Skull Squadron DYRL - first Macross model in 17 yrs

[peter]

Attempt to recreate the opening scene from Macross DYRL with Hasegawa 1/72 Valkyrie kits. 

I took a 17 year hiatus from model building because I started Roy's Strike Valkyrie and got really discouraged because of how difficult it was going to build.

I finally got off my butt and finished what I started 17 years ago and built three more kits.  After finishing Roy's, the Kakizaki wasn't so bad.

I built Max and Hikaru at the same time....probably won't want to do that again.  I actually didn't have enough VF-1A Supers.  I found two VF-1S Strike Valk kits so I ended up building them as Supers.  I ended up stealing a 1A head from a Hasegawa VF-1A fighter, and another 1A head from an old Bandai kit. 
At a quick glance, you can't tell the Bandai 1A head is a TV style.

Anyway, these kits are a collosal pain in the dick to build for someone as lacking in skill as I am.

The box art that sort of inspired my build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

#macross #macrossmodelers #DYRL #マクロス #超時空要塞マクロス #bandai #valkyrie #VF1S #VF1A #sdfmacross #royfocker #vf1svalkyrie #vf1sstrikevalkyrie #hasegawa #plamo #hidetakatenjin #macrossfancentral

[peter]

The Bandai 1/72 1A head I stole for another kit.

[peter]

Some shots of my Roy build....the one that out me off model building 17 years ago.  Finally finished it.

 

Photo editing skills as bad as my model building skills (I can't use Photoshop to save my life).

[ChristopherB]

Beautiful, they look amazing! I had a similar idea using the Club M 1/72 VF-1 resin kits. Great job, this set will look awesome in your display cabinet.

[derex3592]

Those all look great @peter!  Welcome back to the model club! 

[Ignacio Ocamica]

They look great!!!! And love the pictures and the angles!!!

[Bolt]

Awesome job @peter  

[VF-1A Cannon Fodder]

Amazing job!!

I really dig the shade of grey that you used

[Shawn]

Incredible! I love the gray color vs the white, gives is an additional sense or realism. The upper intake accent is also a great touch.
Can't believe you did it in 172 scale...the parts are sometimes so frustratingly small!

Now do it in 1/48!!!

 

 

[peter]

Thanks for all the comments guys

I don't have an airbrush, nor the skill to use one, so it was just Tamiya rattle cans and Tamiya Panel Line detail. 

The gray is Tamiya Light Gray (IJN).  I was debating to go with the anime correct stark white (like the space shuttles) or real-world aircraft like the F14.  I ended up going with the latter. 

For the Strike Packs, I just went with Navy Blue (US Navy).  Turned out to be almost a cross between the Yamato 1/48 and Bandai DX 1/48 color for the strike pack.

For the most part, I had one of my Yammie 1/48s out as a paint and decal guide (needed something bigger for my old-man eyes to see).

 

 

[arbit]

Great work peter. And some really nice camera work. Your close ups look fantastice. Very nice finish.

I like the tone of your US Navy Blue on the fast packs. Were they over a gray primer?

[Thom]

For someone who says he doesn't have much skill, you made a great looking display. I love the homage to the scene and I'll second, or third, that the choice of light gray over white was a nice one.

[peter]

19 hours ago, arbit said:

Great work peter. And some really nice camera work. Your close ups look fantastice. Very nice finish.

I like the tone of your US Navy Blue on the fast packs. Were they over a gray primer?

Ok, so pro model builders will cringe at what I'm about to say, but I skipped the primer.  I also skipped the wash.  I went straight from glue, to sand, to paint.

Since I'm not using an airbrush, these rattle cans lay on the paint a lot thicker, which would result in a loss of detail.  I minimized the thick coats by dusting on the paint, but these models were eating up cans of paint like there was no tomorrow.

After paint, was decals, Tamiya Panel detail, then.....wait for it ......Rust-oleum Matte clear.

Yup, I went with Rustoleum because I was out of Tamiya Matt clear, and the local hobby shops are sold out of Tamiya and Testor's....well, basically any flat clear finish.

Behold, the Kakizaki that I mangled.  Thankfully it's hidden behind the backpack and boosters.  Those thin decals sure are finicky once the Mr. Marksofter hits it, lol!

 

If you look closely, I also mangled Max's decals.  You can probably see all the seam lines I missed during sanding in this photo too. Yikes.

In my defence, building two Hasegawa 1/72 was a waking nightmare, up until 0300 every night trying to mash these things out, lol!  (Have two little kids at home, daytime model building is not an option, lol).

[arbit]

3 hours ago, peter said:

Ok, so pro model builders will cringe at what I'm about to say, but I skipped the primer.  I also skipped the wash.  I went straight from glue, to sand, to paint.

Ha ha . There is nothing wrong with that. I've heard a lot of skilled modelers don't prime, even with airbrush. You can airbrush a thin layer of paint first as the primer, and build up slowly to thicker coats. Someone correct me if there are other ways.

Whether you prime or not has more to do with knowing your paint and knowing your surface. Some surfaces just don't take paint well without primer.  And some paints start to crack or have other strange effects without primer.

Your temperature and humidity can also have an effect on priming or not.  You also need a really clean surface. 

If you are not sure, test on a few pieces.  For example, in high humidty hot conditions, Krylon/Rustoleum rattle can did not adhere well to Bandai plastic without primer. With primer, it was perfect.

[MechTech]

Alright, after 17 years, I'd at least expect to see some LEDs in there Seriously though, they look GREAT! The colors look great too! The arrangement give it some presence too, vs the usual, "Look, here's a model on a stick!"

Sssshhh, don't tell anyone, but I don't prime either. Maybe in the future when I do more airbrush stuff. I'm mostly rattle can too because of the durable finish. Years of packing up and traveling in the military, you gotta build for practicality. Then my models went into ammo cans since the packers always knew which cardboard boxes to crush!

Is the Hase kit even 17 years old!?!? Where does time go? - MT

[peter]

17 minutes ago, MechTech said:

Alright, after 17 years, I'd at least expect to see some LEDs in there Seriously though, they look GREAT! The colors look great too! The arrangement give it some presence too, vs the usual, "Look, here's a model on a stick!"

Sssshhh, don't tell anyone, but I don't prime either. Maybe in the future when I do more airbrush stuff. I'm mostly rattle can too because of the durable finish. Years of packing up and traveling in the military, you gotta build for practicality. Then my models went into ammo cans since the packers always knew which cardboard boxes to crush!

Is the Hase kit even 17 years old!?!? Where does time go? - MT

Yeah, I should have at least washed the model before painting, but I even skipped that.  I just blew the dust off and went straight to paint.  I'll probably take more care for the bigger 1/48 I have sitting in my mountain of kits to build.

Haha, electronics are beyond me.  I didn't touch a model for 17 years, this was my first Macross kit in that time.  What actually got me back into model building were some super easy Bandai Mecha Colle Yamato kits.  Then it was one big 1/500 Scale Yamato from Bandai and to be honest, those kits were easy builds compared to these Hasegawa kits.

Still in the mil?  I've been a Reservist for the last ten years or so, but I've only done the part-time thing.  My family would not have it if I went full time.

[MechTech]

The dust adds texture!

I retired a few years back from active duty. Same reason. Dad was coming home too late or deployed. My family was tired of me not always being able to be there. Now we're in our first home and it's weird not moving all the time. - MT

[peter]

Cool.  There are a few other mil guys here too.

[peter]

#313 from Prometheus got separated from Bandai Squadron and wants to play with the boys from Skull (Hasegawa).

I know this formation doesn't make any sense, especially to those with some Airforce experience, but I have to figure out a display solution that can hold all of these guys.....or maybe keep the brownie separate?

[BroTaku79]

wow....speechless!

Awesome work man!  makes me wanna go watch DYRL again lol

[Return To Kit Form]

I saw these on FB. Great work dude and there just isn't enough kits being posted in here these days.

 

 

[valkyriepilot]

Awesome build! And just in time for the DYRL anniversary

[peter]

Thanks guys :). 

 

Just have to figure out a better display solution.

[Thom]

Maybe take half of a globe of the world and use that as the base.

[peter]

Slapped a base together for these guys.  

Build details here:

 

Threw the thing in front of the tv for a few pics, do lazy to Windows Paint the stands out, lol!

This Brownie from Prometheus is the whole reason I had to build a bigger display.  Dummy got lost and now he's the red shirt of Skull Squadron.

Nifty little Minmei decal I stole from another kit.

Ok, enought glory shots, just some pics of the stand.  It's supposed to be a small section of the ARMD carrier.  I used a small section from a 1/4000 SDF1 kit as a reference.

[MechTech]

That's a great way to finish off that project! Nice use of Allen wrenches too. The stand is a great touch, congrats! - MT

[pengbuzz]

"Flight of the Valkyries"

[peter]

10 hours ago, MechTech said:

That's a great way to finish off that project! Nice use of Allen wrenches too. The stand is a great touch, congrats! - MT

17 years ago, I didn't even want to finish one.  Who would have thought, lol!

[Thom]

10 minutes ago, peter said:

17 years ago, I didn't even want to finish one.  Who would have thought, lol!

We grow wiser as we grow older!