173 replies to this topic

[peter]

Brass tube for the landing gear construction with resin detail bits that slide over and glue on to it. Dont cast it in place on the brass since that would make cleanup a right bastard. Or better yet aluminum tube for the strut core. that way you can just polish it up for the exposed compression area.


On a side note. As much as id love to have one of these beasties i honestly would never be able to justify the cost. I dont have the liquid funds to afford it like i did in the USAF...

Just sell something....like a kidney, or one of your children.

[HWR MKII]

Right now if i sell something it will be to keep my truck going or to pay some bills not to buy a hunk of resin to sit on the shelf.

Thank god i have a stash of models to subsist on until things get better.

[peter]

Right now if i sell something it will be to keep my truck going or to pay some bills not to buy a hunk of resin to sit on the shelf.

Thank god i have a stash of models to subsist on until things get better.

A beautiful hunk of resin you mean....

[mslz22]

Lots more done on this, feet have been roughed out as well as the arms...getting closer to getting on with the fine work/finish work. i have a little of the cockpit done, here is a bit of a rough up with an very bright flash showing every bit of imperfection....the main console is not correctly angled but just wanted to share the rough up...
thanks
mike

Edited by mslz22, 16 January 2011 - 09:09 AM.

[Ahab]

Back in the saddle! Lookin good.

[mslz22]

Starting to play with the pilot...tight fit!!

[>EXO<]

That must be Roy because I have no idea how that guy fits in a valkyrie...

[mslz22]

Pilot is just a stand in, but is a 1/24 pilot....I will put the real one on P90X to get him to fit in....Looks like there was some anime magic going on in the cockpit if you ask me...

[>EXO<]

Oh yeah... Roy is 7'9" is or something. Def anime magic. The cockpit and control detail look great! Keep it up!

[HWR MKII]

If any of you have ever been in the pit of an F-16 or later modern fighter that fit is about right. Im 6ft1 and i had trouble in the 16. its a damn tiny space. Problem is plastic figures clothing cant flatten and shift to fit around the hard objects in a cockpit. When you sculpt your figutre mike be sure to take into that factor into account.

[hirohawa]

Looks great!

[MechTech]

Looking great! I think that pilot is a good fit; by chance did he come from a Harrier? - MT

[mslz22]

Yep 1/24 harrier pilot...again just a stand in...I have just about got the major stuff wrapped up. everything is slightly proud at this point in anticipation of some shrinkage, it's always easier to subtract a little material from a casting than add it, so everything does not fit quite right. The parts need to get assembled in a sequence for it to get in there, the good news is that all interior parts can be painted separately from the fuselage and added at the last minute, saving some masking. Still a few little details to add but getting there....

thanks
mike

[cobywan]

That's looking REALLY sweet.

[mslz22]

Thanks, cleaned up the workbench a bit this morning and took a quick pic with all the rough parts to date, always inspires me to get cracking to see it like this...Hopefully will get some work done on it today after i go chop some ice outside....
mike

[hirohawa]

Wow!

Are there plans for a future Strike parts upgrade?

[mslz22]

Wow!

Are there plans for a future Strike parts upgrade?

I would really like to, depends a little on how well the basic kit does, if it is offered it will be an add on, no need to buy a 2nd kit.

Getting started on cutting the ribbing to make the buck for the canopy. I opened up the cockpit another 2mm, it's pretty amazing how 2mm makes a difference at this scale but i am happier with the profile of the canopy this way...
thanks
mike

[ae_productions]

This is pretty amazing. You are very talented!

[mslz22]

Just about finished up the buck for the canopy, I will vac form over this so it's representing the glass minus .040, so it looks a little small. My plan right now is to vac form 2x .020 laminate them together to get a .040 pattern, right now i am leaning towards a crystal clear resin canopy, i just have not had luck with vac formed canopies on finished models. The frame will either be part of the clear resin canopy, or a separate frame, right now i am leaning towards having it be part the clear canopy and just masking off and painting the frame. I also made a small adjustment to the nose, i realized it was pointing up a bit to much, this looks better IMO, but now i need to redo some of the panel lines.
thanks
mike

[Myersjessee]

Gorgeous Mike!

[tundrayeti]

Very impressive! you would almost need an entire shelf just to display it!

[peter]

I can't wait to see this thing finished....holy cow man, awesome work so far.

[funaka]

My "home forum" (http://gamerabaenre....orums/index.php) put up a topic recently of "Amazing Kits Found Online". I'm posting this build there. And hanging my head in shame at my little 1/72 scale Hasegawa Valk. Nice work!

[ae_productions]

I can't wait to see this thing finished....holy cow man, awesome work so far.

No doubt! This this is twice the size of the 1:48's, and I thought THEY were huge! The level of detail on this piece is unparalleled to any other Valk I've seen. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[mslz22]

Been slow going with all the crazy weather around here, lots of time watching kids home from school instead of working. I got molds done for the mid leg, and the main parts of the arm so i can get to the final fitting of the parts. Very rough in here as there is nothing holding the parts together for the most part, they are just quickly mocked up. It is cool to kind of the the overall size for the fist time....now i can get on with the fine polishing and the final bits/fitting etc...
mike

[505thAirborne]

Loving every second of this WIP, the cockpit details should be amazing given the detail your doing on the outside!!!

[captain america]

Whoa, that thing is huge! Will it have its own zip code?

Seriously though, that looks quite impressive! Keep it up man.

[mslz22]

Thanks guys....it was cool to see it all mocked up for the first time, but it was also helpful, in fact posting the pics helped me a bit with refining the kit. I realized after seeing the pics up here that it looked a little "short"...I know it's huge but the legs looked short in relation to the body. I went back and checked and i had the mid leg locking in with the bottom part of the leg 2.5-3mm to far in, not a lot when you look at it on a ruler but it always amazes me that you can pick it up in the model. It's an easy revision but i will need to remold the part, not a big deal. I also decided to trim about 1 mm off each side of the "backplate" to give the body a bit of a sleeker look, again not a lot but when i penciled it out on the pattern I think it will look better...
thanks again
mike

[hirohawa]

ALways great to see updates!

Are you doing a 1S head?

[mslz22]

Thanks, right now plans are for the 1S and 1A head, if i hear from a lot of people wanting a J i will take a look at it....

[mslz22]

Been a couple of weeks without an update but i am happy to say that this is just about wrapped up, lots of the small parts like the intake covers are in molds now and i hope to have a the mold making for the whole thing wrapped up by mid week next week. The canopy is getting it's gloss coats right now, then the frame, that and a few other small parts, small touch ups and this is good to go.....A few last minute pics before molds, again this is a rough up as i can't glue the pattern together..
thanks
mike

[jardann]

Wooooooh Man! That is looking awesome!

[hirohawa]

Awesome!

Any idea of a price point yet?

[ahiachris]

Wooooooh Man! That is looking awesome!

Agree, it's awesome.

[Myersjessee]

Unreal!