honkhet Posted January 19, 2009 Posted January 19, 2009 hi dudes! js wondering if anyone here is still doing these 1/72 vf-1 bandai transformable kits, any comments/reviews about them? Quote
Darth Mingus Posted January 19, 2009 Posted January 19, 2009 I was thinking about picking one up just because they are so inexpensive. I built one ~20 years ago when Revel released it in NA as part of the Robotech line of model kits. I don't think these ones were perfect transformation. You have to slide out the cockpit & nose cone assembly and replace it with one with the heatshield and leg connectors. Quote
505thAirborne Posted January 19, 2009 Posted January 19, 2009 Looking at these kits brings back some fun old school memories!! A shame they are not very poseable, especially the arms!! But fun inexpensive beginner kits!! Quote
len_d69 Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) They're not perfect transformation and requires parts swapping but they're great but of course don't compare it to Hasegawa. I still have an unfinished 1A. Here's my 1S Edited January 21, 2009 by len_d69 Quote
jardann Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 I've got an old VF-1J that I built when I was a kid and I've got a 1S, 1J, and 1A each in the stash. I think they were great kits at the time they were originally released and they are still good today. Fun to build and pretty easy too as long as you take your time and go easy with glue around the moving parts. len_d69 that looks like a real nice build. I'd love to see some pictures with a little bit brighter lighting so that we can see some of the details. Quote
len_d69 Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) Here are 2 more pics under the sun. Somehow the weathering done seems toooo light for the camera Edited January 21, 2009 by len_d69 Quote
edwin3060 Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Here are 2 more pics under the sun. Somehow the weathering done seems toooo light for the camera Yep it looks brand new! Looks good though! Quote
jardann Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Thanks for the extra pics. It looks great! Looks like you did a super clean construction job. The finish looks clean too (I'm sure the bright light washes out some of the weathering.) The battroid pic could be right out of the animation! Those pictures do show one of the big differences between these and a Hasegawa valk. All the extra panel lines and details give the Hasegawa a bit more realistic and interesting look. These Bandai kits do transform though, which I consider a major feat of engineering skill especially for something produced with 80s technology! The fun factor of these kits is extremely high. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either an old school Bandai transformable or with a Hasegawa. Both kits will give you a lot of enjoyment of a great subject. Quote
AndyLammmm Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Hi, I am new to this forum. Now I'm building one variable type model (VF-1A). BN Quote
honkhet Posted March 31, 2009 Author Posted March 31, 2009 Hi, I am new to this forum. Now I'm building one variable type model (VF-1A). BN welcome to the forums! thats good work ur doing there, cant wait to see the final results these model kits are really nice, and they even have the VF-1D in the range and due to a recent reissue, are not too hard to find. it'll be great to have some of these to accompany the 1/72 vf-25 Quote
AndyLammmm Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 welcome to the forums! thats good work ur doing there, cant wait to see the final results these model kits are really nice, and they even have the VF-1D in the range and due to a recent reissue, are not too hard to find. it'll be great to have some of these to accompany the 1/72 vf-25 IMAI version are dream model when I was young. I was poor at that time and not own it. I only recently noticed that the Bandai reissue model are the same as IMAI one. It is quite difficult to find them in Hong Kong (1S, 1D, 1A) compare to those XXXX Gundam. All VF-1J (variable model) were gone (because not being reissue?). I am quite strange why no company issue new Macross model. Hasagawa only issue none transformable type. The Yamato versions are great but far too expensive to me. Quote
AndyLammmm Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 The official postures are quite frightening to their potential customers. The real model is far better than the picture. Quote
jardann Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Looking good there ALammm. I love those old kits. The thigh swivel mod makes a big difference in the poses. Quote
AndyLammmm Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Yes, it look much cooler after modification. The idea was come from those Zaku ver 2.0. Tonight work for another 3 hours but the progress is slow. Having say that the ancient model is not so 'modeller friendly' (compare with those Gundam model). Quote
balstaf87 Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Keep up the good work. I'm also building the same model bought a few months ago from Hobbylink jappan!!!! In what color are you going to paint it? Quote
Tancist Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Got one of it on workbench, Fokker's VF-1S. Currently now I am building Arii's Super Gerwalk kit, blue Max's fighter, but after it I'll do this pretty transforming kit. I don't show yet my Macross models to other modellers except my closest friends from Livejournal. I'd like to start showing it from classical Roy's Jolly Roger plane, cause Robotech was shown in Russia in early 1990-s on TV, and except anime-fans, everybody make a puzzled face trying to remember WTF is that "Macuros". But, when I show them kit with Fokker's plane - everyone smiling, while returning to their happy childhood where Rik Hunter with Roy were flying together from TV I opened this kit firstly from my HLJ's box, and was surprised it's policarps joints, in usual time I built experimental WWII planes from very crude kits like vacuum-formed plates. And - all this tranformings, moving parts... I can't believe that this kit was produced in 1980-s. Like I missed the last train and don't know how to reach proper destination. I think, on next HLJ's sale I'll buy another one of this kit, maybe even two. Edited March 31, 2009 by Tancist Quote
AndyLammmm Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Keep up the good work. I'm also building the same model bought a few months ago from Hobbylink jappan!!!! In what color are you going to paint it? I am going to paint it as blue Max 1A and build another 1S later. So this model is my first guinea pig. I want to build Hikaru, Max & Milla 1J also. However, they are not commercially available locally. Quote
AndyLammmm Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Got one of it on workbench, Fokker's VF-1S. Currently now I am building Arii's Super Gerwalk kit, blue Max's fighter, but after it I'll do this pretty transforming kit. I don't show yet my Macross models to other modellers except my closest friends from Livejournal. I'd like to start showing it from classical Roy's Jolly Roger plane, cause Robotech was shown in Russia in early 1990-s on TV, and except anime-fans, everybody make a puzzled face trying to remember WTF is that "Macuros". But, when I show them kit with Fokker's plane - everyone smiling, while returning to their happy childhood where Rik Hunter with Roy were flying together from TV I opened this kit firstly from my HLJ's box, and was surprised it's policarps joints, in usual time I built experimental WWII planes from very crude kits like vacuum-formed plates. And - all this tranformings, moving parts... I can't believe that this kit was produced in 1980-s. Like I missed the last train and don't know how to reach proper destination. I think, on next HLJ's sale I'll buy another one of this kit, maybe even two. My progress is slow as I always stoned by the model as it really recall too much childhood memory during building it. I love the design. You see, even now (30 years later) the Hasagawa type fighter do not provide movable, diecast metal landing gears. Quote
AndyLammmm Posted April 10, 2009 Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) Paint the cockpit tonight. The pilot seems so happy. Almost 3 hours' work. The progress is slow as a snail. Edited April 10, 2009 by AndyLammmm Quote
mechaninac Posted April 10, 2009 Posted April 10, 2009 Love the leg MOD, I've got to try that on my unbuilt example one of these days; it makes a huge difference in the leg's posability and improves the kit by leaps and bounds. Another quick and easy MOD to add to these kits is waist rotation. Just saw off the nose cone of the battroid specific fuselage part and add filler plates with scratch-built peg and hole: a peg one on the radome and the matching hole with a polycap behind it on the fuselage side, and voila... a battroid that has dynamic wait rotation. The only tricky part to this mod is aligning the rotation axis just right so that everything lines up when the battroid is facing front, and a thin saw should be used so that you won't need to get extra kits to act as donors. Quote
Vostok 7 Posted April 10, 2009 Posted April 10, 2009 I bought one of these kits AGES ago at an antique store. In fact, it's what first brought me to Macross World back in probably 1999-2000. I think the one I had was a VF-1J Max-type. My first post on here was looking for spare parts since it was missing a couple. Ended up scrapping the idea of building it and just sold it to another member on here. That was around the time the first information of Mac+ Valks coming from "Toycom"... And the rest, as they say, is history. Vostok 7 Quote
AndyLammmm Posted April 10, 2009 Posted April 10, 2009 Love the leg MOD, I've got to try that on my unbuilt example one of these days; it makes a huge difference in the leg's posability and improves the kit by leaps and bounds. Another quick and easy MOD to add to these kits is waist rotation. Just saw off the nose cone of the battroid specific fuselage part and add filler plates with scratch-built peg and hole: a peg one on the radome and the matching hole with a polycap behind it on the fuselage side, and voila... a battroid that has dynamic wait rotation. The only tricky part to this mod is aligning the rotation axis just right so that everything lines up when the battroid is facing front, and a thin saw should be used so that you won't need to get extra kits to act as donors. Hi, thks for your comment. I thought about the waist mod in the beginning. However, when I play with my small revolttech VF 1S, I found the joint is not that helpful in improving the posing. In considering the operation is comparably big and the stability, I abandon the operation. May be I will build it on the next kit. Recently I bought some 1:72 Bandai VF 1J kits @ ~US $3 during a local mega sale. This old and cheap stuff contain all the thigh joint and waist joint in the original design. Really amazing. Quote
Zinjo Posted April 11, 2009 Posted April 11, 2009 I bought one way back when they were new and I was very disappointed. The kits Bandai is doing for Frontier is a substantial improvement over those old kits. So far Hasegawa has the best kits for VF-1's. They may not transform, but they've improved the molds over the years and are second to none! If you want a variable VF-1, I'd suggest the Yamato line of toys. Quote
MechTech Posted April 13, 2009 Posted April 13, 2009 There's no school like the old school! I remember when that was THE BEST looking valk! The Hase's do look better, but can't transform. - MT Quote
sirhenk Posted April 20, 2009 Posted April 20, 2009 oh schnapp didn't notice this post. check this out guys, i just posted this a few min ago, they're scans from Hobby Japan some dude built the bandai VF-1S and made it look pretty sweet: 1/72 Bandai VF-1S Focker Special Quote
AndyLammmm Posted April 27, 2009 Posted April 27, 2009 oh schnapp didn't notice this post. check this out guys, i just posted this a few min ago, they're scans from Hobby Japan some dude built the bandai VF-1S and made it look pretty sweet: 1/72 Bandai VF-1S Focker Special Thanks for your scanning. I am glad that I am not the only one working on this ancient model. Quote
AndyLammmm Posted May 9, 2009 Posted May 9, 2009 A minor update. Still far from finish, closer than yesterday anyway. The most difficult part is nearly every parts contain 2 to 3 colors which need a lot of masking work before spray. Quote
Goodman Models Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Update Awesome. Those old kits are great! Great job bringing it to life! Quote
AndyLammmm Posted September 2, 2009 Posted September 2, 2009 Update. Pilot painted. Decal added. Top coat sprayed tonight. Quote
Chad Dunham Posted September 7, 2009 Posted September 7, 2009 Update. Pilot painted. Decal added. Top coat sprayed tonight. VERY nice work! I love the shade of blue you used. Quote
AcroRay Posted September 7, 2009 Posted September 7, 2009 Oh, Man! That's too sweet! No school like the Old School. Thanks for showing off the fine justice you've done to these classics! Quote
PetarB Posted September 7, 2009 Posted September 7, 2009 Wow that looks great! Very clean work. Quote
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