1/72 Hasegawa VF-1S Valkyrie

Gallery Article by Jeramy Boileau on June 3 2016

 

      

My first Hasegawa VF-1S 1/72 form the anime Macross or Robotech in the US. 1st think I was not happy with the standard paint scheme (all white)... So I went a "TOP GUN" F-16 3 grey pattern using Twobobs sheet #72-209 as a starting point. I used Model Master Lt Grey FS36495 as the base color. MM Med Grey  FS35237 and Tamiya XF-18 Med Blue for FS35109.  MM Gun Metal was used on the exhaust and muzzle of the gun pod.  The load out is based on a combat training configuration we flew at the 388FW HILL AFB, UT.  The 370 fuel tanks, pylons, AIM-9 launchers and TER-9A are from some sort of F-16 kit (spare parts box). The SUU-20, rocket pods, ACMI and AIM-9(CAMT-9) are all from Hasegawa aircraft weapons kits.  

Click on images below to see larger images

The kit decals are kind of thick. Hasegawa Macross Option #2 decal sheet #65760 are nice and thin. I also used a microscale sheet #72-321 to mark it as a red tail 34th FS "Rams" aircraft. By the way this was the last Squadron I was a USAF loader/Load crew team chief(2W1/462) with before I became a full time Weapons Expeditor (now retired).  I did find it odd that there is no under wing Macross kite/flag are called for or included, like are found on most modern aircraft. Thankfully there are plenty of them on the option sheet and one piece not the like the kit supplied two piece i.e. white circle base, red over lay.  I used some evergreen square stock and plastic card to pose the canopy open. For some reason I closed off both upper intakes with more card stock. I just don't remember, I started this kit 6 years ago in which I stationed back in Korea for 2 of those years... 

Anyways this is the third kit I've used the Tamiya black panel line accent color system over a coat of future. After a MM dullcote, I finished up the weathering using the Tamiya weathering master sets B and D for oil stain and soot.  I enjoyed fine engraved panel lines and high level of details but the 6 UHF antennas didn't make me happy. I think they should of just been molded in.  I'm pretty happy with the over all fit a finish of the kit.

Jeramy Boileau

Click on images below to see larger images

 

Photos and text © by Jeramy Boileau