VF-1S Strike with Custom Launch Base Updated

denversaur · December 31, 2009

Hello Everyone,

Last week, I completed a rebuild of my display base for Roy Focker's VF-1S Strike Valkyrie as seen in the opening of "Macross: Ai Oboete Imasuka". I had originally constructed a base based on this theme when I built my first Hasegawa kit back in late 2001. I had, however, wanted to update both the style and presentation. Here it is!

The original base was a full-scale representation of the launch bays on ARMD-01, and was designed like a photo frame, more or less. I eventually built up the base, adding sides, and a greater depth to the bay. Ultimately, I decided that the base had become too big, and overwhelmed the model itself.

My idea with this new base was to create something that was more subtle, and at the same time, more detailed.

I removed the launch arm and Valkyrie, keeping that intact, and cannibalized the original base for scratch-building parts. The new version includes added detail to the launch arm, shows more hull detail, and in its low-profile, draws more attention to the VF-1S.

Materials involved in the construction include sheet styrene, brass tubing, styrene tubing, and model railroad lighting lenses. The hull surface is Tamiya intermediate blue. The launch arm is painted with both Testors and Tamiya intermediate blue. The core of the launch arm utilizes a brass post for stability, so that the arm would not vibrate, for example, if someone was walking nearby the display shelf.

Here's a close-up of the VF-1S in the launch "claw". I inserted pins through the "feet" of the launch claw to secure it to the Fast Packs.

The original base from 2001 (above). Although I like the idea that I represented the full launch bay, the straight angle of display doesn't allow you to see as much of the kit. My new base is positioned at a diagonal, allowing you to see more of the Strike Valkyrie.

A great reference in completing this project was this gem of a book, "This is Animation: Macross the Movie". This guidebook was published back in 1984 and has lots of good reference illustrations and stills from the movie. Difficult to find, but well worth picking up.

Thank you for taking a look! Let me know if you have any questions!

-Greg

As a bonus, I've included a photo of the new base I constructed for my VF-1A Super Valkyrie. I've completed several using a similar design. The top tier of the base is an artboard, painted black, with the image spray mounted. The letters are die cut pieces from Woodland Manufacturing. They can do various sizes cut on demand, in many custom fonts.

In case anyone has wondered, the pilot is modified from the Hasegawa 1/72 VF-1 weapon set (since the set includes a movie-type flight suit). I wanted an authentic "TV" style pilot uniform. There other cool thing about this (it's pretty small in the photo) is the pilot name. The 80s 1/72 VF-1A kits included a pilot name "K. Warmaker" which I always thought was funny. I managed to save a couple of those decals and used them on this kit.

Edited December 31, 2009 by denversaur