Bandai 1/72 Scale Macross Frontier Model Kit Thread Ver.3

[regult]

Found pictures on Dalong's site. The nose cone part is evidently longer on the -27, and this becomes most apparent in battroid mode. Sadly, that's where the nose cone would look best if snugly tucked away behind the chestplate. I think on this area the DX did a better job (it is actually proportionally shorter than the model)

EDIT: for some reason I cannot hotlink Dalong's photos here...attached them instead.

I did a very rough photoshop of the legs in a higher position. Did nothing to the nose cone though. It helps the looks a bit.

Edited March 4, 2010 by regult

[anime52k8]

Found pictures on Dalong's site. The nose cone part is evidently longer on the -27, and this becomes most apparent in battroid mode. Sadly, that's where the nose cone would look best if snugly tucked away behind the chestplate. I think on this area the DX did a better job (it is actually proportionally shorter than the model)

EDIT: for some reason I cannot hotlink Dalong's photos here...attached them instead.

I did a very rough photoshop of the legs in a higher position. Did nothing to the nose cone though. It helps the looks a bit.

I think the too-low leg placement isn't nearly as bad as the ridiculously elongated intakes. The battroid mode looks like it's got a pair of big saggy granny boobs.

[Kelsain]

I think the too-low leg placement isn't nearly as bad as the ridiculously elongated intakes. The battroid mode looks like it's got a pair of big saggy granny boobs.

Great, thanks. Now I can never look at the 27 the same way again. Think of THAT next time you see Grace in her pilot suit!

[Lolicon]

I know what you mean Lolicon, but I think the fastest solution would've been to use a swing bar a tad shorter for the VF-27 to compensate for the lack of the front part of the intakes which remain in the chest. That would actually turn the Lucifer a tad shorter than the Messiah in Battroid mode, but at least the leg placement would not be so low. (Does the VF-27 use the same crotch parts after all?)

Yeah that's the kicker. The 27 uses all new parts for the crotch/hip bar. The nose does look pretty long in the battroid pics, though I like it in fighter mode. The big air intake covers and upper legs are what mar the fighter looks. In fighter profile, it's a fat bulge in an otherwise sleek profile.

Bandai probably could've tooled it a bit more to get the proportions better... but that costs money!

If there's a task that must be done,

Don't turn your tail and run,

Don't pout, don't sob,

Just do a half-assed job!

If... you... cut every corner

It is really not so bad,

Everybody does it,

Even mom and dad.

If nobody sees it,

Then nobody gets mad,

It's the American Bandai way!

If... you... cut every corner,

You'll have more time for play pay,

It's the American Bandai waaaaay!

Edited March 5, 2010 by Lolicon

[David Hingtgen]

Annoyingly, I just now found a fully-translated color guide for Grace's:

http://www.mech9.com/blog/2010/02/172-vf-2...pe-color-guide/

(at least I can take a small amount of pride in that they mis-translated gull grey as dull grey)

[electric indigo]

The body color should also work for the CF 25, right?

[David Hingtgen]

I think the CF VF-25 is more tan. The VF-27 is distinctly greenish, without being GREEN. But the CF VF-25's are pretty much tan.

[shinagami]

pardon me, but what is CF-25? CF stands for.....? which variation is it?

Edited March 5, 2010 by shinagami

[David Hingtgen]

Cannon Fodder. The generic, tan-colored VF-25 that is flown by anonymous, nameless pilots.

[regult]

Yeah that's the kicker. The 27 uses all new parts for the crotch/hip bar. The nose does look pretty long in the battroid pics, though I like it in fighter mode. The big air intake covers and upper legs are what mar the fighter looks. In fighter profile, it's a fat bulge in an otherwise sleek profile.

I've taken a pic of the DX at the angle closest to Lolicon's model and the differences are huge. Notice the shape of the nosecone area and the size of the intakes.

Bandai enjoys torturing collectors with a beautiful (yet floppy) VF-25 model vs. a horribly shaped DX, now with a weirdly shaped VF-27 model vs. a more anime accurate DX, that's so paradoxical!

Edited March 5, 2010 by regult

[mech9]

Annoyingly, I just now found a fully-translated color guide for Grace's:

http://www.mech9.com/blog/2010/02/172-vf-2...pe-color-guide/

(at least I can take a small amount of pride in that they mis-translated gull grey as dull grey)

When I translated this I was in the stage where I was thinking, gull grey??? gull grey??? what the heck is gull grey??? don't they mean dull grey???

That's why when I translated the Mr. Color Chart I put both Gull Grey and Dull grey for the translation of Mr. Color C11 and the dull grey just kinda stuck whenever I translated color charts.

but yeah, I should be more objective than subjective when translating and really stick to using Gull Grey.

[Duymon]

holy moly the DX looks so much better O_o

[shinagami]

agreed, the dx looks much better....now i have to modify mine to make it looks closer to the dx..

regult, can u please take a picture of the dx in battroid mode also...just for references

Edited March 5, 2010 by shinagami

[David Hingtgen]

Just FYI, but color 334 is "Barley" grey, not Barry. (it's a British color, so you never know...)

Color 72 has been the source of much mis-translation over the years, even Bandai themselves get it wrong--it's a translation of a translation of a translation. It is truly, originally "Intermediate Blue" and a US/English color and name. Which is a very specific color--Intermediate is the name, not a description. But when you translate it back and forth, some of the subtlety is lost and you get all those Gundams that call for "medium blue" guns and the like---they really mean Intermediate Blue (which is a very greyish blue, and not a "medium blue" at all). FS35164

Color 337, while Gunze calls it "grayish blue" it is really called "Medium Grey"--despite being officially classed as a blue. (though IMHO it looks greenish--at least the real stuff does, as opposed to Gunze's rendition of it). Just like the previous color, it's one of those US-govt-named colors where the generic-sounding name is not generic, and in this case "Medium" is a very specific type of grey---no other shade of grey in the US military is called "Medium". (and really, it's one of the darker shades of grey in the system...)

And thus, when the Japanese try to translate US govt colors, the subtlety in the meaning of "intermediate" vs "medium" is often lost--especially when trying to translate the Gunze translation back to English! (It doesn't help that the govt itself named a blue as "grey"...)

[regult]

That's why I gave up on the model for the VF-27. That means I have all -25s in 1/72 and one single 1/60 VF-27 (of course I have a whole bunch of Yamato valks).

Look at the nose section (entire cockpit area in fact) of the model -25 compared to the DX -27 in the background: they're practically identical! Imagine if they'd done the same with the model -27...

[regult]

agreed, the dx looks much better....now i have to modify mine to make it looks closer to the dx..

regult, can u please take a picture of the dx in battroid mode also...just for references

visit the toy forum please, there are plenty of battroid pictures of the DX -27, it'd be a bit off topic to post a whole bunch of DX pictures (standalone) in this thread and besides I don't have time to do the transformation! There is criticism the legs are actually too high up on the DX battroid, I do agree.

[mickyg]

Just FYI, but color 334 is "Barley" grey, not Barry. (it's a British color, so you never know...)

Color 72 has been the source of much mis-translation over the years, even Bandai themselves get it wrong--it's a translation of a translation of a translation. It is truly, originally "Intermediate Blue" and a US/English color and name. Which is a very specific color--Intermediate is the name, not a description. But when you translate it back and forth, some of the subtlety is lost and you get all those Gundams that call for "medium blue" guns and the like---they really mean Intermediate Blue (which is a very greyish blue, and not a "medium blue" at all). FS35164

Color 337, while Gunze calls it "grayish blue" it is really called "Medium Grey"--despite being officially classed as a blue. (though IMHO it looks greenish--at least the real stuff does, as opposed to Gunze's rendition of it). Just like the previous color, it's one of those US-govt-named colors where the generic-sounding name is not generic, and in this case "Medium" is a very specific type of grey---no other shade of grey in the US military is called "Medium". (and really, it's one of the darker shades of grey in the system...)

And thus, when the Japanese try to translate US govt colors, the subtlety in the meaning of "intermediate" vs "medium" is often lost--especially when trying to translate the Gunze translation back to English! (It doesn't help that the govt itself named a blue as "grey"...)

Alright David, you're scaring me! As pedantic as I am about accuracy, I just know I'm going to want to know what all the colors are actually supposed to be.

Any chance you've embarked on the long, boring, tedious task of translating common Japanese colors into their real life equivalents and putting them all into a nice chart? I know that's a huge undertaking, but I can dream, right?

Edited March 5, 2010 by mickyg

[mech9]

Just FYI, but color 334 is "Barley" grey, not Barry. (it's a British color, so you never know...)

...

And thus, when the Japanese try to translate US govt colors, the subtlety in the meaning of "intermediate" vs "medium" is often lost--especially when trying to translate the Gunze translation back to English! (It doesn't help that the govt itself named a blue as "grey"...)

Thanks for looking at the list and pointing out the mistakes David, I corrected the "Barry" part already. And Thank You for explaining as well what is the cause for this confusion in the colors

[Lolicon]

Bandai enjoys torturing collectors with a beautiful (yet floppy) VF-25 model vs. a horribly shaped DX, now with a weirdly shaped VF-27 model vs. a more anime accurate DX, that's so paradoxical!

It's because Bandai hates you.

Unless you plan on painting it, it's better to go with the DX anyway, because the model looks crappy if stuck together "right out of the box".

I would've picked up the DX if it didn't have such a weak paint app. Now I'm busy working on a second model so I can keep one in fighter mode.

[David Hingtgen]

If you want all the other names for FS and RLM colors on the charts:

http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/pmodels/acryl.pdf Or you could just google each BAC or FS code individually, etc. But that chart has pretty much every one you'll ever find in a hobby paint.

Note that while 36081 is mainly known as Euro 1 grey, "Engine grey" is acceptable. (mech9 lists it as engine grey)

[ron5864]

I had complained earlier about how difficult the missile batch is to paint correctly for Alto's Super VF-25F. I should have kept quiet and saved the complaint for the armored VF-25S. The number of missiles needed to be painted and detailed is probably close to 200.

[Chronocidal]

This is very interesting... apparently, Bandai is not so scared to go to 1/48 scale after all.

1/48 MEGA SIZE MODEL Gundam

Maybe they were too scared to test the 1/48 waters without having the cash cow name to fall back on? Either way, I hope this sells well enough to convince them that 1/48 is worth pursuing, ESPECIALLY for Macross. I'd love to see them make an entire Mega Size line eventually. Though.. whether they'll remain (even some remote notion of) affordable is yet to be seen.

Correction.. if this is the standard they mean to produce this line in, I'm not sure what it means... this looks to be even more playable than the standard Gundam kits (extremely simplified assembly, snap fit, who knows what type of internal structure, if there even is one), and probably no where near Perfect Grade quality.

But if it means I could get a 1/48 VF-25 for around $80, I'll gladly accept the simplifications.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Chronocidal

[Knightwing]

Hi Guy

Have anyone brought the VF-25F Mirage Coating Version? How it is different from normal version and how come it is almost 3 times more expensive?

http://tokyohunter.blogspot.com/2009/12/ba...ge-coating.html

[Vifam7]

Hi Guy

Have anyone brought the VF-25F Mirage Coating Version? How it is different from normal version and how come it is almost 3 times more expensive?

http://tokyohunter.blogspot.com/2009/12/ba...ge-coating.html

The kit itself is exactly the same as the normal version. This kit however has a special kind of overcoat on the pieces plus a water transfer decal specialized for it. I suspect the overcoat is something similar to the glossy pearl coating that the HG L-Gaim kit got several years back.

[Myersjessee]

So...I'm finally catching up on Macross Frontier...and I'm loving it....but I'm a little disapointed with the models I can find. Looks like Bandai has a nice selection of 1/72 variables...but I've sworn off variable models. To hard (for me at least) to make them sturdy enough for the finish and build to handle transformation more then a few times. Anyone know if there is any chance of a Hasegawa release of a single mode kit. (seems unlikely with Bandai owning the rights for 1/72) Other decent options? (I started watching for resins, but I'm not catching much)

[big F]

I too am not to excited about the varible kits. They look great dont get me wrong, but its not a toy to me its a kit.

Most of the previous Bandai transformable kits I have ever owned I built fixed. Heck I dont even transform my Yamatos or my 1/55's.

Any info on how acurate they are when built fixed would be great. I know the MW acuracy police can help us there. Things I would want to know is how much filling and seam line removing etc would be needed.

I Fear that Hasegawa will never get a chance to show their stuff in this arena. I think its the same for the M7 stuff I'd Love to see what they could do with a Vf-17 and the other M7 variants etc.

[Grayson72]

I'm with you on this one buddy, transforming kits seem pretty pointless to me. I have a number of these but I plan on building them as static fighter kits. If I ever get around to building them I'll post.

I think it's been like 5 years since I've finished a model I'm slowly working on one though.

[Noyhauser]

So...I'm finally catching up on Macross Frontier...and I'm loving it....but I'm a little disapointed with the models I can find. Looks like Bandai has a nice selection of 1/72 variables...but I've sworn off variable models. To hard (for me at least) to make them sturdy enough for the finish and build to handle transformation more then a few times. Anyone know if there is any chance of a Hasegawa release of a single mode kit. (seems unlikely with Bandai owning the rights for 1/72) Other decent options? (I started watching for resins, but I'm not catching much)

I'm with you and the others... I'd consider doing a battroid-only build of the VF-25 but the accuracy issues and breaklines in the fighter version turns me off that model. I've seen a couple of resin VF-171s around which look decent, except they don't have any cockpits.I suspect that in couple of years the resin industry will come up with something... we got plenty of VF-1s in the 1990s even though there were tons of kits out there. You saw WAVE kits being put out for Macross 7 despite bandai owning the license... so there is some hope (unless they have an exclusive contract and are unwilling to sell rights further... which I doubt given Bandai's history.)

I'm with you on this one buddy, transforming kits seem pretty pointless to me. I have a number of these but I plan on building them as static fighter kits. If I ever get around to building them I'll post.

I think it's been like 5 years since I've finished a model I'm slowly working on one though.

I'm sure you'll do a great job... its like riding a bike, except that if you take your time you can always make up for mistakes.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Noyhauser

[Vifam7]

Shouldn't this discussion be part of the 1/72 Frontier kit thread?

Anyway, I agree that making this model kit transformable was not needed. Certainly, it would've been a heck of alot easier development for Bandai and easier build for us. But I get the feeling that there's a sizeable contingent out there (in Japan) who would say that a model kit of a Valkyrie that doesn't transform is not a accurate representation of a Valkyrie even though they have no intention of playing with the built kit. Kinda like how most expect models of F-14 Tomcats to come with swinging wings even though most builders lock them into place or have no intention of moving them in fear of creating scratches on the paint job.

I'm currently building the VF-27 in a different color scheme. I'm probably going to lock this in fighter mode. I've only just started this kit and so far glue and sanding does not seem to be necessary - though I've decided to apply a bit of glue in a few places just in case.

BtW It sucks that Bandai didn't bother to include cockpit instrument decals

Edited March 8, 2010 by Vifam7

[electric indigo]

The good thing about Bandai's Macross F kits is that they sacrifice structural stability for the transformation, but not the design. So, contrary to older kits of the transforming variety, you can just build a kit in either fighter or battroid mode and both will look good without heavy modding. So the construction is more complex and the price is higher due to the transformation, but the kits are still much cheaper than what you'd pay for 1/72 resin kits.

[Knightwing]

The kit itself is exactly the same as the normal version. This kit however has a special kind of overcoat on the pieces plus a water transfer decal specialized for it. I suspect the overcoat is something similar to the glossy pearl coating that the HG L-Gaim kit got several years back.

Thanks for info Vifam7

[Myersjessee]

LOL....I didn't originally post here as I wasn't really interested in either just 1/72nd scale (1/48 would be nice) or Bandai kits. Oh well...If I had posted here I would have likely been scolded anyways.

So...question continued...are there any VF-25 kits to be had that aren't Bandais' variable? Anyone making the Bandais locked in one mode? (and if so, how are they coming? )

[wm cheng]

I'm with you on this one buddy, transforming kits seem pretty pointless to me. I have a number of these but I plan on building them as static fighter kits. If I ever get around to building them I'll post.

I think it's been like 5 years since I've finished a model I'm slowly working on one though.

Exactly my sentiments! All the work I spent trying to protect the paint-job and magnets to hold it together... I've only transformed my model twice since I built it!! It will always be in the fighter mode. Its unfortunate that there are no other alternatives, so I caved/brokedown and got the whole set, but after building the first one, I'm not too keen on the others - Bandai seems to make it more like a chore to build for me. They are great at making snap-fits and there aren't many seams to fill. BUT, to do anymore to their models (ie; like paint...) really makes the build un-enjoyable. Bandai just doesn't care about a modeller's steps and process... but they never cater to that crowd (except maybe their EX line) and they are really, really good at the Gunplay level of building.

So... if you like snapping it together and zooming it around (transformation is fragile) and don't mind stickers, then this is the kit for you.

If you are anal, count revits and keep thinking of ways to make water slide decals look painted on, then think twice. ;-)

[Duymon]

To be honest if there were an alternative fighter kit from the likes of Hasegawa I'd buy those since I only display the models in fighter mode. I swear one small move in the wrong direction and kaboom there goes a chunk of the decal.

Just look at the official Macross Frontier Archive model book and look at how many of the display models have chipped decals O_o

Also, if hase released a non-transforming kit you'd have beautiful VF-25's with better fighter-proportions and prolly a much cheaper price-tag

Edited March 9, 2010 by Duymon

[Vifam7]

Also, if hase released a non-transforming kit you'd have beautiful VF-25's with better fighter-proportions and prolly a much cheaper price-tag

A non-transforming kit doesn't necessarily guarantee better proportions. For example, the Hase VF-1D is pretty off IMHO. Besides, I don't see anything terribly wrong with the proportions of the Bandai kit in fighter mode.