Dazzio

Thank you Modelling Minion... it's taken a while to get to this stage but the hard work is over now... I think. So as I said in my last post I have done more work on the Valkyrie, but with out any pictures yet. While listening to the voices of Lynn Minmay, Fire Bomber (Particularly Mylene Jenius ), Sharon Apple, Ranka Lee and Sheryl Nome - anyone who knows anything about Macross knows that the two most promient features are the Valkyries and songs, but I digress. First up is the typical Hasegawa canopy with the mold seem down the middle of it (picture below). So with my newsest No. 11 blade I scraped away the excess and with the Micro Mesh Sanding Pads, I started at 1,500 grit sanding one way (vertically or horizontally) then going down to the next pad and changing direction. The picture is when I had reached the 4,000 grit pad. Getting there, after some time, I was down to the 12,000 grit pad and a nearly shiny canopy. Not bad I don't think. I used to hate doing this to canopies, but I think I am getting there. I did have a polishing liquid, but I will be buggered if I can find it! These are the FAST packs for the legs. They are not finished yet, but getting there. Believe it or not there is 12 decals on these each. The wonderful "U.N. SPACY" logo broke up didn't it? Well that was fun. Since taking these pictures, I have painted the gun pod, the booster and micro missile packs. The nose has been attached to the main body. I think I am getting there. I am in danger of completing this kid... bloody hell! Kind Regards, Dazz

Hello Everyone, Has it really been 3-ish weeks since my last post?! Wow time flies when you can't keep track of it! I have been working on this kit pretty much everynight as well as playing EVE-Online (one of my favourite games). So where I left it last time, the cockpit was nothing more than a hole in some grey plastic (below). Oh god that is horrible isn't it? So I spent a few nights cleaning it up and sorting out the horrible example of gluing at the nose. While looking for ideas on this kit, I remembered that the VF-1A/J/S where based on the F-14 Tomcat. I had some left over PE from a previous build so why not add it in? Not my best work, but not the worst either. It would just so happen that if you folded the PE part down the middle it would fit excatly into the cockpit - result! Thats not bad eh? So I painted the seat and computer thing that sits behind the pilot. The decal for the instrument panel was a disaster as it folded up on itself. Not bad for a 20-ish year old kit. In the end I painted over the bottom left part and painted the "ears" silver. You wont know the difference once it is in. Not bad I would say. You can see the PE parts too. Excellent! I am not very good at seat harnesses yet. Does anyone have any suggestions? As you can see, a lot will be seen in the Valkyrie once the canopy has gone on. Hhmm... There is also a nast seam line down the middle of the canopy. Lease the nose looks 100% better! First job was sorting out the FAST boosters... I am going to be here a long time. These little darlings took me 2 nights to sort out. I think I have fluffed the bottom of one of them. But I am not worried as it is the bottom. Bottom one looks so much better than the top. I have also had to rescribe the detail I have lost. A skill I am not 100% comfortable with just yet. This is the main body of the Valkyrie. Where the black bits end, I have placed two plates as you can see right up inside the aircraft and see the lovely mechanism. THis will hopefully stop that. The two arms and the added FAST packs for them. I just needed to tidy these bits up and for the majority will not be seen. The bottom of the Valkyrie, this is actually the chest when it transforms - this kit will NOT be doing that! The arms in the previous shot go inbetween the two intakes/legs. They will cover up that horrible hole. I have also modified the legs to have the MLG doors closed. Hasegawa in their infinite wisdom only made the kit to have the wheels on disply. A few snips and excessive sanding will get you a closed MLG bay. I have also found the sister kit to this one that I have been searching for, for the last 19 years. I was going to get a £60 one from Japan, but I found one closer to home for a much better price. I will enjoy building this when I get around to it. This is the VE-1 Elintseeker. Think AWACs/Hawkeye and you are there. This kit is a two seater and I can steal some of the bits not used for the Super Valkyrie... maybe. I have since done some more work on the Valkyrie since I have taken these pictures. I have painted the leg FAST packs and decaled them (the bit with "U.N. SPACY" on the Elintseeker pic). I will post pictures of them tomorrow. Questions and comments welcome. Kind Regards, Dazz

Hi VoidDragon, Depends on what you mean by "best place". I personally import all my own kits but I buy them in bulk. So it works out cheaper. But the best place that I'm aware of in the UK would be GundamMad, but they've probably run into stock issues with every other shop I'd imagine. Which Gundam was you looking into getting? You might be lucky and find one on eBay. I found a Macross kit I've been after for 19 years just recently. Kind Regards, Dazz

Just out of curiosity. Does anyone know what kit was used/given out with the Take-Off magazine in the late 90's? I was in year 5 at Primary School, so barely remember it apart from the horrible colour of the plastic. I know it was a Tornado GR1 (or supposed to have been) with decals for "Debbie" in the Gulf War but that's as mush as I remember. I've still got a fuel tank floating around somewhere. Reason I'm asking is because I put a cheeky bid on the Kits-World decal set for Operation Granby and won (somehow). I'm guessing it was the old Airfix GR1? Thanking you in advance. Kind Regards, Dazz

Thank you Steve for the kind words, the kit certainly put up a fight and there was times I wanted to throw it out of the window. Glad it is finished now and is of a reasonable quality. It's good enough to go on the shelf. Kind Regards, Dazz

For anyone who is following this build or did, I have completed it and is in the RFI here. Click here for Finished Model goodness! Kind Regards, Dazz

Hello all, I have finally finished the kit I started a year ago for the Sharkmouth GB. For one reason or another, I lost interest in this kit as it just kept on fighting me. To say the that the Airfix 1/72 TSR-2 is a pig of a kit is an understatement! I guess it didn't help that I added aftermarket bits to it. At one point, the kit actually flew off the table in the garden and nose dived into the patio. I had to deal with a snapped flap/tailplane and the wing joint had cracked along the back as well. Original build thread is here. I have learned a lot from this build and I will probably revisit it in a few years time as I have another one of these in the stash. You never know, by then Airfix might've released a new version (heres hoping!). Any and all feedback welcome. Not really sure if this should in be here in the Sci-Fi RFI or Aircraft RFI? Kit used : Airfix 1/72 TSR-2MS Stratos 4. Aftermarket : CMK Resin Engines, tailplanes, flaps, engine intakes, airbrakes and electronics bay. Paint : White... white and more bloody white... I used @Navy Bird great buld here for a lot of the references and pitfalls. But my kit decided to throw more at me. I also stole the idea of using a light grey oil wash for the panel lines. I am more or less happy with this side. It hasn't worked in other places as I have oblierated all the panel lines with my multiple layers of primer/paint. I did try to add some detail to the wheelbay. really hard to get a picture of it where you can see what I did. I also added breaklines to the wheels (5 of them!) but it was hard to see what happened to them. Even my trip to see the real one at RAF Cosford didn't help. And just for fun below a picture of the real one (this is a picture I took on my visit to RAF Cosford). Even at rest she looks fast as hell... Any and all feedback is welcome. Kind Regards, Dazz

Cheers Hewy, these kits are getting more and more rarer these days. I do have a few of them, and have a few more on order when HLJ can get hold of stock of them. Cheers mate, I will need all the help I can get with this one. I seemed to have done a number on it, but I hope I can turn it into something decent. To my shame, I am probably one of the younger members of this forum (I know I am not *THE* youngest). I wasn't around for the plastic bags or even the plastic blisters. I barely remember the Matchbox kits in my local newsagents and the Airfix boxes with the white bordered artwork/the bulit model at my local bike shop (I kid you not!). This model however just comes into the "kid" time frame, I think I got this kit in the April of 2001 and I turned 18 in July. Prepare to have a show of how not to build a Valkyrie! I have added links where I could to bits of information I think would be relevant to people who don't know anything about the series, which will probably be a huge portion of the forums. All links are worksafe. So I have been looking around for colour suggestions and ideas of how to proceed and I have been inspired but some really really good builds out there. Mine will not be anything like that, but we will see! I have started with the wonderful task of cleaning the parts and there is lots of sink marks and bleshimes on the plastic. I have started with this... In case some of you where wondering, the VF-1 Valkyrie was based on the F-14 (which also appears in Macross Zero), if you see a non "Super" version, you will see the similarities. In fact most of the staff who worked on the Macross franchise are massive aviation fans. You can see this in the quality of animation and the aircraft/mecha designs. The film/OVA Macross Plus was loosely based on the Advanced Tatical Fighter competition of the early 80's and the YF-21 is based on the YF-23. Anyhow... The above is what I started out with. I needed to sort out the auxiliary intakes, the horrible gouges in the side that cockpit and the nose and that is what you can see! First job was to get this apart to get at the parts easier. Better shot of how bad the cockpit is and also the airbrake... What was I thinking? Alot of snapped plastic later we have this. I can now work on the individual parts... that lower fuelage is looking horrible. That is the result of using too much Revell Contacta. More horrible examples of how not to use glue. I bet you, if you was to join all of the sink marks, you will figure out the meaning of life! I have tried to rescribe the auxiliary vents. This is more or less my first time doing this and please be aware that the picure is zoomed in - each square is 1cm suare. To the eye, it looks okay, but we will see once the paint is on it. I have tidied up the wins and ripped them apart, but have managed to get them back together. I have also rescued the swin wing gimmick but, if the wings are going to be loaded up, this is a useless thing. I will look into that later. I am not dealing with the cockpit. As I have lost one of the landing gear legs, I will do the model as a wheels up example, however this kits where not designed to have their wheels up. No idea why. But I have seen how other people deal with this, so I have a plan. Not much to actually show, but I have cleaned up a hell of alot of plastic and horrible glue marks. I am alot happier with how she looks now. Hopefully an up date will be coming soon! Kind Regards, Dazz

Hello Everyone, Originally I was going to build either the 1/72 Revell Hind-D, F-4U Corsair or Hawker Tempest for this build as I remember how badyly I made them when I was a kid (around 12-13). However then going over the rules, I saw a little bit that a kid is defined as anything before 18 years old and if an older kit was going to be refurbed there was no 25% minimum rule. As I have been repairing/finishing failed GB kits during all these fun and games, I was going to look at the Valkyrie next and this fits the bill as far as I can tell? So onto the story. In December 2000 I started work at the local Safeways Supermarket. As my birthday is late in July, I was one of those unique few that legally left school at 15, so I was always on the young side. Anyhow, I remember buying lots of useless and unneeded stuff with my new found wealth - who doesn't at that age?! I remember finding a new website called "HobbyLink Japan" that would send over model kits from Japan? Result! I remember ordering a few Gundams (Ex-S, GP-03, Double X) and a Super Valkyrie from the Macross series of films/tv shows. I had gotten back into the Anime circles just after school and was enjoying everything I could download on this new technology called "broadband"... kids today will never know the pain of waiting for an MP3 file to download via DC++/IRC (before Napster was even thought of!) on a dial-up modem. I remember watching the Macross series way back when I was a nipper (not Robotech) it was a fansub on VHS that a guy in the street had managed to get. I also remember it being the first "cartoon" I had seen where one of the main characters actually die... that was shock to a young kid in the 80's. Anyhow, back to the model. The Gundam's I built (rather poorly) and where proudly displayed on my shelf as they could be built in an afternoon, however this Hasegawa model was different. It needed to be built like the old Revell/Airfix kits I used to build as a kid. So I dug out all of my old gear and started to build it. Lets just was the desired result was never acheived and the kit was thrown up in the loft for the next ten or so years. Then I met my ex-girlfriends father and he was into wargaming - I remember seeing him paint two Baneblades (from Warhammer 40k) and thinking they where cool, said about the Valkyrie and he said he would look at it. Well things didn't work out between me and that girlfriend and that was that as they say but I did look at the kit again and tried a few bits more with worse results - kit boxed back up and thrown in the loft. 11 years ago I met my current girlfriend and one day we was walking around Lakeside when I saw a shop called "ModelZone". I had a look in there and saw lots of kits on display (I really do miss that shop) and was interested in the Valkyrie again - I may or maynot have seen a Valkyrie in there, I really am not sure. I said to my girlfriend that I was a geek and wanted to get some bits and pieces. I remember buying a Revell 1/72 TA-152 and Revell 1/76 Comet MBT - they came out okay. But my girlfriend surprised me by saying she was okay with my hobby and has supported me with this every chance she could. Fast forward a few years and I am making model kits full on as my main hobby. I take a look at the Valkyrie again and decide to have a crack at it again, I take it apart as best as I can (badly) and then just prime the main parts. Didn't like the kit so threw it back in the box on the shelf. I now have a few Valkyrie kit's in my possession (I think about 8) but none of them are completed as of yet. So I have decided to get this one finished as it has plagued me for near on 20 years now. I hope it is okay to get this kit added to this GB? If not just say and I will probably build the Hind-D (which was going to be done after the Valkyrie anyhow. Picture time! The box art in all of it's glory. You have got to admit that the drawing is very cool and nothing like the finished article that I produced! The parts as you can see where a complete mess. I have squashed one of the leg fastpacks. I have also ruined one of the wings. I have lost a missile pod as well. I am going to see how much I can build with just the bits I have here. Other random bits and bobs. I also have the weapon set for the Valkyries as well so I could bomb up the aircraft. A Macross stand as well! This is turning into 3 kits in one thread! The decals for the main kit and the weapon set. Both have survived the last 20 years relatively intact. As you can see I have alread used some of the decals already. With no idea why, I used the decals for Hayao Kakizaki's aircraft. I probably liked the green, only answer I can think of why. But this time I will use the decals of the main protagonist - Hikaru Ichijyo (the red ones). I have used the cockpit decal, but that is completely destroyed. I have a back up decal I can use. I got this a while ago for another kit, but would work well here also. I will see how things go. I may steal the decal out of the kit these where intending to go to. What everything should look like when I have finished but with rockets and reactor bombs on the wings. The some of the load outs you can have on the kit. For the people wondering how did that thing ever get off the ground, the simple answer is... it didn't need to. It was launched from the SDF-1 Macross while in space where take off weight isn't a problem. This is the kit that the PE was purchased for. If I really need to, I can steal parts from this kit but I really do not want to. I will scratch build as and where I can. This should be fun... wish me luck! Kind Regards, Dazz

Thanks for the gentle reminder @JOCKNEY. I will have to see if I have anything I can use for this GB. Kind Regards Dazz PS. Is anyone else using this time of "enforced family time" to complete failed GB's from previous years?

Looking good there kpnuts. It's been about ten years since I watched Zeta Gundam, but the Mk.II did get banged up pretty well. The fight it has with one of its sister suits leaves it battered and bruised. But that was in Titans colours not AUEG (IIRC?). One thing if I may? It looks likes some of the nubs haven't been smoothed over and it isn't fully closed up neither. Looking at its legs and front missile pod things. Looking forward to seeing more. Kind Regards, Dazz

Hi John, I'll try an help as much as I can. This Gundam is the RX-78 NT-1 "Alex". It's from the series "Gundam 0080 : War in the Pocket" and is from the UC time line. It is one of my favourite designs, I have a model of it sitting on my monitor at work. As for building it, you can glue it and some parts might benefit from being glued but for the most part the pushfit design will be good enough. If you've built 1/48 scale aircraft you can use those skills for this (MG kits work out at 1/100 scale btw). I believe that this kit has dry rub decals as well as stickers. Might be worth asking @rockpopandchips as MG kits are more his area, I only build HG kits. You can paint it however which way you want to, you can follow your instructions or you can do your own colour scheme. Totally upto you! I use Tamiya/Vallejo paints on my kits with no issues so you'll be fine. Look forward to seeing this one built. Quite tempted myself tbh. Don't get weighed down with the details - have fun building it your way! If you have any questions, give us a shout. Kind Regards, Dazz

I've got that Super Gundam model. It's an easy model abet an old one. However it is the only one I am aware off in HG/RG Scale that comes with the G-Defensor. Still a good model though, I always loved the headpack for the vulcan. Plus it's the prototype for the Hazel line of Gundams of sorts. I think it'll be a good kit to start with. . Reminds me that I keep on meaning to rebuild mine. Kind Regards, Dazz

Really like that. And as far as I can remember, that's the most action I've ever seen a Leo do, normally they just blew up. Is that one of the newer released kits? What are they like to build? Kind Regards, Dazz

Always liked the Jegan model. Looking forward to seeing this one. Am I the only one who always thought that the joint from the shield to the forearm was "off"?? Kind Regards, Dazz

The bad thing is that I was wondering the same thing myself tbh. It would need to be glued down and maybe smoothed over but for the most part the bits fit really well and it seems strong enough. I have seen these kits in Aldi for a fiver (I think...). There is a Beetle you *could* do up as Herbie if you wanted too. @Enzo Matrix that thought has also crossed my mind as well, but I thought the Mystery Machine was the angular VW Camper? Either way it would look cool. There is actually a "Mystery Machine" near me but I have forgotten what car/van it actually is. Kind Regards, Dazz

Time for the Spitfire... Lovely artwork on the box. I'm now taking the age recommendation as a legal requirement, they have to put it on there. The parts and stickers, yes actual stickers! Woohoo! The rear end of the Spitfire and the little known red brick of... Spitfireness?!... How many of us have missed that vital piece when building our Spitfires?! lol. Main wings and the "red brick of Spitfireness" in it's proper location. Spitfire built now onto the stickers! Woohoo! Look at those lovely stickers! That was the hardest part of the build actually. The line up with a 1/72 Airfix Harrier GR-3 that needs to be completed and dusted looking it. That is me finished for this Quickbuild. All in all, these kits aren't that bad and are pretty cool for any kids whom might be showing an interest in our hobby. Kind Regards, Dazz

Evening All, The VW Camper is done!... shocking eh? Chassis and sides. Rear and sides attached. The engine has it's own little bay which is pretty cool. Front... that steering wheel is better than anything I could ever do! lol. Complete. I have to give Airfix credit, these "little" kits are actually really good. Good way to get the kids into this hobby. I might even put these on my shelf. Well until a time I actually finish my Revell VW Camper. Next onto the Spitfire. Kind Regards, Dazz

Haha! Absolutely nothing Enzo - I encourage it, I even recieved the Mars Shuttle this year. That was cool! I still have the big BB-8 to make yet to go on the shelf with R2-D2. So onto the VW Camper. You can see the TSR-2MS that I am still fighting, that kit is an absolute pig. Anyhow... So starting the kit now (21:33GMT). I have got to hold my watch as it is front heavy - funny that. Kind Regards, Dazz

Evening All, After Clarification from @Enzo Matrix and @BIG X, I have decided to enter with the only modelling related things that where given to me for Christmas. My Sister asked me what I wanted and I just said to her that anything from Airfix would be fine. Now this is where the direction for the presents go off in a different tagent to what I was thinking. I know that my mum and sister both shop at Aldi and I have told them on repeated ocassions that I do not mind reciving the same kit 2 or even 10 times as I can do them in different markings or modify them... you get the jist. So I was thinking that she (my sister) would walk into Aldi and get me an FW-190 or a 109 or another Spitfire... oh no not my sister! She went into M&S instead and saw the Airfix QuickBuilds on their shelves. I can't fault her though as she knows I love Lego. Yes, at the grand old age of 36 years old, I am still making Lego models - they are pretty cool eh?! They should take me too long to make. Right the kits I where given are below. So we have the classic VW Camper, McLaren P1 and the "D-Day" Spitfire. You can't really see it on the watch but it says 19:12pm. The head is something my girlfriend is working on - that is made out of icing sugar and all of it is edable apart from the base/support. She's amazingly skilled and I am not jealous in the least bit... (yeah right!). You even get Airfix Flying Hours with these kits! I guess that is kinda cool - just need Airfix club to start up again. The parts laid out. I have to be honest, I had this built in 10 minutes flat and it looks pretty good. However my phone died so I can not show any further progress with it. So for the sake of me being a stupid git, I will not put this one in the gallery. But below is a picture of it finished. Ooppss... missing the wing mirrors... oh dear. No pictures of my dinner or what I ate making this as it would've taken me more time to eat that than to actually make this kit. Music however, I have been listening to alot of Within Temptation, Amaranthe and Exit Eden recently - I have a weird and diverse taste in music. Exit Eden below... Next onto the VW Camper. I don't think I will enter any of these into the gallery - too lazy you see. lol Kind Regards, Dazz

Very nice, got to admit though... I have heard of it. Looking forward to seeing this progress. Kind Regards, Dazz

Cheers lads, although I don't see this taking me longer than half an hour... 😕 Lol Kind Regards, Dazz

Evening All, Just wondering if the Airfix Quick Build kits count for this? Been given 3 of them for Christmas. Kind Regards, Dazz

Interesting, will be keeping an eye on this. Got to admit though that the head reminds me of the Eva Series 05 - 11, all it needs is red lipstick. 🤣 Kind Regards, Dazz

To be fair Noel, so did the BBC TV version... I personally was so disappointed that there was no Thunderchild. Kind Regards, Dazz