Macross VF -1 Valkyrie / LEGO Transformer Jetfire using LEGO Creator 31151: T.Rex

 

One more for the road uhmmm.... sky... eer space!

RECAP

Last year I had a good run building VF-1 Valkyrie using a few LEGO sets , and it all started with set 31152 (below)

PLAYLIST OF MY POP CULTURE LEGO CREATIONS/TRANSFORMERS >>

Due to profound responses from my creation above.... I continued to produce a few more VF-1 using other LEGO sets as well.

ABOUT VF-1 VALKYRIE

VF-1 Valkyrie is an iconic fighter jet from Macross/Robotech anime series back in the 1980s.   It turned into 2 alternate modes: Gerwalk ( jet plane with extended robot limbs) and Battroid (fully bipedal robot mode).

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

It's a no brainer actually... LEGO set 31151 has many wedge plates and consistently toned color scheme for me to build a jet plane . My initial worry was lack of hinged /ball joints to make a Tramsformer jet plane with such complexity ..

My initial worry actually came true when I found out I was unable to design a symmetrical feet heels due to lack of parts. So my initial design was forcing myself to use a ball joint for the left foot and frictional hinge for the right one.  

 

The unsatisfactory feet design is what caused me to put this project aside for a few weeks to cool down.

 

Wings actually retract!!

With cannons mounted

 

Trivia: The white cannon barrel is actually a common LEGO piece for toilet bowl!

TRANSFORM TO GERWALK MODE

 

As you can see.. I finally solved the asymmetrical foot design I mentioned in the early part of this article.

 

The knee connections are pretty fragile and when transforming it between modes, the legs might pop out from the knee joints.  

GERWALK MODE

 

 

TRANSFORM TO ROBOT/ BATTROID MODE

  

BATTROID MODE

 

 

 

WITH CANNON

 

MURPHY'S LAW STRIKES AGAIN!

After the photos above was snapped  and edited, I found out that I have accidentally used a wrong piece for the robot mouthplate.  It should be an existing  tan colored piece from the set,  rather than a yellow one ! Beats me how this yellow piece ended up  in my project!!

I also discovered something that bugged me...... there's a bit of color bleed on the jet nosecone.  It's  annoying enough that I've decided to swap the pieces around to fix this (below).

However, the fix involve transferring the "bleed" elsewhere which I think  is more acceptable.

VIDEO

 

PURCHASE BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS FROM REBRICKABLE >>

• LEGO creations made using set 31151: T.Rex
• LEGO creations using Creator 3-in-1 sets