SDFM Cavaliers and Alaska Base VF-1s

[VF-1A Grunt]

Has anyone here looked at or attempted to model the Cavaliers or Alaska Base schemes from SDFM? I keep hoping that Hasegawa will offer them eventually, but in the meantime, I'm collecting info (and paint) to turn a couple VF-1A kits into them. Referencing the Mecha Manual:

Cavaliers:

http://www.macross2.net/m3/sdfmacross/variant-vf-1a-cavaliers.htm

I'm not that excited about how Yamato did their toy version (I don't own it, so I'm just referencing online photos):

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=36375

I prefer the Mecha Manual interpretation without the gray trim around the cockpit and nose. I also think the front and backs of the legs should be more of a gray color than the lighter blue that Yamato seems to have used (unless it looks different in person).

Was this squadron referenced in the Master Files? I don't have access to mine at the moment but don't recall seeing it in the SDFM squadrons book, which would have been the logical place. It would probably be a more interesting scheme with appropriate squadron markings, but I guess I'll have to make up something convincing.

Any idea on a good Mr. Color dark blue for this scheme? I think Navy Blue (14) might be too dark, but I'll get a bottle to try out.

Alaska Base:

http://www.macross2.net/m3/sdfmacross/variant-vf-1a-alaskabase.htm

Valkyrie addict did a nice job painting one of the Yamato kits in this scheme:

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=39189&hl=

He used Tamiya TS-43 Racing Green, which I think is a pretty good match based on his model photos, but I'll have to try my hand at decanting the Tamiya spray paint, as I'd prefer to airbrush it.

I'm pretty sure this scheme appeared in the Master Files, but I don't recall if it mentioned a squadron number or any other information. Does anyone have that reference handy? I'm in the process of moving the family cross country and have a lot of things in storage.

These schemes don't get a lot of modeling attention, which is understandable, since they only appeared for a few seconds, but I like the idea of replicating more official paint schemes that haven't been done much before.

Edited May 22, 2016 by VF-1A Grunt

[slide]

Has anyone here looked at or attempted to model the Cavaliers or Alaska Base schemes from SDFM? I keep hoping that Hasegawa will offer them eventually, but in the meantime, I'm collecting info (and paint) to turn a couple VF-1A kits into them. Referencing the Mecha Manual:

Cavaliers:

http://www.macross2.net/m3/sdfmacross/variant-vf-1a-cavaliers.htm

I'm not that excited about how Yamato did their toy version (I don't own it, so I'm just referencing online photos):

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=36375

I prefer the Mecha Manual interpretation without the gray trim around the cockpit and nose. I also think the front and backs of the legs should be more of a gray color than the lighter blue that Yamato seems to have used (unless it looks different in person).

Was this squadron referenced in the Master Files? I don't have access to mine at the moment but don't recall seeing it in the SDFM squadrons book, which would have been the logical place. It would probably be a more interesting scheme with appropriate squadron markings, but I guess I'll have to make up something convincing.

Any idea on a good Mr. Color dark blue for this scheme? I think Navy Blue (14) might be too dark, but I'll get a bottle to try out.

In the Masterfile with the Supers on the cover, top of page 122, listed as SVF-26.

The line art in the book is different than the the Yamato and Macross Manual interpretations:

it has a grey colour on the legs, not as blue as yamato went, but the side-view shows it doesn't extend down the side of the leg [as the white on Max/Kakizaki's VF-1A's do], but the top-view suggests that the grey DOES follow the outer contour around the leg/engine]

also has a grey canopy frame/anti-glare panel like the Yamato, only Much darker. matches the Intake cover colour in the masterfile pic.

The upper intakes/vents are a light tan-grey, Mr. Colour 39 or 44 look very close on my laptop screen.

the Masterfile also shows the outer leading edge of the intakes as white, which I don't like, but it does break up the scheme a little.

Lastly the Engine exhausts are the same as on all the other valks, not grey matching the leg colour.

[VF-1A Grunt]

Slide, thanks a lot for the feedback. I managed to dig up my Master Files, which I remembered that I had stashed in the bottom of a box in my car for the move. I wouldn't have found the Cavaliers very quickly without your reference, though. It sounds like Yamato took their Cavaliers scheme from the book (or vice versa). One other difference I noticed from the Macross Mecha Manual is that both wings have the two red stripes near their tips, which I can actually just make out in the screen shot from the Mecha Manual on the lower left aircraft:

http://www.macross2.net/m3/sdfmacross/variant-vf-1a-cavaliers/ep05-vf1cavaliers.jpg

The UN Spacy kite actually overlaps one of the stripes in the animation.

The Alaska Base scheme is included in the first VF-1 Master File and is listed as SVF-15. It doesn't quite match the appearance from the show and the Mecha Manual, in that the vertical stabilizers are solid green on both sides with white tips and a white leading edge, and the aft portion of those small fins on the legs are also green. The scheme looks good but doesn't match the animation.

I'll have to mull over these variations and decide which version to go with for each of these schemes. I like being able to include the squadron numbers though, thanks to the Master File references. Thanks for the feedback!

[MechTech]

These would be cool! Not many peope have recreated them. - MT

[VF-1A Grunt]

MT - I have two fighters planned before these, a standard brown VF-1A and a brown Skull Squadron VF-1A as depicted in the Master Files. The latter looks like a brown VF-1A with Fokker's black stripes on the fuselage sides, wings, arms, and legs, along with black Skull tail fins. If I can get those done, I'll move on to these. The Alaska Base might get bumped up though, since the mostly white scheme would be easy to paint, and my skills are pretty rusty.

[MechTech]

Easy is good, especially since easy and white paint aren't usually used in the same sentences together - MT

[NZEOD]

Consider them underway...

Easy is good, especially since easy and white paint aren't usually used in the same sentences together - MT

Agreed... you have to be so careful even in the handling of them!

[NZEOD]

[chyll2]

Part 3 of Alaska base WIP.

When reassembling the forearm, remove the paint from the little pegs or the forearm will not attach fully and you could break something by forcing it.

It's not necessary to glue this piece (unless you want to)

Now for the leg fins and tail stabilizers. First I remove the paint, if I can take the piece out I throw it in some brake fluid for a few hours. It's great to remove paint and safe for the plastic leaving the paint gummy like so you can scrape it off with your finger; but, the black tampo from the Yammies is extremely difficult to remove, so you will need some extra light sanding to remove it.

To remove the wing marking, I can't throw the wing into the break fluid cause I don't wan to loose the other tampo. So I just mask around the panel where the markings is and sand it off, I use 400 grit to remove it, clean it with some 600 and finish it with 1000 Grit to get an even finish as close as the surrounding panels.

Now for the hips, the extra coat of layer will rub when you move the hip forward. You can see its a rather tight fit.

So, just sand or cut off a few mm to give extra clearance.

Voila. Now you can pose and transform the legs without fear of this part chipping.

Looking good.

Time to remove the paint here too, I will also sand it out, same process as before. For the Alaska scheme this part is white and the rudder green.

And time to prep masking for painting.

Not bad

And the final markings to be painted, the tail lights, that intake sensor? and the red stripe on the legs. There's a sticker for the leg stripe but I prefer painting it.

That's more like it.

Now I have two, weeeeeeeeeeeeee...

Now to begin adding the decal markings. Little tip, pretty much a given but just in case, add the "no step" marking with the wings swept to match each side.

One more thing, the legs and intake tab that lock fighter mode, mask around and remove the paint here cause it will chip anyway.

Still a few decals left to place but its pretty much done and can now enjoy an Alaska base scheme VF-1 Yammie that can transform with little fear of ruining the paint, you will only need to be careful with the shoulders when transforming into fighter mode (will add pics of this later).

Total working build time 3 days.

Now to finish this other bird.

Thanks for looking.

from: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/?showtopic=40394

[derex3592]

GREAT work! I missed the tail fins being different on mine -- Might have to go back and fix that someday!

[VF-1A Grunt]

Easy is good, especially since easy and white paint aren't usually used in the same sentences together - MT

Yeah, I guess I should have said that the masking would be easy, not necessarily the white paint!

One minor point that I disagree with Valkyrie addict on that he mentioned in his build is that I think the Alaska Base Valkyries would be kept clean and freshly painted, since they are stationed at the UN military headquarters. I recall that he said that he "failed" to weather them to represent them serving in a remote, desolate location like Alaska, but I think the nature of the installation would mean they were well-maintained. I think his model looks great!

I guess at some point I'd need to do a Hasegawa Battroid in that scheme, since that's how they appear in the animation.

[slide]

I'm hoping the White

comes out near to the kind of white I would need for Valkyries.. would make everything simple

comes in White, Black, Grey, Olive Green, Yellow, and Metal-primer Red and is quite easy to use.

I tried some of the grey through my Infinity CR+ this weekend, and even though it's thick stuff [don't thin it, spray it neat] it sprayed no trouble through the 0.2mm needle setup.

apply as you would any other acrylic paint product.

Sands well too.

I guess at some point I'd need to do a Hasegawa Battroid in that scheme, since that's how they appear in the animation.

I was looking for an excuse to do an Alaska Base scheme... that's a great idea!

Slide, thanks a lot for the feedback.

no worries!

Nice spot on the Red lines being on EACH wing too.

the more I look at the Cavaliers the more I want to do one, it really is a nice scheme, and a great departure from UN Spacy standard... I'll add another to the list

Edited May 25, 2016 by slide

[NZEOD]

I'm running Vallejo White Primer as my white

[Ratatarse]

thanks for sharing my humble work on those alaskas

the most easy to do custom

based on the pics from the show, I hadn't noticed the green knees ?

[chaff.g]

Any idea on a good Mr. Color dark blue for this scheme? I think Navy Blue (14) might be too dark, but I'll get a bottle to try out.

You might consider Mr. Gundam Color Titans Blue 1 or 2 (UG16 or UG17).

[spanner]

seeing I already had a Yamato Cavaliers VF-1A, I had an Alaska Base greenie built from a assembly kit version and it looks fantastic! Sorry don't have photos on me but I definitely posted some of it in one of the threads in here..

Surprised Yamato never issued one. Probably as it made only a very brief appearance.. but they look very cool!