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Its fantastic to hear more people getting into modelling again - it really is a dying art. Don't be discouraged - you can get all sorts of help here and on the internet. 1- How many models did you screwed up before complete a decent model kit? I've been building since I was 10yrs old - took a long hiatus during University, but still to this day (26yrs later), I have yet to complete a model I didn't screw up on! Eveyone one I've done, something goes wrong - and everytime I see them, I can pick out exactly what's wrong with each one of them. I've just come to the conclusion that I can't ever build a perfect model - its just how you deal with the mistakes that count. 2- Do you always put gloves on when you handle painted pieces? Gloss pieces are also a problem for me. Humidity has a lot to do with how fast certain gloss-coats dry, and I'm always impatient, so I always end up touching it or playing with it before I should No I don't use gloves most of the time, although I am trying to when I do remember to. I try to time the painting of major surfaces at the end of the day or night, so I will let the model dry un-disturbed overnight. It is a common problem for most of us, the glossy clear coats are softer to begin with - but I haven't really had too much need for glossy coats - I usually decal on a semi-gloss surface, it wears better. 3- How do you clean copleted models when they get dusty I'm lazy, I don't really clean them too much But a clean brush usually works. 4- Its good if the next try will be an hasegawa vf-1 or you suggest something simplier to do? I'd experiment on cheaper easier to obtain models before starting on the Macross items - unless they are plentiful and cheap where you are. You can get experience from anything - but it should be worth your time and important to you. Don't just build to experiment. My biggest learning experiences are from mistakes on precious models where I have little choice but to repair my screw up. If you don't care about it, then its too easy to drop it when you screw up and miss a learning opportunity. Good Luck!

Great idea Chad! A CD size would be great - I'd personally love to see a clear polished acrylic disc 4-5 inches in diameter by 3/4" thick. The Macross kite logo (without any lettering) would be etched in reverse (maybe 3/8" thick) on the underside (to be seen from above through the clear material). This way we have a flat top to allow aircraft or battroid to sit flat on, but we still have a 3D kite logo to be seen from above, but all would be done out of clear acrylic so it won't detract/draw attention away from the model itself or require finishing. I'd take 4 or 5! All we need is a 1/4" dia. clear acrylic rod!

Nice kits! Hey Mechleader, nice work, but can I just say, that the inner flaps on the low-viz Valkyrie only goes down (all flaps only goes down - unless its a "flaperon" / flap/aileron) - in fact the Valkryie has Flowler Flaps, which means not only do they drop, they extend out the back then drop. The ailerons towards the outer edges of the wing can extend up or down to turn the aircraft. Please don't take my comments in a bad way, the kit looks great, it just doesn't look right to plane buffs Hey Electric Indigo - cool design! what is a Delphinus 3C - it looks like the same guys that designs Yukikaze... I'd like to see more of this series' art work.

I usually just use liquid masking fluid to mask the entire thing and also use it to "glue" the canopy down - on really stubborn fits, I sometimes use a dab of white glue, since its removeable later.

Yay! Jesse... Totally understandable... life! what a distraction from Macross!! Glad to hear things are still on - rather wait a bit longer to have it done properly than have it rushed through half-assed. I'm so looking forward to this... Take care.

FANTASTIC!! Very nice - that's exactly what I wanted to do, right beside the VF-0S! It looks great - maybe the panel wash is a little on the dark side for the non-moveable surfaces - but you did a fantastic job with the kit. I hope to build mine some day. Thanks for sharing GunnerX (how about one with all three together, F-14, VF-0 & VF-1S) Now you've got to get a F-18F and a F-4 with the Jolly Rogers (never ends...) p.s. you know there's a new Eduard photo-etched set out for the Hase F-14 that includes PE parts for the ends of the missle racks that shows the exposed launch rails - very cool indeed.

I'd save the PE parts for when you want to display the canopy open without the pilot in. The pilot takes up quite a lot of space (you can't really see around the pilots arms to the side consoles anyways. The pilot's hands already have a partial stick molded onto them as though they are gripping them already.

Hey Jonn13, There was a thread about this a little while ago, check here; http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=13183

Man! David, you're my goto guy! why didn't you tell me about the low-vis VF-103s! Well, you are officially on notice - anything like that comes out again, or good decals - PM me! I need to know about it. I want to do the high-vis on the ground with all the flaps & slats extended - and I'll do one in flight mode with the low vis. By the way, any good F-14 pilots in 1/72 scale - I don't think the Hasegawas came with pilots... I'd still like to eventually do a flightline of jolly rogers of F-14, F-18, VF-0S, & VF-1S.

Hey the F-14 looks fantastic - you should post a step-by-step here - I'd be really interested in your process. I've got the same kit, with some resin cockpit additions and PE parts too - and would like to build it up some day! I'd love to hear & see more! I'd also like a kit with the low-viz jolly rogers decals to so I could build one in flight and one on the ground with all the flaps & slats extended. Too bad the kit doesn't sweep though - but overall an excellent kit. Now I'm just waiting for Hasegawa to put out a 1/72 F-18F in the new Jolly Rogers markings - you know they have one in 1/48 coming out. Keep up the great work!

Thanks so much Grayson - please keep posting, I'm really interested. I love the F-14. Which kit was yours again? It looks exactly like my 1/72 Hasegawa - but is your's 1/32? I'd like to do all this - but in 1/72 scale! But there's so much more aftermarket resin stuff for 1/48 and 1/32 - you could get a wheel well aftermarket kit if the pins bother you - or just add wiring over top of them. LTSO - yes PE parts are a pain@! but they look so good when you get them right. The worst is gluing canopy lugs to clear parts, if you're not careful, the crazy glue hazes the clear canopy - I know there are special crazy glues that will not craze the clear part - but I have yet to try them.

Hey Grayson, I'd love to see your progress on the F-14!

Nice work with the stencils John! Care to share? Thanks for all your tremendous efforts - I received mine last week - and all I can say is that its up to the usual John Standards! I hope to do you proud some day soon when I can get back to my bench! Just don't forget about the launch vehicle...

Wow! fantastic weathering on the grey blue scheme!! Thanks so much for sharing, definitely will file it for reference if I ever get around to mine

OK, last one... (I just don't think the FM has this long shape) so I rather like the AMT kit, yes the photon tubes are not recessed deep enough (which I chose to ignore ) and it lacks a decent pilot/cockpit - but it doesn't take much work to get it into a pretty good looking replica of this famous fighter. (oops, I forgot R2 in this shot - I made decals from my inkjet printer for R2, its just too small and had to have straight edges for my free-hand skills)

Sorry for the crappy pictures... it was before I had my digital camera. I might dusted it off for some decent pictures sometime soon.

Here's a finished shot (as you can see NEWCA - my kit was that stupid thing with the clear plexiglas disc that supported the X-Wing, 3rd down from your pictures "Flight Display" - it was cheap at a garage sale! - but the black base was nice - so I used it for my base, and drilled a hole in for the clear acrylic tube) Additionally, I feel the larger resin kit has a very thin nose, just too sharp & needle-like (nice kit though LTSO - not to knock your beautiful resin). My main dislikes with the AMT kit are that the canopy could be higher, and the bump on the lower fuselage just aft of the torpedo launchers are too pronouced (make the kit look "cranked") but it dissapears when you look at the fighter from above or 3/4.

Just make sure you paint and weather the insides of the foils before you assemble the kit, or it will be real hard to get in there later on.

If you're anal like me you can add losts to the AMT kit (which I feel is already the right shape - plus it has engraved panel lines!) In fact, I wasn't impressed with the FM kit, I find it a bit snubbish - the nose didn't seem long enough (IMHO).