mechaninac

If --more likely when-- Yamato does revisit the VF-11 for the "1/60" treatment, I hope they include wing hard points a la VF-0 and SV-51 (they should have done so on the YF-19 on principal alone)... I'd love to be able to mount ordnance on it. As for size, I've said it before: make it to 1/55 and call it 1/60.

The more I look at all my Yamato Valkyries, the more I'm convinced that the company has very talented designers, but very lackluster engineers --not as poor as the jokers at Toynami, but not as competent as they should be either: choosing adversely reacting materials even though their interactions are well documented (a little research on the internet would have prevented a lot of VF-0 grief), designing left and right wing hinges that are just an assembly snafu waiting to happen when a single hinge that could be used on either side without causing folding problems would have been a cheaper, better, solution (when engineering something, KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! is a motto that should be taken as gospel), and the most egregious, boneheaded, engineering no-no... NEVER, EVER, MAKE A MOLDED PLASTIC PART WITH SHARP INSIDE CORNERS!, and if the part will be subjected to any sheer or torque stress that little rule is even more important (.5 mm for non stressed corners and 1.0 mm for anything that will encounter a load should be a given). I hope that if Yamato reps read my post they will take it as positive criticism, and a challenge for them to implement better engineering practices and assembly forethought in their future offerings ( I'd love to see the YF-21 incorporate filleted corners on load bearing parts and wing hinging that would make the SV-51's known issues, however minor, moot). I've already received a shipping notice from HLJ and I'm looking forward to getting this bird. Everything I've read so far points to a fairly trouble free first issue (a Yamato first in many years), but the minor goofs, even if easy to remedy, cannot be excused.

I may be wrong here but I don't think that radical shaving is necessary. If the part is as shown in my attached picture, all that would be required would be for you to rotate and/or flip the hinge so that it's bridging bar faces in the same direction as the correct one, and then, if necessary, shave off the extra length or the hinge peg to match the protruding amount on the other side, finally, add to the original short end if needed to match the original length of the now shortened long end.

The lack of a contra-rotating prop on the Jigabachi is not unrealistic. The AV has a vaned exhaust port on the tail boom to provide yaw control. In the Hellhound's case I don't know since I haven't seen any side views of the copter. I have to agree that the Comanchero is a dated design, but no more so than a Hind Gunship, which seems to be it's design inspiration. And I agree that it is highly unlikely to ever be chosen as the subject of a plastic kit from any manufacturer, in any scale; still, it would be nice to see it get the Injection PS treatment... and there is always garage kit makers (also not very likely).

Yep!... Tedious, but it gets the job done. The Ivanov SV-51 looks gorgeous, in a sinister, ugly, way. I'm glad I got the early bird pre-order at HLJ; now I just have to wait until I get the email from them and then the delivery wait begins. The reported "problems" reported thus far -- granted, it is early so a lot more f-ups and design flaws can show up -- are fairly minor: 1. The wing droops a bit when loaded with all the ordnance, and really sags when the boosters are attached -- Not surprising considering that wings are hinged to fold vertically in two places and is rather thin. 2. Some joint looseness -- Could be a design problem, but if the affected parts can be easily disassemble it should not pose a problem to affect minor "repair". Also, given the limited number of reviews, this could be an isolated occurrence... time will tell. 3. The second hinge wing pivot problem looks like an assembly mistake (QC oversight... this is Yamato after all...). However, it looks like a painless fix. I'm eagerly anticipating getting this mean bird in my hands.

They are pretty funny/cute. Edit: Mods, if this post violates any rules please delete. Edit2: Added a few more.

I wouldn't worry. With a new item like this, a restock status just means that their first batch was sold out in pre-order. If you pre-ordered before they put a stop order during the availability period then you should be one those with a SV-51 waiting for processing and should receive a payment request or processing notice shortly. If you don't get any messages from HLJ within, say, 10 days of the official release date, then I'd contact customer support.

Beau-ti-ful!... but not $230 + S&H beautiful. I think I'll wait until Bandai makes a SOP Andromeda in scale with their Yamato; if they never do, I'm sure there will be a VF to claim the loot I won't be spending on this.

Difficult choice there... pick between a sterile Fascist regime run buy a pruny Totalitarian emperor bent on Galactic domination (granted, he did make the space-trains run on time, stabilized the economy, reduced crime within his zone of influence, and more than likely improved the standard of living of the average Empire citizen); or a guerrilla group composed of anti-establishment types, ungrateful ner-do-wells, subversives, terrorists, pedophilic warrior monks and their fellow travelers, and all sort of Galactic scum. You know what? I think I'll take the Hutts: uncompromising, unabashed, unapologetic, hedonistic capitalism all the way.

Ah! My eyes! I must now pluck them out with a rusty spoon. Thank goodness for modern designing and manufacturing standards. While, some times (most times?), not as forgiving of abuse as the old school stuff, the new crop of mecha toys just look sooooooo much better.

They look far too wide at the shoulders, and Stig has a giraffe's neck; but other than that, not bad. Depending on price I may end up getting one of everyone they release.

I went to see that movie in the theater when I was a kid... bugged my mom for over a week to have her take me and my brother. When it was all over we were like WTF? It looked so good in the TV ads and was so incredibly awful in reality that, even as a child, I thought it sucked. I will admit that the Cyclops and the glaive were pretty cool; other than that... . My opinion of course; I'm sure there are movies I like the would cause others to barf.

You are absolutely right. The surface finish of the plastic is determined by the surface finish of the tool it is molded in. Most surfaces on all 1/48 and later VFs produced by Yamato thus far have a matte finish; this indicated that the mold cavities in the tools are acid etched or have a low polish level... contrast that to the 1/72 M+ VFs which are all glossy wherever you have unpainted plastic (high polish on the molds). Given this, there are only three ways to achieve a gloss finish on any VF coming out of the factory: 1. Polish each individual part either before or after they are cut from the mold tree (yeah, right... like that would happen; the rejection rate would be abysmal). 2. Spray paint each relevant part in gloss back prior to assembly (very labor intensive with elevated rejection rate). 3. Have the mold cavities polished to produce glossy parts right from the get-go (of course, once you go that rout you'd never be able to produce a matte finish again until you re-etched the tools... this would not make any economic sense). Cheers!

Ooh, cardboard modeling... groovy. Looks like an ARMD so far; great work from very bad source material.

I don't know if these have been mentioned before... did not read the thread in it's entirety, but how about these turds for the '80s: KRUL, Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, and --not sure if late seventies or early eighties (couldn't be bothered to look it up) -- that KISS "scifi movie"?

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8...;show_article=1 We are all going to die!!!!

The VF-1A Low Vis was a true limited edition and it retailed for the same amount as all the other 1/48 VF-1s out at the time. Therefore, I assume that the anniversary editions, regardless of their production numbers and/or labeling status, will be priced the same as their respective contemporaries. Once they hit the secondary market, after they're no longer made, is an entirely different story.

Forget gold decals or gold stickers. Just get your hands on this stuff; it is self adhesive and so thin that all the surface detail shows through. I'd rather the plane came with yellow stripes like the Hasegawa kit, but since gold is a fata compli, as David said, it should definitely be light golden yellow and not a darker shade like metallic gold.

Absolutely F'n Brilliant!

Insert-your-title-here Hollywood drivel: "Does this mean I'm popular?" Hollywood Studio Exec: "You're better than popular, you're pure lowest-common-denominator." Insert-your-title-here Hollywood drivel: "Yeay! I'm popular!"

When people stop going to the theaters to see them. Who is the more stupid, the remake itself, the studios that, having run out of original ideas and averse to taking financial risks with unknown/untested properties, keep pumping out regurgitated dreck, or the masses who pluck down money in droves to watch this stuff?

Thanks, I needed the laugh

While 1/15 may be smallish it does have one advantage: it's in scale with Yamato's Garland... I'm a sucker for consistency.

I definitely like Ivanov's ( got one on pre-order) and the CF scheme on the SV-51, but Nora's... not so much. The gold on the magenta airframe looks paradoxically cheap (like Bandai's VF-19 Kai cheap), and far too toyish (it is a toy, I know ) for my taste. I think that solid, or even translucent, yellow would have looked far better. As for camera flash affecting how it looks, the magenta is definitely affected (the darker image is far more flattering), but the gold just goes from bright metallic to dark, rusty, brown, and unappealing either way. And I agree that the SV-51 just screams to be given some Russian paint schemes, specially SU-27 inspired ones.

Yamato could cheat a bit and make the VF-11 in 1/55 scale and call it 1/60. That would get them close enough to appease the scale purists and provide a larger volume to work with; the larger size over the "1/72" would allow them to engineer the toy with better proportions, some gimmicks, and without the kludgey wing-root bulges and slides, not to mention the elimination of most/all the screw caps. But to really do the VF-11 justice, Yamato just go with 1/48 scale and give the venerable VF-1 a tarmac companion.