Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[seti88]

5 hours ago, NeoMatter said:

 

 

I find attaching the gunpod helps remedy this.

@jenius you mentioned under new (improvements) Bandai brought the lowering head in fighter/gerwalk. This already existed with the 1/60 VF-1 v2, so not new? Unless you meant a direct comparison between 1/48 and not v2? Sorry wasn't sure what you were trying to convey.

Skull Leader VF-1S PeekA Boo by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

 

 

Wow i guess the 1/48 head gimmick wasn't the only valk to have it! Tho i think the 1/48 head recesses more and then pop's out a fair bit, so that's something...

5 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

 amiami came in 5 mins ago,  going to keep 'em boxed. i'll wait for roy and prob get 5x.  Roy's my favorite. 

i hope they do tv roy pilot and dyrl roy pilot and then low viz roy... then... low viz supers, and dyrl supers. and correct everything by then.

then have hikaru riding in roy's plane special edition with red tipped missiles and tv color super packs with tampos specific to roys.   

 

 

 

 

Hehe i almost posted the same pic of the 2 in ami's box! 

Roy would be great! Hopefully its being planned for a release this year!

1 hour ago, eggy99 said:

For those that have not received their yet and want to see the arm tabs, this is what we're working with:

 

The friction on these isn't amazing. There is no satisfying click. Any pressure pushing those arms out of position will give you droopy arms in Fighter mode on the DX. I managed to get the left arm on mine to stay put by adjusting the legs around a bit and reseating everything.

The legs attach just like the Yamarcadia 1/60.

 

Imagery sourced from this YT video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m2HBHt8328

Regarding the FAST pack armor, we now only have 1 hole for the leg armor to attach to if it's the same implementation as Yamarcadia. The back pack armor situation is the same. It will be interesting to see how Bandai implement a secure connection.

Thanks for the pics...perhaps some future clear coating would add more friction to the tabs...

[dragonstar1982]

47 minutes ago, kkx said:

Thanks for sharing and clarifying.

It is weird that the part that you sand away will cause it to not attach to the original yamato wing. Seems like the horizontal tab should be the one holding it in place rather than the vertical face. Anyway, I don't have the original yamato missile anyway, so I am more interested in 3d printing a pylon that will take Hasegawa's 1/48 missile set and attach them to the DX.

Can I trouble you with more photo from a few more angle so that I can use that to design my fusion 360 model? Thanks.

Ill send you some pics through pm ok

[dragonstar1982]

56 minutes ago, kkx said:

Thanks for sharing and clarifying.

It is weird that the part that you sand away will cause it to not attach to the original yamato wing. Seems like the horizontal tab should be the one holding it in place rather than the vertical face. Anyway, I don't have the original yamato missile anyway, so I am more interested in 3d printing a pylon that will take Hasegawa's 1/48 missile set and attach them to the DX.

Can I trouble you with more photo from a few more angle so that I can use that to design my fusion 360 model? Thanks.

Sorry for all the pics on the board everyone

[NeoMatter]

5 minutes ago, seti88 said:

Thanks for the pics...perhaps some future clear coating would add more friction to the tabs...

The problem with the tab is that I think it's more an alignment issue or some odd issue in that line. It's not 'loose' and you stick it in only to have it pop out as if either the hole is smaller than the tab or vice versa. It just refuses to peg in not due to looseness but like some force is being exerted on it to make it pop off. That's what's happening on my copy.

[MacrossMania]

9 hours ago, HardlyNever said:

Isn't that a false equivalency, though?  The original takatokus where designed to be daily play toys for kids.  I don't remember the recommended age for them (did they even have one?) but I can guarantee that they were thinking somewhere in the 7-10 y/o range (minimum) for those toys.

The modern toys are specifically marketed to adult collectors.  Most boxes have 14 or 15 as the recommended age, but the marketing and price shoots even older than that.

Of course I would like a little bit more durability (or just QC, as this is probably more of a QC issue than durability), but all things have a price.

If it was a false equivalency, Bandai wouldn't have gone to the lengths that it did to make the DX as durable as it is.  It's leagues above the Yamato 1/48's, which clearly deserve the name display piece. I just think there's room for improvement if you really want to make the absolutely perfect toy.  It's the perfectionist in me.  It would be nice to have durability that lasts a decade or longer with more than just time spent on a desk or behind a glass walled cabinet, and the occasional swoosh by an admiring collector.

You don't have to look any further than the Metal Build line to see the kind of durability that Bandai is capable of.  Of course, those do not transform, and so maybe there's a lot more room to play with in terms of the amount of heavy plastics and nigh bulletproof die cast that is used in those things, and so maybe we're just right back where we started, teasing the mind with possibilities that simply can't exist in the real world.

Edited January 8, 2019 by MacrossMania

[seti88]

7 minutes ago, NeoMatter said:

The problem with the tab is that I think it's more an alignment issue or some odd issue in that line. It's not 'loose' and you stick it in only to have it pop out as if either the hole is smaller than the tab or vice versa. It just refuses to peg in not due to looseness but like some force is being exerted on it to make it pop off. That's what's happening on my copy.

Hmmm will try it once i start transforming my copy.
On the surface it sounds like the arms must be "precisely" aligned to avoid unnecessary force popping itself out.  

Maybe some massaging will help. (On the valk, not me.)
Will try it later. (transforming valk, not massaging)

[ArchieNov]

I don't know why people are so concerned with fast packs now when no one has any clear idea of how they'll be implemented yet. It's needless worrying at this point in time.

[MacrossMania]

Just now, ArchieNov said:

I don't know why people are so concerned with fast packs now when no one has any clear idea of how they'll be implemented yet. It's needless worrying at this point in time.

LOL.  How collectors love anticipating the next big thing.  They turn it over in their minds endlessly!

[seti88]

I think everyone has been guilty of that at one point or the other! 

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by seti88

[no3Ljm]

It's because the Fast Packs are simple add-ons that can be attach easily for us not to have an idea of how they will going to implement it. I mean, it's only been done in a simple manner. That way, we can anticipate if they already planned this ahead without making this Valk all droopy afterwards. Unless, Bandai is going to screw us for re-releasing again the VF-1J with a fix pegs and holes where to attach the Fast Packs securely.

 

 

[MacrossMania]

2 minutes ago, seti88 said:

Sounds like....

 

Reminds me of the fantasies I used to have about toys when I was a kid and I hadn't yet purchased them, or my parents hadn't at least.  Or maybe the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, when I would sneak into the closet and just stare at the toys my parents hadn't yet wrapped for Christmas Day.  One time my mother even discovered me and scolded me for it!  I guess some things never change lol.

[kkx]

32 minutes ago, dragonstar1982 said:

Sorry for all the pics on the board everyone

 

Thank you for the photos, this is very useful.

Edited January 8, 2019 by kkx

[no3Ljm]

I guess, it's just normal for collectors to be concerned knowing that Bandai already released this toy and announced that there will be add-on parts afterwards for us to be concerned about the quality of it. Besides members are already posting some concerns and pointers regarding the pegs, attachments and whatnot for us not to be concerned. Just saying.

 

[vlenhoff]

in my tracking it shows "item returned from import customs" I hope this is not a negative thing, with the gov closed and all. 

[bleecher]

15 minutes ago, vlenhoff said:

in my tracking it shows "item returned from import customs" I hope this is not a negative thing, with the gov closed and all. 

In that past for me, all that has meant is that customs has finished inspecting it and returned it to the postal service for delivery.

[vlenhoff]

1 minute ago, bleecher said:

In that past for me, all that has meant is that customs has finished inspecting it and returned it to the postal service for delivery.

I hope you're right. Thanks for the reply!

[F360]

24 minutes ago, vlenhoff said:

in my tracking it shows "item returned from import customs" I hope this is not a negative thing, with the gov closed and all. 

no worries , it's like Bleecher said, it's just mean they are done with it and your package is back on-track to it's next stage of the delivery process 

[Shawn]

For the Arms, I am scared to death about pushing them into the fully open position

I really have to just push and have it go over that little detent? Having flashbacks of Yamato pins cracking open.

I can't get the chest cavity fillers in unless I get the arm hinges fully into position.

This picture is the correct position right?.  Mine are currently flapping at 45 degrees, and I see a few others as well.

 

[ArchieNov]

Yes, you have to push it past the detent at the base hinge.

No, your current position is not correct as it hasn't gone past the detent. Once you do, the base hinge should be locked solid.

[chyll2]

I will probably have mine on February but is the shoulder provide an impression of durability or saw it as a potential breaking point?

[ArchieNov]

It feels sturdy enough to me, but time will tell. Certainly feels less prone to breakage compared to Yamato/Arcadia shoulder hinges as you don't flex the plastic as much.

[seti88]

magnetized intakes. if not mistaken, he applied magnets on the top inside of the intake covers...

Edited January 8, 2019 by seti88

[Dobber]

Nice.....I don’t know why but I just love the sound of them clicking into place. So satisfying.

Chris

[seti88]

Now that’s premium! Arcadia could up the  macross ante and take on bandai by magnetizing everything.. 

[NeoMatter]

Well, I seem to have figured out my sagging arm problem due to it not pegging into the underside body tab. The alignment is off by a millimeter causing the arm not to peg in properly. When realigned it fits snug into the peg. Shook it around and it's solidly in. So if any of you have this issue, this could be the cause.

 

Arm Alignment Issue by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

 

Arm Alignment Tabbed by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

[Froy]

In stock at Nippon Yasan

https://www.nippon-yasan.com/lang-es/figures/25676-super-dimensional-fortress-macross-dx-chogokin-vf-1j-valkyrie-ichijo-hikaru-custom.html

 

[nightmareB4macross]

Wow. The price just keeps getting higher. Could be due to the rising Yen, demand, or some other factor.

 

[Toonz]

received this beautiful bird today!

[davidwhangchoi]

36 minutes ago, NeoMatter said:

Well, I seem to have figured out my sagging arm problem due to it not pegging into the underside body tab. The alignment is off by a millimeter causing the arm not to peg in properly. When realigned it fits snug into the peg. Shook it around and it's solidly in. So if any of you have this issue, this could be the cause.

 

Arm Alignment Issue by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

 

Arm Alignment Tabbed by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

thanks 

[treatment]

42 minutes ago, NeoMatter said:

Well, I seem to have figured out my sagging arm problem due to it not pegging into the underside body tab. The alignment is off by a millimeter causing the arm not to peg in properly. When realigned it fits snug into the peg. Shook it around and it's solidly in. So if any of you have this issue, this could be the cause.

 

Arm Alignment Issue by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

 

Arm Alignment Tabbed by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

 

I'm a bit confused with the pic #1.

It looks offset.

Is that before or after you got it to work properly?

 

[NeoMatter]

12 minutes ago, treatment said:

 

I'm a bit confused with the pic #1.

It looks offset.

Is that before or after you got it to work properly?

 

It is offset in order to get the arm pegged into the tab. If I aligned both arms (no offset), the arm will not peg and pop out of the tab.

[treatment]

10 minutes ago, NeoMatter said:

It is offset in order to get the arm pegged into the tab. If I aligned both arms (no offset), the arm will not peg and pop out of the tab.

Ok, thanks.

That's kinda what I was afraid of, however.  

Our first instinct was to make sure everything is aligned properly, but now your finding makes it go against  that. 

So should we deem this a bonafide Bandai QC issue (design or mfg) ?

 

 

[kaiotheforsaken]

Got mine yesterday, but didn't have a chance to open it up and take a look. This is a pretty exciting release for me, I've always liked the 1J but for one reason or another never bought one. I still have my old 1/48 Roy 1S so at least this will have some company on the shelf.

[NeoMatter]

13 minutes ago, treatment said:

Ok, thanks.

That's kinda what I was afraid of, however.  

Our first instinct was to make sure everything is aligned properly, but now your finding makes it go against  that. 

So should we deem this a bonafide Bandai QC issue (design or mfg) ?

 

 

Maybe more of a manufacturing QC problem? Not sure how many are experiencing this issue. Similar to the latch that holds the swing bar. Mine is solid and hard to remove, while others pop easily.

[spacemanoeuvres]

Anyone else still waiting for NY to ship theirs out?

I paid the extra shipping cost and it’s been “in progress” ever since.