Ghibli: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Mehve)

Greg Baker
Started working on another little side mystery project.

Nils Steyaert
intruiging, i will be follwing this one 🙂

Spanjaard
What are you up to now?

Greg Baker
Well, let's see if anyone can figure out what I'm building in these two projects. They're semi related (at least by theme). I'm guessing this one should be pretty easy.😉

Greg Baker
Added a few more pictures. If you know what it is, you should know what I'm building by now...😉

Greg Baker
Lots of sanding, but with the primer on it's almost ready for some paint.

Spanjaard
hold on a second, that is something like what Spiderman green enemy is using?

Choppa Nutta
Nausicaa's mehve 🙂
looks pretty close to me, I think you've done the design justice, nice work Greg ! 🙂

Awesome graphic novel series, one of my favourite manga stories, epic ! 🙂

and here is one in real life actually flying with a human on board as pilot..... wow ........... 😄
Youtube Video

Choppa Nutta
One more coz this is too freaking cool man 😄
I want one, I really want one, I really do want one 😄

Youtube Video

Greg Baker
Choppa Nutta has got it (although the Green Goblin's glider might make for an interesting project later... I have another set of wings...). After I picked up those white wings in a spares box in Tokyo, I knew they were destined for a Nausicaa glider. I'm pretty happy with the result, even though I did take a bit of a short cut and leave in the existing panel lines. You might call it laziness but I call it artistic license. 😉

Can you guess the Project "A" part of the mystery build? scalemates.com/profi..bums&album=35124

Also, thanks also for sharing that awesome video. A 1-1 working machine puts my little 1/72 effort to shame.

Choppa Nutta
"A 1-1 working machine puts my little 1/72 effort to shame."
or does yours glorify the real deal ? 😄 😄 😄
awesome to see the fiction come to reality 🙂
whats next, a God Warrior ?😉

Greg Baker
Now that's a scary thought! The Mehve is all done, so done last pic updated before I swithpxh to a "completed" gallery.

Denis Kuleshov
Great job! Fatastic.

Thomas Bischoff
nice idea and well done!

Greg Baker
Thanks guys! Just for that, I posted up a couple more pics with the completed stand too.😉

Greg Baker
After looking at all these projects side-by-side (see the last pic in the album), I wonder if the Mehve isn't a bit too big... (sigh) oh well. considering I didn't measure a thing, i guess I can't complain.

Nils Steyaert
the result looks terrific, excelent work 👍

Choppa Nutta
A couple of thoughts on the Mehve, I had the same thought regarding scale, it looks more like the span of the Gun Ship plus the anhedral angle of the wings is closer to that of the Gun Ship too,
perhaps convert the current Mehve into a Gun Ship and remake another Mehve ? 🙂

just a thought but it would be nice to have both in this scratchbuilt Ghibli gallery museum piece your doing 🙂

I'm a huge fan of Nausicaa, got all 7 of th graphic novels, all read several times 😄
lots of great subjects in there, such as the Dorok flying jars

Choppa Nutta
I've got to have a go at scratching one of these Mehves together my self 🙂
They are such a beautiful design 🙂

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Greg Baker
I'm (obviously) also a huge Nausicaa fan. The manga is so much richer than the animation, and that's saying a lot. I finally found a reference online that says the wingspan of the 1/20 Mehve kit is 27cm, so that means the 1/72 scale should clock in at about 7.5cm. I'll measure it when I get home and then do some soul-searching depending on how far out of scale I am. The Flaptter is slightly off as well. It should be 3.4cm long and I'm almost exactly 4cm... but that was a limitation of using the Spad XIII kit and not wanting to have to cut out a middle section. So I've made my piece with that.

I do have the Bandai Valley Gunship, so it would just be a do-over instead of conversion. However, I just picked up my first ever tank kit (scalemates.com/kits/..iger-eary-production) with the intention of building a Tourmekian self-propelled gun. The kit's not a 100% match, but certainly close enough for me.

Meanwhile, looking at the leftover sails from the Cutty Sark kit I used on my Ponyo submarine build gave me another idea... and luckily I have another cast-off Spad XIII fuselage lying around... 😉

Oh, and my experience with the Totoro Mini-Truck has me thinking another Laputa project might be do-able... 😉

Choppa Nutta
I was looking at the drawings in the novel to get an idea of the size and I reckoned about 18 feet span, assuming Nausicaa is five and half feet tall and I see from the kit you referenced I was bang one 🙂
20 x 27cm = 5.4m =18feet

On the Flapter you don't notice that extra little bit because everything else looks about right 🙂

What's the wingspan of the gunship kit you have ?

Greg Baker
Good eyes! I'll measure the gunship for sure when I get home, but I think it's roughly 22cm (about 9 inches).

Choppa Nutta
in 1/72nd scale ?

Greg Baker
Yep. It's this kit right here - scalemates.com/kits/..f-the-valley-of-wind

Greg Baker
@Choppa Nutta - I moved your comments over here to keep it on track:

"Btw, I was looking the novels again, started reading them again more like 🙂
Because I thought something was off with the Gun Ship kit, mostly the scale but also the tail too.
at 1/72 that puts the model at 54 feet span which is big, way big.
In the novels it looks much closer to 40 feet, more like 35 I reckon,
which means if you carve out the cockpits to fit 1/48 figures that will be much closer to "correct" scale 😄"

"Also the tail end is very different, in the novel hardly any bend and it has a fin to hold the tail wheel
other than that overall I think the kit shape is quite good 🙂"

It's funny you should mention that. I did measure the kit and

That does seem a bit big... which is probably why my Mehve glider is so far off as well. I eyeballed the scale using the "1/72" Nausicaa figure from the Gunship kit. Let's just say that comparée to the 1/72 Airfix pilot I've been using for reference and the 1/72 Porco Rosso figure from the Finemolds kit, Nausicaa looks like a basketball playing Amazon.😉.

As a result, I realized the Mehve I built, at 11.5cm, is almost exactly 1/48 scale.

So it's back to the drawing board. I posted a new pic.😉

Choppa Nutta
no probs moving it here 🙂

Yeah the gunship kit looks like it might get a 1/48 mod 🙂

So that might mean a Gunship 1/72 scratchbuild might not be out of the question after all😉 😄

One thing I did think was slightly off with your Mehve No. 1 was the angle of the wings as viewed from the front, they droop down, anhedral, from the roots as opposed to a slight upward slant, dihedral (on the inner panels and then droop the tips) etc.
classic gull wing form 🙂
where as the gunship has a touch of anhedral which really changes it's poise compared to the Mehve 🙂

Greg Baker
I hate you... but in a good way. You're right about the wing angle, but I was too far gone last time to correct it. I've already put in the bend this time...

And yes... the Gunship bothers me... possibly enough to attempt a scratchbuild. I'll have to do some thinking and research first. That does give me the idea for a plane I wanted to build from another Miyazaki movie that seems like it might be possible to scratch up an adaption. There is a resin/short run kit available, but it's been too pricey/hard to get. Maybe an adaption of a cheaper/easier-to-find kit is in order... hmmm...

Greg Baker
Ok Choppa... you should be happier with the new wing pics... I think I got the gull shape perfect this time. 🙂

Choppa Nutta
Don't forget Greg that you're dealing with a pain in the arse stickler for aesthetics😉

........ But yes much better !!

and no doubt you're happier with the new wing too 🙂
none of that niggling doubt invading your thoughts any more,
I'm pleased you gave it a second go, shaping up nicely 😄

Greg Baker
It's almost as if you're in my mind... 😛 Yes, I'm happier. It was nagging at me, but I was doing my best to ignore it... until you poked.

Choppa Nutta
..... I do have one other little tiny poke regarding wing shape ....
... but I'm in a dilemma seeing as I've poked already and I really do not want to annoy you etc. 😄
Keep schtoom or spill the beans ?? 😄 😄 😄

bear in mind I am a pain in the arse stickler for aesthetics😉

Greg Baker
Poke away... now's the time to do it. 😄

Choppa Nutta
ok cool 🙂

the outer wing panels are flat (spanwise) and looks as though they are separates bolted on,
they should kink down in line with the sticky out bit that holds the flaperons/elevons
this kink down line is parallel to the centre line of the fuselage running for and aft.
this is a reasonably distinct line where the anhedral tips meet the dihedral wings with only a modest fillet radius.

I suggest cut the tips off along that line, flattening them and glue back on at the sweet angle 🙂
Also, at the front of this line on the leading edge of the wing is a small shark fin pointing straight up😉

another detail that caught my are are the sword holsters in the wing and how long they are, almost half the chord of the wing or so.
Panel lines are another thing to think about too, remember the scene where Asbel is fixing the Mehve and has a number of access panels opened up, plus there's a couple of scenes showing the wings folded up for storage.

I hope you're not regretting saying "poke away" now 😄 😄 😄
I think after all that chat I really ought to put my money where my mouth is and build one 😄

Greg Baker
Added a new pic... Round Three... Fight!

Greg Baker
Added up a couple of new pics. I did a bit of a rough cut on the wings and will file them to a final shape. I also cut the tips off and re-glued them at an angle to give the gull-wing anhedral look to them. I then then glue both of the wings to the centre piece and gave them a bit of a dihedral slope. I'm scared to do anything more though until I get Choppa Nutta's approval...😉

Greg Baker
Heh. After reviewing the pictures I just realized that the initial set of wings I started this project with are from a MiG-3... don't know why I didn't notice that before.

Choppa Nutta
Planform is looking good 🙂
any more progress Greg ?

Greg Baker
Just for you I worked almost exclusively on the Mehve. Sanded down the old lines. Scribed new lines and then crafter a tiny little engine.

Thomas Bischoff
not only for Choppa - I also follow your work and like the new Möwe very much 👍

Choppa Nutta
hehe 😄 😄 😄

Greg Baker
Thanks Thomas! It took a while to piece together that tiny little engine, but I think it's really starting to come together now. Don't tell Choppa, but I'm secretly glad he took a few pokes at my first attempt. I'm liking this one much better.

Choppa Nutta
😢 🙂

Greg Baker
I just added the completed pics... including the tape/wire seatbelt as a finishing touch. Despite my grumbling, I'm much happier with this build over the first one. It looks a lot better (Not to mention now in scale) and is now probably the central showpiece in my growing mini-build collection.

Thanks Choppa!

Btw... now that the Mehve is off the table (although I'm still working on the stand) I started another mini project... stay tuned!

Choppa Nutta
"I'm much happier with this build over the first one"

says it all 🙂
👍

Choppa Nutta
may we have a photo of everything finished thus far, you know, like a family photo ? 😄

Greg Baker
Yep. And I knew that from the beginning... you just pointed out what was bugging me and that shoved me over the edge. I just like harassing you... however if you start pointing out anything more on the redo, all you're gonna get is "lalalalalalalala... I can't hear you..."

Choppa Nutta
I figured, which is why I aint said nuffin 😄
looks good though mate
I applaud your efforts

Greg Baker
Whew! I can rest easy now that I have your stamp of approval. 😄

Choppa Nutta
Good, more than anything I am pleased you've ended up with a model you are happy with 🙂
Also note you have inspired me to have a go at this myself and I always appreciate it when someone inspires me 😄

I've been eying up my wood stocks as I am contemplating 1/6 scale scratch build in balsa wood with brass and ali tube for the fittings, also fancy having a go at doing a 1/6 figure sculpt too 🙂

Greg Baker
Now THAT will have me ringside and throwing popcorn.😉

Cortex
wow, so talented .. also I love this anime so double joy : )

Greg Baker
Thanks! Nausicaa is one of my favourites, so it was a labour of love for sure... it also got me started on a Miyazaki mini project kick... now my albums are full of them.😉

Spanjaard
today, i remembered this fantastic build, somebody else has a similar one. i just do nto know if it is also kit bashing, or commercial kit
scalemates.com/profi..bums&album=44244

Greg Baker
SpikeSpiegal's great build is using the very nice 1/20 scale Bandai new tool kit. All of my Ghibli builds are 1/72 scale, so it took me a while, but I finally succumbed to the charms of this kit as well and added it to my stash. Once I build it up I'll be able to compare the dimensions to my 1/72 scratchbuilt project and see how far off I was on my guesstimates.😉

Spanjaard
yours is pretty good in my opinion 🙂