit, mount the four engines and decide on the position of the landing gear. The manageable number of parts guarantees quick building fun, while the authentic decoration gives the model the realistic look of the “Mandalorian” era.
Get Yours Now: Your Models for the Cinema Release
Whether you prefer the Razor Crest with its rugged charm or the sleek New Republic X-Wing Fighter with its elegant lines: both kits are the perfect way to gear up for the cinema release on May 20th. And don’t forget to grab your 20% discount with the code STARWARS20 on selected Star Wars models in our Star Wars Collection.
This is the way 🙂
