Skull Leader

My name is Bumpety... pronounced with an "umpety...."

Finally got around to photographing my Takatoku Strike Valkyrie. My overspray isn't terrible, but it's noticeable. There was overspray on the tabs where the chest plate slips into the wing cover that I cleaned off... I wish I hadn't done that now.

On 11/6/2024 at 4:27 PM, nightmareB4macross said:

Who knew the Origin of Valkyrie armor would fit a Joon’s/Space Gandam/Robotec 1/55.

I don't have an Origin of Valkyrie mold to test this with, but I'm wondering if it wasn't a second-hand mold produced from an original? That would make the armor just a shade bigger than the original versions, which is why it would fit better on the Joons (which does not wear original issue backpack armor well, because it's bigger)

1 hour ago, nightmareB4macross said:

Finally found one after many years of looking.

The Takatoku 1/55 VF-1S Super Valkyries were indeed resprayed to create the Bandai Strike Valkyrie.

I need to get around to photographing mine. Mine has some obvious overspray, but not the underspray that THAT one has!

I wonder how rare those Takatoku Strike valkyries are? Another identifying characteristic is the painted-on black UN Spacy symbol on the wing... the Bandais all had stickers/decals there as I recall. (My other two strikes have the open spot for a decal)

On 10/17/2024 at 7:09 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

Yeah, I look forward to the day that Macross's writers decide to research what PMCs are actually like in the real world and rapidly course-correct towards depicting them as what they typically are: ammosexual civilians playing dress-up because they're convinced they're starring in their own personal action movie and ex-privates who lacked the discipline needed for a military career.

 

Retired "ammosexual" here....

Most of us do it for the money and for the benefits, which are absurdly better than anything the government provided. I cleared more money in one 3 month detachment training local police forces than I did in the entire two years prior in a government position, and I wasn't being constantly shot at to do it.

Most of us were just happy to flex skills we learned on the government's payroll in an environment where they were actually appreciated. (in my case, law enforcement and search and rescue techniques)

And we never had to fire a shot.

If I weren't married with a kid, I'd probably still be doing it. PMC work definitely lends itself to the single lifestyle (unless you're in admin)

Switching gears back to Jetfires for a moment...

Can anyone hip me to exactly when they switched from the white backpack hinge clip to the black one? Were we well into the Bandai releases by that point, or are there some Matsushiros floating around with the black hinge clip? And has anyone ever printed 3d replacements for worn out ones?

That 1/100 VF-1D looks legit! If I were sitting on disposable income, I'd totally put in a bid.

I still have plans to build a 1/55 VF-1D of my own... I'd just like a VF-1D head that didn't look like it was designed by a third grader in TinkerCAD. I'm legitimately surprised there isn't a good STL file out there.

Is anyone sitting on an unbroken set of notched head lasers for a 1/55 valkyrie? I'm working on a Matsushiro jetfire restoration and I need a replacement for a broken set.

Yes, I know there's a guy on ebay that does a 3D printed set, but (1) I'd like to keep this authentic if possible, it's my childhood Jetfire, and (b) he's sold out anyhow.

On 5/15/2024 at 10:39 PM, GrampaStump said:

I lurk on quite a few FB forums where G1 Jetfires are sold, and a trend I've noticed over the last year is "perfect paint job" Jetfires suddenly being found. Even though they are known to often have paint rubs on the nose before being removed from the box for the first time, the same crowd that a few years ago figured out there are variations between different molds and which version parts don't mix and match very well, and then publicly discussed and eventually mastered bleaching them, are now "finding" them with no paint rubs, no fading, no thin spots or chipping anywhere, etc.

I guess if they are done with care and end up looking like the real thing, I can't complain too much. But no one is admitting to repainting them, so just on principle I don't like the dishonesty. I'm sure some of these people shelling out $150-$200 for a [touched up] Jetfire with no accessories are going to also shell out to get them graded. I wonder if the scammer leech price fixing grading companies catch the paint touch ups and ding them for it?

 

I'll have to go back and look who makes it, but here in the US there is a brand of red spraypaint that is more or less a 99.5% match to the factory color of red used on Jetfires. I've used it on a couple of resto commission jobs I've done, and with a good gloss coat on the top of it, you'd never know it wasn't factory fresh. Armed with that, a stripped and retrobrited Jetfire, and a set of reprolabels, you could build a "mint" jetfire that would be damn hard to notice in a few ebay photos.

Edit: It's Rustoleum Gloss Apple Red.

On 5/13/2024 at 11:49 PM, Photogirl said:

I'm 4 years out of date, but is there anyone making full set reproductions still?
Toyhax has a set, but its missing all the factory applied stickers.

Even a digital file i can print on sticky paper myself?

Seeing this message made me go back and revisit some earlier posts... I just wanted to point out I/Alphateam11 was not responsible for the "Evil Jetfire" set. I have no idea who made those.

I too would love a source of a complete decal set that allows me to replace bad factory decals, I've got a number of 1/55 valkyries that could do with some refreshing beyond what the Toyhax set offers.

I don't even really like the Toyhax set... they feel really thick, and in some cases don't fit just right (at least, some of their jetfire ones don't, I haven't messed with their Strike Valkyrie set yet0

On 3/23/2024 at 11:13 PM, TehPW said:

nice work...

Now to nitpick.

The first thing i see that might be/should be wrong is the size and placement of the Jet Intake warning. Unless it would be common for that inlet cover to be at a higher angle when on the ground, the markings should extend along the outside of the inlet covers in some manner along each edge, merging at the front of the plate (see PIC #2's angle).

The second thing is that there should be No Step markings on the UNDERSIDE of the wings as well (because the JA's wings are hydraulically hinged to flex in both directions when in Gerwalk mode)

Third? No 03 high on the tail (because when you are an AD working in Power Plants WC in a futuristic Fighter Squadron and Maintenance Control sends you out to do a 30-day inspection on those Inlet Covers, MC would have told you Modex # 03, so you're looking at the highest point on each aircraft, to make sure you are working on the CORRECT fighter)

were there any pics of either fighter, on the ground and idle, in Macross II: LA?

Jesus, I can just imagine what the 30 day inspections would be like on a variable fighter... i bet they had "daily" doors in really inconvenient places.

It's a swing-wing... I wonder if the brown  shirts feared the dreaded flap/slat lockout that the tomcat guys did when their pilot was too hot of a hand.

Chief: "Don't make any plans... Lt. Hotshot over-Ged and now the flaps won't retract."

Petty Officer Hardworker: "God @#$it..."

Chief: "Better shag it. ATO says this one sorties at 0800."

(Petty Officer hardworker cancels his date with the 2-10-2 down in egress and spends the evening working on the slats and flaps...Then the bird canxd the next morning anyway for a down radar... Petty Officer Hardworker wonders if its too late to take that transfer to ordnance)

One of the single most frustrating things about Macross II is the lack of really good, clear footage of all the designs either static OR in action... so no footage of any of the valkyries in a parked fashion on the ground.

It's cool, I think I found him (or someone else) on ebay offering recasts 

I've been Facebook retired for about 3 years now... don't suppose he's got an email address?

I've got three strike valkyries, 2 in the box, that I now want to pull out and inspect. I feel like at least one of them had a takatoku marking on the back that I initially put down to possibly just being frankensteined. 

One of mine also has fairly wicked overspray, I'm wondering if this was one of the repaints?

Got mine today and it looks fantastic!

A lot of love and attention went into this product and it shows. Nicely done!

If I had an STL file for this, I would 100% print it and light the cannons with LEDs.

from Jerry Tsai, not Kevin, my bad... (Kevin was Valkyrie Exchange, not VF1X.com)

On 1/6/2022 at 3:22 PM, nightmareB4macross said:

Is this an original TT sticker sheet? Or Takatoys?

Those were a reprint from Kevin at VF1X.com back in the day. Wish I'd picked some of those up.

Looking for one of the slide on/clip on-style heat shields for 1/55 Valkyries.... ideally two of them. I'm honestly shocked I can't find a STL file of this somewhere... does anyone have a few they'd sell?

I always wondered where our Max/Milia Marriage set wound up! (I was part of Alphateam 11 along with Alfonso)

I still kick myself for getting rid of my Chris Barretta VF-1S heads, I could do so much more with them now than I could way back then.

Not that it really matters, but the collector in me is curious if the sets will be numbered?

Where the hell were you guys back in 2014 when I was working on making an HD remaster for this game???

On 8/8/2022 at 9:15 PM, Shawn said:

Dug out this book out of an old box I had in the corner

 

I know its not necessarily 'official' but it has some great insights...like the step being the 'toe' on the nozzle

 

And those bar things inside the feet...they flip down to offer more surface contact are on soft ground
just thought they were pretty cool ideas

 

 

how did I never know this???

holy thread resurrection, batman!

A while back i was going to provide both a scan of original 1/55 decal sheets in addition to a custom drawn decal set for all four major DYRL valkyries, with more to follow on later, to the guys at reprolabels (responsible for transformers reproduction sticker sheets) but they weren't interested on two grounds: first, they didn't think there was enough interest (they print on demand... not sure how thats a concern), and second,  they were sure Harmony Gold would completely sue them out of existence if they offered them... wonder when they changed their minds.

With the advent of the 1/60 and 1/48 scale markets, the days of the 1/55 collectors/customs have largely gone down in the west. You'll find a very tiny niche market probably, but if you're wanting to make money, I wouldn't get your hopes up.