DONE +++ 1:144 Run-Valam (from IMAI's 80ies Megaro Zamac kit series)

Dizzyfugu · December 20, 2020, 01:57:33 AM

A retro build, and it took only about 30 years that I can realize it ;-). This will become a (more or less) OOB build of a classic Japanese mecha kit over the holidays, in a kind of nostalgia flash and because I have been finally, after years of searching an hunting, able to get my hands on one of these vintage kits from the Eighties for a reasonable price.

I bought one when I was around fifteen at a local department store, when the mecha virus cought me. I found (and still find) it to be one of the most bizarre but also cooles mecha designs around - even though it never belonged to an anime series, IMAI's colorful "Megaro Zamac" model series were just robot kits, created and marketed to take a free ride on the robot hype of contemporary series like Gundam and Macross.

However, it is a weird and impressive design, maybe a Japanese Eighties interpretation of the Marsian War machines? Who knows...

I built mine with youthful enthusiasm and less skill and poor tools back then, and it fell apart after some years (and a crash from a bookshelf...). Some of its bits and pieces are still around, though, partly taken as donor for mecha kitbashes. Nevertheless, when I became older, I still found the Run-Valam cool and tried to get hands on another kit, to build it again. This has happened now (as posted in the "My stash just grew again..." section some weeks ago: https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=47250.msg902585#msg902585), even though the kit came complete but sans decals and instructions. The good thing: I still had the original instructions from my 1st Run-Valam kit, and without them you are pretty lost!

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The plan is to build it close to the original (box art), even though the lack of decals will make things a bit complicated and I will have to improvise.
I especially want to assemble it mechanically better, because it is quite complex, with lots of joints, but no PVC caps (it's a true 1st generation mecha kit) and a rather complicated "matryoshka" construction that calls for a step-by-step assembly, unlike more modern mecha kit designs which can be built in separate sub-assemblies.

This makes the build quite challenging, but I am willing to take it with patience.

More coming soon...

Dizzyfugu · December 20, 2020, 06:10:22 AM

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Work started with the central hull, or better: its modification. Due to the "clamshell" cosntruction of almost everything, the legs are OOB to be "enclosed" by the hull halves. I will go for this solution for the central leg, but the outer legs will be detachable (and built separately) through an improvised internal joint construction, based on styrene tubes.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Lots of bits and pieces, I am trying to assemble most things in parallel. The mold quality is good and the plastic is not - despite the kit's age - brittle, it's easy to work with the material. However, there's a lot to clean and the mold constructers put in many cases surface details onto the seams. Not really clever, but state of the art in the Eighties.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

More and more things come together or are prepared for further sub-assemblies, in this case of the outer legs, even though it might not be apparent. In some cases like the missile launcher(? the box-like thing from the top of the left leg) I sanded the surface details away and replaced them with styrene profile bits, for a cleaner look.

Dizzyfugu · December 21, 2020, 02:19:56 AM

More gradual progress from the last weekend: the legs take more and more shape. As can be seen here, the kit requires some serious PSR almost everywhere, and there are some sinkholes and bugs like the round holes on the inside of the "toes", which are a production compromise to avoid massive styrene sections (and more serious dents from shrinking styrene). It goes to together surprisingly well, though, and I can use my complete arsenal of small files...

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

For every two parts you glue together, there's a joint without a vinyl cap to consider - here the outer legs. Looks wobbly and delicate, and it really is.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The central leg also comes together slowly, but the upper end has a very different (and complicated) construction, with a round cograil that has to be placed into a slit under the uppermost joint, and then the hip (sort of) housing encloses the leg and the cograil has to be glued to it. And the leg is supposed to remain movable!

Dizzyfugu · December 22, 2020, 01:01:02 AM

The central leg with the cograil mounted into the aforementioned slit, just before closing the hip fairing:

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The central leg, ready to be mounted into the hull. Due to another poor mold solution (a kind of grill opening, which is integrated into the hip halves and the seam runs right through it in a recess, so there's no chance for clean PSR) I decided to modifiy the front side with a perforated plastic cover. Some details were also sanded away for a better finish and then replaced with sytrene profile bits.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

In the meantime, work on the hull makes progress, in this case the new joints for the outer legs. Styrene tube pegs were added to the legs, which fit into the central, bigger tube. The remain detachable and movable, some rubber glue (photography stuff, normalle used to stick pictures into an album) will later add some resistance and stability to this mecha model.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · December 23, 2020, 01:56:49 AM

In order to improve/pimp the model I dec ided to open some intakes on the front side of the lower hull. This was quite easy, due to the depth of the molded areas, so that material from the inside could be milled away. Getting the small opeings into a more or less clean shape was tricky, though, and finally the opeings were covered from the inside with some fine black plastic mesh.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A look into the upper legs' fairings and the clever mechanisms inside of it: There are two horizontal pegs which hold two mechanisms at once: You have the movable weapon stations that protrude from the fairings' tops, and the rest of the leg is held by a separate sliding suspension that allows the leg length to be adjusted by ~0.5" (shown in lowest and uppermost position). It's not much, but enough to allow the Run-Valam to be presented in various walking positions.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The more or less completed three legs before further painting. The outer pair will be left away until the kit is finished, the inner one will be mounted into its hip fairing and into the hull halves (as shown above, there is a chronology bug in the picture sequence

).

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · December 24, 2020, 12:27:57 AM

Now it's time for the spacious cockpit - another anachronistic design feature of this mecha. It rather looks like an opera loge or a conservatory.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The OOB basis was retained, including the nicely molded, wee pilot figure that gives a certain impression of the Run-Valam's massive bulk in real life. I was not certain how to paint the pilot, orange was an initial option, but I think that the box art depicts a blue suit with a white helmet, so I went this route. In the black and grey environment, it still stands out well.

Inside of the cockpit I added some details to the blank side walls with sytrene bits. I furthermore moved the pilot's seat a little forward, for a better field of view and to make the interior appear even more spacious.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The interior was painted in a dark grey (Revell 77), just like the mortar bays on the shoulders, and received a black ink washing plus many small fake blinking lights and instruments in white, green and dayglo orange. Finally, the section was sealed shut with the very clear canopy that fits very well into its place, and thinned white glue was used to fill the seam.

The "nipple guns" (as somebody called them online...

) have also been mounted in the meantime, they also fit very well and remain easily movable.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Shortly after the cockpit had been closed, the hull halves were glued together, including the central leg and the movable covers of the mortar bays on the shoulder. Once more I am amazed how well and easily these work - in many cases of these early mecha kits, the mechanisms were very simple and function was rather hazardous. On the Run-Valam, however, the designers put some thought into their construction, and the bay covers include a sliding element, so that the cover - when closed - can be pulled forward a little, and then they open, with a generous space margin in the hinge. When shut, they also fit perfectly into their intended space. Impressive!

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · December 24, 2020, 10:45:59 AM

A look under the hull, and into the construction of the central leg's hip fairing with the (fixed) cograil that runs through an opening in the leg.
Some styrene profiles were added to the hull's bottom because I found the area to look pretty bleak - with the later beauty shots in mind which will certainly have a "frog perspective" that allows a good look at this area.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Overall painting has started, after some more styrene profile details had been added to the cockpit flanks - the square relief is OOB, but compared with the box art it's a bit small, so I did some more tuning in this area. Another anachronistic feature of the Run-Valam is its relatively large cargo basket behind the cockpit. WTF? Who is supposed to load things there, at a height of around 20 m/60'? And the bars are thick as drains - in real life, they must be 6"/15cm in diameter!?

The Run-Valam is apparently overall black with some light metallic trim, but I rather opted for a very dark grey instead of a pure black, namely "Tar Black" (Revell 09).

This lighter tone is not obvious, but it allows some more contrast in direct light and some shading effects with black. It also gives the model a slightly worn look.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

PR19_Kit · December 24, 2020, 11:06:12 AM

I had absolutely NO concept of how big (or small...) this was until you posted pics including the paint tins, but now I see. It's actually much smaller than I imagined, but nevertheless VERY complicated!

More power to you Thomas, you're doing a great job on it, whatever it is.......

Dizzyfugu · December 25, 2020, 02:18:02 AM

He he, yes, without reference it is hard to tell how big or small the model is. It stands, when finished, about 6" tall - very compact. Back in 1983 it had to be cheap and compact, so that little Japanese boys (and other nerds around the world) could easily buy and stock them...

BTW, painting makes progress. The overall Tar Black livery (Revell 09) is just broken by the metallic grey trim on the upper legs and the hip fairing. Due to the small scale and to avoid a bright contrast, I used a mix of Revell 77 and 99 (Dust Grey and Aluminum) for the trim.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The model received a black ink washing, and recesses and molded air intakes were painted flat black. Then the parts received a streaky coat with Revell 06 (Anthracite), applied vertically, a tone that's slightly lighter than the Tar Black, for an even more worn and uneven look, but the effect is very subtle. Another treatment was an overall rubbing with grinded graphite, so that the surfaces and esp. the edges took on a dark, metallic shine. Not certain if that's recognizable at all, though. Next came some dry-brushing with Revell 77 was done the the details and edges of the model, before the improvised decals were applied.

These came from all sorts of sources, including some aircraft, Macross and Ma.K. stencils. The tactical code "VF-83" had to be improvised, too. It consists of a 1:72 Macross VF-1 "VF" on the legs, the best thing I could find that would match the space. The sheet where these decals came from dates back to 1982, older than the Run-Valam kit itself, and they were still good! The small white "83" on the lower hull and the serial number on the outer hip fairing ("160083") came from a TwoBobs 1:72 T-2C sheet, from a Hellenic Buckeye.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · December 25, 2020, 06:46:44 AM

Coming closer to the finish line, but things are not finished yet: the decals were sealed with acrylic varnish and then I added some dust residue to the lower legs and the feet. It took a while to figure out a mehthod that would not look too much out-of-scale, standard techniques like dry-brushing or pigments were ruled out. I eventually tried simple water colors (Burnt Umbra) that was applied to the areas and immediately patted dry with a soft cotton cloth, so that most of the pint pigments remained in the recesses and a soft haze over the outer surfaces. Again the effect is rather subtle - but remember the sheer size of this mecha! Dirt would not get much higher than the feet, IMHO, and in soft/wet terrain the thing would immediately sink and propably topple over...

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam", vehicle "VF-83 (s/n 160083)" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

When this was dry, the whole model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish. At this stage I also painted the red "lamps" all over the hull and the (what I think they are) headlights under the cockpit. In both cases the areas were laid out with silver paint and then translucent paint in red and white were added.

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam", vehicle "VF-83 (s/n 160083)" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam", vehicle "VF-83 (s/n 160083)" (IMAI kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

As a final step some more dry-brushing was done, very lightly with only a little acrylic bright silver esp. on the feet and around the hull's edges. Again, this was done very sparsely due to the mecha's bulk in real life, I just wanted some supreficial signs of action.

So far, beauty pics should follow next - unfortunately, there's no background story or even info I can refer to, so this will become just a picture post.

Dizzyfugu · December 26, 2020, 02:29:22 AM

Things went quicker than expected, with less work on the pictures than expected. So, here it is, in full weird glory...

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam", vehicle "VF-83 (s/n 160083)" (IMAI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam", vehicle "VF-83 (s/n 160083)" (IMAI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A nice build, and I am happy with the result - even though getting my hands on one of these kits (at a reasonable price) was the biggest challenge. And even though the kit lacked the decals, I think that the improvised markings do not look out of place. It's uncertain if only a single "Run-Valam" existed in IMAI's Megaro Zamac universe, but this rather looks like a standard infantry item and not a glorious one-off battle robot, so I am fine with that. And the rest stayed as close as possible to the original, even though some changes and visual enhancements were made. I am also very proud that I managed to make the model fully posable: every joint works, and the whole thing is stable enough that it does not collapse under its own weight!

And, as a bonus, some more artistic experiments with filter effects and other digital stuff:

Megaro Zamac +++ 1:144 "Run-Valam", vehicle "VF-83 (s/n 160083)" (IMAI kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

zenrat · December 26, 2020, 02:44:01 AM

Odd looking thing. I can't imagine it would be a smooth ride.
Good job putting it together Dizz.

NARSES2 · December 26, 2020, 06:00:12 AM

I don't pretend to understand the genre, but it's a good looking model

Dizzyfugu · December 27, 2020, 02:44:47 AM

Thanks a lot. Yes, an obscure and exotic topic.

Old Wombat · December 27, 2020, 03:06:05 AM

Tripod = very stable for a static object but highly unstable for locomotion.

Still, you've done a great job, Dizzy!