1/72 Bandai vf-1s Roy Focker

[Gatsu]

Hello. This is my newly finished vf-1s Roy Focker version by Bandai in 1/72 scale from Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. And a few shots of the crew..

I made small modifications, like magnets to correct legs position in fighter mode, microsol kristal clear to create clear parts in nosecone and wings. I made the weathering trying to recreate real fighters dirt and using also Hidetaka's illustrations as references. I post the one i looked at more.

[Bolt]

Looks awesome!

[sumyumgoy]

Sweet, great job!

[LRS]

Wow! Amazing job!!

Something ive always found to be paradoxical is that a lot of military models are shown with weathering, rust, decay for lack of a better term whether it be planes, ships, or tanks.  But in real life the military (at least US) always takes extraordinary care if their equipment. You never see this type of wear. Even Macross doesnt show this type of wear on any if its mecha typically. I understand the reasoning, it makes the model much less boring. 

One exception is Star Wars. In that universe, wear and tear seems to be the norm except with the Empire, who always had clean looking equipment. 

[tekering]

11 hours ago, LRS said:

Something ive always found to be paradoxical is that a lot of military models are shown with weathering, rust, decay for lack of a better term whether it be planes, ships, or tanks.  But in real life the military (at least US) always takes extraordinary care if their equipment. You never see this type of wear. Even Macross doesnt show this type of wear on any if its mecha typically.

That's because the UN Spacy has the requisite resources.  Like the US military, the Galactic Empire, or the United Federation of Planets, they have access to repair facilities, the means to replace damaged parts, and personnel to do the required maintenance work.  Light wear (like in Hidetaka's illustrations) is all you'd typically expect to see.

Conversely, if you're depicting a rag-tag group of guerrilla insurgents, Somali pirates, or an under-funded Rebel Alliance, their equipment should appear heavily weathered and poorly-maintained, because they don't have the necessary money and resources.  They don't have capitol ships like a Star Destroyer or an SDF-1 to rely on.

Amateur modelers typically overdue weathering simply because they can, they think it looks cool, or they want to distinguish their models from their toys (that would otherwise look identical).  As they gain experience, they begin to understand how much weathering should be applied, where weathering is appropriate, and where it isn't.  

It's a three-stage learning curve, see:

1. Learning how to apply weathering to a model -- oil stains, scratches, scorch marks, dents, dust and dirt, rust, chipping, etc.
2. Learning where to apply weathering -- exposed surfaces, exhaust vents, cannon muzzles, understanding where damage would likely occur (and where it wouldn't)
3. Learning why to apply weathering -- appreciating the circumstances under which the equipment is used, access to necessary resources, and the age of the equipment

I'd say Roberto is firmly in the second stage.  

[LRS]

41 minutes ago, tekering said:

That's because the UN Spacy has the requisite resources.  Like the US military, the Galactic Empire, or the United Federation of Planets, they have access to repair facilities, the means to replace damaged parts, and personnel to do the required maintenance work.  Light wear (like in Hidetaka's illustrations) is all you'd typically expect to see.

Conversely, if you're depicting a rag-tag group of guerrilla insurgents, Somali pirates, or an under-funded Rebel Alliance, their equipment should appear heavily weathered and poorly-maintained, because they don't have the necessary money and resources.  They don't have capitol ships like a Star Destroyer or an SDF-1 to rely on.

Amateur modelers typically overdue weathering simply because they can, they think it looks cool, or they want to distinguish their models from their toys (that would otherwise look identical).  As they gain experience, they begin to understand how much weathering should be applied, where weathering is appropriate, and where it isn't.  

It's a three-stage learning curve, see:

1. Learning how to apply weathering to a model -- oil stains, scratches, scorch marks, dents, dust and dirt, rust, chipping, etc.
2. Learning where to apply weathering -- exposed surfaces, exhaust vents, cannon muzzles, understanding where damage would likely occur (and where it wouldn't)
3. Learning why to apply weathering -- appreciating the circumstances under which the equipment is used, access to necessary resources, and the age of the equipment

I'd say Roberto is firmly in the second stage.  

Thank you for the insights!

[Gatsu]

On 4/8/2020 at 6:02 AM, tekering said:

That's because the UN Spacy has the requisite resources.  Like the US military, the Galactic Empire, or the United Federation of Planets, they have access to repair facilities, the means to replace damaged parts, and personnel to do the required maintenance work.  Light wear (like in Hidetaka's illustrations) is all you'd typically expect to see.

Conversely, if you're depicting a rag-tag group of guerrilla insurgents, Somali pirates, or an under-funded Rebel Alliance, their equipment should appear heavily weathered and poorly-maintained, because they don't have the necessary money and resources.  They don't have capitol ships like a Star Destroyer or an SDF-1 to rely on.

Amateur modelers typically overdue weathering simply because they can, they think it looks cool, or they want to distinguish their models from their toys (that would otherwise look identical).  As they gain experience, they begin to understand how much weathering should be applied, where weathering is appropriate, and where it isn't.  

It's a three-stage learning curve, see:

1. Learning how to apply weathering to a model -- oil stains, scratches, scorch marks, dents, dust and dirt, rust, chipping, etc.
2. Learning where to apply weathering -- exposed surfaces, exhaust vents, cannon muzzles, understanding where damage would likely occur (and where it wouldn't)
3. Learning why to apply weathering -- appreciating the circumstances under which the equipment is used, access to necessary resources, and the age of the equipment

I'd say Roberto is firmly in the second stage.  

I'm not an experienced modeler, neither i m a military models modeler, so i don t have the military vehicles knowledge i would need to do a fully realistic weathering, but i remember you that a valkyrie is not a military fighter, it's a mech and as a mech it should be full of superficial scratches, expecially in most exposed points like shoulders, elbows, knees, feet, etc. No military army during war would repaint a vehicle and waste time just because of mainly esthetic damages. I didn't put any rust (as many do on gundams) because rust can damage the metal and would not be present in an operative vehicle. So i suppose i could be already in the phase 3, even if i lack skills to have fully accomplished phase 1 and 2. Also i must say that phase 3 is mostly possible with military models where you can study real reports. In a Anime model it would be more about guessing and reconstructing a possible scenario... 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Gatsu

[LRS]

No worries. My comment was not to you in particular but something I've noticed in general across a multitude of differing models. 

Your stuff is sweet. It makes me conjure up a backstory every time I see it.  I hope to reach your level one day.

 

Might be heretical to say this but your model is what I imagine a remnant RDF valk to look like post Invid Invasion. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by LRS

[tekering]

3 hours ago, LRS said:

Might be heretical to say this but your model is what I imagine a remnant RDF valk to look like post Invid Invasion. 

I was assuming they'd been stolen by malcontent Zentraedi, and engaged in guerrilla warfare in South America... but your idea works better, since they look several decades old.  

[LRS]

40 minutes ago, tekering said:

I was assuming they'd been stolen by malcontent Zentraedi, and engaged in guerrilla warfare in South America... but your idea works better, since they look several decades old.  

I always wanted more stories in that setting. Always intrigued me.

[MechTech]

That looks really good Gatsu. The paint has a nice anime-looking feel to it. It is heavily weathered, like it was used heavily in the series flying daily sorties. I can see you put a lot of thought and effort into your build! - MT