Bandai DX YF-30 Chronos

[Tochiro]

Nice pictures Tochiro.

The YF-30 looks good enough in Fighter mode, not my favorite Macross Frontier design but it's nice to see something that isn't a YF-29 repaint.

* the 25 releases and re-releases get a pass for me 'cause it's my favorite

-b.

But.. it isn't a Macross Frontier design. Its a Macross 30 design ^^;

I was looking around online for more photos from this event. It doesn't seem like anybody else knows, or cares, about the Macross stuff on display.

Well, Anime Japan isn't a toy/hobby event. Its an anime event so no-one was looking for/expecting the YF-30 to be there, imo. It was kind of snuck in there next to be BIG Macross thing which was the Macross Frontier Pachislot 2 machines (with newly animated Frontier footage). As Save and I took plenty of pics, we will probably put them up on the front page soon.

No release date yet ? the best looking VF, since the YF-19.

Nope. No news on pricing/type/release date yet.

[Mommar]

But.. it isn't a Macross Frontier design. Its a Macross 30 design ^^;

While Kawamori made a great attempt to change the transformation of the YF-30 to be different from the 25 have you compared the lineart from the YF-24 to the YF-30? Other than moving the stabilizers out and back he pretty much re-purposed the YF-24 fighter mode as they look practically identical. The paint scheme so closely aping Alto's doesn't make a case for it not being Frontier either.

Edited March 23, 2014 by Mommar

[Jasonc]

While Kawamori made a great attempt to change the transformation of the YF-30 to be different from the 25 have you compared the lineart from the YF-24 to the YF-30? Other than moving the stabilizers out and back he pretty much re-purposed the YF-24 fighter mode as they look practically identical. The paint scheme so closely aping Alto's doesn't make a case for it not being Frontier either.

That's true, but it was never shown in Frontier, only in Macross 30, as I'm sure you know.

[Kanedas Bike]

LOL - I know the 30 wasn't in Frontier (TV, Movies, etc.), but it's within the same time frame (a year or so after the events of Frontier - right?) and is generally included in the conversations that encompass Frontier. The 30 has a S.M.S. pilot as well.

That's all I meant.

-b.

[close313]

It makes me wonder, how will Kawamori make the valks look like beyond the frontier timeline. I mean frontier designs are cool but will it continue to become more and more complex and organic looking? Kind of miss designs like the VF-11 where the battroids have no back kibble flailing around, soundly transformed wings that are integrated into the body and no crazy ass paint jobs.

[skullmilitia]

You should know by now that as design gets more futuristic, eventually they falter back to more "vintage" looking designs.

Think of a Camaro or Mustang, they kept getting more curved and organic, then bam! Laser lined vintage hardlined look.

I think unless the 30 aesthetic stays active, we may get throwback designs.

It's used in graphic design quite reliably.

Personally, I'd like to see a story line that gives some larger bomber types more time.

How about some bomber class valks, turrets and all.

To fight the large class... Whatever that comes next.

[Mommar]

I still thing with some minor adjustments the wings from the 30 could have folded against the back.

[Axelay]

I still thing with some minor adjustments the wings from the 30 could have folded against the back.

I agree. This is my only gripe with this Valkyrie, and it's a BIG, probably deal-breaking, gripe for me... Everything else is just amazing.

[Major Tom]

More pics from TAG:

http://www.taghobby.com/1-0/1-1/%E4%B8%8D%E6%96%B7%E6%9B%B4%E6%96%B0-2014%E5%B9%B43%E6%9C%8822-23%E6%97%A5%E6%96%BC-anime-japan-2014-macross%E5%B1%95%E5%93%81/

[David Hingtgen]

I'm just waiting/hoping for Tamashii-exclusive game-color repaints-----those schemes look even cooler, and we'd actually be able to get them....

(The deep red and black schemes)

[Tober]

I'm sure we will see repaints by years end. I am rather surprised there haven't been more VF-171 repaints tho...

Does the YF-30 have any sort of super parts add-ons?

[Mommar]

I'm sure we will see repaints by years end. I am rather surprised there haven't been more VF-171 repaints tho...

Does the YF-30 have any sort of super parts add-ons?

None that we've seen or know of yet. There weren't any featured in the game, so as far as we know it doesn't.

I still wish someone would have taken a shot from lower so we could see if the hard points are still on this thing.

[mechaninac]

Although it's a little hard to make out, one of the magazine scans on the previous page has a 3D CAD rendered view of the bottom of the plane which seems to show 2 ordnance hard points per wing.

[wm cheng]

Is it me (or maybe I'm just gettin' old) or is it that all the new generation of designs have really awkward landing gears? The older VF-0, VF-1, VF-4, YF-19, YF-22 all seem to have decent credible looking landing gears, but all the new stuff looks just stuck on and out-of-scale - just awkward. Maybe the metallic dark grey Bandai uses for the gear struct doesn't help things either.

[skullmilitia]

Well, the Renewals don't have accurate gear, that's why the Hasegawa looks so good, it's accurate.

They were obviously sacrificed for transformation.

[Chronocidal]

Well, the Renewals don't have accurate gear, that's why the Hasegawa looks so good, it's accurate.

They were obviously sacrificed for transformation.

Not so much this, as Bandai's generic middle finger to people who care about all things aircraft. It's like they've turned refusing to conform to standard practices into their own misguided trademark. They seem to cling to inaccuracies as if they have an incurable obsession with nostalgia, even at the cost of quality and accuracy...which, I wonder if it's literally the case.. nostalgia for the old Takatoku-style bare gear vs accurate aircraft detailing? They probably researched the impact of such things on sales.

Yamato/Arcadia tend to have plenty good looking gear, even if they aren't specifically accurate (the only ones that actually follow the true retraction method are the VF-11 and YF-21/VF-22, they're all supposed to rotate 90 degrees into the bay). They still manage to transform. Honestly, if Bandai would take the time to paint them instead of leaving them bare metal, it would help immensely. The goofy metallic just looks incredibly cheap.

[wm cheng]

Yeah, I get what you're saying, but even the new Hasegawa VF-25 looks weird... like a stilted chicken (each gear is nicely detailed in themselves, but taken together, it looks odd) - the gear struts just seem too long and make the aircraft sit way too high - the rear gear placement is really odd too, too far back and too short - that's a K design flaw I believe. Yeah, I totally agree with the "nostalgia for the old Takatoku-style bare gear" comment. I can't display any of my Macross Frontier toys with the gears down - they all have to be in flight!

[SaitouSad]

Personally, I'd like to see a story line that gives some larger bomber types more time.

How about some bomber class valks, turrets and all.

To fight the large class... Whatever that comes next.

You mean.. like the Koenig Monster?

[platypus]

Hi guys, I've been following this great forum for a long time. Just like to ask: should the rear landing gear bay doors open to the side rather than the front? Because it looks like (from the pics) that one of the 2 bay doors open to the front (like the vf-1).

[skullmilitia]

You mean.. like the Koenig Monster?

No I mean Valkyrie, not Destroid based. Like one based off the B-1B or something.

[sketchley]

While Kawamori made a great attempt to change the transformation of the YF-30 to be different from the 25 have you compared the lineart from the YF-24 to the YF-30? Other than moving the stabilizers out and back he pretty much re-purposed the YF-24 fighter mode as they look practically identical.

The arms are outside of the engine nacelles, the way it transforms is totally different, and there's a large weapon container between the engine nacelles in fighter/above the back in battroid mode. Quite different!

I don't think it has every been revealed what the YF-24/25/27 were based on, but the YF-30 is clearly based on the Sukhoi PAK FA. Especially in the internal weapon bay arrangement and the overall wing shape.

[Chronocidal]

No I mean Valkyrie, not Destroid based. Like one based off the B-1B or something.

Thing is, there's really no reason to have a transforming one of those. The Monster kind of gets a pass because it's more like mobile artillery, but if your mission is to drop bombs from an altitude that negates the need for close combat capabilities, you really don't need to be landing and punching things.

Now, granted.. they've never bothered to apply that logic to the existing transforming capital ships (which I still think is ridiculous, but hey, rule of cool), so that's not to say Kawamori wouldn't come up with something like that. But if you consider the payload regular valks can carry at this point, you're talking something more along the lines of a missile boat, and all that does is insure that all of your big missiles are concentrated in one spot, so they're easier to hit.

Plus, I don't think anyone would bother with traditional guided bombs in combat once you have the ability to beamspam everything from a tank to an entire city in a matter of seconds, from orbit.

[Mommar]

The arms are outside of the engine nacelles, the way it transforms is totally different, and there's a large weapon container between the engine nacelles in fighter/above the back in battroid mode. Quite different!

I don't think it has every been revealed what the YF-24/25/27 were based on, but the YF-30 is clearly based on the Sukhoi PAK FA. Especially in the internal weapon bay arrangement and the overall wing shape.

I already said there were some differences in transformation, that doesn't change the fact fighter mode looks a TON like the YF-24 and I have no doubt the YF-30 began life as Kawamori playing around with a different way to make the 24 transform.

[Scream Man]

I hadn't seen those scans before. I appreciated a good look at the head unit on the Battroid.

Still excited for this

[sketchley]

I already said there were some differences in transformation, that doesn't change the fact fighter mode looks a TON like the YF-24 and I have no doubt the YF-30 began life as Kawamori playing around with a different way to make the 24 transform.

There are bound to be a lot of similarities as they're all designed by the same person, and the VFs that are designed in the same time period are bound to look more similar.

[Scream Man]

I tend to agree, this has alot of the 'Frontier Era' style to them, and is similar enough to be recognisable.

[Mommar]

There are bound to be a lot of similarities as they're all designed by the same person, and the VFs that are designed in the same time period are bound to look more similar.

The 11, 17, 19 and 21/22 don't seem to back that statement up as they're all quite different from each other. Plus we know from the design books Kawamori is not above raiding/re-purposing his own designs for later use. I'm still willing to bet Kawamori liked the fighter design for the 24 but it wasn't in keeping with the VF-1 motif so he changed it to the 25 for production of the show. When they needed something new for Macross 30 he dusted off that 24 design, changed a bit of the transformation and that was it. It still looks an awful lot like that fighter mode.

[SaitouSad]

The 11, 17, 19 and 21/22 don't seem to back that statement up as they're all quite different from each other. Plus we know from the design books Kawamori is not above raiding/re-purposing his own designs for later use. I'm still willing to bet Kawamori liked the fighter design for the 24 but it wasn't in keeping with the VF-1 motif so he changed it to the 25 for production of the show. When they needed something new for Macross 30 he dusted off that 24 design, changed a bit of the transformation and that was it. It still looks an awful lot like that fighter mode.

would it be fair to say that the VF-171 was very different from the VF-25 and YF-29 designs then?

[Chronocidal]

If you strip all the ludicrous markings off, and paint it like an actual aircraft, yes. Clearly, they were quite worried about maintenance crews, pilots, wingmen, even enemies, forgetting just which particular plane they were fighting.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Chronocidal

[sketchley]

The 11, 17, 19 and 21/22 don't seem to back that statement up as they're all quite different from each other. Plus we know from the design books Kawamori is not above raiding/re-purposing his own designs for later use. I'm still willing to bet Kawamori liked the fighter design for the 24 but it wasn't in keeping with the VF-1 motif so he changed it to the 25 for production of the show. When they needed something new for Macross 30 he dusted off that 24 design, changed a bit of the transformation and that was it. It still looks an awful lot like that fighter mode.

Well then, I'm not sure what point you're trying to make in regards to the YF-24 and YF-30 looking similar.

If it's referring to design aesthetic and details (which I'm referring to), then ALL of the recent VFs look similar (and by extension, the VF-11 and VF-19, and the VF-17 and VF-22 look similar to each other).

If you're referring to general shapes (where the VF-11, VF-19, VF-17 and VF-22 all look different), then despite some similarities between the general shape of the YF-24 and YF-30, the VF-25, 27 and 29 all look different. Despite them having the exact same transformation, the exact same placement of the major components in fighter, gerwalk and battroid forms, and even being officially acknowledged as being variants of the same design.

The YF-30 is a new design that just happens to use a similar delta wing shape. As I said before, its more than a different transformation - beyond the placement of the arms in fighter mode and a different torso organization in battroid form, there's that big weapon box, and the canards, which aren't on the YF-24.

I agree that parts of the the design of the YF-30 look similar to the YF-24. I also agree that its possible that the YF-30 is based on the YF-24 (in universe explanations indicate that it is - in a technological sense). But I disagree that they are the same or that the YF-30 is a derivative of the YF-24.

[skullmilitia]

IMO it looks more in tone with the VF-0D.

[Shukenzero]

There are bound to be a lot of similarities as they're all designed by the same person, and the VFs that are designed in the same time period are bound to look more similar.

Also there are only so many shapes with the transformation the way it is, with the legs making up the back engines. Hope Kawamori can give us a new series and new hero valk in the next couple of years.

He'll I'd be happy for those Valk variants they showed back in Dengeki Hobby a few years back for Macross the Ride. The 27 was especially sexy.

[Mommar]

Well then, I'm not sure what point you're trying to make in regards to the YF-24 and YF-30 looking similar.

If it's referring to design aesthetic and details (which I'm referring to), then ALL of the recent VFs look similar (and by extension, the VF-11 and VF-19, and the VF-17 and VF-22 look similar to each other).

If you're referring to general shapes (where the VF-11, VF-19, VF-17 and VF-22 all look different), then despite some similarities between the general shape of the YF-24 and YF-30, the VF-25, 27 and 29 all look different. Despite them having the exact same transformation, the exact same placement of the major components in fighter, gerwalk and battroid forms, and even being officially acknowledged as being variants of the same design.

The YF-30 is a new design that just happens to use a similar delta wing shape. As I said before, its more than a different transformation - beyond the placement of the arms in fighter mode and a different torso organization in battroid form, there's that big weapon box, and the canards, which aren't on the YF-24.

I agree that parts of the the design of the YF-30 look similar to the YF-24. I also agree that its possible that the YF-30 is based on the YF-24 (in universe explanations indicate that it is - in a technological sense). But I disagree that they are the same or that the YF-30 is a derivative of the YF-24.

My point is that they so closely resemble each other in fighter form and paint scheme that it's easy to confuse the YF-30 for being a "Frontier Valk."

[Mechapilot77]

The YF-30 CLEARLY is in the same design language/aesthetics style as the frontier valks. Anyone who says otherwise isn't paying attention. Put it this way, if someone told me it was in the background in some animation cell of some frontier episode or movie...i'd believe them. I couldn't say that about any pre frontier designs. that being said 2008 to 2014...that is a long run for a design language. Hopefully we'll get something new and awesome in the not too distant future and you won't be able to confuse it witha frontier design

[sketchley]

The YF-30 CLEARLY is in the same design language/aesthetics style as the frontier valks. Anyone who says otherwise isn't paying attention.

I don't think anyone has disagreed with that.