Very nice! I'm inspired to go into my stash and start working on one of my Hasegawa Valkyries! Is that a 1/72 scale Valkyrie?

badlanguage

Very nice! I'm inspired to go into my stash and start working on one of my Hasegawa Valkyries! Is that a 1/72 scale Valkyrie?

 

Yes it is, not from Hasegawa though.  I compared this one to the Hasegawa version in my stash and it looks like Hasegawa's will be a easier build.

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?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotech_Defenders

Rob, the kit decals are identical to the original.  Their locations were changed around at random on the Revell instructions.

I had bought a number of Dougram kits in the series and just used Japanese instuctions for colors and decal placement.

That being said, IIRC the Vexar (VF-1S Roy Fokker Special) instructions were close to the original.

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.

Real G

The whole transforming gimmick rarely works well in model kits.

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 

Rob Gronovius

I would love to have the original Japanese instructions for the red Axoid kit I have.

Hi Rob,

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.

That's cool. Like a transforming little Tomcat.  

Oh wow, that's cool!!! Nice work!!

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. 

keavdog

That's cool. Like a transforming little Tomcat.   

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.

Gamera

Oh wow, that's cool!!! Nice work!!

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. 

 

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.  

Phil_H

 

 

Rob Gronovius

I would love to have the original Japanese instructions for the red Axoid kit I have.

 

 

Hi Rob,

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.

 

Phil, thanks for the scan!

Mustang8376

 

 

Gamera

Oh wow, that's cool!!! Nice work!!

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Cheers,

Josh

Phil_H

Hi Rob,

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.

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.

Thanks again!

Rob Gronovius

I picked up another copy of Axoid on eBay for a measly $7.50 plus shipping ($9).

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.