UN_MARINE

This is turning out great! Don't be afraid to vacu-form stuff. It might make some parts easier to do believe it or not. - MT

Thanks! The canopy's definitely scheduled for vacuuforming, the buck is next on the build list.

¡Que impresionante!

Thanks!

Separated the air brake panel & started with a piece of the back section.

Air brake vent detail. I think they're oriented in the correct direction(?).

Is this thing going to transform?

Good question. Maybe? It could, in theory. Let's see if I'm smart enough to pull it off.

Chest plate!

I still have to figure out which panel lines to keep - there's almost 4 sets of line art on the left chest segment.

That is coming along great! I wondered what happened to this project. - MT

Thanks! Really slow, but steady progress - I think 1/3 of the difficult geometry's done (nose/tub, canopy, heat shield).

I guess it'll be the remaining 80% for the next few updates.

Now THAT'S a tub!!!

Looking forward to seeing how this unfolds...

Thanks! I aim to please(and as much accuracy as possible).

I think we can call that a weekend.

well that's just plain bad ass right there.

Thanks! I just hope it meets expectations when it's done.

I may have to adjust a few more things to the cockpit tub assembly, but it's looking good so far.

We're beginning to get a sense of scale for this project.

EDIT:

Some more adjustments.

Very exciting! Also curious about the materials used so far.

The build's using pretty much every material known to mortal modelers - Styrene, PVC/Sintra, Plexiglass/acrylic, paperclips, etc. and eventually, 3D printing.

And door pics!

We have an instrument panel! (with clear screen!) - still haven't removed the backing paper.

The display decal will go behind the screen.

Also adjusted the arm rests to make room for the flight stick & throttle.

It's a little messy for now, but we can call it progress.

The landing gear bay doors work now, but the camera batteries died before I could take pics.

The main console now has space for the instrument panel. I'm planning to make the center screen a clear part. Also, foot pedal detail!

Also started building the landing gear bay & doors. Even at this scale, these parts are tiny!

Nice, so you are doing this all by hand, no 3D modeling at all?

Thanks! I'll 3D model & print parts too, most likely the areas that need greater precision or strength - the landing gear are definitely on the list.

Lol you're starting to sound like me....

be careful of that, trust me

I built something a while back, that took its hilarious & frightening toll. After such a project, you start to really consider the implications of committing to a super complex build.

Can't wait to see where this goes.

Same here! I hope it's not a flaming wreck at the end.

This sounds amazing, good luck!

Amazingly complicated! Thanks!

New drawing! Added the gunpod to the drawing (because I forgot!).

Got some of the support structures & instrument panel housing done.

The arm rests need a little bit of shortening, but for now, gotta focus on adding assemblies.

So far, looks like everything still fits.

Awesome! This definitely needed its own thread. Glad to see you starting it here on its own. This will be very impressive!

So you're scratch building the Valkyrie?

I hope it meets expectations when it's done!

Yup, gonna make it exist out of thin air!

Completely by-hand scratch build? Or are you printing a few parts as well? Either way, good luck and godspeed.

Also, transformable or fighter mode only?

Also also, it doesn't seem like the 1X is different in overall appearance from the original design. Were all upgrades limited to only materials/internal components?

I was thinking a combination of both. I got access to a printer, so might as well use it on this project!

There's a slight chance of a possibility that I maybe probably most likely considered transformation.

We'll see if I'm smart enough to pull it off.

Yup, there's no apparent physical difference with the 1x Plus. I'm calling it a 1x Plus because I haven't decided on which head I'll build for it, plus a couple of extra features.

Some improvements to the seat. I've decided to stick to the line art dimensions, so it'll be a "true" 1/35 scale fighter.

Some magic will be involved.

I think I've taken a little too much space in this thread... Time to relocate! http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=43411

So yeah... VF-1x in 1/35!

I'm building it based on an average between the DYRL? line art, Master File line art, & Hasegawa kits.

Let's see where it goes.

So far, we have the pilot & seat.

1/35 scale reference drawings. Had to adjust a few times, but I've decided to stick to official dimensions. The pilot will have to get used to the tight space.

Would it help to call the pilot 1/32 scale?

We could, but it doesn't solve the space problem. I'd like to avoid sanding away the pilot's bottom half, if possible.

The math checks out - a 6'2 pilot + flight suit at 1/35, scales down to 5.5cm tall.

(It's like the VF-1 was built around short pilots! )

If the VF-1 is scaled to the pilot, it ends up at 1/31.6 - 1/32 scale.

Here's the re-scaled drawing, it solves the cockpit space problem, but it's now a whole 2 inches longer. (1/32 scale)

I'd prefer to have the fighter in 1/35 though. (less work!)

pilot looks a bit big for that valk...

or its a really big guy?

but really its almost impossible to make it accurate, cuz

alot of anime magic is involved in the cockpit with transformation and whatnot...

however i really like what you've done so far.

keep up the good work

The pilot was originally from a 1/35 US infantry kit, so it would be a 6.2ft - 6.4ft guy, I figure.

So that's the dilemma - scale the VF-1 around the pilot, or stick to the official dimensions. Thanks!

The seat ejects so it cant double as the bay. It also projects up and out of the cockpit through the neck when in Battroid mode. Thats a lot of equipment under the seat to allow ejection, tilting in Battroid mode and then extending out of the neck as well. No way the landing gear tucks into this space as well as airframe reinforcing in this area for carrier trap landings and catapult launches... your airframe needs to be bigger.

It cant be all packed behind the seat either as in the VF-1D thats where the back seaters legs will be and the seats would be the same.

Have a look at the F/A-18 nose gear for an idea of how bulky they need to be for deck landings

BTW... your seat design is looking very much like this one.... nice!

Cool. I meant combining the seat & gear bay in a model/toy sense, it was the only way the parts would ft in such a confined space. I wanted to build it with completely separate components - I was on the way to making the bottom half of the seat when I found out it wouldn't actually fit!

The seat's based on the line art in Master File, I can only take credit for building it in scale.

I meant adjusting everything. I would adjust the VF-1 based on the 1/35 scale pilot.

Pleaso no 1/18 matchbox VF-1

Cool. There's actually enough room for the landing gear without further adjustments - the seat would just double as the landing gear bay.

Definitely "no" to strange proportions!

Looking awesome!!! Just my opinion, if you are going to scrtchbuils a 1/35 cockpit/VF-1, I would do the cockpit bigger, you need more space under the seat for the landing gear.

Thanks! The total length of the drawing is correct to scale, but adjusting to the pilot ends up with a cartoonishly large cockpit, just like the 1/18 Matchbox Vf-1. I could adjust everything to correct for size, but it wouldn't match up with the scale dimensions. Serious dilemma!

What do you guys think? 1/35 scale based on official dimensions, or 1/35 based on the pilot figure?

Yes. Yes, indeed, it does.

nice sketch work!

Thanks!

Got the math, proportions, & magic line art to play nice (for now).

Now there's a little more room for everybody.

I got the pilot to a serviceable state, and figured I could move on to greater madness.

I'm building it around an average between the DYRL? & Master File line art, plus a bit of Hasegawa.

I think I need to redo the math on this one... At 1/35 (40cm) fighter length, that's a tiny cockpit.

Looks like Roy would've been really crammed in his VF-1. Line art magic, indeed!

un_marine, that's looking nice. What did you use to make the helmet, shoulder pads, etc.?

Thanks! I use PVC/Sintra board. It's rigid enough for structural & mechanical work, but also soft enough that you can scribe panel lines with a toothpick.

A little progress this week.

Got to detail the chest section. The original kit is barely recognizable now. .

I'm still trying to figure out if I should keep it in a fixed pose or attempt some basic articulation...

"Forever Project" or "Articulated Infinity Project"

What scale is that.... If its 1:72 that would be scary awesome, either that or you work well under a microscope.

I wish I was that good! Would you believe... 1:35? I re-purposed a random modern infantry kit.