Graham's Review of Yamato 1/60 Scale YF-19

[Fly4victory]

Poor Man's YF-19 Armor!

[Wicked Ace]

Poor Man's YF-19 Armor!

I am a poor man. Of couse the contour of the VF-0 fast pack is wrong for the YF-19, but those playing at home can let the magnets do their job and get some idea if they are going to spend the $ for the YF-19 fast pack/fold booster setup.

[cyde01]

i must agree 6000 yen is really high. it obviously doesn't have near the detail or gimmicks compared to the 1/48 fast packs. i don't think an LED light is justification for that price either.

[MasterOfPuppets]

Just a quick word on ordering from Japan (e.g. HLJ).

I find that Amenbo is almost always cheaper then HLJ and they let you know immediately if there is stock (there is a running stock count on the web page). Plus they let you know the shipping on the spot based on the shipping method you choose.

Between HLJ and Amenbo, I always go for Amenbo where possible.

So does Amenbo require you to pay for preorders in full or do you pay when it arrives like HLJ? I'm thinking of getting my VF-0A Shin set from them...

The YF-19 looks so sweet.

[rikiryou]

Unfortunately they charge you after you place your pre-order, so better be firm about your choice. Otherwise they're a pretty good spot to shop from. I can see it now, more and more people are gonna flock the shop, and all the stock will always be empty, haha. Dang.

[David Hingtgen]

Re: -19/21 fold ability

I always got the impression the -19/21 were the only ones able to use the fold booster, that was their special ability. (though didn't we see Gamlin use one on his -17?) Maybe the booster is actually powered by the valk's engines, and only the high-power engines of the -19/21 etc can produce enough power to allow the booster to work. Or, the system wasn't ready yet, and they had to use the fold booster since it was an emergency. (many a plane has had its first flight with a block of lead in the nose instead of a working radar)

[dafunguy]

I got my YF-19 last Wednesday from LOS (good retailer) and I still can't put it down. I like playin ... ehh, I mean, transforming this thing. It's totally different from the VF-0/VF-1 transformations. Good thing Graham did the videos or I would snapped off the front end! Overall, I really like it, it's pretty big and yet it looks very sleek.

Like everyone else, I have wheel problems and the crooked gundpod. As mentioned by someone eariler, the gunpod problem seems to be from the gunpod handle not being thick enough. I put the VF-0 gunpod, which is thicker, on the YF-19 and it came out straight (see picture). I think Yamato should fix the gunpod, recall on all the defective ones, and send everyone the fixed gunpod free of charge. Car companies do that all the time and the Wii controller straps got recalled, so why can't Yamato do the same? I know, I know ... it not a safety concern, but how can you get the bad guys if you can't shoot straight!

BTW, the upcoming fast packs look great! I wish we can get just the fast pack (for like $20) and skip the fold boster.

[bowman]

If Yamato is gonna release a version 2 of this toy is it gonna be a white model again or are they gonna paint it blue just like the 1/72 YF19 version 2 ?

[Scream Man]

if the gunpod is to thin, shouldnt it wobble more, and not sit rigidly at an odd angle?

[rikiryou]

Hmmm, it still doesn't look 100% straight actually; you can see that it's crooked a bit. But certainly not as bad.

[UN_MARINE]

the gunpod problem's a combination of the thin grip + a slightly misaligned peg hole.

it's actually misaligned vertically AND horizontally.

i put the defiant gunpod in its place with a pin vise & a very small amount of super glue

and the fix is almost invisible... except for me, i know it's there 'cuz i put it there

all you need is to remove a little plastic (very little) on the left side of the grip's peg hole

i had to check the alignment a couple of times when i was drilling (shaving) off very tiny sections,

then used the super glue to tighten things up

hope that helps

PS: sorry, no pics

[Rabidweezil]

I gotta agree that $60 for that is insane. I like this stuff, but I'm starting to think if I keep paying it, Yamato will keep increasing the prices little by little.

I think I'm going to make a stand and not purchase the fast packs. It will be the first yamato Macross item I will not have bought.

Which is too bad...but until someone stops being so greedy...I'm going to have to start picking and choosing.

[Vic Mancini]

Re: -19/21 fold ability

I always got the impression the -19/21 were the only ones able to use the fold booster, that was their special ability. (though didn't we see Gamlin use one on his -17?)

Did we? I've never seen Mac 7, so I wouldn't know.

Maybe the booster is actually powered by the valk's engines, and only the high-power engines of the -19/21 etc can produce enough power to allow the booster to work. Or, the system wasn't ready yet, and they had to use the fold booster since it was an emergency. (many a plane has had its first flight with a block of lead in the nose instead of a working radar)

Good theories, although you'd think that if that were the case it would've been explained in the anime. The fact that the fold booster is external just seems so arbitrary to me. There's no need to make it external in a story telling sense. If the writers wanted to create some situation where the 19 or 21 gets stranded somewhere then that would be a good reason to explain that the fold system wasn't ready and an external/detachable unit would be 'imagined' to make the situation plausible. But nothing in Mac + ever happens to necessitate an external/detachable fold booster. They just as easily could've imagined a smaller and internal fold system.

[Valkyrie addict]

In macross 7 Basara still needs a fold booster when he goes to that planet to sing with max's other daughter, also, near the end of the series, Max's VF-21 also uses a fold booster to fold into enemy territory...so, no internal folding ability for both...

perhaps, they were also the testbed for 'portable fold booster' and the system that could power them, since it's there that we see fighter folding and not capital ships, and later incorporated into already existing fighters

[dafunguy]

Merry Christmas everyone! I know a lot of people wanted the YF-19 in time for Christmas ... so who actually has one in there hands. If you got one before Christmas, where did you order from, when did it arrive, and what country are you in? If yours have not arrived yet, what retailers are you waiting on? I'm trying to find out which retailer gets the Yamato stuff the fastest. So far, I think people who ordered from HLJ, LAFtoys, Image Anime, and of course people who live in asia were able to get one already. Anyone else I missed?

[dizman]

Lets see here, I pre-ordered mine from Samurai Monkey, live on the East Coast of the USA and got mine the 12th of December (what a happy day that was). I was alittle suprised at how fast it was shipped to me.

[mister_e]

Merry Christmas everyone! I know a lot of people wanted the YF-19 in time for Christmas ... so who actually has one in there hands. If you got one before Christmas, where did you order from, when did it arrive, and what country are you in? If yours have not arrived yet, what retailers are you waiting on? I'm trying to find out which retailer gets the Yamato stuff the fastest. So far, I think people who ordered from HLJ, LAFtoys, Image Anime, and of course people who live in asia were able to get one already. Anyone else I missed?

I got mine already. Got it Friday actually, from a seller on ebay by the name of l.hilu. I paid a bit more than I should have, but I just had to have it. It was still less than $200 after shipping.

[Macross73]

I gotta agree that $60 for that is insane. I like this stuff, but I'm starting to think if I keep paying it, Yamato will keep increasing the prices little by little.

I think I'm going to make a stand and not purchase the fast packs. It will be the first yamato Macross item I will not have bought.

Which is too bad...but until someone stops being so greedy...I'm going to have to start picking and choosing.

I was looking forward to something more. Selling these seperately seems wrong. I meen that as far justifiying

the price. A combined pirce of the 2 is also too high. I figured they'd sell them in one box at a reasonable price

like 60 for both the Fps and booster. the vf1 packs makes these a tough purchase. Really, all of this should

have just been included with the 19.

[kanedaestes]

Merry Christmas everyone! I know a lot of people wanted the YF-19 in time for Christmas ... so who actually has one in there hands. If you got one before Christmas, where did you order from, when did it arrive, and what country are you in? If yours have not arrived yet, what retailers are you waiting on? I'm trying to find out which retailer gets the Yamato stuff the fastest. So far, I think people who ordered from HLJ, LAFtoys, Image Anime, and of course people who live in asia were able to get one already. Anyone else I missed?

I got mine from a HK seller on Ebay, bought it on the 15th, got it this past friday

[Valkyrie addict]

I bought mine from action-hq, they shipped it on the 16th and arrived on Florida on the 19th, but I live in Panama and I must use a third party company that deals with internet shopping and I have to wait for my 19 to get shipped from their warehouse in florida to here, and since it's the christmas season, all their shipping are delayed.... so no 19 for me for x-mas...

[Kicker773]

my yf-19(s) should be arriving this week from HLJ

[HG Blows]

Got mine Monday 12/18 from HLJ. It actually came the previous Friday, but nobody was home. Total was around $183ish. It's beautiful. Brings a tear to my eye everytime I look at it.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

MERRY CHRISTMAS u guys an gals!!!

I'm gonna open up me own thread with some display pics.

[dafunguy]

Looks the the fastest YF-19 to make it to the US was from Samurai Monkey ... it must have had a fold boster attached to it! I've ordered from him before and he definitely sends things out quickly, and at a good price. Last thing I heard, he moved out of Japan??

So far, here are the YF-19 arrival dates to the US:

1) Dec 12 - Samurai Monkey

2) Dec 15 - HLJ

3) Dec 19 - Action-HQ

4) Dec 20 - LAFtoys

5) Dec 22 - Ebay

[myk]

Rob is THE MAN. He now resides in Wyoming, but he still manages to come through for his customers in more ways than one. I'm not sure what his pricing is these days, but everyone should check him out anyway...

[Chaos]

*sigh* Mine is on order from Action-HQ, but since I ordered it on Friday, it's still processing! I was gonna do Tisinc99, but Action-HQ was three dollars cheaper with 2-4 day shipping from Hong Kong. ANyhow, I expect it this Friday or Saturday, until then I'll have to be content with flying my hand! Shwoooo!

[Graham]

ANyhow, I expect it this Friday or Saturday, until then I'll have to be content with flying my hand! Shwoooo!

So that's what they're calling it these days is it? Too much of that will make you go blind, don't ya know!

Graham

[kung flu]

I'm sure the wonky gun problem can be fixed with some Blu-Tack, though i have not tried it my self since I'm leaving my YF 19 in batroid mode, I'm too scared it would break if i transform it back to fighter.

To those talking about the YF 19 having fold capability, I think that was not the YF 19's unique feature was it not because it had it's own pin point barrier.

[do not disturb]

i'm sure this has been answered but whats up with the knee caps on the 19?

do they go down? they look stupid in every pic i've seen so far....

[mister_e]

i'm sure this has been answered but whats up with the knee caps on the 19?

do they go down? they look stupid in every pic i've seen so far....

No, they don't.

[kensei]

I reckon that's great. I don't see anything wrong with it. They follow the lower leg, and do not need adjustment when rotating at the knee.

[do not disturb]

I reckon that's great. I don't see anything wrong with it. They follow the lower leg, and do not need adjustment when rotating at the knee.

well i guess, but i would've preferred they hinged up and down like the 1/48s and new 1/60s.

i mean, why did they even bother making the kneecaps if they didn't want to make it a feature?

oh wells, not much can be done about it now....

[tom64ss]

well i guess, but i would've preferred they hinged up and down like the 1/48s and new 1/60s.

i mean, why did they even bother making the kneecaps if they didn't want to make it a feature?

oh wells, not much can be done about it now....

If you watch Mac Plus or look at the design works, the 19 is not suppose to have kneecaps. My guess is, the kneecaps were an afterthought to make the undercarriage look sleeker.

Correction:

The kneecap part looks like it's part of the upper leg in the Design Works and in Mac Plus, which I guess is how this works.

Edited December 26, 2006 by tom64ss

[VFTF1]

I got mine too. Great piece of work! First Yamato toy that I feel is well made enough not to make me scared to death of playing with it. Great transformation...great toy...great everything! Can't wait for the OA ghost!

Oh - and the "crooked" gunpod doesn't bother me... this way he can shot even with the landing gear down!

VFTF1

[Crazy Canuck II]

I got my 19 a few days ago and opened it Xmas eve. Over all, very impressive. Looks amazing in all modes and could very well be the best sculpt Yamato has done to date. On the down side... Same gear, gunpod and shoulder flap issues, but that was expected. The arm joints aren't exactly tight, not super loose but could be better. The biggest pet peeve for me is that to achieve a wide leg stance you have to slide the leg out of the hip socket slightly. Seem like a half-assed way to get a good pose. I don't buy that this is a "feature", if it is Yamato forgot to mention it for the 1/48 since it can do the same thing. There really should have been some sort of stop to prevent the legs coming off all the way if this was an intended gimick. All in all though, well worth the money.... Now bring on the 21!!!!

P.S. would have been nice if the upper body locked together in batroid. Not a big deal as my days of wooshing my toys around the room are over, but still... It would have made the battroid feel more solid.

One other issue I forgot to mention, The little grey thruster nozzel doo-dad inside the right shoulder keeps falling off, but it's nothing a little super glue won't fix, so no biggie.

Edited December 26, 2006 by Crazy Canuck II