Valkyrie Driver

I just bought a bandai vf25 1/100 scale toy, it's in the mail, so I don't have it yet. I just wanted to know what I got myself into. I just saw a transformation guide video thet shows it being a part-former, which isn't a huge deal for me, I have two vf-1's that are kinda that way. Have there been any problems with them or are they a pretty solid toy? It looks cool, which is what counts I guess, after all it's just gonna guard my desk.

Regardless of the Shoulder Problems, the VF-0A will be pulling late night post on my desk at barksdale, along side my VF-1's and new vf-25f. I think I have the shoulder issue fixed, not great but it'll work, some superglue and a little extra torque (evenly distributed mind you) are keeping it together right now. I would definitely consider getting a VF-0S reissue, but right now money is a bit tight.

Upon returning to the Barracks I discovered the culprit of the loose shoulder. The right shoulder has stress cracks in the plastic, also, I discovered a weakness in the bicep rotation. The Plastic broke and the arm popped off, I'm still pleased with the toy, as these problems are something I can fix, with patience and time. The fracture in the shoulder is not bad, as it still remains attached to the toy, but it will be a detail that requires attention. I got very unlucky to have these problems, but I am still pleased.

I just got a Yamato VF-0A 1/60, shortly before I left for Christmas leave. When I say just before, I mean I only got a couple of hours to handle the toy and play with it a bit. I was very impressed with the level of detail, the only other 1/60 I have is a TRU VF-1A Cannon Fodder. Pros: I love the fact that the toy has some heft to it, but not overly heavy like my brownie. I was also thoroughly impressed with the detail in the transformation sequence. The fact that the toy stays in one piece during transformation was a huge selling point for me, as I hate kibble. I have two Toynami 1/100 valks, and they're fun, but they have so much kibble it's not funny. The fact that the VF-0 is virtually devoid of it thrills me. All the modes look true to the OVA, something which my previous experiences lacked. The toy's poseability impressed me as well, being much more so than my brownie. Cons: Some of the bad things I noticed, my gunpod seems to dislike being hung under the toy in fighter mode, and in Battroid mode the Shoulder joints are a tad loose. Aside from that I have no complaints. Accessories: Most of you know what this toy comes with, but I'm gonna go over it anyway. * 12 x Grey color detachable AIM-200A AMRAAM missiles on 4 x detachable pylons. * 1 x GPU-9 Gunpod, with sliding stock, collapsible pistol grip and translucent red sensor. * 2 x magnetically mounted leg FAST Packs. * 1 x Pilot figure. * 1 x Sticker sheet. * 1 x 20 page black and white instruction manual. * 1 x Light grey plastic adaptor for mounting the toy onto a Yamato display stand in Fighter mode. * 1 x Grey plastic adaptor for mounting the toy onto a Yamato display stand in GERWALK mode. * 1 x Detachable nose-mounted pitot tube. * 2 x Removable engine intake covers. I was very happy that the toy came with the super parts, and missiles. For those of us who chose to put the different squadron markings on the toy, I would like to see other under wing stores offered as a separate purchase. (The other stores seen in the OVA are available with the ghost fighter, which functions as seen in the OVA). Aesthetics: From the minute I first saw zero, I was smitten by the VF-0's looks. The Macross design heritage is quite present, but so are some modern aerodynamic design elements. I loved the way Kawamori-san integrated the two, and how some of the design features foreshadowed other VF's to come. With that said, the toy was executed beautifully, and I'm very impressed. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will soon. I love modifications and making accessories for my VF's so if anybody has Ideas on how to make some under wing stores for the toy I'd love to hear them. I intend to get the Ghost fighter to accompany this toy, so yet more pics will be forthcoming.

I got my 1/60 VF-0A just before Christmas exodus (Thank god!), I'm waiting on the last three SDF Macross DVD's. So Far my VF-0 is wonderful, I only wish I hadn't had to leave it at the barracks. My packages will be waiting at the post office when I get back to base.

If you look at VF-84 the US Navy Squadron that Skull Squadron is based off of, youl note that they used low vis insignia while maintaining their Black/Yellow/White highlights, for their Sqdn and group commander's aircraft (modex typically ending in 01 and 00 respectively), and since Focker flies modex 001 it fits. I like the repaint anyway, if nothing else it adds a bit of visual appeal instead of the stark white of the original. *NOTE* Unlike US Navy Fighter Squadrons, which have modexes beginning with a 1 or 2, skull squadron had a modex beginning with 0. This would have made the CAG, or Commander of Air Group, an admiral, as Admiral's aircraft carry a modex of 000.

Recently I bought a Toynami VF-1A DYRL Max type. I love this little thing, much more fun to play with than my TRU Yamato VF-1A. I really like this toy, and I plan on purchasing another 1/100 from Toynami, as soon as I have the funds. The toy came Packaged in a Nice window style box. It's displayed in Battroid mode and looks very good. It's nice and Tidy when you open the panel to see all the Acessories it came with, more on those in a bit. CONS 1. The biggest gripe I have about it is the mismatched proportions. Using my Yamato as a guide to how it should look, the Legs/Nacelles in fighter mode are too skinny. The backpack thruster doesn't fit neatly between the legs as it does on the Yamato. 2. The Arms stick out too far in fighter mode. They aren't kept way back and under the backpack as in the Yamato. 3. The Toy wasn't engineered to look good in the fighter mode. 4. The Frailty of the plastic. I managed to keep this toy looking sharp and unbroken for the first several months that I had it. It has only broken once, and not even where I expected it to. The Port side Vertical stabilizer's hinge broke. (Easily fixed by an ingenious application of scotch tape. I Remember how I fixed the Problem on my Banpresto Valk a few years ago.) That being said, I still love the toy. I understand that some of the details like those that would make it look exactly like it was in DYRL aren't all that easy with a small scale like 1/100. PROS 1. Detail. This toy does make up for some of the shortcomings in detail I mentioned earlier. The Gunpod expands, that was nice. It also has the three barrels molded into it. The Toy was supplied with a small sticker sheet to apply, which I did. 2. Accessories! This toy has tons of accessories that it comes with, not to mention that super parts are available as well. It Comes with Four sets of triple missiles, as well as four five tube missile pods. It also Comes with a display stand with brackets to display it in all three modes. The Gunpod requires the use of a bracket to mount it in fighter mode, but I easily grew accustomed to it. The Heat shield has a raised Skull Squadron insignia on it, not accurate but still acceptable. It is also supplied with landing gear, so you can just set it on your desk just liek it would be on The Flattop. 3. Pose ability. This thing is fun. It will take a pose and hold it. The Joints are nice and tight(most of the time). This simple aspect is what makes it more fun than my TRU Yamato. The Yamato just can't do all the fun poses this toy can. 4. Light weight. The same frail plastic that I griped about also has a plus. Due to the Low weight of the toy, it is actually less likely to break. 5. Low cost and availability. I hesitate to say cheap as the word tends to carry a certain stigma. I don't want to call the toy cheap. Mine cost me about $24 after shipping. There are scads to be found on amazon.com or any other online toystore. I feel I should explain how mine broke. I had a kitten at my old place and the little bugger knocked the toy off of the shelf I had it on and the toy landed topside downright on the left stabilizer. Needless to say it broke. A few days later I remembered a similar problem with the Banpresto I had, and was able to fix my Toynami. The Joints are very nice on this toy because they are a linked by a peg. The peg inserts into the rotating collar and presto multi-axis movement. The reason I like this approach is because the joints will just pop off if there is too much pull on the joint. It also relieves the OH GOD I BROKE IT! response when the arm or lower leg pops off. Now My toy occasionally has its arms pop off, which can be a bit annoying, but all in all I find the toy fun and it's a fun piece to display on one's desk or a shelf. The other bonus is the size. When you don't have a lot of space, the toy is great to satisfy the craving for a new valk toy. I would recommend this toy to anyone wanting to start a collection or to someone who just wants a fun display piece. It's also great for customizing due to it's low price. More sophisticated collectors might shy away from this toy due to the little inaccuracies I mentioned, however I mention customization again, pick one up if want to get into it, you won't be disappointed.

If we use the F16/F2 example we can see that notable changes have been made on real world aircraft too. The F14 example mentioned earlier is not so apparent, and is just a variant. The Mitsubishi F2 is a different aircraft from the Lockheed F16. The F2 was derived from the General Dynamics Agile Falcon upgrade to the F16, while the F16 block 40 and onward were simple upgrades to the existing airframe. The same might be said for the disparities between fighters based on the same platform, that differ from fleet to fleet. Another good real world example might be the F-35 A/B/C, where each is optimized for the different services. Other differences might arise from the Purchaser. Is the Squadron the VF is for based in space on a colony fleet, or on an established colony planet? Looking back on the VFs from 0-27 I've seen a parallel trend to the real world fighter development. The Body of an F16 does almost as much to produce lift as the wings do (I may be exaggerating a bit). The Current teen series fighters have more lifting surfaces than did the old century series, and comparable navy counterparts. The VF-1 and VF-4 had only the wings to produce lift, whereas the VF-11, VF-19, and VF-22 all used strakes (extended wing roots) and/or lifting bodies to provide more aerodynamic stability and lift, thus making them more efficient. Going back to the F2/F16 example, the differences were relatively minor, the F2 is longer, has more wing area, larger tail planes, a drogue parachute, two piece canopy, a more powerful radar. Those sorts of things determine what sort of modifications would be made to a ship. Think of it, Colony X requires a fighter that is low cost, so they choose a proven air frame like the VF-1. More powerful sensors are available, so the nose is resized. The avionics and control suite is newer so the cockpit gets laid out differently. The ship needs more lift and maneuverability so the wing area is increased. More powerful engines are available so the engine nacelles are enlarged. You come up with a fighter whose parentage is unmistakable, but that is different enough to warrant a new classification. That's how I see it working.