GU-11

Here are a couple of comparison pics using the TV VF-1A Max. Same camera, same settings. I don't know if it's just me, but it looks as if the yellow is more obvious on the VF-1D's canopy than on the TV Max's.

Now remember, children! Safety first: Check your VF's shoulders for traces of explodium, before examining the stability of the leg pegs. This message was brought to you by the International Foundation for the Prevention of Heart Attacks After A Yamato QC Disaster: IFFTPOHAAAYQCD for short. Support the IFFTPOHAAAYQCD: Because getting Yamato'ed is no fun.

You...sick...bastard!!!! I love it, and I'm not even its mother. This Who Cares? guy is a genius!

MF, please do tell me how that replacement leg holds up. I emailed HLJ last night regarding the VF-1D's busted leg, and they should probably reply within the next two days. BTW, which leg on your VF-1D was busted? It was the right one on my -1D.

Well, the box art is prettier than Yamato's, I'll say that much. You'd better have a little cup or container to hold all those little pieces, though. Lose either the clear canopy or heatshield, and that VF is staying in its current mode for good. That said, the removable pilot is a really nice touch, especially for a Valk of this scale.

Heheh, for such a high-end toy, I reserve the right to be a stickler! Well, I guess the VF-1D IS a pretty irresistible Valk, being unique and memorable in so many ways. After all, it was the first VF Hikaru ever piloted, and it indirectly helped to hook him up with the future Miss Macross, no less.

Same here, except I'm waiting for a possible announcement that the VF-2SS will be added to the HM line. I've always dreamed of owning a full-transformation toy of this beautiful, elegant VF.

Heheh, apparently, I do.

I certainly hope you're right. I think I'll try it with the TV Max's canopy and see if it exhibits the same yellowish tint.

Yeah, that was my bad. When viewing it in person, the VF-1D tends to look a substantially darker shade than when viewed as pictures. I finally got a proper (if rather low end) digital camera and took some pics. Viewed on my computer's monitor, it has that same light tan color I saw on the promo pics. For one of the few times in my life, I'm actually glad and relieved to say that it was my mistake.

You might want to try gently prying with something flat and sturdy (like a thin ruler) at the leg to loosen up the peg, before wiggling it off. In my case, the damn peg just broke off at the slightest pressure. If you ask me, all this broken peg business could be either the result of mishandling at the factory, or the pegs themselves are simply too thick for the die-cast inserts. Or a combination of both. If and when you do manage to get the pegs off (safely, I hope), Shin Densetsu Kai gave me this piece of advice: file/sand off the paint on the "inside" sides of the die-cast insert which the peg goes into. The lack of paint should ease some of the tension. I own a YF-19 DN myself, and as far as I know, there isn't much you can do about the gap there. As for the "bulk chin", yeah, it's kind of unsightly but as far as modern toy engineering goes, this is as good as it gets for now. Man, I keep reading post after post about floppy arms even in the reissued original color YF-19's. To think I actually planned to buy one myself this Christmas. I guess I'd better stick with my trusty DN, and save the money for that TV Kakizaki reissue.

This thing has long since sold out out at my local hobby store within the first few days of its arrival; I can see why. The one thing that bugs me about this toy is how wide the legs are spread apart. I imagine that they put the head lasers on a sprue to avoid bending or breakage during transportation, although the gates are a little too close to the parts for comfort. Fortunately, the gates are strategically placed so that any potential nub marks won't be noticeable. All in all, I'd buy it if I had the extra cash to spare. *edit* Ignore my comment on the sprues. Just made an educated guess, not knowing that CF18 had already posted the answer.

After taking several photos with a proper camera, it seems that the -1D's beige/tan is indeed the same tone as the promo pics. I guess it just looks darker in person. I gladly announce that the yellowed color was just my mistake. One problem down, two to go. As for the cockpit canopy, the yellowed tint is visible on the photos I've attached to this post (sorry about the rather grainy pics; the pics were taken indoors at night under fluorescent lighting, using a shitty first gen digital camera). There's only a slight tint, but you can still see it. The pics of the broken peg are kind of blurred, but it's the best I can do, as the camera I had doesn't handle closeups too well. You might want to load the image on a new tab and have it resized to fit the browser for a clearer view.

Dude, how did you get the VF-1J Hikaru to crouch like that?! That is too cool!

Wonderfully panel lined, and gorgeously posed. Man, right now it just depresses me to look at tan/beige colored VF's...

A thousand thanks for the tips, man! Just one thing: wouldn't the sideways "locking tab" get in the way if I just pulled downward? Would it be all right if I tried gently prying it with tweezers or something first? When I first transformed my VF-1D Virgin Road, the peg was pretty stressed, too. I was thinking of filing down the peg a little, but then I got cold feet--what if I filed too much, and the thing ends up being too loose? Sheesh, for the kind of money we're paying for this stuff, these problems shouldn't even exist. About to go get some batteries for my digital camera later. Tomorrow, I'll post a copy of the pics I plan to send to HLJ for a replacement right leg for the VF-1D. Yeah, it's no fun getting jipped like that. I wonder if I can push my luck and try to get HLJ to send me another VF-1D. Then again, I hate to go through the hassle of sending the one I've got back to them.

It took just three days from the item's departure from the warehouse to its arrival at my doorstep (though still no shipping confirmation email.) I'd be one happy camper if the item itself wasn't yellowed old stock with a broken leg peg.

I followed the instructions exactly, by angling the leg inwards to release it. After hearing what happened to Macross Fanboy's VF-1D, I was extremely careful during that part of the transformation, but the damn peg broke on me...twice. No matter how you look at it, it was a defective leg peg, since the other leg stayed perfectly intact each time I transformed it. Unless there's another (better) way to detach the leg, it seems pretty obvious that Yamato's got batch of bad leg pegs. I realize that the VF-1D and VT-1 both have an orange-and-beige color scheme; it'd just that my -1D's tone of it looked "wrong" somehow. It just looks "jaundiced", for lack of a better term. While I'd really like to say that it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, it doesn't explain the yellowed canopy.

Whoa, you mean this peg problem has happened before? In any case, do you mean I should scrape off the paint on the "inside" sides of the diecast piece where the peg plugs into it? Thanks man, I'll give that a try.

Another update to the VF-1D fiasco. I just noticed that the canopy on mine was yellowed. Just to make sure, I tried looking through it, and sure enough, everything filtered through it was tinted yellow. Even when I first lifted the flap on the box, I noticed the VF-1D had a weird tone of beige, turns out it was UV damage. What, do the factories leave their parts out in the sun to bake? It's official: I just paid good money for old stock with a broken right leg peg. Great, just mother-effing great....

Another update to the VF-1D fiasco. I just noticed that the canopy on mine was yellowed. Just to make sure, I tried looking through it, and sure enough, everything filtered through it was tinted yellow. Even when I first lifted the flap on the box, I noticed the VF-1D had a weird tone of beige, turns out it was UV damage. What, do the factories leave their parts out in the sun to bake? It's official: I just paid good money for old stock with a broken right leg peg. Great, just mother-effing great....

Thanks for replying, Macrossnake. While I haven't taken pictures prior to fixing the peg, it still looks exactly like I haven't fixed it at all. Since the cyanoacrylate dries clear, it won't show on the photo unless I angle it to reflect ambient light. I guess I should start taking some pics and send them to HLJ. Yamato...I hate myself for loving you, damn it!

Followup to my unfortunate experience with a defective VF-1D. For those who haven't read my post on this, I bought a VF-1D during HLJ's sale, and found that the peg on the leg just above the intake broke off when I tried to detach it from the body, just like Macross Fanboy's. I glued it back on yesterday, and waited for it to cure overnight in Battroid mode. After letting the glue cure overnight, I tried transforming the VF-1D back into fighter mode today, and the peg still came off the leg. I'm giving it another try with more glue this time. But just in case, can I still contact HLJ for a leg replacement? I'm worried that they might refuse a replacement part since I attempted to fix it myself. Also, do I need to attach photographic evidence to prove that the leg is indeed broken? In any case, I get the feeling that the peg isn't exactly necessary to the hold the leg in place during GERWALK or fighter modes, since the hip bar itself is secured by...actually, I'm not sure what you call it--those two semi-circular things that the hip bar snaps onto in GERWALK and fighter modes. If the peg's not crucial, I might just leave it as it is. I really need some advice here, guys.

I didn't say it was a bad idea, I just said the lack of tampos don't do ME much good personally speaking since I don't plan on putting the armor on any other Valk. Just for the record, I agree that leaving the tampos off is the best of all possible solutions. To those who like to create a squadron of armored Valks, it's a great idea. But for me, the lack of tampos means applying stickers that could potentially peel and/or yellow as time passes. The need to clear coat the armor to seal in the stickers is another thing I don't look forward to. In short, I agree with what you said; leaving the numbers off makes the armor parts more versatile for collectors who want to customize their armor. I never disputed that from the beginning. It's just that for me personally, the lack of tampos works against me.

While you can't always prevent yellowing on white plastic, there are ways to minimize the possibility of it happening. Most importantly, common sense: stay away from any source of UV, be it energy saving bulbs, halogen lights, direct sunlight or fluorescent lights. Also make sure your hands are washed clean before handling the fig, as some believe oils and sweat from your hands can cause a chemical reaction. Third, if your closet smells of vinegar, DO NOT store your figs in them, even if they're sealed inside a box. The sour smell comes from the fumes in the glue used during the manufacturing of certain furniture or treatment of wood, and can potentially cause yellowing. Actually, plastic in any colors besides black can yellow or fade when exposed to the elements mentioned above, it's just that added colors makes it less obvious than on a white surface.