VF-1 Valkyrie and VF-1 Super Valkyrie 1:72 from Robotech (Macross)

[Massassi]

Here is my build log of the VF-1J Valkyrie and VF-1S Super Valkyrie 1:72 from Robotech. Decided to make two kits at the same time. It took me about 3 years to complete, because of some setbacks. I want to document my build because I have a Gerwalk Valkyrie and two Battroids, that need to have the same paint process (and the same colours).
I really loved the Robotech series, when I was young, I got up at 6-7 o clock on Saturday morning, and watched (and taped) the series.

Also I loved drawing vehicles from this series (my skills 30 years ago)

 

[Massassi]

So lets get started. First I painted the panel lines of all the parts matt black. Afterwards cleaning it with paint thinner. This is quite a bit of work. Then I spray painted the model white, using Humbrol 22. This was a major mistake, because after a few weeks the paint turned yellow. After cleaning the model with a home cleaning dissolved. I started the painstaking process of filling in the panel lines again. This time using staedtler lumocolor permanent marker (S). Which speeded up the process.

Then I pained the white parts with Tamiya XF-2, which works very good in an airbrush. Some parts took 2 layers of paint, because the under laying black was still to dark.

I created a new holder (from aluminium) to hold my painted parts. Some times I had more parts then holes to put them in.

 

[Massassi]

Updated the pilots to be more like the series, not like the movies. (left one has been change, right is the original).

Painted one like Roy Focker and one like Rick Hunter. Used my smallest brush.

 

[Massassi]

Then started on the engines. I wanted to light them up, so I made some custom inlets (black part in the picture)
that hold the LED. They fit in the engine but have a gap, so you can still open or close the engine. I used a bit of packaging foil to diffuse the light.

You can download and print them here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3668948

All the engine parts where painted in the following order:
- Paint first in Humbrol MET 201 (sliver black)
- Then mix Revell Matt 6 (Matt black) and paint the back side (make it darker)
- Then mix Humbrol MET 11 and paint the tip silver (make it lighter)
- Then mix Humbrol 16 and paint the tip gold (make it a bit lighter)

Inside of the legs engine are matt black

 

[Massassi]

The Super Valkyrie, has two extra engines on top. But the engine bells, have a big hole in the place where they are placed. I also made a custom 3D printed part for this. This will prevent the bells to move up and down.

You can download and print them here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3674140

The left engine has a red dot at the front, I solved this by using a red led (in the back part), and a glassfiber that goes out the front.

 

[Massassi]

I wanted to light the planes even more, (I do not think I will do that again) with some lights in the cockpit. The glass parts in the wings, and the landing gear panels.

The cockpit work out fine. Used the smallest LED I could find, and used coloured fibers, (so I only need one LED).



The Wings is an other story. I had already glued the top and bottom part together. So I opened them again, put in the fibers (red and blue for the tips, and transparent for the wing lights. But I for got to paint the inside to block the light. (so you can see the light through the wings now).
Also I bent the fibers to many times, so some of them do not allow any light through.
The LED to light them sits in the middle of the body, and also lights the rear landing gear lights.
Also there are a lot of bends in the fiber for this, so some show only a little bit light through.

 

[Massassi]

First parts are now finished. The gun and the arms.

On all parts (including the planes):
First apply a clear coat of paint Tamiya X-22 Clear on it. Then applied the decals using Micro Sol. Then applied an other coat of Clear on it.

Gun:
The guns are painted with Humbrol MET 201 Sliver/Black. and Revell Gloss 19 (Red).

Arms:
Part K22 (back side of the arm) is painted with Revell MATT 74 Dark gray

Rockets:
The tip of the rocket is painted with Humbrol MATT 24 yellow

Rocket holders (square)
Painted Tamiya XF-50 (this colour is a bit dark, so panel lines are no longer visible)

 

[Massassi]

The tail wings parts is also very straight forward. I holds some decals.

The engine parts that are on it are painted with Humbrol MET 201 Sliver/Black.

On the Super Valkyrie tail wings I used also Humbrol MET 201 Sliver/Black for the top engine holders, and used Humbrol 21 Gloss Black for the wings. (also painted the lights red and blue on the tips)

 

[Massassi]

The engine intakes are also very straight forward.
The intake is also painted with Revell MATT 74 Dark gray.
And the red part is Revell Gloss 19 (Red).

On the Super valkyrie this part is yellow with Revell 12.
The hinging part is painted with Humbrol MET 201 Sliver/Black

 

[Massassi]

The head, that is no really visible, because it is on the bottom of the plane.

The antenna's are painted with Humbrol MET 201 Sliver/Black.
And the visor is painted with Humbrol 2 Green. And I used Tamiya Panel line Black to give it a bit of shade.

 

[tetsujin]

FYI: Hasegawa's VF-1J Gerwalk mode kit includes a TV-styled pilot, might be relevant to your interests. (Though the rest of the plane is still DYRL-styled, of course.)

If you stick with the converted DYRL pilots, you might want to re-set those arms to look a bit more natural (and don't forget the control stick is between the legs in the TV-style Valkyrie!)

 

[Massassi]

Now for just run by all the parts before assembly. Boy where there a lot of decals to apply, 150 in total, and some of the smallest I have ever applied.


This is by far the smallest part I have ever put on a model. It is also made of transparent plastic, so the same colour as the glue. very glad I did not lose them.

On the main body, the air intakes and the part that is open are painted with Revell MATT 74 Dark gray.
Inside is light masked (several times)

The leg part is now assembled. The fin at the bottom had a red decal, I did not use it, but painted the part red with Revell Gloss 19
Also I drilled trough the front of the wheel cover to put the glass fiber in. The back part is painted red or blue (depending on right or left) and a glass part is glued in front of this. The glass fiber ends at the top, and lights the glass part.
The wires for the engine led, are exiting near the wheel rod.

The cockit is painted with Humbrol 64 matt gray. I also used a darker gray for the details. The front of the cockpit is painted black. And the seat is painted with Humbrol 63 matt sand. The red part at the front is painted with Revell Gloss 19 red. Did not put in the glass plastic part here.
Also the glass fiber is dirlled in the front wheel cover (can be seen in the picture below).

 

[Massassi]

FYI: Hasegawa's VF-1J Gerwalk mode kit includes a TV-styled pilot, might be relevant to your interests. (Though the rest of the plane is still DYRL-styled, of course.)

If you stick with the converted DYRL pilots, you might want to re-set those arms to look a bit more natural (and don't forget the control stick is between the legs in the TV-style Valkyrie!)

You are right, my pilot has the arms on the side. will update this in my next build

 

[Massassi]

So now for the super valkyrie, even more decals to put on.

For the extension parts they where painted with Tamiya XF-50 then clear coat, then decals then another layer of clear coat
On the front near the rocket exit, and the engine parts where painted with Humbrol MET 201 (sliver black), inside the holes, painted matt black. Also on the top part, where the two parts meet, the flat part is also painted with Humbrol MET 201 (sliver black)

 

[Massassi]

Now for the assembly. First lets glue on the wings, Added the white LED in the middle of the body after painting the inside of the body to block the light.
I made some light blocks at the side which I later removed again. Painted the air intakes Revell MATT 74 Dark gray

Used the grid from my work mat, to align the wings, used some tape to measure the angle. Used the metal parts to keep everything in place. because there is tension on the fibers, that want to push the wings back. Put the wires in the led holder

Next is to glue on the arms and legs. For the landing gear lights a hole was made in the main body, to allow the fiber through. At this moment there was no way back, replacing damaged fibers was no longer an option.

From the other side. Each landing gear opening has two wires out of it for the engine LED. and there are two wires at the front for the landing gear lights and the wing lights.

Same for the Super Valkyrie. but the wires for the engines are also running to the top engine parts connected in the main body (did not take a picture of this)

Next up is the glue the rockets on the wings, also aligned them using the grid of my working mat. These rockets connections are flat and the wing is round, so I used super glue to get them on the wings.

On the top side, glued (with normal hobby glue) the fibers in place and painted (several times) the fibers and the led holder to avoid light leaks.

 

[Massassi]

Now for the final assembly. First the head was placed, the wires for the body LED, running left and right from it.


Then I soldered the wires, that also run to the frond landing gear. And painted the white, just in case. I put one of the wires in the hole below the "No Step" and the other between the cockpit and the body. Then I could glue the cockpit on.

Last part was making the landing gear and glueing the wires along the wheels, so they can go down in the base later on.

 

[Massassi]

Will make some nice final pictures soon. Please let me know what you think so far.

 

[Quaralane]

Some VERY cool work going on in these.
Thanks for sharing it

 

[stevethefish]

This is fantastic. I'll forgive you for using the word "Robotech." (Just kidding, but seriously... Macross is a one way street. Once you get into it, you never look back.) I had started to build the VF-1J Gerwalk kit by Imai (repopped by Bandai) and had plans to light it up, but I was distracted by other stuff.

 

[rastanz]

Great build log, thanks for the detailed photo's.