Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[Hiriyu]

The way that the arms and head recess are really quite nice. One of the other things that gets me about the 1/48 prototype images is how evocative it is for me of the old 1/55 Hi-Metal prototypes, pictured in some of the old artbooks. I think that maybe it's the detailing of the airbrake, and maybe the shape of the jet intakes that really do it for me, but I get a really strong Chunky Monkey vibe from the 1/48 protos even though it's got all the modern design touches.

Edited August 24, 2018 by Hiriyu
added source

[anime52k8]

5 hours ago, seti88 said:

 

That makes it look pretty good.

[danth]

14 hours ago, s_i_t_h_l_o_r_d said:

Has anyone confirmed wether the heat shield transformation is integrated or a part swapper?

 

Asking the real questions here.

Looking at the pics in the above tweet, the shadow under the heat shield makes it look like it's on top of the canopy. So I hope it's integral. 

[seti88]

21 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

That makes it look pretty good.

That's the tampo magic right there . Fingers crossed no bandai shenanigans!
 

[seti88]

1/48VF1Jx1/60VF31F

 

Edited August 25, 2018 by seti88

[no3Ljm]

From the Gwyn's tweet posted above by anime52k8. Can't help noticing. Is that how yellowed the 'ol Yamato 1/48 VF-1J become? Heatshield and the hand looks whiter than the whole figure.

[tekering]

3 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Is that how yellowed the 'ol Yamato 1/48 VF-1J become? Heatshield and the hand looks whiter than the whole figure.

No, it was always that off-white ivory.  The painted heatshield never matched the molded plastic color, even in promotional pics.

[no3Ljm]

8 hours ago, tekering said:

No, it was always that off-white ivory.  The painted heatshield never matched the molded plastic color, even in promotional pics.

*snip*

Thanks Tekering. I didn't know it was already like that. Didn't get a chance of owning the 1/48 line since I already started with their 1/60. Thank you again.

 

[eggy99]

Interesting to see that Bandai are choosing not to tampo the VF on the shins, where as Yamato intended for them to be added by the owner via the sticker sheet.

I much prefer the the visor design on the DX over the Yamato 1/48. It looks really good imo.

The bevel on the shoulders is also very nice on the DX compared to the thin bevels on the Yamato. The 1/60 follows the Yamato 1/48 thickness. Thicker is much closer to the Mecha Manual line art. (source Anymoon - https://goo.gl/images/NVVLGf)

One thing that is a little out of place is the black colouring of the air break flap (?), but again that is also accurate to the line art. Ha!

Love the angle of the head lasers in battroid. I wonder if they are moveable/tilt-able. They are completely straight in fighter, and angled out in battroid. Maybe Bandai cleverly engineered the swivel of the head lasers so they end up angled out in battroid and then completely straight for fighter.

Also the backpack sits at just the perfect height on the DX. I noticed that it sits a too high on the HM-R line.

 

HMR / DX / Yamato 1/60 / Line Art

It's interesting that the HMR got the bottom flap detail the most accurate to the line art.

You just keep seeing lots of differences the more you look. Now I've noticed that the elbow armour is the least line art accurate on the Yamato, and most accurate on the DX, then followed by the HMR.

[jenius]

I think the elbow line art varied on TV type vs DYRL type.

[HardlyNever]

6 hours ago, eggy99 said:

Also the backpack sits at just the perfect height on the DX. I noticed that it sits a too high on the HM-R line.

 

HMR / DX / Yamato 1/60 / Line Art

It's interesting that the HMR got the bottom flap detail the most accurate to the line art.

It always seemed to me that the backpack flap was/is supposed to slide out of the backpack, not fold down.  But you never really get a clear look at that specific part during transformation.  I understand why older toys just have the fold down flap(it is a lot easier to do), but it seems that now that the precedent is set, no one is going to try the slide out variant.

I was kind of hoping Bandai would try something new in that area, but I think there is basically no expectation for improvement for that part, since it is a pretty minor detail.

[lechuck]

Actually when looking at those rear shots, the keen eye will notice that Yamato has got a perfect height alignment between chest and back-plate.

The HMR VF-1 is the biggest sinner for misalignment and the 1/48 seems to have it too, albeit not so pronounced.

[slide]

1 hour ago, HardlyNever said:

It always seemed to me that the backpack flap was/is supposed to slide out of the backpack, not fold down.  But you never really get a clear look at that specific part during transformation.  I understand why older toys just have the fold down flap(it is a lot easier to do), but it seems that now that the precedent is set, no one is going to try the slide out variant.

I was kind of hoping Bandai would try something new in that area, but I think there is basically no expectation for improvement for that part, since it is a pretty minor detail.

you got me thinking................................. and Actually:

I don't think it's supposed to move at all... the flap seems to remain perfectly stationary while the backpack flips up over top of it

You can see it "extended and stationary" again here:

I think the whole pivoting-flap thing arose because that plate is overtech-anime-magic that would completely obstruct what we now all know and love as the normal range of motion for the backpack on a toy.

 

 

So, Turns out there is room to 'accurize' that part..... but it may be more trouble than it's worth.

[jenius]

9 minutes ago, lechuck said:

Actually when looking at those rear shots, the keen eye will notice that Yamato has got a perfect height alignment between chest and back-plate.

The HMR VF-1 is the biggest sinner for misalignment and the 1/48 seems to have it too, albeit not so pronounced.

I think the angle is playing tricks, Yamato backpacks were always low while Bandai typically went a little high. The DX looks like it nailed it.

[Slave IV]

The pic of the HMR backpack is mistransformed. You’re supposed to push it down after flipping it up to “lock” it in place.

[derex3592]

1 hour ago, Slave IV said:

The pic of the HMR backpack is mistransformed. You’re supposed to push it down after flipping it up to “lock” it in place.

I just realized that very fact yesterday while watching @jenius transformation guide for HM-R's while playing around with my VT-1! I never realized the backpack could click down lower in Battroid, it does look much better now! All mine have been wrong for months!   

[Slave IV]

3 minutes ago, derex3592 said:

I just realized that very fact yesterday while watching @jenius transformation guide for HM-R's while playing around with my VT-1! I never realized the backpack could click down lower in Battroid, it does look much better now! All mine have been wrong for months!   

That pic above looks abnormally high even if it wasn’t pushed down. Maybe that’s just how high it is but I don’t remember since I always push it down and don’t recall seeing other pics of it that high. 

[Archer]

Finally found a good price for this on From Japan proxy services, glad I have an order confirmed 

[eggy99]

I forgot where I sourced that HMR image from. Maybe official Bandai, but then again we know Bandai are not perfectionists when transforming their own toys for promo shots. LOL! We should update the above comparison of the backpack with a properly transformed HMR.

I really appreciate that the DX doesn't require the clip like the the 1/60 to keep the backpack close to the body. I wonder what kind of crazy Bandai engineering is involved to keep it tight and not flopping around. Does the HMR have a lock?

I did a little research and noticed both SDFM and DYRL elbow designs are the same (unless the line art was lazy line art). Each line art had the correct hand designs to signify if it was SDFM or DYRL. So I wonder where Yamato got the filled in elbow design from.

[Chronocidal]

50 minutes ago, eggy99 said:

I really appreciate that the DX doesn't require the clip like the the 1/60 to keep the backpack close to the body. I wonder what kind of crazy Bandai engineering is involved to keep it tight and not flopping around. Does the HMR have a lock?

In all my twenty something v.2 VF-1s, I've never once had to use that clip to get the backpack to stay up.  It's actually been more of an eyesore, because the clips tend to go limp, and dangle around in fighter mode.  

[treatment]

1 hour ago, eggy99 said:

I really appreciate that the DX doesn't require the clip like the the 1/60 to keep the backpack close to the body. I wonder what kind of crazy Bandai engineering is involved to keep it tight and not flopping around. Does the HMR have a lock?

 

The 1/60s doesn't really require you to use it to keep the backpack close, as they are quite secured. It's just an added option to do so.

Not sure if this DX will or will not require the clip to secure the backpack properly, but HMR sure could very much use a clip since it ain't quite as secured and has a tendency to flop out easily.

[jenius]

Yep, it's super confusing that the HMR doesn't have the backpack lock that the original hi metal did... What a strange backward step.

[derex3592]

I've always used the clip on my Yamato's to clip the pack down, it just unfinished in my brain if I don't!  That being said, they do become a bit loose over the years in fighter mode, but nothing horrible, and we are talking about toys that are now going on 10 years old! 

[danth]

Isn't the backpack supposed to be "higher" or closer to the cockpit in gerwalk mode? It would be nice if you could slide the backpack "up" for gerwalk mode and down for battroid. Not sure if the Hi Metal has this feature but pretty sure no other toy does.

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, danth said:

Isn't the backpack supposed to be "higher" or closer to the cockpit in gerwalk mode? It would be nice if you could slide the backpack "up" for gerwalk mode and down for battroid. Not sure if the Hi Metal has this feature but pretty sure no other toy does.

I actually realized that I'd done this accidentally on my VT-1 the other day.  The backpack hinge on that one will let you shift the backpack up and down maybe half an inch, depending on the angle, but it might be a side effect of the different backpack design, and how the tails don't fold flat.  I'd have to unpack a regular VF-1 to see how much room there is to shift it.

Also to keep in mind, doing that will play with the angles of the boosters, if you have fast packs mounted.

[kkx]

On 8/26/2018 at 6:03 PM, Archer said:

Finally found a good price for this on From Japan proxy services, glad I have an order confirmed 

 

Do you mind sharing where I can get still order one with "good price"?

 

Edit: never mind, just found "From Japan".

Edited August 30, 2018 by kkx

[Archer]

4 hours ago, kkx said:

 

Do you mind sharing where I can get still order one with "good price"?

 

Edit: never mind, just found "From Japan".

Let me know if you still need help. They have a lot of auctions going for around 21,000 yen. It's a premium but better than some of the absurd prices people on ebay are asking. 

[canklebreaker]

Anyone plan on panel lining this figure? Would it be the same as if you were to panel line a Gundam kit?

[tekering]

20 minutes ago, canklebreaker said:

Would it be the same as if you were to panel line a Gundam kit?

Oh sure, exactly the same... if you waited until after you'd completely painted and assembled the Gundam before doing the panel-lining.  

[derex3592]

I'm about 95% certain I will panel line it with Flory's yeh.

Edited September 10, 2018 by derex3592

[eggy99]

I'm undecided if I will apply weathered detailing (real touch markers, and dry brushing). I haven't tried on a completely white surface. Lightest was Arcadia YF-19 base. Light tan is forgiving. White probably not so much, and I wouldn't want it to look overly artificial.

Depends how stunning it looks vanilla.

Also detailing 3 valks... You'll see my work posted here in.... 2025. 

I still haven't finished my weathered VF-1A CF.

[mickyg]

Agree completely!  I used to love detailing up the toys I had, but that was because I had only a handful.  These days, with the growing collection, even just looking at all the work involved to "do it right" by my standards (translation: spend way too much time on stuff that nobody but me will ever see) makes me think of being really, really old...

That said, the white valks can look fantastic if you work with a very light gray as the panel line wash.  I did this with the Yamato VF-1J v2 I have and it's not half bad.  Just have to go really easy on it.

[Sanity is Optional]

If you want to be super lazy: gundam pour-type markers for panel lining, they cost like $2-$4 each depending where you buy from. Touch the tip to a panel line, and watch the line fill via capillary action. Cleanup is just isopropyl on a swab, or wiping it with a finger/eraser if you want to be even lazier.

[SpaceCowboy]

I way missed the boat on this.  I'll pick it up when the inevitable VF-1A/VF-1S is released.  Was the preorder the typical bandai madness of 5 minute window then sold out, or did they provide enough stock this time?

[Sanity is Optional]

6 minutes ago, SpaceCowboy said:

I way missed the boat on this.  I'll pick it up when the inevitable VF-1A/VF-1S is released.  Was the preorder the typical bandai madness of 5 minute window then sold out, or did they provide enough stock this time?

It sold out relatively quickly, I think on the order of minutes at each shop (like 30min max?). Of course, the fact it lasted that long speaks of pretty high production volumes.