Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.21

A Sea Craft Landing Base by Bandai

This is a large, and nicely detailed, Japanese Bandai model space vehicle that I have started to assemble. The model is an ocean/sea craft landing base with space ships or space vehicles. It comes with space vehicles labeled Otester 2 & 3, a very detailed base containing launch pads and several radar and other operational towers. As the colorful model box and instructions are totally in Japanese, I am not sure (?), yet, of its origin, name, etc. It looks like it will be about 12 inches long when completed.

I will update you, as I progress with this model's painting and detailing. I have painted a base coat of color to the mountain components, and have assembled the little ships and some of the other small parts as seen in the photo below. All are ready for priming. If I do not find other detailed reference, I will probably follow the above model's box cover illustration for coloring. I would also like to create an ocean water base for this model to complete its' diorama scene.

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"System Fortress South Ataria" by Arii Models
No.28 System Fortress Island Macross Series

This large island base comes with eight Valkyries (see notes at bottom), a Macross in cruiser mode, twenty-four small figures, two vehicle spring loaded garages and operational landing ports.

Click a photo to enlarge

I have completed the island base painting, by brush, using Hyplar acrylics. I mixed Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Payne's Grey and Raw Umber to create the lights and darks. Light warm greys were used for the runways, with dry brushed tire skid marks and oil spills added in Payne's Grey. The island was given an overall coat of Matte Clear Acrylic. I will be adding Copper and Gunmetal colors to the piping which you can see running in different locations along the mountain walls .

I will add a plywood or solid wood base finished in ocean/sea color, cut to follow the island's contour all around - about 3/4" out from the island.

This image shows the various components and the Valkyries. All will be primed and detailed. I will update the finishing of the many components later.


Notes:

Valkyries: The VF-1 Valkyrie is the first mass-produced variable fighter in the Anime science fiction series Macross (1982)

There are other similar System Fortress models by Arii and Bandai that were produced, around 1982, but the above is the largest and most detailed I believe.

This island model is similar in size to the Thunderbird's Secret Base that I detailed in my Blog: Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.13