This project focusses on one of the (authentic) predecessors of the VE-1 'Elint Seeker' Valkyrie, the VF-1G, a Valkyrie variant with AEW equipment for stratospheric use only. I found a small entry about this rather obsure variant in the "Variable Fighter Master File: VF-1 Valkyrie" sourcebook, published 2009 by SoftBank Creative. This book is HIGHLY recommended to anyone who is into the VF-1 - it is pure robot porn! ;)
Anyway, since I cannot read Japanese, I could only guess the background of this version. The dual seater seems to be the second step in development, since a VF-1A with AEW equipment is also mentioned. A CG picture shows a double seater with an AWACS-style radome in a low viz livery, obviously based on the standard VF-1D trainer, so I decided to build this version.
With this little more information at hand, work started straightforward. The kit was built right out of the box, but the biggest challenge was to find a proper radome. Thanks to a profile view of the single seater with this equipment from above and the side, the radome's measures were easy to calculate. Its diameter is exactly as wide as the Fighter's back (about 4.5m in real life), and it is suspended by three aerodynamic stalks, right behind the cockpit. The overall construction suggests, though, that the VF-1G is not transformable anymore, that it actually is a specialized plane(?) like the ES-11 AEW airplane.
After searching for a proper base for the radome without success I finally decided to build it from scratch. This might sound like overkill for such a simple piece - but finding something with the correct diameter and proportions turned out to be more complicated than expected!
Details on the radome's working process can be found in a separate entry. It consists of two halves made from clear resin, both have different shapes/profiles. They were glued together with nitrous putty and then shaped with sanding paper, fillered, and finally wet-sanded for a smooth surface before painting. The radome's stand was built from scratch, too (incl. helicopter rotor parts), and a pin holds the relatively heavy(!) radome in place.
Beyond that, two pilot figures were added to the cockpit (the rear figure even looks to the side), plus a HUD and a console for the 2nd crewman. On the exterior, some antennae were added as part of the standard tuning program for these kits. Wings were left clean (they come from a Gerwalk kit), since the huge radome would surely enough limit the Valkyrie's performance.
Another addition of mine is a wind generator pod under the Valkyrie's belly instead of the GU-11 gun of the fighter. The source book shows the VF-1G single seater in clean configuration, and the double seater is taken from above. But I wanted to have a visual counterpart to the radome, and keeping all the electronic equipment and its energy demand in mind, I added a wind mill (which comes from a 'buddy-buddy' refuelling pod from a Tornado) to the front of an ALQ-99 ECM pod in 1:72 scale (from an ancient Matchbox kit), flipped it upside down, added some air scoops, et voilà: a stylish generator pod which also contains an adapter for the kit's display.
The kit's livery was another lengthy process, though. I did not want a low viz finish as shown in the source book's CG picture. Other references like pictures of VE-1s show pretty flashy colors - but the VE-1 is only for orbital use. The livery should be modest, but not boring - the radome was to be the center of attention, not the paint job "around" it.
Finally I settled on a simple paint scheme which was inspired by US Navy planes from the era just before Compass Grey/Ghost Grey would take over: a shiny, all-grey (original tone is FS 16440) base with bright, full-color stenceling and colorful squadron markings. This is also a plausible Macross livery, since a similar VF-1 is shown in the 1995 source book "This is animation Special: Macross PLUS.
Its basic color is Humbrol 40, glossy "Pale Grey", everywhere. The radome's underside and some details on the hull were painted with Humbrol 140 (Dark Gull Grey). To make the machine a bit more lively, the wings' leading edges were painted with Humbrol 94 (Yellow Brown).
To add some contrast, the generator pod was finished in white, with some decals and markings in order to add some contrast to the rest of the machine (See below). The scratch-built VF-1G's head was painted in 140, just to make the whole thing look more diverse despite the grey-in-grey outfit.
After this was settled, the next challenge occured: the squadron markings. These took some time, too. I did not want a typical US Navy motif (even though black and yellow markings and something like the real USN VF-111 "Sundowners'" fin decoration was considered at some time), yet something that would express the machine's surveillance duty and add color.
Finally, "my" VF-1G became part of the fictional SVAQ-130 "Vigilants" sqaudron. Inspiration finally struck when a I browsed through the decal scrap box. I found some old Kuwait Air Force insignia from an Airfix Hawker Hunter! With some fantasy, these could be used as a perfect and abstract eye motif - and as a nice side effect, these elemente would also incorporate colors to the almost all-grey Valkyrie.
On the white fins, the Kuwait emblems were added on both in- and outsides and then 'framed' with a light blue (Humbrol 65). The Kuwait colors were perfect, taking up the red, white and black from the Macross emblems, and the bright green appears on thin trims at the cockpit, wings and stabilizers, executed with Humbrol 208 (Neon Green - I NEVER thought I'd apply this to a kit!).
Finally, the kit received a semi-gloss varnish coat, and some light weathering was done through dry-brushing.
All in all I am very happy with the result, even though it is not the best kit I have built. This VF-1G looks bulky, and it surely does not "radiate" the agility of its cleaner sisters - but just the idea of an AEW version was so mind-boggling, I had to built one ^^
