Bandai 1/72 VF-25F Alto Custom

[JohnnyJr]

Hi,

I am new to the forums. Just completed my old Bandai VF-25F Alto custom that I had for awhile now and would like to share it with you guys for some feedback.

This kit is very time consuming and there is a lot of work that is needed to be done (lots of decals and panel-lining).

The end product is great but the kit itself is very fragile and the fit between pieces isn't too good. Every time I move it, it feels like something might break apart (I already broke 2 minor parts). Also, the waterslide decals which are brittle themselves already are always rubbing against each other which may cause them to tear Especially the decal on the battroid's head).

Therefore, I decided that I will not risk transforming it and just leave it in gerwalk mode. The gerwalk mode's movements especially around the legs are very limited and cannot extend too wide apart which was pretty disappointing. Other than that it looks great!

[fhrex]

First off, nice work! I'm in the process of building the RVF-25. I've completed the VF-25F and the armored VF-25S. These kits are, in my opinion, the very best in Macross transformable kits. They are fragile, but remember, they are kits and not toys. I bought a VF-100s figure to mess around with. I transform my kits into the mode that I want to display them in, and leave them on my Macross shelf. LOL! Beautiful work! : )

[JohnnyJr]

Hey fhrex thanks

Do you have any experience with Hasegawa macross kits? If so, how are they? I am thinking of switching to Hasegawa since they are cheaper and I don't really need a transformable kit. I have however read that their plastic quality is brittle, the panel lines are very shallow and the kits require lots of glue and putty filling.

Thanks!

[mickyg]

I've built both. Nice work on the 25F.

In my opinion, the Hasegawa kits are absolutely worth getting. I wouldn't describe the plastic quality as brittle. Compared to Bandai, it's definitely different. But the Bandai kits have a lot of ABS in them and ABS is definitely more flexible than PolyStyrene (PS) plastic. That said, I've never had a part crack on me during assembly. Unless you're talking about cutting it off the plastic sprue, in which case, yes, that can happen with small thin parts. As for panel lines, you'll find them less deep, true, but I also think this looks a lot more accurate. And the details is exquisite, even compared to the already nice Bandai kits. Glue is a prerequisite, yes. But I think you'll find it's not as scary as it looks. The kits are engineered very well and gluing is pretty logical and often concealed.

The only thing I'd add is that painting is generally a must. You won't find giant decals/stickers in the Hasegawa kits to fill in large areas of different colour like in the Bandai kits. But I recall even Bandai didn't give you markings for everything, so perhaps this isn't such a problem for you.

In short, grab a Frontier Hasegawa kit and you'll see what I mean!

Edited January 24, 2016 by mickyg

[kajnrig]

Hasegawa kits tend to require a broader skill set, so I'd actually suggest starting with an old-school Bandai kit (80s, early 90s kits) if you're apprehensive about Hasegawa. Or really, any sub-$15 kit that you don't mind beating up on. They'll typically have lots of seam lines that will give you practice with gluing, sanding, puttying, painting, etc.

As for the plastic quality, I've noticed that Hasegawa actually tends to have softer plastic than Bandai does. Some of that owes to the thinness of the parts (which is probably also the reason for the perception of them being brittle), and some of it has to do with Hasegawa using a different polystyrene formula. The engraved panel lines are definitely more shallow than Bandai ones, but I've never understood that to be a bad thing. Like mickyg said, they're a fair bit more accurate and better-looking.

So yeah. If you're coming from a primarily Bandai/gunpla/mecha background (like I did), Hasegawa definitely takes some getting used to. But if you've built scale models before (tanks, aircraft, etc.), you'll be right at home.

Nice build. I've been wanting to get my hands on a full range of Bandai VF-25s myself, even if I already have the Hasegawa version (which is all-around, without a doubt the better model kit) on hand. General consensus is that they make for perfectly fine Battroid and Gerwalk renditions, but fighter mode leaves something to be desired (which is where the Hasegawa kit comes in).

In case you're interested, user Jefuemon has started a WIP thread kitbashing the Hasegawa VF-25 and the Bandai Tornado pack. You might be able to get more insight into the Hasegawa kit there: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=43365

[JohnnyJr]

Hey guys thanks for sharing your experiences.

The WIP sections are really insightful and I have picked up a few tricks.

I think I will grab a Hasegawa VF-1S with strike parts and give it a go after I am done with my next project (non-macross).

My background is similar to Kajnrig's as I have only ever assembled and painted fully snap fitted kits by Bandai so it should be a fun experience.

Edited January 25, 2016 by JohnnyJr

[David Hingtgen]

What did you use to make the canopy purple?

[JohnnyJr]

Hi David,

I used gaianotes clear purple.

[David Hingtgen]

Thanks. I bought some of that but haven't tried it yet.