VFX-4

[Vectromat]

Hi all,

One of my future projects will be a VFX scratchbuild; think it's called the VFX-4 these days. I don't know of any existing plan drawings; has anyone seen any? I have the nice colour fighter and gerwalk sketches by Kawamori, and the old line art (there's nothing new in Macross Design Works unfortunately). Anyway, I'm drawing up plans first off; and will do lofts and templates to print off; I just find it makes the job easier. Before I get too far, does anyone have any info on scaling? I make the thing about 16M long, is there a canonical set of stats?

Here are a couple of my drawings so far - nothing super flash, they're about 40% done. Can anyone spot any obvious errors, or have major criticisms of the proportions? I know the level of 'hump' between the canopy and the spine aren't quite right, but I can't get them looking more like the sketch without the whole side view somehow looking wrong, so that's going to be an aesthetic compromise.

Thanks for any advice!

Edited July 2, 2004 by Vectromat

[Grayson72]

Looks like a VF-4, why do a scrathbuild when you can buy a model of it?

[Vectromat]

er...perhaps b'coz...it isn't a VF4? See attached pic. The VFX was a precursor prototype/testbed to the VF4, it and the VF4 share little except a more-or-less common layout. Scale's another reason; I do have a Rettpu VF4 but it's 1/72 and I really prefer larger scales - 1/32, 1/24 etc. The eventual scratch will be 1/32.

I could just build a VF4 in 1/32 but it's sorta dinky and overly graceful. I like this thing more; it's just more rugged-looking. Pity it never got properly developed for the show...

Cheers!

V

[Grayson72]

Ah cool! never saw that before I don't think. Hey you should start off small, say like 1/72 scale and then make a bigger one

[Myersjessee]

I always thought this was a cool varient.

[the white drew carey]

Hey Vecrtomat,

I think your side view is a little of. The way I think of it, the VFX-4 still pertains the same nose/cockpit design as the VF-1. The sideview you've posted looks a tad up-turned and round.

Amore fun design would be the original test-bed as seen in Perfect Memory. I always thought that would be a grand mod.

[Valkyrie]

I was actually working on scratchbuilding a VF-X4 for a short while last year. Me and Nanashi came to the same conclusion, that it has the same nose as the VF-1. I used a 1/72 Club-M VF-1 nose as the base of my scratchbuild, and started building the fuselage out from there. But I ended up scrapping it, cause it was turning out rather crappily But I'll try again one of these days, using a few scratchbuilding techniques I've learned since then.

It's just one of a long list of models I want to make one of these day

[Vectromat]

Grayson72, um, it won't be my first scratchbuild by any means. 1/32 will do fine.

Valkyrie and white drew carey, with respect I disagree; it is a *very similar* nose, but I don't believe it is meant to be an identical item, on 4 counts:

1) the line art all and sketches make the nose *look* a little rounder and fatter.

2) the Perfect Memory testbed was mostly VF1 and shared this layout, and I'm sure some items for the VFX may have been off-the-shelf, but I can't see the engineers then building a complete new aircraft and still using an off-the-shelf component of that magnitude; not with the overtechnology resources they command.

3) cross-sections - the fuse is much less triangular and more oval than the VF1, also the rear blends into the wing-body in a way that wouldn't allow for the VF1 nose to be used without major mods.

4) this project (officially) post-dates the VF2 and VF3 doesn't it?

However I'm open to argument! Pity about your scratch, Valkyrie.

And the test-bed from PM definitely rocks, by the way. I have a 1/72 Imai Super Valk that's about half-way through a conversion into that.

Cheers!

V

[Vectromat]

PS here's an example of another problem; the overall proportions just don't seem to work with the rest of the body of the plane. This is the same drawing modified hastily so that the nose matches the proportions of the Hase VF1A nose section length and outline, cockpit length, and sorta-canopy-outline (the VFX canopy *is* different).

You can see how crappy this looks! To get this looking good you need to shrink the nose by 18% or so, which gives the third version. Doesn't look bad actually! But it results in a smaller aircraft, and the plan view then looks funny - the ratio of nose length to engine length in particular looks wrong.

I think it may have been what Kawamori had in mind...but I don't think it really works...

Edited July 4, 2004 by Vectromat

[Myersjessee]

I would agree...it seems similar but not identical...

[whytwolf]

I'm looking to so a scratchbuilt VFX-4 myself only in 1/72 scale. Could I use the images you've posted so far and work from them? I'm drawing my plans using a CAD program, but my prelim drawings will be simple, basic drafting.

How are you doing your plans?

Sean

[Vectromat]

Hi whytwolf. Yes by all means please go for your life! I'd be delighted. Please post your results as you go along, eh? BTW I am (sloooowly) working on refining these, if this thread stays alive I'll post updates from time to time. I hope to have lofts and other templates done soon.

One big issue: to match the line art, the main wing root section can't end in a normal thin trailing edge. The lower surface of the wing drops so deeply, to match the deep curve of the lower fuselage, that as a result, the main wing TE has to be triangular when viewed from the rear - it can't be a 'normal' thin TE, it is thin at the engine end, but at the fuse end, it is quite deep, maybe a couple of feet. I plan on staggering the line of the upper and lower 'split' TEs, with a deep reveal containing some sort of grilles or widgets.

I hope I can make this look cool...

I'm doing my plans in 2d - just Corel Draw. I've made a start on a Max version also to test some of these geometrical issues, but will probably end up finishing the job in 2d. I'm realllllly slow in 3d stuff.

Edited July 22, 2004 by Vectromat

[jontom]

Given the wide angle nature of the sketch, and the fact that a 3/4 is all we have (or at least all I've seen), it seems like there is a lot of latitude as to what the nose looks like. It would look pretty cool with a VF-0 nose as well.

John