VF-1A Assemly kit Alaska base custom.

[Valkyrie addict]

So, after Yamato went bust and I was left with a need for an Alaska base VF-1A, I took it into myself to make myself one.

We all know the Yamato prototype.

After watching SDFM for the two 1 seconds scenes, I noticed Yamato made some mistakes.

The green is meant to be darker, the tails green accent go on the rudder only and not on top, the white circle on the legs is not meant to be there. Of course, it's SDFM and there will always be inconsistencies by the budget it had. Check it out:

Since Alaska post is pretty derelict place to be stationed, I wanted to do a pretty beat up and worn out appearance to the valk. sadly I failed miserable.

The assembly kit is not easy at all to build and every part is pretty much a tight fit, everything rubs, so adding extra layers of paints and clear coats causes a lot of paint wear while transformation and the panel lines detail were almost lost completely.

I also made the mistake of making it more like a model than a toy and for some reason the dull coat chips by just looking at it.

I'm satisfied with the results, mostly cause I finally finished, but not happy. I think I'll be getting another kit to give it another try later.

On to the pics, hope you guys enjoy it.

EDIT: LINK TO PHOTOBUCKET ALBUM HERE:

http://s139.photobucket.com/user/cyclosporine/slideshow/Macross/Yamato/VF-1A%20Alaska%20Base

Thanks for looking, it's not perfect but I tough you guys would like it.

BTW, could someone tell me a way to snap out the two...errr... orange lights on the shoulders, when transforming to fighter it rubbed out the color coat I added, I did not glued them.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Valkyrie addict

[dapro]

How long does it take you to paint this?

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

looks amazing! i like the dark green shade on it.

[derex3592]

Looks amazing! Congrats on finishing! I'm just painting a TV Kaki green--and I seriously applaud people who actually built that kit!

Good catch on the green on the tail fins!! I missed that!!!

<----------------- ...grumbles as he returns to the paint bench.....

Edited May 11, 2013 by derex3592

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Looks awesome!!! The shade of green is spot on! Like the subtle weathering.

[Valkyrie addict]

Thanks

dapro Took me about 6-7 weeks to assemble and paint, mostly cause I made a LOT of mistakes and could work on weekends only. (Damn Job )

derex3592, I noticed also after I painted the tail fins and had to repaint them to, was very pissed. I'm watching closely your Kakizaki into Alaska built, it's looking good.

The kit is fun to built until you start painting, It's great that Yamato gave it with waterslide decals but the decals are incomplete, vernier trusters decals are missing, the canopy decal is not a perfect fit and the decal instruction sheet is missing some angles. You must be sure some parts are painted before assembling, some pieces once assembled, eventough you don't glue them are next to impossible to pry apart and repaint.

[Smut Peddler]

Awesome job, you gotta tell me what green you used. I got a 1/48 set aside for this scheme and that green looks spot on.

[jvmacross]

Agreed....the green matches the screen capture perfectly....please share the brand of paint used and also the green selected.

Great job!

[Vi-RS]

Looks great and I like the green too, but I think you are missing dark gray paint on the kee cap (E05) and the laps (E03 and E04).

[xrentonx]

Since Yamato never released this scheme, I'm gonna have to live vicariously through you

...great job!

[Reïvaj]

Great job, it looks awesome!

[Gakken85]

Looks good.

[master of macross]

gooooooooood work i wate this from yamato, with vf1d mass production, but we don't see never this product realized...your work is very nice

[Agent-GHQ]

uuuh glue? I thought these kits don't require glue. Aren't the parts attached via screws?

[xrentonx]

Nah...lots of parts require glue in the toy. The screws are really only for the major parts.

[ErikElvis]

Color looks awesome. But maybe put a clear coat over the green?

[Black Valkyrie]

Nice job, now if only some one could make M&M VF-1A Arcade ver.

[Agent-GHQ]

Nah...lots of parts require glue in the toy. The screws are really only for the major parts.

and I thought these were just an exact toy of the ver 2 but unassembled. Didn't know toys require glue?!

[Scyla]

It would be preferable if all collector toys are purely assembled with detachable connections like screws or to an extend pins because then you as the owner can disassemble the toy for repair/maintenance easily.

Unfortunately those connections require a certain material thickness like the screw thread to be give a save connection or a certain size so it can be assemble with human hands (pin or screw head diameter).

Also small details like lenses or transparent parts need to be glued because a screw or a clip is not viable. Plus it's cheaper to glue something because metal for screws. pins and tools is expensive.

So for some parts gluing is the only option. I don't know a complex toy that doesn't require gluing when assembled in a factory.

[Valkyrie addict]

I used Tamiya racing green TS-45 spray can.

Vi-RS Good catch, after I snapped E03/04 along with most of the leg assemble I saw that I had to paint part E05 and was not able to pry it open. Didn't notice the little laps on E03/04 had to be painted, oops!

Erik-Elvis There is clear coat on the whole valk, I had to apply it as thin as I could cause I was loosing panel line detail , in fact, the clear coats is chipped in friction parts, luckily not much. Since this kit is made to perfect fit for tightness, every coat of paint/clear coat you add causes unwanted friction and chipping during transformation. You can't even put the slightest coat of paint in the male/female snap on or it will not snap tight leaving a gap.

Agent-GHQ Most of the kit can be snapped on, even the clear lenses, but can fall off by rough handling, few parts require glue. Lenses, head, forearms, inner leg assembly and the part that covers the canopy hinge, the rest is hold by screws and knurled pins....so many knurled pins....I hate knurled pins!

master of macross, I also want to do a mass production VF-1D hence my signature.

[Bar81]

Really clean. Better than anything that would have been done officially.

[Sandman]

What kind of glue is good to use?. I have to fix the shoulder panels on my 1/60 roy. Had to pry them apart in order to replace the cracked hinge.

[GGemini]

Great job Valkyrie addict!

[Chronocidal]

There might be better types of glue, but I was under the impression most folks just use a CA type glue on valks. They're not styrene, so toluene-based glue isn't going to do much good.

Personally, I'm kind of fond of using white glue if I can, since it's easy to clean up. It doesn't form a solid bond, so things can come apart easily, but it's good enough for some things like canopies and insert parts.

[Deadeye_281]

Very nice custom.

[DarrinG]

Nice Work.

I want 2...

[Hikaru1234567890]

Looks great.

[MacrossJunkie]

That's a great custom. The tail flap accents are a nice touch that makes the paint scheme for me.

[Benson13]

What color feet, intake, and hand covers does this come with? Grey like Hikaru's VF-1J or black like Roy's VF-1S?

I'm asking because I don't know if you painted those parts on your kit.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Benson13

[Valkyrie addict]

intake cover, feet thrusters, hand cover, cockpit, option parts, knee joints all come molded in gray like tv hikaru, max and kakizaki.

the rest of the valk comes in tv white par some small parts in black.

only brings tv pilot

[Vi-RS]

Yes, all the kits version are molded in TV color.

source

Edited May 29, 2013 by Vi-RS

[Benson13]

Anyone want to swap the grey parts mentioned for some black ones?

[Valkyrie addict]

you want to swap your black parts for the kit gray ones?

[arrow]

Great work on the VF1.

[mojacko]

great work....love the execution....and color!!!