Written by 4:35 pm My Builds

Completed : Hasegawa VF-1J Valkyrie Eggplane


Kit Info
Brand: Hasegawa 65789
Scale: NA
Media: Styrene
Markings: Kit
The Subject
Well… this is an eggplane version of the VF-1J Valkyrie, the classic mecha from the anime series Super DImension Fortress Macross.
It looks like an egg and it’s cute.
The Kit
This kit was released in 2010. There are very few parts but it gives you the option to build the A or J version. The few panel lines are done to the usual high quality and a pilot figure is included. A pleasant surprise is the inclusion of parts to model the kit wheels up. The decal sheet is comprehensive and gives you the choice of Hikaru Ichijyo’s VF-1A/J, Maximillian Jenius’ VF-1A and Hayao Kakizaki’s VF-1A. All the As are the DYRL versions.
The Build
With so few parts the build was straightforward but it also meant some areas lacked details. I added the following to the kit:
  • random bits to the cockpit using plastic card and rod
  • I made the fans using plastic card for the intakes
  • modified the thrusters so they can dealt with separately before insering into place
  • filled up the hollow bottom of the tailfin assembly with epoxy putty
  • scratchbuild a par of RMS-1 Anti-ship missiles from plastic tubing and Kotobukiya MSG parts
  • I also originally tried modifying a pair of AMM-1 missiles to match the ‘chibi’ look but the result didn’t look right so I ended up not using them

The kit remained in this state for a few years before I dusted it off to finish it.

Colors & Markings
The original plan was to go with Hikaru’s red and white VF-1J but his VF-1J in the Macross the First manga had a more unique color scheme and I decided to go with that instead. The scheme involves quite a bit of masking though and took a longer time than expected due to various errors on my part.
In the manga Hikaru’s nose number was ‘110’ but the decal sheet only provided ‘011’. I didn’t want to faff with cutting and re-arranging the numbers so I went with that instead. The ‘011’ on the upper fuselage was masked and sprayed hence the different font.

Color scheme reference

The pilot was handpainted with decals for the helmet details and shoulder chevrons.
Finishing
Like my other Macross kits, this kit was also built wheels up. The base was a simple 3x3cm wooden cube with a brass rod inserted into it. To prevent the kit from spinning on its axis, I added an o-ring at the spot of the rod where it inserted into the kit.
The only weathering done was a panel wash with diluted oil paint.
As always this really should have been a faster build but various things made it take longer than necessary.

Number 4 of 2022
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Tags: , , , , , , , , Last modified: 5 December, 2022
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