ChristopherB

Hello, Sweet looking kit. For Nu Gundam fans, G-System is going to release a 1/72 scale kit. Here is a preliminary picture of the work in progress: G-System is also considering releasing a 1/48 Hi-Nu Gundam. If you have seen a 1/60 Perfect Grade Gundam, then just imagine how much bigger a 1/48 scale will be. If 1/48 scale is too big for you, they also released the Hi-Nu. Here is a picture and ordering information: I highly recommend Mecha Dream if you plan to buy any resin kits. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Well so far, it looks like I have bragging rights for the longest marriage posted so far. To be honest, I'm not sure it is something to be proud of, because it means I lost a lot of chances to fornicate with other girls. On the other hand, it takes a lot of work to make a marriage successful, and nothing beats being in love. ( years of marriage, and I am only (28) years old. I married a beautiful girl with natural red hair (strawberry blond) and a flaming temper to match her hair color. (2) great kids, a boy that loves baseball, and a girl that plays with Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake. Sincerely, Christopher

Pretty amazing story. I find it really disturbing that a French reporter would not interfere with a missile launch. Notice that I did not say I was surprised though. Whatever it takes to get the story, and trust me, the reporter was not there by chance at just the right moment. You have to get clearance with the bad guys to be with them.

Hello, No need to include a separate spot in the poll for the Marines or Coast Guard. Marines are basically a section or department under the Navy. Hell, we even have to provide someone to patch them up. The Coast Guard is under the Department of Transportation, so technically they are not really a "military" branch. Here is what the word "M.A.R.I.N.E.S." stands for" My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment Sir Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not ESsential (5) years in the Navy as an Operations Specialist. (We do a little bit of everything: radar, navigation, identification friend or foe, firing Tomahawk Missiles, act as air controllers for carrier based fighters.) Places I got to go: Alcapulco, Hawaii, Thailand, Phillipines, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, American Samao, and Australia. Basically an all expense paid world cruise. Now I work at the Veterans Administration and help other veterans, widows and dependents. By the way, "N.A.V.Y." stands for: Never Again Volunteer Yourself. Just remember that veterans gave life and limb so to establish our country and project our freedoms. While we sit warm and safe in our homes, they are out there, far from home and loved ones protecting us. Sincerely, Christopher

Jung, I'm sure that there are more pictures of the Blue Roses custom, to include the blue and tan hexagonal color scheme, but locating them has proven to be difficult. Perhaps if someone were to translate the article it would reveal the name of the creator, and then you would have a place to start. As it stands, all of my"Blue Roses" internet searches have not turned up anymore pictures. Regarding the hexagonal pattern. I personally commissioned MW member "Flyboy" to make a custom 1/55 VF-1S Blue Roses Strike, and he painted it in the blue hexagonal pattern. It was a lot of work, and he used different shades of blue to create the camouflage effect. Needless to say, he had to create his own "mask" for the pattern and carefully spay each shape. The end result more than justified the work involved, and it ended up being the most elaborate paint scheme I have ever seen, and I've owned a lot of customs. Yes, the Blue and Tan versions look wonderful together, and as soon as I saw the picture of them together, I knew that I wanted to own a set for myself. Initially I planned for them to be in 1/55 scale, but now that the 1/48 is available I think that they will compliment each other perfectly. My family is doing well, and I'm thankful to have a wonderful wife who puts up with my Macross custom addiction and job transfers. (I'll send you a PM shortly Devin.) Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Jung, I hope you are doing well, and it is good to see you back! I fondly remember buying some awesome customs from you, and they were quite an investment, especially considering how much one of your pristine 1/55 customs sold for. Oh, those were the days, back when it was cool to locate a decent Jetfire or Joons on Ebay. Blue Roses Scheme is my favorite, and I have had some projects in mind, and completed for quite a while, so I'm looking forward to seeing yours. Here is a picture of the original 1/48 VF-1S Blue Roses Valkyrie: I commissioned Devin quite a while back to make the first Blue Roses decals, and we also talked about the elusive "brown" camouflage scheme. Here is the only picture I have been able to find, but in the past I swear I saw more at a Japanese Macross Valkyrie modeling website. Can't find it again though. Here it is: Good luck! Let me know if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Kurt, Great job on Gouf and Dom! If you think 1/60 scale is big, wait until you see my finished 1/48 GP04G Gerbera resin kit built. A company named G-System has even released a couple of 1/35 scale kits, which are really expensive. I am big Gundam fan, and I hope that one day someone will release a Perfect Grade Macross VF-1S, so I can build my own fully detailed valkyrie. That will be a dream come true! Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Definitely a great job on the 1/72 Strike. Reminds me a lot of the Club M kit. The builder was definitely inspired by it. Quite a few similarities, but also some differences. Mainly, the manner in which the missile pod opens. Of course the 1/48 Club M is made to be ultra-detailed, but to modify a 1/72 Hasegawa to the same level took a lot of work. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, I still like the 1/60 line, because they take up less space, so I would be interested if Yamato did indeed release the upgrade set. I checked out HLJ and notice something interesting, but then it could just be a mistake. To be honest though, I don't recall them making this type of mistake before, and if they have, it is rare. Here it goes: Assembly Guide: Skill Level 2, Cement, Paint Required Product Overview: This item is a set of optional parts for modifying or detailing robot and other science-fiction kits. It requires both cement and painting to complete or use. Anyway, presuming it is correct, I can imagine that we would need to paint the GBP1 armor, but if they release a generic upgrade kit that is non-specific, well that could require some assembly. Who knows, but I thought it worth mentioning, and it's always good to add a little fuel to fire of speculation. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Looks great! I've been wanting to see how good one of these kits looks after it has been built, for a while now. The leg armor could use some decals, especially since the boosters have the Macross emblem. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, Thanks for the information. Personally, I've never tried "break" fluid, but I found that "brake" fluid will indeed damage plastic parts by making them brittle. I find it interesting that "Easy Off" will damage metal, but not plastic. You would think the opposite would be true. I'm interested in the potential long term effects, if any, that may not show up immediately, but months/years later might occur. Plastic is of course porous and I doubt that the cleaner just stays on the surface. Ovens of course do not have plastic inside of them, because of heating issues, so I wonder if "Easy Off" was ever intended for use on plastic items. Just curious, not trying to be the "fly in the ointment." Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Devin, Thank you very much for making these decals! As usual, you did an amazing job, and raised the bar another notch. My love of customs will be the death of me, but I don't plan to ever go on the wagon. By the way, I mailed you the "other" Enigma booster emblem, so you can add it to the decal sheet. You should get it any day. Just to clarify for those reading, I obtained the Hasegawa style Enigma Booster album from the limited release option decal set. It will be cool to be able to pick which emblem you prefer to use, or just make (2) different Engima customs, one with each emblem. I'll reply to your PM's soon. Sincerely, Christopher

capital_jay & Grayson72, Thank you both for posting a reply. The information is greatly appreciated. I was pretty sure that the numbers referred to a specific manufacturer, but I was not sure who. I remember reading that you could get pre-matched Gunze paints to go with certain Gundam kits at HLJ. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello, I did a search prior to posting this thread, and did not find a match. Perhaps my search criteria was off, and if a pertinent thread exists, please post the link. My question specifically refers to the Hasegawa Macross VF-1S Strike Battroid "Minmay Guard" Limited Edition kit. I have built a lot of models during the past (20) years, and normally I just paint them whatever color I like, or bring a color reference with me to the hobby store and go with the best match. This time, I want to do it right, and by the book, all though I'm sure some will say it is not necessary. I've done it every other way, so please post if you can answer my specific question. Does the Hasegawa color guide provided in each model kit reference a specific brand of paint? If so, who, and where is the best place to obtain it? I'm familiar with the differences between acrylic paint and enamel, so that is not an issue. As we know different paint manufactures are prevalent in other geographical locations. Obviously, the majority of the colors referenced are fairly generic. I mean, white is usually white, and silver is silver, but other colors can be intrinsic to the model kit. I have never heard of a color called "Radome," so perhaps it is a combination. I know what an actual "Radome" is, since I served in the military, but a V-1S does not have one. The color guide provides reference numbers to correlate part with paint color, and then some Japanese text, and then what is most likely the English equivalent of the paint color. I presume the "H" next to the number, just refers to "Hasegawa" since I know of no paint manufactures name that begins with an "H." Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Christopher

Mike, Great job on the custom! Very nice work, and it is nice to see the custom landing gear and gunpod. Sadly, the 1/55 has always lacked the ability to be able to have the gunpod mounted in fighter mode, but you have fixed that. I'm looking forward to seeing your next custom with the 1/55 Takatoys nosecone. Sincerely, Christopher

Hello CID, Very nice collection and website! Welcome to MW. When time and increased knowledge of web design permits, please include the ability to "click" on different shelves to increase the detail. By the way, I'm a big Gundam fan too, and I look forward to seeing that portion of your collection. Sincerely, Christopher

Solscud007, How are you doing? Long time since we've talked. Like you, I'm a big Joke Machine fan. I would love to have your custom DYRL set. A thousand times better than the originals. Is "Rhoby" still making his custom Joke Machines? I've been so busy with my cross country move, and new job that I have lost touch with the important things in life, such as Macross. He came over to my house a couple of times when we were working on the 1/100 VF-1AG project, but that was a while back. Take it easy! Sincerely, Christopher

Hello Fulcy, I'm sorry for not replying to the thread yet, but my cross country move has taken a lot out of me. It's been hard readjusting back to having to actually "work" to earn my paycheck, as opposed to getting paid to slack. Everything you have done looks great, and I am looking forward to seeing the final project. Hopefully other people will want to own their very own 1/48 VF-1AG Armored Gerwalk. Kaolian, You have been a really big help, and I appreciate you taking the time to modify your original drawings even though you are not technically obligated to. I'm sure your drawings have been a big help to the project. Sincerely, Christopher

Abombz!!, No problem, it's cool, I'm just trying to help, because I also want to be able to play this game. I just hope that it plays as wells as it looks. As of right now, it looks like the "Slide Card" method is the easiest and least expensive, plus you can return your PS2 to stock condition whenever you want. Sincerely, Christopher B)

Hello, Information regarding a slide card would be great. I've already posted information concerning both a "Boot/Swap Disc" and a "Mod Chip" so those topics have been covered, but I'm sure most people want to chose the easiest method. Apparently there is a no-solder mod chip available, but I'm not sure who makes it. Perhaps a "Slide Card" is a good alternative to a "Mod Chip." Sincerely, Christopher B)

"The swap magic requires a mod chip. Someone posted a thread about it (I think it was bob joe mac) and turns out a mod chips is essential for the swap magic disc." Hello, That is exactly what my two long detailed posts have been about. Trying to explain that you need both. Sincerely, Christopher B)

Abombz!! & Others, I don't claim to be an expert on this matter, but you can see from my post above I never talked about a "Slide Card." I only talked about "Boot Discs and Mod Chips," so I am not sure yet how my specific explanation was wrong. There is obviously some confusion regarding this matter, and I'm just trying to help people know what there options are. There seem to be a few with different plus and minuses, and each product has different options. Unless the words "Slide Card" and "Boot Disc" are interchangeable and refer to the same thing, my explanation still stands correct, and my information comes direct from the manufacturer. Here "Abombz!!" uses the word "Slide Card," which I never personally discussed. To be honest, it would appear that a slide card is a different option that I did not even cover: "From what I gather.... the slide card works with backup PS2 games *only* " If the two are indeed different options, you might want to edit your post so people are not further confused. Correct terminology helps prevent perpetuated misinformation, which I am trying to rectify just because I want to help. I plan to buy the import and modify my PS2. Like "Chowser" verified, the "Boot Disc" sold at the "Easy Buy" website requires a "Mod Chip" to play import games. "Yep, those are the swap disks I have, you still need to buy the no solder thing [Mod Chip] with it. They sell the swap disks seperately for people that destroyed their originals." Does anyone know who sells the no solder mod chips? Sincerely, Christopher B)

This is what I posted in another thread for reference: "This might have already been covered, and I missed it, but from what I read, it is mentioned that if you want to purchase the import version of the game and be able to use it on your US version PS2, all you have to do is buy a "Boot Disc." A website is provided, which is: PS2 Upgrades I read on pages 1, 2 and 3 that someone says you can buy the: "Swap Magic PS2 Boot Disc" Here is a quote from Druna Skrass: "Well if anyone wants to get it, but not have to mod their PS2 you could get this...The Swap Magic PS2 boot disk." What he said is then repeated, and referenced later in this thread. I just want to clarify, and if I myself am wrong, please feel free to post the correct information. Here it goes: If you want to modify your US version PS2 to be able to play both imported, and standard US games, you do not need a "Swap Magic PS2 Boot Disc," because if you take the time to read the product description, it says that it's entire purpose by itself is to allow people to play PS2 games that they have copied, and not import games. Obviously, if you burn a copy of this Macross PS2 game, as opposed to buying your own, you will need the "Boot Disc." If like most poeple, you just want to be able to play this import Macross game rather than wait and hope for an American release, all you need to buy is the "Magic Version 5/6/7," which will require that you have some soldering skills. Full instructions are included, and Radio Shack sells soldering guns for very little money. The Mod Chip costs, $39.00. The chip once installed never has to be removed, and you can read for yourself about the benefits of this specific mod chip as opposed to the other versions that are available. I just want to clariy the difference between a "Boot Disc" and a "Mod Chip" so people know what they need. A mod chip is of course a lot cheaper than buying a brand new Japanese version PS2. In addition, apparently a mod chip is available that does not require any soldering to be done. If someone has information about this type of mod chip, please post it. Obviously, Sony does not want it to be easy to for us to play import games. Here is the quote: "Requires a no solder modchip to modify your console" I hope this helps, and if it is redundant information then so be it." Sincerely, Christopher B)

Hello, This might have already been covered, and I missed it, but from what I read, it is mentioned that if you want to purchase the import version of the game and be able to use it on your US version PS2, all you have to do is buy a "Boot Disc." A website is provided, which is: PS2 Upgrades I read on pages 1, 2 and 3 that someone says you can buy the: "Swap Magic PS2 Boot Disc" Here is a quote from Druna Skrass: "Well if anyone wants to get it, but not have to mod their PS2 you could get this...The Swap Magic PS2 boot disk." What he said is then repeated, and referenced later in this thread. I just want to clarify, and if I myself am wrong, please feel free to post the correct information. Here it goes: If you want to modify your US version PS2 to be able to play both imported, and standard US games, you do not need a "Swap Magic PS2 Boot Disc," because if you take the time to read the product description, it says that it's entire purpose by itself is to allow people to play PS2 games that they have copied, and not import games. Obviously, if you burn a copy of this Macross PS2 game, as opposed to buying your own, you will need the "Boot Disc." If like most poeple, you just want to be able to play this import Macross game rather than wait and hope for an American release, all you need to buy is the "Magic Version 5/6/7," which will require that you have some soldering skills. Full instructions are included, and Radio Shack sells soldering guns for very little money. The Mod Chip costs, $39.00. The chip once installed never has to be removed, and you can read for yourself about the benefits of this specific mod chip as opposed to the other versions that are available. I just want to clariy the difference between a "Boot Disc" and a "Mod Chip" so people know what they need. A mod chip is of course a lot cheaper than buying a brand new Japanese version PS2. In addition, apparently a mod chip is available that does not require any soldering to be done. If someone has information about this type of mod chip, please post it. Obviously, Sony does not want it to be easy to for us to play import games. Here is the quote: "Requires a no solder modchip to modify your console" I hope this helps, and if it is redundant information then so be it. Sincerely, Christopher B)

Hello, It would be a dream come true if Yamato releases a Max VF-1S. Sure, I could easily paint the yellow parts on a Roy VF-1S blue, but an actual VF-1S Max would mean that he is finally getting the respect he deserves. A VE-1 and VT-1 in 1/48 scale would also be sweet. Sincerely, Christopher B)