Skypoet

Congratulations! A beautiful build! Thanks for making this kit justice! One day, I'll give it a second try, using model glue and building reinforcing elements...

Thanks O Mighty Pineapple Eater! May your children be blessed till the 7th generation! [Note: I just watched "Midsommar" and it was really weird]

Hello everyone! I purchased a Bandai VF-25S (Ozuma version) 1/72 kit online (Amazon) but the decal sheet was missing from the box. I requested a rebate from the seller (and obtained it) but I am still missing the decal sheet. Does any of you know a source, online, where I could get/find/purchase either the decal sheet or a scan (with reasonable resolution)? Thanks in advance Valkyrian cheers! Skypouêt.

Love the Chinese. this video makes me feel like resuming my study of Mandarin Chinese and leaving North Uhmerica for Shenzhen...

Yup, I'm saving my pesos for Mustang's Siegfried!

Messer XXX Centerfold!

Thanks Chronocidal and Mickyg for the inputs. You guys make me feel like getting a 262Ba, and I still have to paint and decal a 262H, a 31J and a 1A/S :-) They're just so much fun to build while reasonably affordable, and I was too lazy/busy to do more than build them and play with them. I'm glad to see that some people love the Bandai transformable Macross kits as much as I do! (And that it's pointless to desire a DX 262!)

I'll second MechTech: that was a great try, and it all looked very promising! Thanks a lot for the sharing and sorry for your frustration! I'll recommend you to give the SV-262 a chance. You can always smash my head open with a bat if you end up not liking it :-D

Ah the Humanity! Sure the old transformable VF-1 had its weirdness and issues (though at least, in spite of his chunkiness, he was always kind to me and a great companion of my prepubescent years) and the recent VF-1 is a true nightmare. Over-designed, most likely never or insufficiently beta-tested prior to release, made of brittle plastic. Still, I'm managing to get something out of it. It looks great with the super parts on and everything holds pretty well (including the back-thrusters/micro-missile tank... after modifying the ABS "nubs" that hold them to the backpack with a dollar store hobby pen knife!)... Peace everyone. Om shanti shanti shanti.

Thanks for the advice regarding the decals. I might go back to my earlier plan consisting in airbrushing the big parts of the paint schemes to avoid using the big decals or big stickers. I did invest in a bottle of micro-sol and a bottle micro-set and reverse-tweezers by the way. Maybe I'll give them a try on the VF-1 and corresponding super parts first since this guy is more or less a "lost cause" - even though I manage to find some interesting life-hacks that make him rise and shine and may, in the longer term, save humankind. I agree own the landing gear. They are ugly and the wheels are too small. Is there any way to suggest Bandai to make them look better and have them die-cast like those of the VF-1 a third of a century ago in a galaxy far, far away, in the Imai kit? Regarding point 4, I'll dis-assemble the parts that have to be painted/decaled/stickered/pampered/TLC'd... is that a good idea, or am I going to die in horrible suffering?

With the exception of the VF-1, yes, the transformable Macross bandai kits did get better with each new production. I built all kits with the exception of super/armored/tornado parts in the frontier line... (Please skip to "to sum it up" if you want to save time)... Each kit having its own flaws of course: - Interlocking mechanism lacking for the VF-25 in fighter mode (though still satisfactorily solid), articulation of legs a little disappointing in Gerwalk, making A-stances difficult (I never tried the super or armoured parts) - Back-heaviness of the VF-27, same issue for Gerwalk, but interlocking tabs present, making fighter mode solid - Big flaws for the VF-1, impossible to make it stand in Battroid mode, the hip joints were mis-designed (under-designed) IMHO, and Gerwalk is OK yet flimsy. Not recommended at all as a starter. - No big flaw for the VF-31's and SV-262's until you add the super parts in gerwalk, I would just say one articulation is lacking at the knee level. All Macross Bandai kits are OK or better with the exception of the VF-1. Poseability in battroid and gerwalk did improve through time with the exception of the VF-1. I'll recommend the SV-262 totally if you like the design. It can stand on one leg in Gerwalk and Battroid. Rock-solid in fighter mode. It can also withstand the weight of the little Drakens in Gerwalk mode, but to a limited extent. The two other modes have zero problems. I would still recommend the VF-25 due to its cheapness. That is, unless you are willing to spend a lot on your hobbies. It all boils down to whether you like to build things with your own hands, and understand every mechanism and articulation and the kit/toy's design, or just want to play. Personally I would not spend 100's of dollars on DX's (which do have their flaws and break due to stress at joints, as can be seen from the forums, and do require some additional paint to look perfect). It also feels better to tinker with an object and tweak it (which I like to do) if it did not cost you too much to acquire. And I'd rather spend my cash on building projects, travel, tourism and R&D stuff than on something that just sits on my shelf. Building each bandai model took me around 8 hours by the way, minus the decals. I'd add 2 hours if I went with the sticker option. + 1hr of panel-lining (DX kits are not panel-lined from what I know). Ultimately I'll go with the decals + paint for the delta line, as the stickers don't like the transformations and manipulations. If you've done some Gundam Bandai plamo kits before, well the Macross kits are flimsier. Yet the gunpla's don't usually transform. I'd say that if you enjoy building gunpla's, you'll enjoy building the delta kits (at least) enormously. I did enjoy building the Macross plamo's A LOT. That's personal of course. I did play with the VF-31 and sv-262 quiiiiite a LOT already, and dis-assembled and re-assembled some parts, and nothing broke yet. So the durability of the delta kits seems OK. Regarding the frontier kits, I remember a shoulder articulation breaking off on the VF-27 (but the DX's were prone to articulation breakage as well) and having to replace the groin locking tab with a magnet on the VF-25. I sold them because I had to move overseas for a couple of years, so I can't say anything about their durability in the long term! One last word of caution: pay attention to solvents with the bandai kits, as the plastic will crack in the stressed areas if you use solvents on them. And a tiny dab of crazy glue will be needed on some articulations of the VF-31 in order to make it able to keep some poses (elbow, wrist, wing folding joints, hip ball joint). To sum it up (focusing on your questions): - durability of bandai Macross kits < durability of bandai Gundam kits, but building fun is the same if you like building articulated, glue-less model kits; - they (bandai Macross kits) did improve through time; - frontier kits < delta kits in terms of durability, as can be speculated from simplicity of design (simpler => more durable); - frontier kits still a good option 10 years later (I don't know for super/armored/tornado parts); - avoid (2013) vf-1 kit entirely except if you have university degrees in mechanical engineering/design and want to put them to use; - interlocking tabs in all kits except for VF-25 (though still OK overall) and not enough of them in VF-1 (to be avoided again); Thanks for reading!

Hahaha yeah I think you understood the symbolism behind the picture! I'm working on problems that take 5-10 pages to solve each, so when I'm done with one of them it actually feels like I did stomp onto a bad guy ... even more so if I'm done with solving a problem late at night I'm not anti-math. Not at all. I used to teach math. I'm just very skeptical about neoclassical economics. You can't quantitatively predict anything with them. Unlike the applied science we use in engineering to actually make stuff. I actually used math to predict airplane performances, and the prediction were very accurate. Because the science behind it was accurate! Econ... is no science! But to quote a great math textbook I used a long time ago: "the student should view each new mathematical problem as an enemy that should be terminated with extreme prejudice, whether he likes math or not"

Hi! Yes I'll transform it if you request more pics in Battroid and Fighter modes! I "play" with this guy almost very day, changing it position a little! By the way I find the anime paint scheme to be a bit overdone, and I might improvise something much more sober... The equations you see here are theoretical microeconomics, for my thesis in environmental economics (this kind: https://gnunet.org/sites/default/files/Laffont %26 Martimort - The Theory of Incentives.pdf) but I'm also able to handle aerodynamics, flight dynamics, some structural engineering, robotics... from my former degrees! And still do use that knowledge in a limited way when I design my own RC planes. No transformable valkyries for the moment!

Strange... I have no issue whatsoever with the wing tabs! Taking the average price for each kit, I get a JPY/g ratio of 7.61 for the Bandai and 8.42 for the Hasegawa. So yes quite similar after all... but that calculation does not discount the box (cardboard) weight...

God (or Kawamori) bless your wallet!

You are right regarding the cumbersomeness of the chest pieces. However, my sv-262 must have been blessed by Pope Francis (or yours cursed by Kim Jong Un) because my wing tabs do lock in the legs perfectly... or maybe you could try using a hammer? Could you do me a favor and compare the Hasegawa vs Bandai weight-wise? The weight/$ ratio must be significantly different for the two kits!

Do get a plamo Xformable Sv-262. Pure valk bliss, I promise!

You won't need to modify anything to "make" it solid in gerwalk. Compared with all the other valks from bandai in 1/72, plamo, this guy is an absolute brick (super solid) in all 3 modes. That's the advantage of a simple design, as well as of the addition of locking tabs. It is super rugged. Only issue: the little Drakens are absolutely too heavy for the wings in Gerwalk mode, but will be perfectly bearablefor the wings in Battroid and Fighter modes (because of the locking tabs for that mode)! And the ankle joints somewhat lack mobility, even though they do have some. I am thinking of a simple mod in that area... But A-stances are already very achievable as you could see!

That's homemade kombucha. Organic sencha tea, organic sugar for the initial fermentation, beer yeast and strawberry nectar added for the second fermentation... I'm very proud of the thick foam

I'll be glad to do that! Yes, IMHO, the sv-262 looks great without the "wings rotated 180 degrees" :-) PS: I did not do any panel-lining, painting or decaling yet. I hope that's fine with you :-)

Haha :-)

This little tiny screw holds the hip pegs very well. As maybe already mentioned, I am now able to pose the battroid and let it stand on its own without any fear of it falling apart... I plan to try some more sophisticated ideas (involving Kotobukiya ball joints maybe), but in the meantime, this screw trick works really, really, really well. The next priority is to find a "mod" that allows the back plate to hold securely in one given position in battroid... I have a basic working idea with an old credit card, I still have to drill hols and attach - glue - magnets to make it work better!

Thank bro. I agree with every word you wrote.

Don't forget that you can buy 4 to 6 Bandai plamo Macross kits for each Arcadia. And the Bandai Plamo Macross are far from 4 times to 6 times worse than the Arcadia's. Let me tell you what is "wrong" with the Bandai Macross kits. You need some workmanship and to think a little to make them "work" properly. Except for the two last kits, which came out perfect straight out of the box, at east for me. I broke a couple of nubs but repairs were easy. It's also a matter of personal taste. To me, regular plastic model kits - the un-articulated, static type - are just way too boring. And I feel too old to buy Arcadia's or Hi-Metal's, because... I feel too old for toys. I need to put my mind to use on something. It's just too easy - and no fun at all - when your Valk is all done right inside the box when you first open it and you have nothing left to do than play with it. And for me, there is not enough fun when your model kit does not move at all once you're done building it... And... I do enjoy building Gunpla's but at the same time, I'm not into Gundam at all. So I'm definitely very much into the plamo Macross line. I'd really find it awesome if Bandai did the other M0/MPlus/MSeven valks. Bandai has greatly improved its Macross transformable kits since it started with the VF-25 nearly ten years ago. And will do a wonderful jobs with the other Kawamori designs.

A great kit with some BIG flaws requiring some good workmanship to make it functional. I'm still working (on additional tweaks) on mine! (And once I'm done finding them out and they work, I might get the Focker version to "build it right" with all the required mods from the start) I managed to make it poseable in battroid mode (see my galleries, it's a simple tweak)... Should you get one, get the Focker version. And try copying the tweak I did... Note: the Focker version has an extra piece of ABS that makes the battroid version work better (though the hip connection remains unstable!)