mechaninac

Matching bare plastic colors with paint is as close to an exercise in futility as you can get. However, here is a small list of close color approximations for the paited areas of Yamato's toys: Roy's yellow = Testors' insignia yellow...close enough any way ( I checked my 1/48 and it looks to have a tiny bit of orange in the yellow). Low Vis blue = Testors' medium blue Max's 1A blue 1/48 = Testors' cobalt blue...close, but not exact Max's 1A blue 1/60 = Testors' french blue...close, but not exact Non-TRU CF 1/60 Tan = Tamyia's TS-46 light sand...almost dead on. YF-19 fuselage = Testors' desert sand...good enough if you don't like mixing paints. YF-21 yellow = Blue angel's yellow...looks brighter than Roy's, at least on Yamato's versions. Edit (04-21-04): Added CF tan, YF-19 fuselage, and YF-21 yellow to the list

There are very few Constitutionally mandated Governmental priorities; among these, National Defense is paramount, and that is where I prefer to have my tax dollars spent. It figures that in this age of the nanny state, a program that would guarantee US supremacy in aeronautics and provide for America's ability to project power, is being considered to get the axe.

Those pictures remind me of my attic. Some times I'm afraid to look up there for fear of contemplating the sheer volume of boxes I've accumulated over the years. TO - MANY - UN-BUILT - MODELS....MUST - NOT - BUY - MORE But who am I kidding? I tend to suffer from that all too common modeler's disease that causes one to see all the wonderful possibilities of a perfectly finished kit when the sprues are all intact, the excitement, the anticipation, the avarice...only to stop a project due to lack of appropriate skills, intimidation, lack of interest, or just the fact that some new kit caught my eye. Oh the dilemma!

It's LightWave 3D Version 7 or above. That little icon on his Statistics Pop-Up window is a dead give-away. By the way Gorgon, really nice start on one on my favorite VF designs. Keep those updates coming.

I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of those who wish to get recasts of 1/48 pilots (the gummy sculpts, not the original). I'd be in for a couple of TV pilots recast off the 1J sculpt, a couple DYRL? from the Hikaru 1S, and 2 or more M0 style pilots cast from the Low Vis (I plan on assembling a 1/48 F-14 and make it into a Macross version, and the pilots would help). The material used should preferably be a hard, but flexible, rubber-like resin (I know the suff is available; it's just hard to work with). However, hard resin versions would be helpful to anyone who intends on modifying the recasts to achieve different poses...it would be cool to try to create a standing figure, or one climbing a boarding ladder. Come on recasters, lets hop to it. I'm sure you'll have plenty on interested members.

Last thing I read, I forget where, the first Alpha is supposed to come out late May or early to mid June. However, given Toynami's track record, I would bet on late June to early July.

Just got the fighter lenght from Starship Modelers' review of the FV-0S. ........Lenght: 27 cm (@ 1/72) = 270 mm = .27 m. That makes the plane 19.44 m long @ 1/1. Therefore, at 1/60 the plane would be 324 mm long = 32.4 cm = 12.76 inches. And at 1/48 it would be 405 mm = 40.5 cm =15.94". Not that outrageous in my book. And, just for kicks, the SV-51: ........Lenght: 31.7 cm (@1/72) = 317 mm = .317 m. At 1/1 the plane is 22.824 m (the compendium quotes 22.77m, but I'll base my numbers off Hasegawa's kit). Thus, at 1/60 you have a length of 380.4 mm = 38.04 cm = 14.98". A 1/48 version would be 475.5 mm long = 47.55 cm = 18.72". Pretty big bird. PS: to the naysayers...insane speculation, and wishful thinking, are very common traits in these forums.

Here's a novel idea to put this debate to rest: Get the physical dimensions of the VF-0 in fighter and battroid modes (length, height, width at shoulders, depth, max wingspan, etc.) and divide them by the scale factor denominator (1/60, 1/48), then convert the results to centimeters or inches if desired. Of course, this will require the plane's actual dimensions to be known; have the stats been posted anywhere? I, for one, will wait for larger scale versions of the M0 fighters before I start buying anything (1/48 would be my prefference, but 1/60 would do in a pinch). Even though, at 1/100, the upcoming release will be in scale with existing VF-1 kits and with Bandai's VF-2SS model, the only way I can see myself spending any money on the 1/100 Zero Valkyries is if I find them at a pretty good discount (40% off retail, minimum) a few months after they come out; I got caught with my pants down on the first few 1/60 VF-1s and I'm not going to let that happen again.

You can try the method spelled out HERE. Good luck.

I thought that environment looked familiar.

I've been following the Low Vis' prices on eBay out of curiosity. The last 5 sales averaged $277.00 each, plus shipping...boy am I glad I got mine early on.

The only thing I noticed on my 1J was a slightly looser air brake than on my previous 1/48s; it tends to flop open in battroid mode. Other than that...a real beauty. You will be very pleased with it. And don't forget, the pilot sculpt is on par with the Low Vis (gummy PVC, I think, with a sculpt superior to the original DYRL ones), and the TV style hands rock!

Great looking stuff, your Rau is coming along nicely. By the way, what are you using to model this thing, Rhino?

Okay then, not ugly..........how about eccentric looking? However, ugly isn't necessarily bad. A-10 pilots and crews consider their birds ugly, but it's a cool ugly. And I'm sure they're even uglier to any joker on the receiving end of that massive gatling cannon.

This is getting good...

You boorish, narcissistic, contemptible, reprobate! How can you not like the SV-51?... Just kidding. You're right, it is ugly, fugly even, but I think that's part of its charm, and it definately looks like nothing else in the Macross pantheon of variable fighters. Cheers Serge

This thing looks great, and I like that center VTOL engine...cool. If I'm not mistaken I believe that's a first for VFs in the Macross Universe.

Most Macross, and dare I say Robotech , fans will agree that the center piece of any VF-1 collection is Roy's ride. Second to that would be Hikaru's VF-1J, the second hero mecha of the series. Whichever one you chose, however, will not disappoint you...they're gorgeous pieces for display and play. Just beware not to overstress the backpack hinge once you get one; they're the one Achilles' heel of the 1/48 design.

$11,800.00 for a 2000 Mazda Miata. Not a hobby, but I've been wanting one for years, and you could consider it a toy. $182.00 for a VF-1J w/FP, shipped. Love the thing but I've promissed myself I'll never spend that much for a hunk of plastic again.

Major...

Man, I hope that your positive experience with the final pre-production sample translates into the mass release version. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. I think most people around here, who are not Macross purists with an ax to grind about HG's "butchery" of original source animes, soured on Toynami/HG not so much because of the inferior quality of the MPC VFs, but because they blocked the mass importation of all Macross related items, thereby causing US and World wide fans (Asia rim excluded) to have to pay huge premiums to specialty importers in order to aquire coveted items. I remember when the M+ toys were going to be available domesticaly through Toycom for around $40.00 retail and HG killed those hopes. That's where I believe most of the animosity comes from...their hubris in claiming, and winning, ownership to a property that they had no hand in creating.

I stand corrected on the Macross Plus movie...Cheers

Semantics. Perhaps the word monopoly was misused, but the point is still a valid one: when it comes to Mospeada related toy items, Toynami is the ONLY game in town; if you want a new Legioss/Alpha transformable toy, the MPCs are the only choice other than outrageously priced MIB Gakkens with less then half the features (only things going for those are their size and nostalgia factor). HG/Toynami will charge whatever they think they can to maximize their profit margin. I don't begrudge them for doing it, it's a free market and they are entitled to it. I agree that this MPC series will most likely do well, or at least much better than the Veritech series, and will hold their value much more than those; though I do believe that if the Stick/Scott's Alpha has anywhere near the same QC/design/engineering/assembly problem and bad reviews as Rick's FV-1J than the bottom will drop...fast. That being said, I have pre-ordered the first Alpha on the assumption that it will be a hit and sell out, and, if not reasonably priced, at least reasonably engineered and finished, and nobody will know that until they hit the shelves. I will, however, wait on the subsequent releases to drop in price if the first one proves to be a disappointment. I know Toynami's track record is not the best thus far, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this time around; besides, I want the Alpha MPCs to do well so that they will have reason to produce the hinted-at linkable Tread/Beta bomber.

The only ones I know for sure are available in English dubbed versions are Macross Plus and Macross II OVAs and movies. DYRL? is available in English as the horrendously butchered "Clash of the Bionoids", but that doens't really count.

Other than the too dark overall color (could be the camera, the lighting, my monitor, or just my own preferrences), words simply fail to give adequate praise and admiration for this beautiful custom. A thousand bravos.