A Macross World Launch Arm

[Myersjessee]

Well....at this time of the year of keeping secrets I couldn't keep this one anymore....so...I'm sharing...(maybe it'll get me on the "nice" list.

A little history. A year or so ago I was lucky enough to get my hands on the WF 1/72 scale VF1 launch arm. It was one of these extremely rare extremely expensive kits that I just had to have. I paid more then I care to say (though I was not ripped off...thanks to a couple friendly MW members! ) and I must say, when I got it I wasn't ecstatic. Don't get me wrong...it was nice, but surely not great. As a caster I looked at it and said it would take very little to cast it…and due to an extreme lack of detail the molds would last forever. I’m normally okay in that situation; except the design is so simple I just felt a little ripped off. The kit is…plain. That’s the best way to say it. Holding it next to a Hasegawa valk with it’s extremely fine panel and rivet lines the arm is plain. Minimal to no panel-etching…no John Mosacato ™ weld spots…just nothing. Even the little piston arms that are shown in the demonstrator from WF are not included in the kit. I decided I would scratch build it up into something respectable…but after a couple weeks I realized my eyes were bigger then my skills. (Top Gun – “My ego was writing checks my body couldn’t cash!” ) J So…when I got the Spiderbug from Gundamhead I sent him a little note. It basically explained my situation and inquired whether he would be interested in making a better one. I explained all the details I expected it to have and fished to see if Gundamhead would like to help me out. I was overjoyed to find out he REALLY wanted to do it. In fact, it was something he had thought about a lot, and his ideas and plans far exceeded my aspirations.

Flash forward to today. Joe has sent me several updates on his progress, and after today’s update I just had to share the cool results I am seeing. Hope you all are as excited as I am about the results.

A couple of answers to questions people may have….When Joe is done (and no one is allowed to rush him! J ) I will be casting up his results. We don’t know right now what the final version will cost, or how many we will be doing. Right now he’s simply working on creating the new version, and engineering the VF1 mount points, stand, and other key stuff….now…onto the kit….

[Myersjessee]

First...some shots of the WF kit....

and

This is the entire kit. Note...no piston arms, no panel lines, (not great casts) very simple details as a whole. A nice kit...but definitly not a great value for what I paid...no matter how limited (at least IMO as a modeler, not a collector)

For reference...here is a picture of the display from WF.

(note it has at least simple pistons..but you can see the lack of detail)

[Myersjessee]

Now...onto the pictures I just got. The picture includes the WF kit, and the new one in progress. This is a picture of the left side. The lower tan one is the WF version. The pistons on it are my pathetic attempts to cast and create the pistons. The upper grey one is not complete, but gives us an idea of what we can expect.

[Myersjessee]

Here is a shot of the right side.

[Myersjessee]

Here is the top...this is one of the most impressive changes to me. This whole arm on the original is barren. The fact it has no detail, no poseability, and no base just stunned me. I saw this picture and I started to drool!

[Myersjessee]

and finally..then underside.

[Myersjessee]

So...whats next? Well...it's all up to Joe, and his generosity of time. He's talking about lots more details. One thing he noted is that there's some big differences between my lineart sources and the actual animation, so he is trying to combine the better parts of each. We have talked about creating some sort of base to add some poseability. He is also looking to add some realistic hoses and or wires and even adding little details to the kit like the tiny pistons to their underside of the claw arm fingertips.

So...I'm excitied...and I wanted to share the happiness I got from getting Joe's note. Hope people like what they see so far and a HUGE thanks to Gundamhead for building this baby!!!!

Happy holidays all!

Edited December 20, 2004 by Myersjessee

[azrhino]

Damn it, Jessee!!! First Monkey-N, and now you coming up with more stuff to

consume my modeling funds!

From the shots you are showing, this is going to be a gorgeous add-on to a

valkyrie model. My compliments to all involved in the creation of this. One question

though. Does the arm have any reinforcing, or is it made of a strong enough

material that it won't bend and deflect over time?

Please keep us appraised of the progress. I am looking forward to the day that

this shows up in the "For Sale" section of the forum.

Later

Edited December 20, 2004 by azrhino

[Angel's Fury]

Yeah Jesse!!! Keep us updated!!!

[HWR MKII]

I WANT ONE!!!! OR 2,3,4......

imagine the space saving if you mount them on sturdy stands. yes all the valks you build would need to be fast packed but hey getting them off the table or desktop and mounted in the air. oh yeah it could be made into a wall mount display too. the ideas are flooding

sign me up jessee. now on to the 1/48 one for my club m.

just kidding

sean

[Mechleader]

Okay...I've been waiting a LOOOONNNGGGG!!! Time for this!

Jesse great job! Godspeed!

Joe No rush..but I WANT ONE NOW!!!!!!

Great work so far Joe! Really! Can't wait for the final product.

Put me down for 2 now...I may order more....

[007-vf1]

you kick a$$, man..!!!

[Myersjessee]

...One question

though. Does the arm have any reinforcing, or is it made of a strong enough material that it won't bend and deflect over time?

Yep....we have to address this. The original came with a metal rod embedded in the resin (and not to effectively done) I'd like to do the same thing with the new one, but that may not be possible in all sections. I've already started scratching some ideas and notes down, and I'm sure Joe is doing the same. It will have to have some special design or it will bend. More details to come (as we know them! )

Thanks all...glad to see your as pysched as I am!

[ef500mm]

Waiting for your good news$$$

[Gerwalker]

Great!! Awsome work!! Can't wait to have it!!

[dr_vandermeer]

Looks VERY cool.

[wm cheng]

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!!!

This has got to be my most sought after item! ever!! THANK YOU, thank you Jesse & Gundam Head. I was wondering what you did with your WF kit (I was jealous when you said you got one - but then I saw it, and re-considered)

This is fantastic - I can't wait, its so exciting. I would like to make two requests, can the actual head that attaches to the Valk's packs somehow allow us to incorporate rare earth magnets to allow the Valk model to be detachable after construction - I'd hate to have to glue the Valk into the arm. Secondly, in the line art, the articulated arm section before the yellow and black caution hatched joint mechanism has three very distinct panels that stick out, but the WF model has them as recessed areas like truss webbing - I'd prefer to see them as three panels that stick out with rounded sides (more like the lineart).

Again, thank you so much for all your efforts and keep us updated. And Jesse, if you need anything at all from me, or if there is anything I can do to help - just ask.

[Sweet-1]

Sweet! I have been wanting a couple of these forever (Diorama idea). Thanks MJ and GH, this is awesome news. Can't wait for the list to come out.

PS how big are the feet that grab the fastpacks? And is white metal magnetic? I like WM's idea, but am trying to come up with the best way of doing it. Would it be possible to drill them out and insert a metal strip, or are they too small?

Lonnie

Edited December 20, 2004 by Sweet-1

[Aurora-7]

Oh, God! please don't make me have to make an economic decision between this launch arm and the 1/100 Monster!

Pennies! I have to start rolling pennies!

[Myersjessee]

The WF kit came with a bracket piece that goes inside the arm and a screw that goes down into the backpack. The only problem is neither Gundamhead or I think it's strong enough to really hold a valk safetly (the backpack) Ill let him speak, but he's playing around with different mods to attach it...all with a screw probably through the body and backpack and hidden under the fuselage. The rare earth magnets idea, however, could do the trick. If the magnet was placed inside the arm head you could put an oposite magnet inside the backpack and secure the backpack down with an extra peg. The only problem is I don't think the head is supposed to be flush with the backpack...in this case it would be...the arms should be secured to the FP's...but they are pretty think...all in all..interesting idea....I'm curious what Joe will think....

[Gundamhead]

Wow thanks guys. This is a fun project for me. So far I have found 4 different versions of the launch arm. 2 different line art, two different styles in the animation. Yup one of those Macross mystery thingies. I'm trying to capture the spirit of the arms from the animation. To me it had the most bells and whistles and the better looking version. But I'm not counting out the lineart, it's got some cool design ideas too. For short, it's my interpretation based on the sources. The pictures shown are the direction I'm going, but I still have work to do. Details, details, details.

Now for the tough and very legitamite reality of things. It's a engineering nightmare. Even in 0-G this thing would wobble and put stress all over the Valkyrie that it didn't need to. A simple catapult would be better and more practical all around. BUT, a catapult just ain't as nifty looking.

The arm is long (14" then add the VF wing and it's around 17.5" tall), so that means the potential to warp. The only simple fix I see is using a rod or tube to give the arm a 'skeleton' when it is cast. That alone is more than enough to hold the Valkyrie's weight, and is pretty easy to do.

The VF is held on the arm at 5 points in the picture, and animation. The four fingers and the umbiblical to the tail pack. Mounting the model VF-1 to the arm could be done a bunch of ways. I toyed with a P-cap idea, a screw, and a metal pin. (The magnet might work if they were strong enough.) I toyed with using the actual fingers that grasp the FAST packs as being the mounting points. Some of my ideas were a bit gimmicky, but alll were feasible.

The original arm uses a resin plug that is inserted inside the tail pack and screwed to the arm.

Except the problem isn't mounting the Valkyrie to the arm.

The Valkyrie is the problem. (Sacrilege! Heretic! The Hasagawa VF is the most perfectest model ever! Gundamhead indeed!) C'mon, honest now, it's what you're thinking, but please hear me out.

If you look at the Hasagawa Super kit, or have ever built it, you know how the tail pack and FAST pack boosters mount to the fighter. 2 tiny nubs and one small skinny, oval, shallow peg. There's simply no strength there.If you have a Super built, you would never pick it up by the booster packs and hold it sideways because you know it's too much weigth on that joint. It'll break and you'll be left holding the tail section and FAST pack boosters while the rest of the VF is in a million pieces at your feet. (Don't really try it, but look at what I'm describing. See the potential for disaster?)

So the easiest and strongest I've found so far is small a metal pin. (the squeemish may want to stop reading) I glued the tail pack on the VF. Then I drilled right through the entire tail pack and VF. I had a Valkyrie ka-bob. (Shoulda seen that sucker spin for a second on the drill.. ) Right through the Valkyrie's back and out it's belly. A small hole for the pin to mount to the umbiblical on the arm, and it has no way of falling apart. It sounds difficult and frightening (My poor Valkyrie! ) but it really isn't a big deal, and if you can build the Hasagawa, you can do this to. (I promise the Valkyrie won't feel a thing) It is also hidden completely by the VF arns and the umbiblical.

So with the two real concerns pretty much figured out (I'm always willing to hear better suggestions) the next is how to mount the arm.

On the original kit, there's no stand! There's no way to mount this sucker unless you make a stand. I got a ideas for that. It's actually what I'm working on at present. It's tough to describe, but it adds quite a bit in my opinion. Most important to me, is it allows the addition of the STOP/GO signal arm that sits in front of the VF.

I've got some time off from work coming soon. I'll be able to play in the basement and actually work on it more. I promise when I get something a little more substantial, I'll snap a few pics for you and you can see where I am heading with it.

[Gundamhead]

Damn it, Jessee!!! First Monkey-N, and now you coming up with more stuff to

consume my modeling funds!

From the shots you are showing, this is going to be a gorgeous add-on to a

valkyrie model. My compliments to all involved in the creation of this. One question

though. Does the arm have any reinforcing, or is it made of a strong enough

material that it won't bend and deflect over time?

Please keep us appraised of the progress. I am looking forward to the day that

this shows up in the "For Sale" section of the forum.

Later

I'm just gonna try to quickly answer questions now that I rambled on long enough.

Yes the arm will need support to stop any warping. The rod will be cast inside the arm.

I don't think Jesse really wants to play with other types of resins. The rod will be strong enough.

[Gundamhead]

I WANT ONE!!!! OR 2,3,4......

imagine the space saving if you mount them on sturdy stands. yes all the valks you build would need to be fast packed but hey getting them off the table or desktop and mounted in the air. oh yeah it could be made into a wall mount display too. the ideas are flooding

sign me up jessee. now on to the 1/48 one for my club m.

just kidding

sean

Wall mount... Hmmm possibly, but it's not something I've tried out yet. That's a whole new set of stresses added to the arm, so I don't wanna just say 'No problem" without actually looking into it.

I woundn't count on it saving space...It's gonna be around 18" tall. Then if my base idea works out it'll be about 14" long.

[Gundamhead]

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!!!

This has got to be my most sought after item! ever!! THANK YOU, thank you Jesse & Gundam Head. I was wondering what you did with your WF kit (I was jealous when you said you got one - but then I saw it, and re-considered)

This is fantastic - I can't wait, its so exciting. I would like to make two requests, can the actual head that attaches to the Valk's packs somehow allow us to incorporate rare earth magnets to allow the Valk model to be detachable after construction - I'd hate to have to glue the Valk into the arm. Secondly, in the line art, the articulated arm section before the yellow and black caution hatched joint mechanism has three very distinct panels that stick out, but the WF model has them as recessed areas like truss webbing - I'd prefer to see them as three panels that stick out with rounded sides (more like the lineart).

Again, thank you so much for all your efforts and keep us updated. And Jesse, if you need anything at all from me, or if there is anything I can do to help - just ask.

I wasn't thrilled about the recessed work either. I'll see how the three rounded panels version might look.

I think the Valkyrie will become part of the arm permanently, for the reason I desribed. Besides, the VF has it's gear up on the arm, other than flying your VF around the room, there's not much reason to make them detachable.

[Gundamhead]

Sweet! I have been wanting a couple of these forever (Diorama idea). Thanks MJ and GH, this is awesome news. Can't wait for the list to come out.

PS how big are the feet that grab the fastpacks? And is white metal magnetic? I like WM's idea, but am trying to come up with the best way of doing it. Would it be possible to drill them out and insert a metal strip, or are they too small?

Lonnie

I call them fingertips for the fingers. they are pretty tiny and more of a detail piece than a structural part. See my long rambling post for details.

I'm pretty sure white metal is no magnetic.

[Gundamhead]

Oh, God! please don't make me have to make an economic decision between this launch arm and the 1/100 Monster!

Pennies! I have to start rolling pennies!

I really do feel your pain. Too many kits, not enough time or money.

I won't even attempt guess at a price yet. That's Jesse's call. He can't make that call yet, cause he doesn't have the masters yet, cause they're still in progress.

This project is becoming more of a model itself than a simple stand though.

[Myersjessee]

Wow...thanks for all the responses Joe! Very complete! Couple things to add on:

1) In terms of the magnet idea...in simplest sense...my thought is if Joe finishes the way to stregnthen the backpack and attack it to the valk and arm (as a mount point) it would be an easy mod to simply attach the backpack to the model (internal peg/bolt, etc) and add a magnet inside the backpack. Then you add the mate inside the tube from the arm and you have your removable valk. I tend to agree with Joe that in the end Ill just probably permentatly affix it...but it's a neat train of thought, and I thoroughly expect (perhaps I command!?! ) you expert modelers to get yours built first and show us all the way to attach it other ways!!! (perhaps a please is in order by me?! )

2) Price...no clue. Honestly. First...I need to see how much there is to cast, and try and gauge how many are wanted. (you all are helping with part 2) Then we need to see how many hours Joe had to put into this project. In the end, like the spiderbug, I would like to see it be as cheap as possible. For MacrossWorld, I won't be looking to make any amount of serious money...I'd rather many people be able to get a few and feel like they got a great deal. Joe and I will work out the details, but you have my word (and I know Joe agrees) we will try our best to make it reasonable and accessible.

[Myersjessee]

Oh, God! please don't make me have to make an economic decision between this launch arm and the 1/100 Monster!

Pennies! I have to start rolling pennies!

I really do feel your pain. Too many kits, not enough time or money.

I won't even attempt guess at a price yet. That's Jesse's call. He can't make that call yet, cause he doesn't have the masters yet, cause they're still in progress.

This project is becoming more of a model itself than a simple stand though.

Here here!!! Huzah!!! More then a stand..please!!! (and I love the wall mounted idea...a whole lot of space just became available in my room with that idea!!! ) (no pressure Joe! )

[Ranger565]

Hey Jessee and Gundumhead

I have an idea about how to mount it

When I was reading that post I SO understand what it would be like to Mount it from the Boosters, However if you were to mount it from the Folded wing Tail Mount on the back as shown in this picture

You can see the Red area of the Pic that I outlined for the Mount, and the Yellow is the Pegs or Rods that can be drilled into the top of the VF-1. you can see that its VERY strong from my pictures. Super glue or even HOT glue can make this Kit stronger and should support as I have done with my Fingers. NOTE: the Clamps can just be supperglued to the Boosters, however 90% of the Support will be built onto the Folded Tail mount

You can see the Inside support beams from the Picture here

You can see how stronger the support is just by my fingers

Oh well its just somthing to look into, Let me know what you think

Ranger565

Edited December 22, 2004 by Ranger565

[Less than Super Ostrich]

Excellent job on that 1/1 scale hand! Where did you get it?

[Ido]

Uhm the Hase backpack is surely tough, if I do the same thing with my 1/48 yammie, i can say goodbye to the backpack hinge.

How much would be the price for this marvel?

[cobywan]

The Hasegawa kit isn't really that heavy. I would put some short 1/32" diameter pins into the plastic mounting pegs.

[HWR MKII]

ranger please dont ever scare me like that again . it wouldnt be possible to do that to a super ost or an elint because the only 2 points of contact are at the rear of the pack. those 2 variants dont fold their fins over when they put the fast pack boosters on. even weaker than a standard fast pack.

[Ranger565]

ROFL oh well was just an Idea

[Myersjessee]

I'm suggesting a 2 inch diameter steel peg driven through the arm and valkyrie with a jackhammer...then immerse the whole contraption in concrete and let set. Display large block, knowing full well the valkyrie is safe!

Actually, good news is, we will have options. The kit should have at least one option, and I'm sure you all will come up with others that work for you....I think we are all on the same page here...thanks for the ideas...keep 'em coming!