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Max Factory 1/20(!) VF-1S/A Hikaru


Renato

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The shape looks good, but it's a little too large overall.  I shortened the base plate significantly before modifying mine, 'cause the original piece is much too long...

How are you intending to mount the FAST pack boosters?

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I work super duper slow. I've just been sanding pieces so far, but while test fitting I got to this point and somehow fell in love with the "shape" of it. The lines and curves, especially in low light, give me this "sculptural" feel. I hung other parts on it, but always took them off. I've been staring at this piece, at this exact angle for over a week and I can't get enough. (Yeah... my issues have issues.) 

Gerwalk-shape.jpg.d0ad26e82d2cdd41ef15186ececc1e52.jpg

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14 hours ago, GMK said:

Built a new backpack, 10% size reduction. Looks better (IMO):

PAflGgx.jpg

Still looks too big, but that's probably because the lack of wings, feet or cockpit canopy makes the backpack look proportionally large...

I think you've about nailed it, though.  :good:

1797029828_footmount.thumb.jpg.43b4cdb7934aa00815f958db742db183.jpg

These are the mounts I've built to attach the feet in a position that will hold up the weight of the model without the stand:

555163558_footmount(top).thumb.jpg.29e6068710e4741abf078d586fe05058.jpg

Using wood, styrene, and a couple of very long bolts to secure it all, they'll be strong enough to support the standing gerwalk even with FAST packs, LEDs and electronics installed.

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On 12/22/2018 at 12:47 PM, Atrial said:

I've just been sanding pieces so far, but while test fitting I got to this point and somehow fell in love with the "shape" of it.

Gerwalk-shape.jpg.d0ad26e82d2cdd41ef15186ececc1e52.jpg

That's 'cause some very talented individuals at Max Factory took the time to do the research, confirm the proportions, sculpt the details, and just did a gorgeous job with the nosecone, the cockpit, the fuselage, the wings, the legs... and then, almost as an afterthought, gave the backpack to some inexperienced part-time intern who couldn't even be bothered to look at the line art.  <_<

4 hours ago, nightmareB4macross said:

Are you going to reference the anime for details or just gak it?

Well, the anime gives us a look at the mechanism inside the feet, but not how the feet are actually connected to the legs...  :unknw:

1883455769_internalfootmechanism.jpeg.f969efe41fc7ab507b95171a4baef53e.jpeg

...but I'll certainly use this for inspiration, at the very least.  B))

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I feel like the skinny backpack is an artifact of the original Valk kit. While we know that on the Valk it'll be different parts on a different runner, we also know that Max Factory has committed to fudging the proportions between modes. They've given us two versions of the arm missile pods: one short and fat for the deployed arms on the Gerwalk, and one much skinnier and longer for the inevitable Super/Strike Valk. So I'm willing to bet they took the CAD model of the backpack that needed to be skinny to no interfere with the arms in Valk mode, but forgot to artistically adjust the proportions for the Gerwalk properly.

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So while trying to figure out exactly how far I want to fiddle my own build I went back through the various development photos and found something interesting. All the way back for Wonder Festival 2017 Winter, almost two whole years ago Max Factory printed a giant banner for their booth showing the VF-1 parts layout. On the runner with the grey parts you can actually see two different plate for mounting the backpack thrusters, indicating intent for two different backpack thicknesses.

 

jV9YRDS.jpg

 

On the same runner you can also see the gap-fillers for whenever the legs swing forward, but they're a bit shallower than the one's we got so far.

zp463up.jpg

 

I think it's safe to say that at least back in Feb 2017 there was already enough work done to do at least the plain VF-1 as well as the Super/Strike VF-1 in valk mode. That explains the shallower leg swing which is needed for super parts vs swung out farther for gerwalk. IMO the Super/Strike Valk is a done deal at this point, we just haven't seen the necessary new leg runner. 

I went a little overboard and made a table of future possibilities.

Spoiler

V5pNQY8.jpg

You can easily add TV versions of each on there if we get a TV cockpit runner, so the chart could go sideways endlessly :P

 

Edited by TMBounty_Hunter
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