1/48 mods, who's done what?

[do not disturb]

i was wondering what kind of mods people have done to their 1/48's?

at this point, i'd like to do everything and anything possible to somehow make my valk more unique by adding tweaks and mods, such as hollowed out head lasers(fulcy), adding better details to FPs(hirohawa), or something totally insane like battle damage(kurt).

so what have you done? what are you planning to do? what else can be done? what else should be? etc etc etc. please share.

[ghostryder]

A little lonely here

I for one would like to see someone fix the low-hanging shoulders in fighter mode and recast a new slimmer canopy. Those are the 2 things keeping the 1/48 from being more or less perfect in my eyes. The only way to fix the shoulders would be to make the ball socket able to recess into the shoulders by 2-3 mm. We've already seen someone try to clip off those mystery tabs that support the arms in fighter mode, and look what happened.

We've already got a thread for better hands, that's a third thing.

As for me, I'm too chicken to do anything more than paint touch-ups and glueing pieces of confetti over the 1J eye-piece to get rid of the cyclops effect.

[Fly4victory]

I have bought Hasegawa 1/48 wing store kits B and C for the F-4 Phantom. Will use the bombs to have a VF-1A II Low Vis in a ground support role.

Painted a VF-1S Roy to have a VF-1S Max.

Collecting the materials to make a Minmay Guard.

[mechaninac]

The only things I've done that could be loosely referred to as modifications to any of my 1/48s are drilling the head lasers to simulate the bore of the barrels with a little black paint added also, and to sand down and buff the seam lines on the air intakes/thighs to make them look less toy-like... with the parting lines removed those pieces look a lot better.

Edited September 28, 2006 by mechaninac

[do not disturb]

i started this thread because i want to make one ultimate 1/48 with every mod/tweak possible. even if you haven't done it yourself, even if no ones done it yet, anything cool you can think of to fresh out a valk is appreciated.

so far theres....

hollowed out head lasers

eye piece mod

floppy arm mod

larger exhaust bells

buff out seam lines

magnetically attached FP kit(minus the backpack boosters), WIP

spring loaded arm armor missile launchers, WIP

real poseable hands

retracting pistons for airbrake

fully functional intake covers(highly unlikely but not totally impossible)

hinged nose cone attachment

landing lights

MV lense?(though don't know what MV stands for?)

larger rear tires(thats a weird one but anything can happen)

opening(hinged) leg/chest/engine covers

fiber optic HUD/cockpit(thats a crazy one dude!)

anything else you guys can think of that could pimp out my bird?

Edited October 3, 2006 by haterist

[mechaninac]

Okay... how about a hinged, yet still removable, nose cone so that the VF-1 can be displayed with it swung open for radar maintenance access?

Also, piston(s) for the chest plate air brake.

[mister_e]

I don't know if it's even realistically possible, but I'd love to see somebody make intake covers that could opened, without needing to be removed.

[David Hingtgen]

I think Wm Cheng has done it, and I did it when mine was like 6 hours old:

Paint the landing light in the nosegear door silver, then use kristal-klear etc to make a lens over it. It's that that big round depression on the forward door that's attached to the strut. It'd be impossible to get the exact effect I want without using like Alclad, but it's not worth the effort on such a small area. If they made super-slim MV lenses that'd definitely be the way to go.

Maybe I can drill into the area to make a recess for a MV lens...

Also, the "Hurin mod" where you shave off a bit of the cockpit well to allow the top and bottom fuselage nose halves to close better, minimizing the diagonal seam gap. Though that one is VERY touchy--the line between "not enough" and "too much so that the gear collapses" is about 2 seconds' worth of sanding.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Though that one is VERY touchy--the line between "not enough" and "too much so that the gear collapses" is about 2 seconds' worth of sanding.

I did that 2 seconds of 'too much' sanding. But its easily fixed by applying paint on the plastic to thicken it up again. Its a hidden part anyway.

That mod is MANDATORY for all my 1/48s. Ugly bloody gap! Pah!

I would like to modify the rear landing gears to have twin wheels or at least bigger wheels though. Those small little tyres don't look tuff enough to handle the weight.

Edited September 29, 2006 by Retracting Head Ter Ter

[David Hingtgen]

Yup, I overdid it too on my Milia, and built it back up with clear nail polish. Clear nail polish is the toy/model equivalent of duck tape. I think everyone over-does it, you always want "just a little more" of that gap reduced. It's especially bad on Max and Milia, as they have white stripes there, but the gap-shadow is black. It's less obvious on a Roy etc, as the black stripe hides it some. I also put white paint on the insides and edges, to help---it not only eliminates the red plastic showing of the gap edges, but by thickening it slightly, helps with that last .1mm of gap.

Tires: in real planes, tire size/shape is pretty dependent upon landing surface and method. You can tell carrier-based from land-based F-4's by their tire width. The F-15 has pretty skinny tires, and it's much larger and heavier than a VF-1.

Also, "number of wheels" is rarely influenced by the plane's weight, but the limits of what it's landing on (see above). It's usually purely PSI limits of the concrete, etc. Weight-wise most planes would love to have as few wheels and axles as possible, but a 747 would crack the runway apart if it only had like 10 tires.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Tires: in real planes, tire size/shape is pretty dependent upon landing surface and method. You can tell carrier-based from land-based F-4's by their tire width. The F-15 has pretty skinny tires, and it's much larger and heavier than a VF-1.

Also, "number of wheels" is rarely influenced by the plane's weight, but the limits of what it's landing on (see above). It's usually purely PSI limits of the concrete, etc. Weight-wise most planes would love to have as few wheels and axles as possible, but a 747 would crack the runway apart if it only had like 10 tires.

I find the 1/48 VF-1 rear tyres to be too small still. The F-15 tyres are still relatively 'bigger' compared to those on the Yamato 1/48.

[do not disturb]

I think Wm Cheng has done it, and I did it when mine was like 6 hours old:

Paint the landing light in the nosegear door silver, then use kristal-klear etc to make a lens over it. It's that that big round depression on the forward door that's attached to the strut. It'd be impossible to get the exact effect I want without using like Alclad, but it's not worth the effort on such a small area. If they made super-slim MV lenses that'd definitely be the way to go.

Maybe I can drill into the area to make a recess for a MV lens...

who were you replying to? what feature are you talking about?

[David Hingtgen]

The feature that I described in the post---painting the landing light on the nose gear door.

[do not disturb]

you'll have to excuse me for being a complete tool, my knowledge of planes is very limited.

i take it its little round depression you're talking about...

[attachmentid=36961]

if this is correct, i know a guy who works with LED's on small scale toys. he should be able to work a fully functional landing light in there with a on/off switch.

a cool little mod and great idea.

[David Hingtgen]

That's it.

But as for lighting---kinda doubt it. The piece is only 1 or 2mm thick with the nosegear strut right behind it.

[big F]

Thanks for the Nail varnish tip David. Gonna raid the bathroom cupboard today for some.

[do not disturb]

That's it.

But as for lighting---kinda doubt it. The piece is only 1 or 2mm thick with the nosegear strut right behind it.

its totally possible as hes known for doing the impossible.

check out his work...

http://www.brickmodder.net/spacemods.html

i also want to put LED's on the left and right translucent pieces on either leg which shouldn't be too difficult. i wsh there was a good way to do lights for the wings and tailfins but the plastic is way too thin.

[David Hingtgen]

I've lit up stuff too, LED/fiberoptic/electroluminescent. But I still don't see a way to do the landing light on the nose gear. Not to light up the whole thing like it should.

[do not disturb]

you could be right, i have no idea as of yet?

so far i've asked him to add lights to the following areas...

both legs, the front landing light, the red thing on the top of the strike canon, FP boosters exhausts and whatever else i can come up with.

if anyone has any other suggestions as far as areas to lighting up, please share.

BTW, do you have some pics of your work? i'd be very interested in getting some ideas and tips if possible.

Edited October 2, 2006 by haterist

[David Hingtgen]

I haven't lit up anything on a valk, only model kits. And they all require a base/stand with power supply. I haven't done anything in a small, self-contained unit that could work in a toy.

Basically, I know most all the methods of actually getting LIGHT to somewhere. (I prefer flood lighting and fiberoptics, rarely use LED) But very small power supplies--that I haven't done yet.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

you could be right, i have no idea as of yet?

so far i've asked him to add lights to the following areas...

both legs, the front landing light, the red thing on the top of the strike canon, FP boosters exhausts and whatever else i can come up with.

if anyone has any other suggestions as far as areas to lighting up, please share.

BTW, do you have some pics of your work? i'd be very interested in getting some ideas and tips if possible.

If you can fibreoptic up the cockpit displays to look like it appeared in DYRL. That'll be awesome in a dark room.

[Dante74]

How about an opening maintenance hatch with internal detail on the legs and/or chest?

[Crazy Canuck II]

One mod that I'd like to try, but most likely never will, would be to add more range of motion to the hips for battroid mode. As it is right now, the tips of the angled intake housing hit the side of the cockpit which limits how wide the legs can spread apart. I thought maybe the angled section of the intake could be hinged so that it would angle allowing the legs to pivot more. Taking it a step further, if the housing was free floating with some kind of spring so it can move and pop back in place, then it could angle when it hits the cockpit or even the back allowing the legs to pivot forward without the use of the ratchet joint below the hip, which IMO while accurate and functional looks ugly. Here's a pic to help illustrate what I'm talking about incase none of that made any sense.

Edited October 6, 2006 by Crazy Canuck II

[ruskiiVFaussie]

I have something in the works. It will be a big project.

It will be a super roboitized valk type

Complete with... nah you can find out once it's ready.

[MechTech]

Hey guys,

Try getting some surface mount technology LED's. They're the size of a pencil tip and you can use watch batteries to power them (3v). I'm gonna do a 1/200 valk with them when I finish the Daedalus - someday! You can use hair thein wires and everything! I don't know where to get them. I've taken mine off old busted equipment that people give to me (they know I'll reuse some of the parts).

That Lego site was cool by the way. I'm not into Lego's, but small engineering like that is cool. - MT

[David Hingtgen]

Try searching places that cater to model railroaders. They light everything, and in 1/160(N) and 1/220(Z) scale. www.walthers.com is probably the largest retailer in the world---but beware, their catalog is literally thousands of pages.

[big F]

The surface mount LED`s are available in strips from Several of the larger electronic component vendors. in England you can try R.S or C.P.C as they stock them over in the U.S im Sure that you could speak to someone like Radio Shack. As M.T says you can power them from 3v watch batteries and cable them up with single strands of wire taken from electrical cable. In the past I made something that had the strands glued into groves like deep pannel lines that wer painted over the top so you couldnt see them.

Another source could be broken moblie phones as they all use them on the key boards and under the screens although you are limmited to yellow white or green depending on the model and make. Just dont give them too much heat when un soldering them.

Edited October 9, 2006 by big F

[MechTech]

Great ideas Big F. That's what I was gonna do for the wing tip navigation lights; cut a grove and fill over it. I can't use fiber because the swing wing thin would stress it - at least in my tiny scale. I've got one of those IR remote tanks/games from Konami. I thought hey, it backs up when it fires it's cannon! So I stuck one right into the barrel at the right polarity! Yes it always lights up in reverse on the one side of the tracks, but I can see where I've been better - MT

[justvinnie]

I was unhappy how low the nose can angle down in Gerwalk, so I shaved the back part of the calf for a greater angling. I think it allows for cooler poses in Gerwalk and it is not noticeable otherwise.

vinnie