valkyriepilot

your good ole tamiya masking tape will get the job done for that purpose or if you wanna try masking solutions, you can also go for that one... but IMO tamiya masking tape will suffice for the straight edges of the stripes

I'm Asian too (Filipino) and my beard grows back like untrimmed bush in like... less than 2 days after shaving Beard growth isn't tied to ethnicity ya know...

hey UN Spacy, yep the v2.0 internal frame is very much different from the OYW version, it's a completely new design.

awesome work Jarrod! i like how you did the panel lines, and decals placement are very good too. photography is one of the best i've seen, and the poses gave a very dynamic feel to the model especially this shot, kickass! and i've only seen it now, but your custom VF-1 Perfect Transformation just amazed me

I live here in the Philippines, and probably due to proximity to the anime sources, me and my buds have a good exposure to anime and tokusatsu. Back in the mid-80's 2 local channels were showing Macross in it's original series form, and it was in the same timeslot as GI Joe, Thundersub, Transformers. Another channel, which also carried super robot shows (Getta Robo, Grendizer, Gaiking, Voltes V, Daimos, Mazinger Z, etc...) showed DYRL (or was it Clash of the Bionoids?) in its entirety, and being a kid just about to enter primary school, my attention was only on the show during the mecha fights, then I'd change channels on the dial (yep, few people had remote controlled TV's back then, technology is slow to catch up here ), then back again. Another channel showed Robotech also, but I can't recall if they ever finished airing the whole series... I see re-runs on local TV now and my nephews tell me they just air it until the end of the Macross saga though I had a transforming VF-1 that doubled as a sharpener also, and after school I'd pass buy the many vendors that line the school walls outside selling toys and pick up a pack or two of those mini-Macross mecha figs - made of low quality plastic, but seems like they were quick recasts from those ARII or Nichimo factory figs. I wasn't into any plamodel yet... I was introduced to Robotech novels during the late 90's, and really strived to complete the whole collection, well into the mid-90's. I'm proud to say I have the whole Jack McKinney series, and for what it's worth, the novels' story is much more enjoyable than watching the chop chop animation I have a classmate's elder bro explained to me the difference between Macross and Robotech, and even after that, I guess I didn't really suffer from the Robophobia at all (even to this day ).... Also during the early 90's there was a huge influx of anime imports here (in Manila at least) and my high school friends introduced me to 2 anime importers who also rent the series for a good enough price. I was able to re-watch DYRL, then I saw Macross II, even a few episodes of the original SDFM. When I got to college in the mid-90's I have access to the library internet, and was searching the various BBSes for bits and pieces of info on Macross and other anime series I like. Also looked for the translated script of DYRL since the one i rented was in Japanese Still, anime titles are far and few in between, and I made do with what I can find that fit my interest... But when a friend got a hold of Macross Plus, it was a whole different ballgame! During my later college years, I was unable to get anymore Macross stuff, except for the occasional ARII model kit (thankfully I saved them up, hard to find nowadays ). Was able to surf on dialup though, and more or less kept updated with developments on Macross. When I graduated, it was around that time that Macross Zero was just starting, and broadband connections were just starting to sprout here. I had a friend with DSL connection download the first episode for me, and I thought it was unlike any Macross I've ever seen!! Furious dogfight rendered in CG, Roy is still alive (!), and a new Valkyrie! Was I hooked again! And, along with my addiction to GunPla and other mecha related anime and plamo, the rest is history

simply put... thrust to weight is just a ratio of an aircrafts thrust (or force output of it's engines) and its weight. the force being exerted by the engines pushes the aircraft forward, while the weight has a bearing on the plane's inertia. if a plane has very powerful engines that can overcome it's weight, then it can go faster than a plane with same weight but lesser thrust. likewise, if a plane is lighter in weight, it can go faster than a plane with a same engine but heavier weight. usually it's a balance between these two though. so, the higher the thrust to weight ratio, the faster and nimbler an aircraft is, since you just divide the thrust by the weight to get the thrust-to-weight ratio i hope that made some sense

Yep, a lot of new Bandai kits now feature ABS joints, polycapless, and makes them a bit more expensive (ABS costs more than PS). But even though ABS is purportedly resistant to wear and tear, I still hear a lot of complaints that ABS joints loosen up fast enough...

that's good then! keep you updated when i'll start it dude, got some pending kit works right now hehe. and i'll definitely stay tuned in this thread to see more of your VF-1 updated works. keep 'em coming!

thanks man will do my best then!! ) uhhh.... about seeing it in person.... i have no problem with it, but that depends on location are you by any chance from the Philippines too? EDIT: i'll be doing this one on small scale only though, Bandai 1/100 Strike VF-1S kit, hehe..

very nice works man, retro meets modern yep i agree with the other observations, it has a VF-2SS vibe, not a bad thing at all. keep it up!! also, would you mind if i try out translating your designs (especially the FAST pack) into actual models? thanks!

Gundam 00 S2 is coming up this Oct. 5 , will be watching that Also, looking forward to my VF-25F kit too. Gonna paint some Macross kits lying around in their boxes unbuilt as of yet

Yep, or heaven forbid it'll fall off, squash a few civilians and marine life (dunno if they have fishes on those planet ) and make a laughingstock out of Battle Frontier

Nice buildup TCracker! and Thanks for the tip on the stress points. Hmmm, I guess the plastic in those points are really thin then. The transformable 1/100 Strike VF-1S also by Bandai had a similar problem too, the tailfins' hinges had the same thin plastic and, even though the pivot points were plastic and exerted less pressure/friction on the parts holding it, was also liable to cracks and breakage. Other Gundam kits with similar pivoting stress loading points are prone to cracking and breakage as well... Guess I'll be really careful with mine when I build it and attempt any transformation then

Dude, it was a PRE-ORDER for the VF-25S Ozma Custom, which is just to be released, not the VF-25F Alto Custom. See below quoted:

Well said, err, Roy Focker! Yep, I remember Roy's famous dialogue: "How can you fight a war if you're afraid of a little booze?" Or something like that EDIT: And kick ass he did in DYRL when he sortied out, drunk as a skunk, to rescue Hikaru and Minmay

oops sorry bout that, and thanks for the correction Saraphys

For those living in the Philippines... Jollibee's latest Kiddie Meal comes with any of the 5 Lions, and apparently can combine to form Voltron too! Check out this review: http://hrudu.wordpress.com/2008/09/20/voltron-kiddie-meal/ I smell ebay hawkers on the sidelines hoarding the Kiddie Meals

I think of Macross II as a side-story, something that DOES exist in Macross Universe, but something that, at least for the moment, doesn't affect a whole lot of things in the main continuity EDIT: I really liked the VF-2SS and VF-1MS designs a lot! The VF-2JA comes as a close 2nd favorite. Not too sold on VF-XX though

Couldn't agree more, I mean look at MG Zeta v2.0, Bandai DID solve most of the flimsyness involved with the v1.0, but still you can't expect it to be THAT sturdy. The transformation gimmick in any transforming plamodel is a "nice to have" feature after all, and as a model, it's not expected to be transformed over and over like a Yam or DX toy... EDIT: btw thanks to Graham and klam1020 for the awesome scans! As I result I just placed a preorder for the mag too

Hmmm not really... if you want your kit to be at least half decent display pieces, you have to put some effort of sanding down the sprue marks, sealing seams, panel lining, etc. Sprue marks can ruin a kit's beauty especially if they stand out a lot, sort of like a sore thumb. And I think "Training" actually refers to the detailing part. I mean, snap-building is really easy enough, you just look at the manual for instructions for that. But for those who have no experience beyond snap-building, practice can make the difference between a well assembled kit and one that, well, really sucks

just looking at pics of the sprues themselves, there's no way that thing is variable i know, i have one myself

Well, I can personally attest that the Graham Custom Flag and the Overflag are prone to having loose joints - and fast enough, even after just a few posing with. the ordinary Flag itself does not seem to suffer as much. I guess the plastic used for the joints of the Graham/Overflag kits worns out easily. HG Kyrios is good too, for a 1/144 kit, as well as the other HG 00 line. Yeah, tools are a must, even if you don't plan on painting your kits, especially for Master Grade level models that can be given a "no-paint method" treatment. Basically this just involves sanding down the sprue marks and sealing all visible seam lines of the kits using modelling cement - do not use superglue except when you plan on painting, as superglue dries up with a darker color and will be visible. After sanding and sealing, apply a top coat, gloss or flat, whatever your fancy is, and voila, the model can now be put on display for all to see Of course, if you plan to paint, then you need to invest on more tools, especially a decent airbrush set... For practice, try to get a hold of those ARII Macross kits or the Bandai reissues, in fact I recommend the two kits below: Bandai 1/100 VF-1S Super Battroid Valkyrie Bandai 1/100 VF-1S Super Valkyrie The first kit is marked as discontinued at HLJ though, but I was lucky enough to have bought some from a local hobby shop here in the Philippines, and it's got really good proportions, unlike the 1/72 VF-1's that Bandai also released before. A bit of work on the joints though, as Bandai did not use polycaps on this one (plastic-to-plastic). The second kit is a parts-former version, some proportion issues especially in Battroid and Gerwalk, but Fighter mode looks really good.

I guess they learned their lesson now, seeing as Hasegawa was profiting quite well from Macross kits Bandai probably thought, "Hey we're being left behind, time to catch up!" Now that I think about it, their reissues of the other Macross kits might be a way to "test the waters" so to speak. But I digress... Well, for AC kits it works since, as far as I know (I haven't played AC games yet mind...), ACs are extremely modular in design, so that one weapon set could be used by several models... Same idea as FAST/Armor Packs for VFs though. Who knows, we can always hope that Bandai go that route for Macross F kits And I do hope they make re-hashes of the past VF kits. Perfect transformation VF-1 kit, anyone?

Definitely looking forward to more Macross kits indeed We all know the Ozma Custom is coming out soon... After quite sometime buying/building plamo kits, I learned that with Bandai, it's not a question of IF they will release it, but WHEN Though I'm not too sold on the idea that they will make a separate release of the Armor/FAST packs. Just look at how they released separate versions of MG Strike with different packs, and worse, different colors I won't be surprised if they produce separate releases for VF-25F Super, Armored VF-25S, etc... It doesn't mean I hate Bandai for that though, far from it This is business after all, and they're just trying to cash in on the merchandise while it's popular. Strike iron while it's hot As for us, we can always choose NOT to buy releases that we know might be redundant to our collection already

Well, the kit designers at Bandai have been doing this for a long time already, and with new technology constantly being incorporated into kits, they'll have no trouble applying these to Macross kits as well. I mean, just look at how the Master Grade has evolved over the years, the engineering design put into the models... On a side note, my friend was able to grab me a VF-25F on the release date (it was really selling like pancakes she told me...), and she was relieved to have gotten one when she did coz when she got back to the shops the next day, they all hung OUT OF STOCK banners/signs for VF-25F. It'll take a long time before I get it though, she won't be home till about 2nd week of October... a little more patience for me then