ChristopherB

Gosh damn that's beautiful! John, you are a true businessman, and a very talented individual! Thank you for all you've done. You mention the timespan between updates like it's been a really long time since we heard from you, and while that isn't the case, it's very refreshing to see a project where the person is really on the ball like you are. I only wish you were involved in other projects here on MW.

Ken, Thanks for the good news. The last thing I wanted is for all of your hard work to be wasted, or for all of the interested customers to be let down. I can only imagine how difficult this project must be, and I know the prospect of a soon to be released and less expensive Yamato VB-6 must be discouraging. Since your initial post, I've only had one person PM me to cancel, so the list remains full of customers. I appreciate your commitment to the IHP VB-6 recast. Sincerely, Christopher

Carl, I agree 100% with everything you said. A nice cold coke sounds like a good idea, maybe we can hang out and drink a couple together sometime. I completely understand, and if there is a "magic" number of interested parties needed for the project to not be cancelled, then knowing what it is will definitely help, but according to the list, we still have a large number of people. Either way, I would hate to see all of the work Ken has done and all of the excitement and energy put in to the project to be for not. Short of PM'ing every single person on the list, I don't know of any other way to triple check who is interested. Unless Ken has been receiving cancellations and not advising me, I'm not sure why he is concerned. I say "triple," because a lot of the people on the list had already posted in the initial thread, and they then took the time to PM me and re-confirm their interest. Knowledge of the Yamato VB-6 is very widespread, and the IHP VB-6 thread and my inbox do not indicate cancellatons by MW Members. My honest concern is that Ken himself is getting burned out, based upon his post. It does not make good business sense for someone who is working hard on a recast project to tell his customers that he himself would rather just go ahead and buy the Yamato. To me that is an indication that the consideration for stopping the project is for personal reasons, as opposed to a lack of customer interest. Finish the project, and the customers will be waiting to buy it. It isn't really fair to ask the customers if they are still interested, when there haven't been any updates for over (4) months, and you just finished telling them why the Yamato is the better choice. Show them a completed IHP VB-6 next to the mass produced Yamato, and then ask them and see what kind of response you get. So, stop now, make a waste of all of the invested time, and refund the pre-orders, or have faith that the majority of the people on the list know about the Yamato VB-6 and have not cancelled for a reason. That reason is simple, they want you to finish. Sincerely, Christopher

Rob, Consider it done. Please respond to my last PM when you get time. Your busy "week and a half" at work has passed I believe. Sincerely, Christopher

Carl, Please re-read my post and show me where I said Ken is quitting, because I can't find it. I haven't edited the post since you posted your comments, so it shouldn't be too hard to find the sentence where I say, "Ken is quiting." I used the words "contemplate" and "consider," so no, I did not presume anything, but apparently you did. Let's not get into a quoting and semantics debate here, either Ken is considering quiting or he isn't, and neither you or I can answer that question for him. Until he clarifies, I stand on what I said. Personally, I've added more people to the list of "confirmed" then I've removed since the Yamato VB-6 was first mentioned. As of yet, I fail to see some mass exodus. It's common knowledge that the same sculpter is responsible for both the toy and IHP kit, but the toy will never replace the original, or diminish the importance of the project. Once again, regardless of whether (5) people, or (500) people buy the VB-6, I don't see that as being relevant as to the progress of the project. The project has already been funded, and there is no reason to stop. Furthermore, I don't recall any thread advising people they needed permission to cancel their order, so if you want to back-out on your order just PM me. That's the way it's always been. The future of this project has never been predicated upon a certain number of kits being sold. The release of the Yamato VB-6 should have no bearing upon the continuation of the IHP VB-6, and so this discussion is meaningless, unless Ken is contemplating cancelling the project. Sincerely, Christopher

Long live the IHP VB-6!

I'm still in. The project must go forward! For me, it has nothing to do with whether Yamato's "toy" will be cheaper, or easier to play with. I want to own a piece of rare Macross history, and I want to compare the IHP to the Yamato, while at the same time appreciate both of them for what they are. By no means am I rich, but this project has gone to far and has really shown what fans can do when they work together.

Thank you for the scan. Everything looks great. I hate to admit it, but I haven't watched Macross Zero yet, but I hope Hasegawa releases the drone/fighter thing on the back of the VF-0S.

The head lasers are a distraction. Maybe a little hot water and gentle pressure will help decrease the angle, but probably not. The wings look like they overlap slightly in battroid mode, as seen in the picture at the bottom of the second page. Overall, I am happy with the improvements, and I appreciate the fact that Graham posted the excellent comparison pictures. Definitely a great point of reference, which permit the improvements to be realized. I don't collect 1/100 scale so I'll properly skip this release, but then again I don't want to contribute to the dismissal of the possibility that a larger scale with perfect transformation will be released. So, for now I'll be content with the Hasegawa version.

Wow, absolutely beautiful! I concur, that we never get tired of looking at quality customs such as yours. I could see getting a little bored with seeing a lot of really, really low quality customs, but to the best of my recollection, all of the customs posted have been nicely done. Thanks to the damn federal government we aren't allowed to check out eBay. So, I'll have to wait until I get home to see your auction. By the way, the weathering looks perfect.

Everything sounds great, and thank you for the update!

Wow, it's cool to see your progress. Great job, and I had no idea how nice this kit is. It would be cool to hinge the two hatches on the backside of the Monster so that they can open, and then include some interior detail. That would be awesome, and I don't think it would be too difficult. Off topic, but I love the Tamiya 1/16 tanks. I've owned about (5) of the R/C versions, and they are a ton of fun. You did a great job painting yours, and I would love to see them in action.

Jesse, Thanks, I'll take you up on the offer for a Coke sometime. It's cool, I'm back on my anti-smart ass medication, so I'm feeling much better and less factitious. I'd shake your hand if I could Gundamhead, but they haven't invented that technology yet for internet users. Sincerely, Christopher

Great news! Thank you for the info.

I doubt you've been around as long as I have, but regardless, it's a moot point. No you did not offend me. I'm just posting my opinion regarding the HCM. You've already verified it's a toy not a model, so we're in agreement on that. No matter how much you try to rationalize or explain, it doesn't change the facts. I responded because it suprised me that someone would even mention a toy to a new member that's looking for model kits. Oh wait, it just happens to be 1/72 scale, so that makes everything all right.

Gundamhead, I already explained that I understood why you mentioned the HCM, and you've already admitted it's a toy and not a model. I didn't bring it up because he said he's looking for: "best variable 1/72 scale (~18-20cm) model of the VF-1S." As my post states, I covered every available option, and the HCM is not one of them. Once again: 1.) IHP 2.) Scratchbuild (Hasegawa, etc.) 3.) Bandai Furthermore, the SHE kits are non-scale. Some are closer to 1/72, and others have 1/100 on the box, as verified by Carl. In addition, my search of Macross World and Hobby Link Japan turned up no VF-1S. Yeah, I suppose you could turn a 1/72 HCM toy into a model. While we're at it, let's do the same with a 1/55 Bandai and a 1/48 Yamato. If we do that, their called..."Custom Valkyries," not models. They get posted in the "Toy Section," not the "Model Section," because they are still toys. Get the idea? You're relatively new here, so we'll cut you some slack and take that into account when you post. Sincerely, Christopher

The Bandai HCM cannot be considered a model in the meaning recognized my most people. Let's not get into a debate here, but just because it says "Model" on the box, doesn't mean it's a true model. It's listed on MW under the toy section, and the valkyrie comes completely assembled and painted. Being fair though, AlphaHX, doesn't specify in his initial post precisely what he's looking for, so I can see why the HCM was mentioned, but in all honesty, the HCM is not an actual model kit.

I would have to say the IHP 1/72 Hasegawa Conversion Kit. The kits are rare, but you can find one if you look long and hard enough. It is essentially a perfect transformation valkyrie. A little bit skinny in battroid mode, but overall much better than the 1/72 Bandai, which incorporates "anime accurate" part swapping. If you're looking to do it right, scratch build your own or go with the IHP. If you're looking for quick, cheap and easy, go for the Bandai.

Puppet sex, now that's a scary thought.

akt_m, Great job! It's no big deal, but proper grammar is important: "Modeling Skills Helpful If Under (10) Years of Age" So, just change the current "O" to an "I". In addition, I sucked in art class, so by no means do I claim to be an expert, but I do believe your shadowing perspective is off. I'm refering to the shadow under the VB-6. I tried visualizing the light source in a perspective that could create that particular shadow, and was not able to due to discrepancies. For example, the arm shadow shows up on one side but not the other, and one foot has a shadow going to one side and back, while the large cannon have a shadow directly below, but the other arm has nothing below it. I hope that makes sense without me being too in-depth, and please remember it's just meant to be constructive criticism. Sincerely, Christopher

Sweet, I'm in! launch vehicle...(cough, cough).... Great job John! Rob, thank you for not giving up on the project.

Sorry, I'm out of town on business, so my response time is degraded. I'll update the list right away, and thank you for your interest!

Hello, You said the key word, "1/72" scale. Since that's what I'm focusing on, please count me in for (1) of each. The Ghost, and the YF-19 weapon set and fold booster. I'm not sure why he's casting the Yamato VF-11B pilot though. Perhaps I'm missing something obvious, but I'm not sure why anyone would need a copy of the Yamato pilot figure, except perhaps for people that own the original non-fastpack Yamato VF-11. There is no Hasegawa kit to use it with, and anyone that owns the Club M version already has a pilot. Sincerely, Christopher

Same here, count me in for (2) if you go for it.

John, Thank you very, very much for taking on this project! Everything looks wonderful, and I'm amazed at how quickly you've been able to go from nothing to what you've shown, and without sacrificing any quality whatsoever. I can only dream that you will focus your talents at some point upon the launch vehicle. They'll go together like strawberries and cream. I really hope I win the Grand Prize. To own something built personally by you would be awesome. Sincerely, Christopher