Had this one on the bench that I’ve been working on with a break off for a couple of years. An enjoyable build as I wanted to see if I could do a Mod-Eagle style paint scheme with a metallic sheen. All paints were Vallejo. Even with the issues with the seams and the paint coming off the canopy when removing the paint and do nto get me started on the superglue fogging up the inside of the canopy.
Oh, I bet! I’ve never built a Bandai Valkyrie in fighter mode but I’ve built the Battroid before. Definitely some filling to be done, but that was an 80’s era kit. I’ve built the Hasegawa Valkyrie in fighter mode and it’s an awesome kit. The only thing I don’t like is that if you want much more than the gun pod for armament you gotta get the weapons kit, sold separately of course - but then you can put pretty much any armament you want on it.
Nice job, it reminds me of the Revell Robotech kits I built in the 1980s. The one I had back in the day was a desert camouflaged one called “Orbot”. I bought the red “Axoid” on eBay within the last ten years. It was the closest to the Orbot I could find at a decent price.
I would love to have the original Japanese instructions for the red Axoid kit I have. Do you know if the three Revell Robotech kits were the same plastic kits inside and just different markings?
The Vexar/VF-1S is closest to prototype colors, missing mostly the red/white roundels in the box art version. Axoid/VF-1J is close; the prototype from the show used by a particular character was red with white trim. The Orbot/VF-1D is far off in that camo job; it would have been a tan and orange trainer scheme in the show. The heads are different in the three kits to their specific prototype, and the VF-1D is a two seater. The rest of the plastic is identical in all three kits.
Beware the triple changers, though. They are very fragile. I had a Vexar painted up as a Macross/Robotech VF-1S back in the 80s, with the pilot painted up as Hikaru Ichijo/Rick Hunter. The kit was so fragile I did not bother with even attempting the transformations. I permanently glued it into fighter mode, and it was still weak.
The whole transforming gimmick rarely works well in model kits. Joints get loose, paint scrapes, and parts break. Even Bandai’s 21st century remake of the VF-1 suffered from the exact same problems. That’s why I prefer Hasegawa’s approach of kitting fixed mode Macross Valkyries. It’s not as fun, but you get peace of mind.
In addition, the Imai/Revell/Bandai transforming 1/72 Valkyries have stubby wings in order to have it transformable without the wingtips dragging on the ground if the wingspan stayed consistent with the “fighter mode” wingspan.
I have three or four of the Revell boxings unopened with intact shrink-wrap
I have scanned a set of these instructions and emailed to the address on your user profile. If this address is no longer used, PM me an alternate address.
And BTW if you dip your canopies in Future they won’t fog from superglue. Just clip them off the sprue, clean then up, wash them off really well, and then dip in a small container of Future and set aside upright on a paper towel to let the excess Future drain off. You can then pour the Future back into the bottle to keep from wasting the extra.
That’s exactly what I thought when I first saw a VF-1! When a friend who normally builds 1/72 scale aircrat built the Hase kit, he displayed it next to an F-16, which looked bigger. The Valks from “Macross Zero” are noticeably larger and closer to F-15 / Su-27 size.
The messed up thing is, I did dip them in Future. I am going with I did something wrong since it was such a long time from when I did put the canopy in future and when I finally installed it.
Nice build! All my canopys I glue with PVA, dries clear, holds very well and no fogging. Actually anywhere I find myself needing to be super precise like around PE vents for example Inuse PVA also as can be brush applied where you want it and it gives working time which is hard with super glue.
Phil, I picked up another copy of Axoid on eBay for a measly $7.50 plus shipping ($9). I can’t wait to get started on the kit using your scanned original instructions. I’m certain that I will build it in aircraft mode as opposed to trying to make it transformable or into robot form.
Nice score, even with the shipping. Building it permanently in aircraft mode is a great idea. After a few transformations, they tend to get a biy floppy.
It was a no box kit, that I paid more for shipping, all parts still sealed with decals and Revell instruction booklet. Even had the rubber/vinyl tires and metal landing gear.
I was surprised I won it; I only bid a token amount and was surprised I was high bidder at $7.50. I was actually looking for a 1/72 scale F-14 Tomcat when I stumbled upon the auction less than 10 minutes before it ended.
20210201_074453 by Darren Keller, on Flickr
20210201_074459 by Darren Keller, on Flickr
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