Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[seti88]

 

Scaled with the HMR.

Links to interview with the VF-1 development director for bedtime reading.

Drools...

Edited July 31, 2018 by seti88

[chyll2]

that markings/tampo (some of it are excessive though)

[jenius]

Looks amazing... but needs MOAR RESOLUTION!

[enphily]

https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/series/tamashii/1135339.html

[Sanity is Optional]

Interesting stuff there, specifically these pictures showing how the legs attach to the nosecone.

Edited July 31, 2018 by Sanity is Optional

[chyll2]

Basically, once the nose cone catches the hip joint, you can now detach the bar. Cool stuff but scary with all those plastic

 

 

[no3Ljm]

And here I am thinking that the T-Bar Swivel Joint have a 'swivel' option as what others have pointed out.  

Well, atleast Bandai did something out of ordinary to have a hip waist joint. Which is good in my opinion. Now they need to announce Hikaru's Super VF-1A and Strike VF-1S.

 

Edited July 31, 2018 by no3Ljm

[seti88]

9 minutes ago, chyll2 said:

that markings/tampo (some of it are excessive though)

In the article, basically tenjin-san's experience in real world aircraft (i presume during the macross plus days) designed the tampo's to increase the atmosphere of the aircraft! Take that to mean no steps everywhere lol....

 

[no3Ljm]

Looks like another locking mechanism for Battroid mode for stability.

 

Edited July 31, 2018 by no3Ljm

[Slave IV]

Cool! The article seemed to mention a lot about the SV-262 and how difficult that was to transform and they wanted to avoid that here. 

[no3Ljm]

5 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

Cool! The article seemed to mention a lot about the SV-262 and how difficult that was to transform and they wanted to avoid that here. 

Why did they say that? How difficult they want to transform the VF-1 compared to SV-262?

 

[seti88]

29 minutes ago, jenius said:

Looks amazing... but needs MOAR RESOLUTION!

Can just abt make out vermillion Leader on the striping... 

Edited July 31, 2018 by seti88

[Slave IV]

1 minute ago, no3Ljm said:

Why did they say that? How difficult they want to transform the VF-1 compared to SV-262?

 

The translation for the page is all messed up but what I got from it is they learned from response to the 262 that it was too difficult and not enjoyable to transform. They wanted the VF-1 to be simple and enjoyable to transform. 

[no3Ljm]

3 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

The translation for the page is all messed up but what I got from it is they learned from response to the 262 that it was too difficult and not enjoyable to transform. They wanted the VF-1 to be simple and enjoyable to transform. 

But that's the thing, right? The VF-1 is already simple enough for them to make it difficult. I guess, Bandai's over-engineering team didn't work out for VF-1's.  

 

 

[sh9000]

Awesome.  Can Hikaru’s arms and head move?

[tekering]

3 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

Awesome.  Can Hikaru’s arms and head move?

I should hope not!  Articulated limbs would look terrible on a figure that small.

[seti88]

16 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

Awesome.  Can Hikaru’s arms and head move?

I dont thk so, else it would have been listed as a 'gimmick'. 

Tho it would be pretty funny if you turn hikaru's head around, arms up and posed the fighter flying like that.

[chyll2]

27 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

But that's the thing, right? The VF-1 is already simple enough for them to make it difficult. I guess, Bandai's over-engineering team didn't work out for VF-1's.  

 

 

But this is bandai right. Why do it in two step when you can achieve the same in four. 

[Lord_Of_Tetris]

Aw man, the legs detach and re-attach? *kicks dirt*

I was hoping for perfect transformation.

[Xigfrid]

I now hate this detachable hip bar, my only hope is that I could transform the VF-1J without releasing it. That would prevent the new hip rotation though.

[Vi-RS]

8 minutes ago, Lord_Of_Tetris said:

Aw man, the legs detach and re-attach? *kicks dirt*

I was hoping for perfect transformation.

The original idea is pretty much the same, attach and detach.

 

[Sanity is Optional]

It looks like you can swing the bar with the legs down into position, lock the legs in, and then detach the bar after that.

Which is more-or-less the same sort of thing that it canonically does, but with one central bar rather than the two fiddly piston mechanisms that the Bandai 1/72 model kit used.

[no3Ljm]

38 minutes ago, chyll2 said:

But this is bandai right. Why do it in two step when you can achieve the same in four. 

I guess that's why they don't want it to be difficult for the VF-1. I wonder what's the other things that they thought of or considering when they said they don't want it to be difficult as the SV-262? Curious.  

16 minutes ago, Lord_Of_Tetris said:

Aw man, the legs detach and re-attach? *kicks dirt*

I was hoping for perfect transformation.

Actually, it's still kind of perfect transformation. You bring down the hip joints and attach it under the nosecone first then you detach the swivel bar. Kind of like a simplified version or a different take on how the plane transforms as per the original mech line art.

Edit: I didn't see Vi-RS post earlier. It's the same concept only simplified. You can still keep it attached but you're losing that newly added rotating waist articulation though. But hey, what's to complain about when this is way cheaper than the regular DX Valks and Arcadia's VF-1 releases. And it's in 1/48 scale to boot. Right? 

 

Edited July 31, 2018 by no3Ljm

[seti88]

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Interesting stuff there, specifically these pictures showing how the legs attach to the nosecone.

Looks like that open mouthed connecting piece will tab into the slot just in front of the leading gear bay door, enabling the hips to swivel.

Is that connecting piece still connected to the cross bar of leg joints, when the leg strut bar is snapped onto the teeth in the nose cavity?

If it isn't, that would be an important piece not to lose!! gosh....

[Chronocidal]

Wait.

Allllllllllll that tampo... AND THEY STILL FORGOT THE EJECTION SEAT WARNING?? 

Granted... that doesn't look like a tampo'd copy yet.  The kite on the nose is partially transparent.  Still, to include so many other excessive little details, and forget one of the mainstays of military aircraft warning labels.. yeeesh.

Fortunately... it's really easy to get Hasegawa markings in 1/48 for a VF-1.

In other news though, I applaud Bandai for finally getting over their obsession with die-cast intakes.  Maybe we can finally have a DX valk without paint chipping all over the thighs.

[seti88]

I think they missed that! The tamashii promo page doesnt have any warning triangles either...

That should be something to be included, dang!

[Sanity is Optional]

So, I read through a google translation of the article, and it reads like unhooking the bar from the legs after hooking them into the nose is optional, that is to say, it sounds like you can leave the bar hooked to the legs in battroid, or unhook it to have the waist swivel.

[Xigfrid]

1 hour ago, no3Ljm said:

You can still keep it attached but you're losing that newly added rotating waist articulation though. But hey, what's to complain about when this is way cheaper than the regular DX Valks and Arcadia's VF-1 releases. And it's in 1/48 scale to boot. Right? 

What I hate is the additional steps required for the transformation, the waist rotation is great for posing no argument about that! Bandai could have wisely over-engineered this bar to include a drive shaft or similar assembly, to simplify the transformation and keep the waist rotation gimmic.

[seti88]

That must be what the tab just in front of the landing bay doors is for.
When the connection piece tabs in and also not detached from the swing bar, then you cant rotate the hips, as the swing bar is locked in.

So, to rotate the hips, just unconnect the swing bar from the connection piece.

My question is whether that connection piece is also still a part of the leg bar connecting the 2 legs.

[Vi-RS]

1 minute ago, Xigfrid said:

What I hate is the additional steps required for the transformation, the waist rotation is great for posing no argument about that! Bandai could have wisely over-engineered this bar to include a drive shaft or similar assembly, to simplify the transformation and keep the waist rotation gimmic.

This little thing, held between the fingers, might bring the price to another level which put a big grin on Mr. K's face.

[Xigfrid]

6 minutes ago, seti88 said:

My question is whether that connection piece is also still a part of the leg bar connecting the 2 legs.

It looks like the "jaw" connecting piece can be closed and tabbed to the nose, behind the pelvis in battroid in the rectangular shaped hole

Edited July 31, 2018 by Xigfrid

[vlenhoff]

I don't see the big complication here. The original art had, as we saw earlier, the legs swiveled to the "hip position" and detached. Many would call this a proper step, but now it seems to be a hassle? 

[no3Ljm]

23 minutes ago, Xigfrid said:

What I hate is the additional steps required for the transformation, the waist rotation is great for posing no argument about that! Bandai could have wisely over-engineered this bar to include a drive shaft or similar assembly, to simplify the transformation and keep the waist rotation gimmic.

I didn't know about this drive shaft but it's interesting enough to see it works in the VF-1's. I'm no engineer but I still can't think of any way to keep the swing T-bar yet still ways of having it rotated or swivel.  

14 minutes ago, vlenhoff said:

I don't see the big complication here. The original art had, as we saw earlier, the legs swiveled to the "hip position" and detached. Many would call this a proper step, but now it seems to be a hassle? 

I don't call it as a complication. It's more of a growing concern for stability once you detach the T-bar from the intakes. 

 

[no3Ljm]

I wonder why they decided to put hinge for the nose tip. Does it have a radar gimik inside?

[enphily]

maybe for GBP parts