1/48 Scale Roy-to-max Vf-1s

[Wicked Ace]

I was envious of the people that had a Max -1S displayed and wanted one of my own. My problem was that I didn't want my custom (or hack-job if you prefer), to look "better" than the Roy and Hikaru it would be displayed next to. My goal was to make my Max -1S look like it came from Yamato; I tried to use as much of Yamato's stock paint as possible and tried to mimic the stock paint look on any parts requiring color changing. I think I've done a decent job of an adequate paint scheme, just like what Yamato gives us. Let me know what y'all think.

Here's the conversion "kit."

I used Tamiya TS-10 French Blue (I'm using a canned paint, so there's no re-mixing/matching any paint in the event of a scratch).

Edited November 29, 2005 by Wicked Ace

[Wicked Ace]

The tail section disassembly:

[Wicked Ace]

Here, you can get to the two screws that hold the chest plate on.

[Wicked Ace]

Getting access to the screw holding the battroid's head on -- once the screw is removed, you need to use a little effort to free it from its base:

[Wicked Ace]

The freed heat shield and chest plate:

[Wicked Ace]

How the legs come off -- just pull outward (I wish I had seen a pic like this before I took apart my first Valkyrie):

[Wicked Ace]

The masking (a.k.a. the "fun part") -- after masking, make sure to scuff the original paint with a scotch-brite pad and/or fine grit sandpaper, then apply primer (I like Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer):

[Wicked Ace]

Of course, most of you will be able to strip off the black paint and substitute blue on the underside of the heat shield. Not me. Yamato gave me a heat shield with a crooked skull. My approach was to scuff the top of the heat shield, paint it blue, add a skull decal, and brush on lots of Future. The result didn't turn out too badly; however, looking closely you can see the edge of the sticker -- I'll fix this later by redoing the heat shield with a waterslide. A stock Roy heat shield and mine:

[Wicked Ace]

Oh, and to protect my new heat shield, I added electrical tape to the underside of the chest plate, where the shield resides. This has kept the heat shield from being gouged for three transformations now.

[Wicked Ace]

Skipping ahead a few steps (I think the other disassembly/masking steps are too elementary to post pics of), the result:

[Wicked Ace]

More.

[Wicked Ace]

Now I need a 1/48 scale Q-Rau.

[Zinjo]

Of course, most of you will be able to strip off the black paint and substitute blue on the underside of the heat shield.  Not me.  Yamato gave me a heat shield with a crooked skull.   My approach was to scuff the top of the heat shield, paint it blue, add a skull decal, and brush on lots of Future.  The result didn't turn out too badly; however, looking closely you can see the edge of the sticker -- I'll fix this later by redoing the heat shield with a waterslide.  A stock Roy heat shield and mine:

348239[/snapback]

The way to "flatten" a sticker is very very time consuming. Essentially you clear coat it several times, sand the sticker area down and clear coat again until the layers of clear coat eventually even out over the sticker....

It isn't impossible, just very time consuming...

[Mechamaniac]

Cool, thanks for the tutorial.

Though, it would have been much shorter if you had just converted a Max 1A to an S head. But for those of us who don't have 1A Max's this is cool stuff.

French Blue??? - GAH!! Now Max will surrender evertime he sees an enemy pod!

Beautiful custom, makes me want a Max 1S even more.

[kensei]

Alternatively I would recommend using the sticker undeath a heatshield and then paint over it.

[JB0]

French Blue???  - GAH!! Now Max will surrender evertime he sees an enemy pod! 

It's okay. He's awesome enough to punch through and become the Napolean conquerer type of french.

[ghostryder]

I like the choice in blue, seems more authentic than the yamato 1/48 blue, but not quite as ghastly as the 1/60 blue. Great tutorial for us out-of-practice modelers.

Is Max hiding a crooked tailfin skull?

[Wicked Ace]

I like the choice in blue, seems more authentic than the yamato 1/48 blue, but not quite as ghastly as the 1/60 blue. Great tutorial for us out-of-practice modelers.

Is Max hiding a crooked tailfin skull?

348336[/snapback]

Yup! Actually, both tailfins have crooked skulls. Recap, Yamato let a Valkyrie out the door with three crooked skulls!

[big F]

Good job looks factory to me. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Wicked Ace]

I like the choice in blue, seems more authentic than the yamato 1/48 blue, but not quite as ghastly as the 1/60 blue. Great tutorial for us out-of-practice modelers.

Is Max hiding a crooked tailfin skull?

348336[/snapback]

I just got my Max -1A in the mail, today (thanks to samurai m). I had no idea I was that far off on the blue.

Edited December 2, 2005 by Wicked Ace

[Wicked Ace]

Oh those crooked skulls.

[ghostryder]

Oh those crooked skulls.

349153[/snapback]

Wow, I didn't realize that your right fin was crooked going the other direction. Mine is prob the same. That's okay, I just wont ever buy a DYRL 1A or a 2nd edition Roy to compare, and all will be good

Edited January 22, 2006 by ghostryder

[ghostryder]

Your little tutorial inspired me to do a Roy-to-Max of my own. I used Rustoleum for Plastic Sail Blue, and left the heatshield black .

[aaajin]

kool! black heat shield is the bomb! with black skull insignia for the fastpacks

[ghostryder]

kool! black heat shield is the bomb! with black skull insignia for the fastpacks

362940[/snapback]

Yeah, that's exactly what I intend to take a pic of, once the paint has cured for a week (it's still tacky as I write this). Here's another fighter shot showing how cool the black jolly rogers looks w/ the blue trim.

edit: friggin' photobucket won't shrink photo, sorry.

Edited January 22, 2006 by ghostryder

[Wicked Ace]

Looks good, ghostryder. I think the blue you used is lighter than what I went with -- more like the 1/60 scale blue (which goes well with your missile pods).

[ghostryder]

Looks good, ghostryder.  I think the blue you used is lighter than what I went with -- more like the 1/60 scale blue (which goes well with your missile pods).

363039[/snapback]

Actually, the Sail Blue I used it right between the 1/60 blue and the fastpack sticker blue in darkness and hue. I think it's the picture flash that makes it appear more bright. It's definitely darker than the Tamiya French Blue (checked hobby store). Either works i think, it dpends on which screenshot you're trying to match .

[big F]

Looks good to me.

We will all have to get more Roys and paint em up now. Next stop Kakizaki.

[ghostryder]

Looks good to me.

We will all have to get more Roys and paint em up now. Next stop Kakizaki.

363060[/snapback]

Well, you'll need to fatten up the pilot with some putty . Come to think of it, the standard issue yamato figure is on the small size, definitely more of a Hikaru or Max. Doubt a properly scaled Roy would fit.

[Skull-1]

Isn't Max 013 or 003 not 001?

[Hurin]

Isn't Max 013 or 003 not 001?

363128[/snapback]

Not while flying the VF-1S as Skull Leader (001). This is the case right after Hikaru and Misa are rescued on earth. . . during the Milia vs Max duel.

If you look closely, Max outranks Hikaru at that time and is flying a VF-1S as flight team leader. Look even more closely and it is apparent that Hikaru is flying behind both Max and Kakizaki and they both refer to Max as "Captain."

Which begs the question, if Milia hadn't waxed Kakizaki, might he have been Skull Leader after Max went "missing" with the Meltrandi instead of Hikaru? The mind boggles.

Edit: Just looked again, Hikaru is definitely behind Max, but is slightly ahead of Kakizaki in the delta formation (Max in lead, Hikaru behind Max to Max's left, Kakizaki behind Max to Max's right. . . slightly farther back than Hikaru. I don't know air formations or what a subtle positioning means.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Hurin

[Skull-1]

Does Max fly Roy's "S" or just *AN* "S"? I forget now. Been forever since I saw "Clash of the Bionoids"! LOL.

[Macross73]

Great conversion to a VF1S Max.

I think alot of folks are liking the use of 1/60

gunpods they seem more aesthetically pleasing.

[ghostryder]

Does Max fly Roy's "S" or just *AN* "S"?   I forget now.  Been forever since I saw "Clash of the Bionoids"!  LOL. 

363170[/snapback]

Roy's 1S get's blown up on the Zentran ship after Roy (as he's dying) pumps Kamjin full of rounds in the back . So both Max and Hikaru eventually get their own 1S.

Edit: Just looked again, Hikaru is definitely behind Max, but is slightly ahead of Kakizaki in the delta formation (Max in lead, Hikaru behind Max to Max's left, Kakizaki behind Max to Max's right. . . slightly farther back than Hikaru. I don't know air formations or what a subtle positioning means.

In this shot, Kakizaki was in front of Hikaru (look at those tiny UUM-7 pods!),

..but then it looks like he fell behind Hikaru

...so relative front-back position probably means nothing i this case? I'd like to think Hikaru outranked him...jeez, imagine if Kakizaki survived and was tasked to kill off Bodolza!

Edited January 23, 2006 by ghostryder

[Wicked Ace]

Actually, the Sail Blue I used it right between the 1/60 blue and the fastpack sticker blue in darkness and hue. I think it's the picture flash that makes it appear more bright. It's definitely darker than the Tamiya French Blue (checked hobby store). Either works i think, it dpends on which screenshot you're trying to match  .

363049[/snapback]

I think going lighter than the Yamato Max blue is best as being accurate to any of the DYRL screen shots. From your description of Sail Blue, that camera flash must really lighten up things. Looks pretty good at any rate.