Yamato 1/60 VF-11B Thunderbolt - Thread 2

[lechuck]

I started working on my review last night but I probably won't post it until next week. I want to take comparison shots with the other Mac Plus toys and also the original 1/72 toy so it's going to take a while. Plus I really want to put it through its paces before I write a blurb on it.

Jenius a couple of request for the review, if I may:

- comparison shot with 1/60 VF-1 ver.2 in Battroid mode

- comparison shot of VF-11 and YF-19 Isamu Dyson pilots

- shot of VF-11 Isamu sitting in YF-19 (if possible)

[jenius]

Do me a favor and PM me that request so I don't have to try to hunt this down later in case it gets buried by a couple pages. I think I can make all of those things happen pretty easily.

[thankheaven]

How do i get the damn rear landing gear out ? I have been trying for an hour but i can't get them out.

If i try to pry them out the rubber wheel just comes off.

Edited May 7, 2009 by thankheaven

[eriku]

So, did we ever get that heat shield problem figured out?

Yes, I know, I just had to post that after reading the new subtitle of the thread.

[SHMOGUN]

Awesome pics keep 'em coming.

[thankheaven]

Finally got the hang of the landing gear. Damn that was hard, far harder and more difficult then the heatshield. Heatshield came out and locked under 5 secs. No problem.

The tailfins are alittle small but other then that it is a great and brilliant engineered toy. Flipping between modes are easy and it all locks solid in place. Heatshield is fine. And for those with problems still, try to use the button under to push up the cockpit tightly under the heatshield pieces and that will further help the locking process.

Great next to the YF-21, though both puts the poor YF-19 to shame. Yamato should really go back and remake the 19 with the same quality as the other 2.

Bring on the Ravens and the 11C

Edited May 7, 2009 by thankheaven

[jenius]

How do i get the damn rear landing gear out ? I have been trying for an hour but i can't get them out.

If i try to pry them out the rubber wheel just comes off.

LOL, I had one eyebrow up on that one for a bit too. I ended up wiggling it out with a toothpick.

[geepogi]

so with all the good comments

and with the number of people

buying, do you think prices will

be going down soon?

[jenius]

that's not really how prices tend to work... if an item sucks and no one buys it then prices go down.

[geepogi]

i was thinking along the lines that maybe

yamato will decide to produce more of

the 11b or churn out other variants due

to the warm welcome, thus lowering

the prices.

[MacrossJunkie]

I took my old 1/72 out of storage and put it next to the 1/60. Of all the 1/72 M+ valks, the VF-11B was the best of them, but even then, it's just horrifically ugly compared to the new ones. It's just no comparison. Heavy black panel lines, toyish looking features and proportions, etc... Yamato has come a long way.

[edwin3060]

Thanks for the comparison shots-- you can really see how much they improved on the tail fins, among other things. I'm glad I sold off my 1/72s to save up for this!

I've got a question though-- how strongly do the leg Super pack magnets hold? Are they like the VF-0, with a weak hold and prone to fall off if you're trying to zoom the plane around in fighter mode?

Edited May 8, 2009 by edwin3060

[Radd]

After a day or two with my VF-11 and I am in LOVE! This thing is fantastic. Easy to transform, looks wonderful in all modes, sooooooo much nicer than the 1/72 version. Not a lot of detail, but the Macross Plus colour scheme is kinda plain. I really hope they do repaint variants. The Ravens scheme is at the top of my list. I'd probably keep that one in fighter mode. If they put out a third varient I like I'll get that too and have all three displayed, one for each mode. Always been a fan of the VF-11.

[MacrossJunkie]

Thanks for the comparison shots-- you can really see how much they improved on the tail fins, among other things. I'm glad I sold off my 1/72s to save up for this!

I've got a question though-- how strongly do the leg Super pack magnets hold? Are they like the VF-0, with a weak hold and prone to fall off if you're trying to zoom the plane around in fighter mode?

It holds very well. Unlike the VF-0 and YF-19 leg armor where they can slide around while you're holding it by the legs in fighter mode and relying solely on conformity to the shape of the leg to keep the thing in place, the VF-11B's leg armor has an additional peg closer to the knee joint which helps a lot to keep the leg piece from sliding around. The magnets seem stronger as well. I haven't once accidentally knocked the super packs off my 11 in fighter, gerwalk or battroid modes where that tends to happen to me a lot with the VF-0 or 19 while posing them or transforming.

The shield is another matter though as I can't seem to do anything with it in battroid mode without the stupid thing falling off onto the floor. A mere jostle can make the shield fall off on mine. Grrrrr

Fortunately the connections while in fighter mode function a lot better.

Edited May 8, 2009 by MacrossJunkie

[thankheaven]

Anyone having problems with the feet ? Mine wants to fall backwards when standing up because there seems to be a spring or something in the feet that prevents it from standing level and upright.

The front part of the feet wants to automatically push down, making it fall backwards.

Any trick to this ?

[danth]

Wow, I always thought the new canopy was short. They're the same length in the 1/60 and 1/72!

[MacrossJunkie]

Anyone having problems with the feet ? Mine wants to fall backwards when standing up because there seems to be a spring or something in the feet that prevents it from standing level and upright.

The front part of the feet wants to automatically push down, making it fall backwards.

Any trick to this ?

Hmmm, I haven't noticed any springiness to the feet. Mine just fold open normally in much the same way the 19 does, no springs or other mechanisms involved. I don't even need to pull them out first. Does it look like some extra bit of plastic is keeping yours from folding open properly?

[edwin3060]

It holds very well. Unlike the VF-0 and YF-19 leg armor where they can slide around while you're holding it by the legs in fighter mode and relying solely on conformity to the shape of the leg to keep the thing in place, the VF-11B's leg armor has an additional peg closer to the knee joint which helps a lot to keep the leg piece from sliding around. The magnets seem stronger as well. I haven't once accidentally knocked the super packs off my 11 in fighter, gerwalk or battroid modes where that tends to happen to me a lot with the VF-0 or 19 while posing them or transforming.

The shield is another matter though as I can't seem to do anything with it in battroid mode without the stupid thing falling off onto the floor. A mere jostle can make the shield fall off on mine. Grrrrr

Fortunately the connections while in fighter mode function a lot better.

Nice! Thanks.. hmm seems like the shield problem from the 1/72 is still present eh? I would have thought that they would have solved it, given that the 1/60 YF-19 has an ok shield!

Heh..+1 about the canopy. It doesn really bother me though, since it still looks great, and they probably couldn't make it too long with that special heatshield mechanism and all.

[Radd]

I haven't had any issues with either the feet or the heat shield. I've been playing with my VF-11 nearly constantly since I got it, too. This thing is great, one of the best toys Yamato has put out.

My only complaints would be the landing gear, which are really short, and the cockpit never quite feels secure. Still, I can hold the 11 upside-down in fighter mode and it will stay put, it just feels loose, yanno? Other than that, everything seems to hold well in place, battroid looks amazing, fighter looks great, it's just an all around solid toy.

[Major Focker]

picked up my Max1S pre-order at my usual store and chanced upon their last VF-11B. cute shopkeeper gave it to me at their pre-order price of $170

i have to say, i am totally impressed with this toy. everything locks solid, and looks good in any mode. about my only nitpick is that i can't get the rear landing gears out. perhaps i'll try to fish it out with a bent paperclip

edit:

finally managed to get the rear landing gears out. also had to use a cutter blade to pry open on the front landing gear doors. fingernails alone didn't suffice.

now that the landing gears are deployed, noticed that one on the rear is a tad shorter so the plane isn't perfectly level.

but these are very minor nitpicks. i rarely play/transform my valks, but this one is just so solid that it just goads you into swooshing it around, even holding it by the magnetically attached leg fastpacks. and the transformation was very intuitive, i just can't help but play with it. and that comes from someone who's a scaredy cat when it comes to transforming expensive toys.

for me at least, this is the best yamato valk thus far.

Edited May 10, 2009 by Major Focker

[MacrossJunkie]

A couple more comparisons for those interested.

The 1/60 Isamus are basically the same height. The perceived difference in size is due to YF-19 Isamu being... err... big boned.

Size comparison of all the Isamu pilots from Yamato.

Cockpit compare:

11B Isamu fits very nicely into the 19's cockpit. He certainly doesn't look out of place in there.

In fact, he probably looks better in there than the 19's version does.

[505thAirborne]

Nice comparison pics, the new Isamu figure looks way better & has feet this time!!

[edwin3060]

Haha Isamu definitely gained weight once he transferred from combat to flight testing. If Yamato really does sell their pilot figures separately I think I will get an extra Isamu for my YF-19.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I haven't had any issues with either the feet or the heat shield. I've been playing with my VF-11 nearly constantly since I got it, too. This thing is great, one of the best toys Yamato has put out.

My only complaints would be the landing gear, which are really short, and the cockpit never quite feels secure. Still, I can hold the 11 upside-down in fighter mode and it will stay put, it just feels loose, yanno? Other than that, everything seems to hold well in place, battroid looks amazing, fighter looks great, it's just an all around solid toy.

Is it just as, if not more than, durable than the 1/48 VF-1?

[thankheaven]

Played around with it and the feet are no problem now. Everything is just fine.

[UN Spacy]

This is Yamato perfection.

[Cent]

Landing gear are a little short, but the lineart matches up with it. And besides, it's still much longer than the DX VF-25 landing gears!

[Graham]

Is it just as, if not more than, durable than the 1/48 VF-1?

Initial impressions are that it seems to be, but until it's been out longer, in more peoples hands, it's difficult to say for certain.

[thirty]

This is Yamato perfection.

Is this the new Yamato that has... actual competition?

Did Yamato step it up a notch in fear of Bandai?

[Cent]

Is this the new Yamato that has... actual competition?

Did Yamato step it up a notch in fear of Bandai?

Are you kidding? The latest Bandai toy offerings made me only miss Yamato more >_>

[OmegaD3k]

Are you kidding? The latest Bandai toy offerings made me only miss Yamato more >_>

What he said! The Sloppy-Floppy QC-Ridden DX Chunkykins are the sole reason I stopped purchasing Bandai products, including the 100th line.

Should be getting my little squadron of VF-11s here soon, within the next week. *taps on desk impatiently*

[Radd]

Initial impressions are that it seems to be, but until it's been out longer, in more peoples hands, it's difficult to say for certain.

I agree. It seems to be one of the most solid Yamato toys to date. Nothing seems as though it would be prone to breaking, but best to give it some time before declaring it to be entirely problem free. We're still putting them through the initial paces.

Is this the new Yamato that has... actual competition?

Did Yamato step it up a notch in fear of Bandai?

I don't know. Yamato seems to have been steadily improving with time, with only the general QC of the Zero line and the shoulder hinge issue of the early 1/60v2 toys standing out as missteps. I can't recall any glaring issues with the YF-21. It's got a more complex transformation, making it more difficult to simply pick up and play with as compared to the VF-11. My 1/60 Tomahawk is a beautiful toy And aside from the shoulder hinge thing, people have been pretty enamoured with the new 1/60 VF-1 line.

Still, the VF-11 seems very refined. It looks great in all modes, and at the same time it's easy to transform. Of course, the VF-11 transformation isn't that complex to begin with. It was probably a lot easier to design this toy than the 19 or 21.

[ErikElvis]

Should I order right now? I shouldnt but that doesnt mean anything

[Cent]

I would say that the VF-11's transformation was more complex than the VF-25, if you wanna start comparing these two companies' latest releases.

Anime accuracy aside, and just in terms of QC, thus far, the VF-11 is winning. The VF-25 had few reports of breakages, but lots of reports of loose (or overly tight) joints on one side, a consistent issue with low paint durability and paint/color matching problems on the RVF.

I agree it is still too early to say for a Yamato product, but we should keep a lookout for these sort of issues on the VF-11. If they're not there 2 months down the road, then I think a winner is pretty clear.

Edited May 10, 2009 by Cent

[UN Spacy]

The VF-11B is quickly becoming my favorite Yamato product.

The sculpt is perfect in all three forms. The transformation process is intuitive with all the tiny panels.

Don't pass up on this one folks. It's a real blast to fiddle with.