David Hingtgen

In short---exactly. I think it had more to do with case assortments for stores. All the boxes will be the same size to fill up the shipping box. So that assortment may have two 1/41 scale, two 1/33 scale, and two 1/55 scale planes to fill up the "carton of six". This has pretty much gone by the wayside now due to consumer demand for standardized scale/accuracy (leading to the "standard" 1:32/48/72/144 scales), but it was VERY common in the 50's and 60's. And AMT/ERTL. Another issue to watch for is "metric" scale. Mainly Japanese kits---I know Fujimi did it, I bet Hasegawa did too. Certainly through the 70's and early 80's. Basically---they didn't care about the whole "12 inches to the foot" thing that lead to 1:48 and 1:72 scale. Many kits marketed in English-speaking countries as 1:48 and 1:72 were actually 1:50 and 1:70. And you can bet 1/96 and 1/144 were really 1:100 and 1:150. Usually subtle, but it could make a difference. Especially if you try to kitbash or swap weapons.

Some planes have very low-drag doors and re-close all the ones they can after extension. Some have huge ones and leave them all hanging out. Wanna see a bad example? Check out the F-111's main gear bay door during gear extension/retraction. No, that's not the airbrake. Don't expect much acceleration during gear retraction after takeoff. And expect to slow down a lot when extending them for landing...

Wouldn't buy a straight reissue, would love FB 2012. Or Milia's or something.

Ah, box scale! You'll probably be able to find 1/58, 1/59, 1/61 if you look hard enough. But it'll be random scales of random planes. Box scale almost defeats the point of a scale model collection, IMHO. Dark days back then.

Very true. The F-14/15 are huge in 1/48, but 1/72 can be a little small. 1/60 is still plenty big for the -15.

The YF-21 is inspired from the YF-23, not the YF-22. Sure, a little of both---but it's much more -23ish than -22ish. She is, Basara's just a much louder and thus more noticeable character.

Yup. It was known years ago that the next two molds Yamato was going to do, was a new YF-19 and a VF-0D.(though the VF-4 seemed to have snuck in there somehow first) Somewhere, someone probably already knows the next 2... (though I'd be happy with a VF-11 re-release, in VFX-2 or Milia colors)

BTW, the rudders are painted entirely red, with black paint on top to create the pattern. All on top of a black base layer of paint. On black plastic. That's why they rub so much--there's like a millimeter of paint on them. I've been sanding down through layers of paint on the bottom edges, to try to lessen how much red paint rubs on the back of the calves. And so they're not so stiff when trying to line up the rudders with the fins in fighter mode. I would have just left the black plastic bare, and painted red as needed.

My YF-19 has 3 distinct positions for the knee (battroid/collapsed, extended/fighter, and midway). Or do you want a fourth one, that's just "slightly extended from battroid"? Swing the legs 90 degrees, should give you enough room to get your fingertip in enough to press it with your nail. Works for me in both transformation directions.

Unlikely----it's not even as close to an official MP as some 3P Bumblebees are to the MP Bumblebee. Basically---if even iGear's F-15's didn't get "lawyered" (and they truly were KO's of HasTak molds), this won't. It still isn't "Ultra Magnus". It is simply "a white/blue/red car-carrier that turns into a robot" and it's 100% non-Hasbro mold/tooling/engineering.

That's the engine the YF-19 uses. Very appropriate marking, considering the YF-22/YF-23 competition that Kawamori was inspired by. (as the engine was its own competition as well----one plane of each type used one type of each engine----of course, the slower plane combined with the weaker engine was chosen in the end...)

Sorta kinda. You can have them opened in fighter mode, most of the way. But you have to pop the wings out, open the compartment, then tab the wings back in. Or do lots of finagling and do it very slowly while working the hinges out of the way of the wings, while holding the wings in place. It SHOULD just open and close freely in fighter mode, but I think they messed up the exact mechanics/angles, so you can't really. Everthing is just a little off, like 1 or 2mm.

I actually don't recall seeing the legs open at all. It was the FAST pack launching the big missile, not the leg itself, IIRC. I should watch Plus (or at least the YF-19 parts) tonight...

Stiffest joint on the figure, in my experience. PS----is it just me, or does the leg-missile gimmick seem "mis-aligned"? As in, you can't "just open it up", or it'll pop the wings out from the legs---you have to either very carefully and slowly finagle it along all the hinge-points, doing like a 3-point or 4-point turn (out then down then rotate then move back up), to get it to open up enough to have the missile positioned "with nothing in the way of being launched out forwards"---without popping the wings out. Or you kinda have to do like you do for the nose/canopy----pop the wings apart, open the panel, then plug the wings back in. All in all, it seems kinda pointless---the leg-panel doesn't open easily in fighter mode (not without popping apart the wings etc)--which is the only mode it's supposed to be used in! It's not a "play feature" IMHO if it doesn't really "work right"----surely I'm not the only one who expected it would easily and freely open and close in fighter mode? It's like if they just moved the hinge-point 1mm down it'd all work fine---but as it is---it's going to get in the way of the wings almost every time. Such a nuisance to get to work that I'll rarely do it.

Man, I really wish there was a pack-less, missile-less option. Would have cut the price and frustration by a lot.

I think the odds are decent, but wouldnt count on it. (As in, I'm not selling mine just yet, as I may never get a replacement.)

On my phone at least, that is exactly what color the final production YF-19 is. (Overall----the grey is much less blue)

Mine was just a bit of glue in the "crease" at the front of the well, but even 1mm is enough to get in the flap's way. I had to get creative to get at it----carefully positioning the head so I could get a tool in between the chin and neck-base, I used a knife-file and a very skinny sanding stick to get in from the side. Can take a pic if needed later to re-create the scenario.Really though, sanding the underside of the front edge of the flap may be easier, depending on how much and where the glue is.

Maybe it's variable---the head is perfect on mine. Only joint I'd consider as such. (though it's attached slightly crooked I think, which I am working on correcting---but I don't think I can disassemble the neck area)

First decent photo of alt mode. Note holes in front of trailer---weren't on the CAD, but are probably an alternate location to mount the missile-launchers.

Ok, good news (yay!): Non-closing chest flap is 98% fixed. It was mostly excess glue, at the front of the "well" where that flap lies. Very hard to sand down in there, but got it darn-near flush now. (I did sand a little around the hinges themselves--that improved both flaps a smidge) Loose shoulder: The main screw IS accessible, just barely---need a very skinny screwdriver, and to swing the shoulders back into fighter mode position (while chest is raised for battroid mode). You can then sorta access the screw from the front, and get just enough of the tip in at the angle its forced into, to tighten the screw. Bad news: The Arcadia YF-19 is glued, everywhere. The shoulder armor alone is like 5 pieces. Many many small areas (especially painted/colored trim areas) are glued on. You'll note there are practically no external screw-holes---nor screw plugs! Because large segments/panels are glued on over the whole area. Basically, it's almost like there's an "inner frame" that is screwed together, then the outer beige plastic "shell" parts are glued onto that frame. Thus, new screw-holes nor visible screw-hole-plugs. Torso and shoulders especially are like this. But this makes it almost impossible to disassemble. The hips and nose are the only areas that's really accessible. PS---the big screws on the sides of the spine do nothing. Completely removing them---it's as super-tight as ever. (I was hoping to loosen it). Really, overall, the YF-19's tightness is "opposite of how it should be". Transformation joints are rock hard, and difficult to force into position (even when you know exactly where and how it moves---like the GERWALK-thigh click-joint, or the spine-chest joint). But "posing" joints like shoulders and hip-A-stance are loose.

Front tips of tailfins, tips of toes, or somewhere else?

Left shoulder on mine is super loose. Haven't figured out how to open anything up yet though---the "plugs" on top of the shoulder lead to nothing, there's nothing on the underside. I'm thinking maybe the two screws near the spine will open up the torso, revealing something. The arm is basically un-poseable/un-usable as it is. Anyways, transformation notes: (maybe these bits are all common to the VF-19F/S, but it was all new to me) Page 9, step 17---don't try to force the sliding bicep cover down too far. It doesn't lock, and you can stress it if you try to make it go ALL the way down. Page 11, step 6. The metal hinge bar can slide in and out of the nosecone. It's stiff. Needs to be "retracted" into nosecone for battroid mode. The instructions look like they're point out the angle the bar needs to be pivoted to---that is secondary. Also, watch the back end of the bottom half of the nose--it's very easy to "smoosh" the corners, right at the edge of the tampo. (ask how I know) (of course, if the photo wasn't taken at a funky angle and they showed what they actually want, it'd have helped a lot--instead of highlighting some worthless intermediate position) It really looks like they want you to "tuck" the rear of the nose-bottom-half into the upper half--there's even slots/gaps there----don't! Page 13, step 12---"the big step". Open up the "GERWALK-spine thrusters" piece. Won't clear the cockpit otherwise, and it's way too stiff to move out of the way on its own. Page 14, step 16/17. The upper chest is quite flexible. This is how it fits over the nosecone and locks the torso in place. Works much better to "spread" the chest apart to get it over the nose, than to "force" the chest down around the nose. Page 15, step 20. Unlocking the wing roots. Don't move the wingroots--the arrow is showing to pivot the legs at the lower intake. It's like getting a GERWALK A-stance, but using a joint at the intake rather than at the thigh. Page 16, step 24-2. There are 2 steps to the "collapsing" of the lower leg. Be sure to push it in until you get both "notches" of "shortening". Miscellaneous cockpit note: the black section slides forward more than it pivots forward/down. "Pushing straight down" like on the previous YF-19 isn't going to move it. Also, the little black tab to pop it back up---pressing that tab in until it's flush isn't enough---poke something in to press it in enough make it recessed like a half-millimeter. That'll get the front edges of the nose and canopy flush/aligned, and I think it may be part of why/how the top/bottom of the nose halves do or don't close fully.

I had NO tape on mine besides what was holding the instruction manual in place, so really, you can open it up and swoosh it around, put it back in---and it's still MISB. Sold my 1/72 to fund the 1/60. Sold the 1/60 to fund the v2 1/60. I've owned 3 YF-21's and 2 VF-11's---but none at the moment. I sell old valks to buy new ones, but never have that many at a time. Never get 100% of my money back of course, but I think of the loss as a "long-term rental fee".

Transforming toy robot figures that closely resemble copyrighted characters that Hasbro designed, yet are not made by Hasbro/Takara. They are not KO's as they do not copy any existing toy---they are made from scratch. Just not by Hasbro. A good recent example is "Scoria". It's a transforming robot Triceratops, but is definitely NOT "Dinobot Slag". Oh no. http://www.capturedprey.com/store/fanstoys_ft04_scoria?keyword=scoria