BlueMax

Tried this. Answer is no.

I'm afraid I cannot agree with the part regarding yellowing. Yamato 1/48 plastics are just as prone to yellowing. Also, the grade of plastics used seem to be at teast a grade lower, and significantly worse so on the color molded plastic, at least in the blue. I have feedback from a friend who I sold a MAX 1A to feedback that the intake area of the thigh-hip tealed/ yellowed badly (even without exposure to visible light), and when trying to transform from plan to gerwalk mode, just CRUMBLED. As for the sculpt, it was the absulute pinnacle of VF toy engineering back then circa 2002 (just 2 years shy of a 1/4 century after release!!), and the proportions in fighter mode, with proper paint apps, is still up there even compared to the Bandai DX.

Well, how happy you are with the default markings depends on whether you are viewing it from a Macross fan POV, or a TF fan's. I mean, there are TF fans (who likely only has a vague idea of Macross) who wanted this to be so G1 accurate that they were unhappy with, and questioning, the inclusion of the heatshield when the G1 toy had none.

The "ears" of the head in the silhouette reminds me of BlackWing (Darking/ Hydra)

Oh man... they grossly over estimated the durability of the shipping box....

For the ones who might care about the luminosity of the Booster Tip covers, i've managed to dig out a little UV LED used to cure epoxy resin and I conclude that they do glow under UV: In case of doubt, here is the transparent leg cover as the control: HOWEVER, long time collectors know that UV rays and toy collections absolutely don't go together, ESPECIALLY WHITE PLASTIC based ones. You have been warned.

I'm approaching this from a Macross fan's perspective way more than a TF fan's perspective. This means that this is primarily a VF-1 cosplaying as a TF character. For me this applies even to the original G1 Jetfire. It was always a VF-1 in non canon Macross paint scheme primarily to me. Therefore, I personally have no need for the markings to look EXACTLY like the 1/55 version to me. Would it have been better for it to look like that? Maybe, but I'm perfectly good with what we have. This is good enough. The marginal utility/ returns just isn't worth the marginal effort in achieving the "perfect" G1 look. I'm not letting "perfect" be the enemy of "good enough". Anyway, here it is on a TF CHUGs shelf.

The jolly roger on the heat shield should be comparatively easy: The plastic is molded black and painted on. It should be just a case of using a very mild abrasive or even rubbing alcohol to get rid of it. Tail fins wise probably a little more tricky. It is white paint on red paint on white plastic. If you are having FAST packs on in any mode, visually it should not be an issue. If it really grates on you mentally, then some red stickers trimmed nicely, or gundam paint markers with masking tape, (or a combination of both, should you want the base figure untouched) should do the trick.

Not-Jetfire attempting (unsuccessfully) to be a Robot in Disguise when it is painfully obvious that he is More Than Meets The Eye.

So my standard copy came today, after removing the outer wrapping, this is what the shipping box looks like: Opening the lid reveals: A long retangular box which stores accessories (and stand if you got the deluxe version) and acts as ballast to protect the flap of the main box from damage The box in all its glory: The contents: I haven't got too much of a chance to meddle with it yet, but my initial feelings are: - Feels like Valkyrie Factory quality - Love the BOX! And the color scheme really pops! - Paint quality is acceptable (very mild over-sprays, some what similar to the Yamato 1/48s), but some parts are probably susceptible to paint scrapes. Would probably recommend a clear coat, preferably UV resistant ones. - Plastic finish is a little on the rough side on the underside surfaces, but acceptable. The rough plastic finish / minute flashing may make mounting of the booster backpacks way more difficult when compared to OG Yamato/ Arcadia. - The supposedly luminescent parts are not glow in the dark. They need UV light. Probably. I have no blacklights handy. - Some parts are really tight, to the point that I felt as though if I forced it more, I might cause breakage. I advise a good dose of caution and err on the side of caution, especially when you have no experience with the OGs. If OG Yamato/ Arcadia is tight out of the box because of precision, then this tightness is more because of imprecision. - It is really beautiful, and it is easy to think of it as a Yamato/ Arcadia in Jetfire colors. makes for a super wonderful static display. However, handling it will remind you that it is a Yamato/ Arcadia KO presented as a TF 3rd party product. - Overall I am very satisfied with it despite it being a KO, so much so that I’ve placed a 2nd order, this time the deluxe. The G1 style packaging really does it for me and did I say mention I absolutely dig the colors? I’m not partial to the skull and crossbones, but not a big deal. If it bothers me in future, some Gundam paint markers and masking tape should take care of it. I’ll probably stick an Autobot insignia on the nose cone though.

Yes, from the videos, you need black light to create the effect.

Very nice! Did you agonize about having to cover up the majority of the tampo printing though?

eh.... 1 for each mode on display actually😁

Bummer that this is delayed, but seeing that we are almost at the tail end of Q1, Q3 sounds more likely than the original release date of "End 2023/ early 2024" on the listings on Taobao which has not been updated since. These delays seem par for the course for products of this nature. In fact, besides the VF-1Ss, some of the proposed VFs became vaporware: The CFs, Angel Birds. I just hope that this will actually be released.

Steam now has it listed, but only unlocked in about 7 days https://store.steampowered.com/app/2103230/MACROSS_Shooting_Insight/

Alaska base VF probably easier with Max though. I mean, even if you don't do anything, with time the blue will naturally become green/teal anyways. 😅

I don't have access to my DX armor now, but it could be from one of the micro missle ports. it could also be another random part that was somehow inadvertently dropped into the box in the factory itself. Whatever it is, keep it together with your armor. Who knows, you may find yourself staring at that precise spot missing the part on the toy when you handle the armor in future.

Indeed, a shame that the 1/60s did not see the light of day.... but they were a ittle too late....... if they were mooted during the 1/60s heyday, it might have a different outcome. Here are my HMR versions

Cautiously optimistic. Since it is Sunrise, hopefully there will be a refocus back to the Mecha. Mecha has played a distant 3rd fiddle to the idols and love triangles long enough. Shoji Kawamori for the VFs and Kazutaka Miyatake for non VFs. Yoko Kanno for music. Kawamori should take a break from directing. Main concern is the possible “Gundamification” of the VFs though.

I am not sure what you meant by "typical toy store" in Singapore, but I know for sure that they were carried by major department stores with toy departments, as well as smaller stores (at least in the Bukit Timah areas of Beauty World and Bukit Timah shopping Center (Where Yaohan was)) circa mid 80s. Not just the 1/55s, also the 1/100s and the all plastic versions (we could get them at 7-11. Some of them were sold with a modified backpack as a pencil sharpener) almost like the later Banprestos. During my Primary 1 days at least ('87), classmates would routinely bring the all plastic versions to school to show off. I bought a strike VF-1S between somewhere 86 - 88. It was placed together with Jetfire in the toy section in a department store in Woodlands Central (near the Causeway). I cannot remember whether it was NTUC (more likely) or Emporium though. I can remember they were sold side by side because my same aged cousin was trying to convince me to get the Jetfire, because he was more a TF fan, and I primarily a Macross fan, and in the end, he got Jetfire, and I got the Strike 1S. I have absolutely no doubt Yaohan carried them, at least between 85-87. Their toy department in the 80s were an absolute heaven. I would literally tell my parents to just leave me there to watch the dept's VCR showing cartoon episodes of the toys they were selling while they went about grocery shopping.

Thats right. I'm one of those burnt by them

Catch is you need to pay upfront

I couldn't have said this better myself. I could have sworn that movie planning committee realised what a pile of dung they were putting out, and they brought back OG charracters to salvage the movie..... and even then, they did this in a very lazy manner. They writers simply gave Max a blue 29 because didn't know what plane to give Max, what kind of lazy writing is this?!? I could say the same for many things that happened in this movie.... they all happened because of either fan service, or simply out of the blue, without proper reasons. Minus the OG characters (I thought the Archivist was very poorly animated.... straight out of a B game) and The Jenius doing what he does best, Kawamori would have turned me off future Macross anime projects for a while. At this point I agree that Kawamori needs to take a break from DIRECTING Macross, and simply focus on mecha design. I can understand why the pages for Delta simply aren't updated. Delta was simply too lacklustre to get long time fans fired up over.

Same reasoning for why there are 2 sets of eye cameras/ visors

Actually plastic of ANY color can yellow. The question is only whether it is obvious or not.