captain america

Hi everyone. Once again, my sincerest apologies for the delay in getting the final installment to you: I just checked in with Codam23 and the joints and canopies should be on their way to me shortly. The landing gear is what's really causing me the most headache: I received the metal struts earlier this week and all but 2 sets arrived broken, so these are being re-done and this is the primary cause of the delay. Seriously, some days I could just scream. Or cry...

Looking really sweet, Mike! The official stats for the pods are indeed on the small size and don't reflect the proportions of the pilots. Can't wait to see this one finished!

Not yet, I'm still waiting on the subcontracted parts to arrive. My castings were done long ago, but there are some things that are out of my control. My sincerest apologies for the delay, guys

Hey everyone! I hope that my American friends are slowly recovering from their post-Thanksgiving turkey-induced comas and jet-lag... I on the other hand, had scrambled eggs! Just wanted to put the word out there that as I'm finishing up the castings, I may *MAY* be able to manage 1 or 2 more full kits if anyone's interested. Putting the word out...

Did I say Friday? I meant Tuesday!! Sorry guys, sometimes I lose track of time. All of the principal molds are done and casting has begun. I actually had parts to show on Friday before the weekend's festivities kinda got in the way but alas, back on track, and the castings are excellent! You'll notice from my pics that my test-shot cockpit consoles (forward and lateral) are in opaque resin, but the production units will be in translucent resin as promised. In fact, since I'm using 3 different resins on this last leg of the project, casting will likely take a bit more time than usual, owing to the fact that I can't pour everything together, due to dissimilar pot life and de-molding time requirements. Also, the composite joints are about 2/3 done, clear canopies and decal artwork has been sent out (processing) and the main metal landing gear... I'm still waiting for info on those. All this to say that while it may take a little extra time for this final installment to reach you, rest assured that it IS coming

Hi everyone! Please forgive my long silence; I've been busy making the molds for the final installment, and have a resin test-shot brewing as I type this. By Friday, I should have some pics of my castings which will be well underway by week's end. Will also try to provide a coherent status report on the canopy/decals/landing gear by then as well. Fingers crossed!

Captain's log, stardate: October 21st, 2011. Lunch time. Well here we go: updates for the nose section are finally done, save for a few little details here and there. Some re-tooling is centred around the cockpit, which has had some parts re-worked and details added, especially in the aft ejection seat area. The most significant update however, is the canopy frame: originally, I was just going to provide some resin hoops to put into the vac-formed shell and that would suffice. But then I had an idea: what if I were to produce a full resin frame and then modellers could just cut out the transparency and mate these to the frame for a more realistic look? It was a bit of a long, delicate PITA to get things going, but in the end I'm glad that I did, as I think it really adds to the look of the kit. The boarding ladder has also been tweaked somewhat and gives a sturdier look. Lastly, the big hurdle was the markings: the original vector file was lost 2 computers ago, so all I had to work with was a small jpeg file… Not an ideal situation. Nonetheless, with a few measurements, I was able to rebuild the whole thing, one marking at a time. I also took the opportunity to update some of the fonts; I figured they'd have access to snazzier printing technology in the 2080s, surpassing the need for crude stencils! A side-by side comparison of the markings is provided for your viewing pleasure. I was able to cram a few extra goodies that weren't in the original. That just about covers it for this update; I will begin principal photography for the destructions next week, and moulding begins immediately after that. Keep your fingers crossed folks, we're in the home stretch! http://imageshack.us/g/692/15374283.jpg/ Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Wow, MW looks weird with this configuration... I don't know if I like it, but alas... Been putting the finishing touches on the masters for part 6; canopy frame is almost done and so is the new decal artwork. The latter was a particular PITA, because the original vector file was lost so I had to start all the markings from scratch. Thankfully, by doing so I had the opportunity to use some slightly more modern fonts and improve a few little things here and there. Photo update coming Friday!!

Last pic. That's as far as I can get with prototype joints and without glue

More snaps, this time with the head and shoulders. Apologies for the blurry pics.

Hi everyone. Just wanted to post a quick update! Holy frack this thing is BIG! 37-38cm tall in Soldier mode!! :blink:

Hi Darrin. No beers needed, the simple answer is that I'm not sure yet; there's demand for some smaller-scale MOSPEADA-related stuff in the background, but I think that the MACROSS fans have been high-and-dry for more than a year, so maybe a new Zentradi mecha, or perhaps a re-issue of the Spaltan. All demand-related.

I think it kinda helps that you're located relatively close geographically Oh, and I will make the official announcement that payment for the final part (segment 6) is now due. To those who have already paid, you need only sit back and wait patiently. For what it's worth, I've already begun molding some parts that need duplicating for this last installment. I will begin making the final mods for the components, and you can expect an update either on the 7th or the 14th, but the latter is more realistic, as I'm sort of short on time these days. Your patience is greatly appreciated

Hi everyone. Just a quick heads-up to let you know that I'm starting to ship kits today. Most will be shipped by Monday or Tuesday, though 1 or 2 people may have their kits delayed as I had to order more screws, minor speedbump. Will be posting again on Monday to announce the commencement of the final segment. Stay tuned!

It's all in the proportions. Compared to both the old Imai 1/72 and the CM's 1/48 toy, the Wave kit's proportions are such that it looks stumpy, squat, deformed and un-heroic: head and shoulders are too big for the chest nacelles and body. It's not like any concessions had to be made to accommodate a complex transformation either, which is why I consider it an aesthetic failure, though I have to admit that the gun is a clear improvement and looks awesome. I've included comparison pictures to better illustrate my point.

The Wave soldier is just hideous! Considering that it doesn't have to transform, I think they dropped the ball massively. Heck, the 28 year-old Imai soldier looks better than that!

And the 3 remaining pages!

Hi everyone! Well as it stands, I've finally gotten the destructions for the body (part 5) done! Be sure to download them at your convenience

Captain's log. Stardate: today, somewhere between lunch and my afternoon snack. Hi Everyone! Another week, another update. I merely wanted to show-off the castings from the latest installment: they're coming out excellent (in reality, they have no choice: if the castings come out crappy, the molds get re-done.) Also, I took the time to check the fit of the parts as a precaution, and everything is coming out aces! The third pic is of a new series of landing gear masters: my first attempt to contract this service out was an unmitigated disaster and a waste of time, so let's all cross our fingers they my second attempt will prove more successful. I do deeply apologize that these are taking so long. That having been said, they will get done one way or another.

Captain's log, stardate: September 3rd, 2011. Morning. About to have coffee. Hi everyone, I'm happy to report that the newest set of moulds is complete and the first test-castings will be done by Monday evening. The procedure seems to have gone exceptionally well, as I've inspected the new tooling and found no problems, which is always a sigh of relief when you have to mold some rather complex shapes. The first 2 pictures are of the moulds themselves. The first pic shows two of them being poured, while the third is a finished unit. If you're wondering why I sometimes use tupperware as mold boxes, and acrylic jigs for others, it's simply to suit the size of the pieces being moulded. Some parts are so awkward that custom mold boxes have to be made to accommodate them, like the main body and the engine nacelles. The next series of pictures are courtesy of our very own Codam23, who is making the joints using 3D printer technology; something that would have been unthinkable a scant decade ago. The photos show the joints in question supporting a whopping 1.9 lbs of weight each, without bending or moving. I can confirm from the prototype joints that I have that they will be very strong indeed, and when built properly, will be able to handle the weight of the kit, no sweat! By next week, I should have some test-shots to show, as well as some mocking-up of the parts to give you an idea of just how massive this model will be. Stay tuned!

There are actually numerous deviations from the source artwork, especially with regards to proportions. As I've stated on a few occasions previously, this model is not intended to be a 100% anime-accurate version (which would not be physically possible anyway) but a design with my own touches, envisioned as it would exist in a more real-world scenario. A Legioss: Moscato version, if you prefer.

Excellent question! In fact, it doesn't affect the posing any more than the stubby version, though it is more noticeable visually. Not nearly as much of an eyesore as I thought it would be. I'll post some pics when the torso parts are finally molded.

A better comparison between the old and new nose. Night and day difference!

That depends on market demand. I tried polling for Inbit mecha a couple of years ago; the interest was abysmal.

I'll let you know how I feel when she's done; still no light at the end of the tunnel, so I just keep my head down and do what I gotta do. Oh yes, I definitely have a couple of kits for myself; this is iconic mecha pr0n for me