Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[ScrambledValkyrie]

Great photos, @Lolicon! Looking forward to when mine arrives.

 

[David Hingtgen]

19 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Hi-speed mode at least is somewhat necessary due to the wing folding in battroid mode.

No it's not.  Every YF-19 and VF-19 mold before the last 2, did fine without it.  It's adding in the extra hinges that are SOLELY for high-speed mode, that "ruined" the wings in fighter mode.  Just "rotating backwards for battroid mode" doesn't cause any issues at all. 

[Sanity is Optional]

6 minutes ago, David Hingtgen said:

No it's not.  Every YF-19 and VF-19 mold before the last 2, did fine without it.  It's adding in the extra hinges that are SOLELY for high-speed mode, that "ruined" the wings in fighter mode.  Just "rotating backwards for battroid mode" doesn't cause any issues at all. 

The second hinge is necessary to fold properly in battroid mode IIRC.

[MacrossMania]

Just picked up my copy.  It was the last one available in the store and I called to secure it literally minutes after it had been posted.  Wow!  My luck is just extraordinary at this point.  

[davidwhangchoi]

1 hour ago, Lolicon said:

She's here! Yay!

Opened her up and took a few quick pics. She's a beautiful bird alright.

As noted before, plastic is a greyish-white like the HMR versions and not bright white like the Yamato. Some dirty spots and mold release agent here and there, which is par for the course for Bandai stuff.

Feet are solid die cast.

Did someone say the box would be the same size as the DX 31? 

Contents (not including the stand trays)

Showing off the lovely tampo printing.

I'm with the peeps that don't care for the wing flap gimmick: it's not realistic and it leaves an unsightly gap in the wings.

Wish Bandai didn't tampo print UN SPACY right over the leg vents like that (will look unsightly with a wash).

Compared with the Yamato 1/60 version.

Yeah, we got HMR'd on the pilot size. And no ejection seat markings.

First impression overall is that she's a fantastic looking (and hefty) bird. Definitely a big step forward from the old Yamato 1/48. Though not sure I will want to replace my entire 1/60 squadrons with these 1/48s, but I'll cross that bridge if Bandai ever builds it. At the very least I'll want Focker's ride.

Will tinker with the transformation later when I get back home. I'm going to want to panel line and add some extra decals too. And paint the landing gear!

sir, you make me jealous (only till i open mine)

My Jetfire arrived!

 

[Sanity is Optional]

Well, mine is scheduled for delivery today. Unfortunately I’m out of town until the 2nd and there’s nobody around to sign for it. So had to have them hold delivery.

[treatment]

Mine's currently in route with the delivery courier.

As such,

Don't think onnasake bought one, so gotta wonder who else here will the first to get Bandai'd by this DX.

Most likely DWC...

 

[davidwhangchoi]

27 minutes ago, treatment said:

Mine's currently in route with the delivery courier.

As such,

Don't think onnasake bought one, so gotta wonder who else here will the first to get Bandai'd by this DX.

Most likely DWC...

 

[Dangard Ace]

Bloody hell.  Amazon DHL shipping said Friday delivery so I sent it to work.   This morning it said delivery attempt.   Not at work and work closed at 1pm.  Guess I’ll get it in the New Year.  Rabble rabble.  First world problems.  

[mcfly50]

Just got mine.  Amazon DHL was amazing fast (and cheap). NY still hasn’t shipped my other despite paying days ago and now their website says closed till Jan 6. Not a fan (I’m sure they deserve time off but considering I paid a markup I’m looking for other options in the future). 

Just want to echo the other comments on here. Really like it, not sure it will replace my 1/60 collection. One thing that I think Yamato/Arcadia does better is locking in the arms in fighter mode. Mine want to drag down when the gun is installed on the DX. 

[dapro]

I guess I will have to enjoy everyone's pictures while I wait for mine from amiami, and I selected SAL parcel too. The tampo looks nice! Premium finish!

[treatment]

received mine.

Haven't transform it, yet.

Nice heft and heavy enough. 

Rear landing gears are a bit articulated with side-to-side movements when deployed.  It has detents in forward positions, but not with the side-to-side positioning.

The wing-flaps are annoying, but quite secure enough.

anyway some initial pictarz...

box comparo pics:

 

dx/yammie160v2/hmr valks sizings...

 

comparo of various 1/48 "head pilots" (legendary and still funny mwf thingy) ...

 

 

 

[no3Ljm]

Great pics, @Lolicon and @treatment!  

By the way, can I request a pic of the YamArcadia 1/60 pilot inside the DX 1/48 cockpit, please. Thanks!

 

[nightmareB4macross]

Nice pics treatment. Would you mind placing the DX pilot alongside the 1/48 and the 1/60 counterparts.

[Powered Convoy]

Got mine today from Amazon Japan. Looking forward to busting it open. 

[treatment]

1 hour ago, no3Ljm said:

Great pics, @Lolicon and @treatment!  

By the way, can I request a pic of the YamArcadia 1/60 pilot inside the DX 1/48 cockpit, please. Thanks!

Sure. Here:

51 minutes ago, nightmareB4macross said:

Nice pics treatment. Would you mind placing the DX pilot alongside the 1/48 and the 1/60 counterparts.

don't mind at all.

I don't have the yammie 1/48 Hikkie-1J anymore, unfortunately, but here's DX and the 1/60v2, instead:

 

And if somebody's interested, here's DX Hikkie inside the 1/60v2 Yammie:

 

Edited January 1, 2019 by treatment

[nightmareB4macross]

40 minutes ago, treatment said:

Sure. Here:

don't mind at all.

I don't have the yammie 1/48 Hikkie-1J anymore, unfortunately, but here's DX and the 1/60v2, instead:

 

And if somebody's interested, here's DX Hikkie inside the 1/60v2 Yammie:

 

Thanks for pictures.

That last frame with DX Hikaru in the pilot seat of 1/60 is what I always pictured if Roy was scaled accordingly. That guy was tall!

[Sanity is Optional]

So, looks like the pilot is the right height, it’s just much less bulky than the yamarcadia versions.

[Sildani]

Mine arrived today too! I’ll have time to look at it tomorrow. 

[no3Ljm]

1 hour ago, treatment said:

Sure. Here:

*snip*

Thanks sir! Really appreciated. Thought they were the same size somehow since the 1/48 pilot looks scaled wrong like the HMR.

I think my eyes played a trick on me while looking at @Lolicon's pic. 

 

[davidwhangchoi]

Rick Hunter went on a diet

[no3Ljm]

26 minutes ago, davidwhangchoi said:

Rick Hunter went on a diet

Probably he's on Keto diet?

 

[Powered Convoy]

Very nice figure. I like mine. Though it's one of my least favorite of the VF-1's.

My only complaint is the legs don't like to stay attached to the swing bar when transformation. The latch keeps coming undone. 

[seti88]

Happy new year MWF!

so many awesome new valk pics!

DHL came thru over the new year ...

Anyone gonna attempt cockpit decaling?

And boy for something the DX 1J does that no other(?) valk does, no one (on the net) is putting up pics of it? Hint * gerwalk laser cutters*

even in all vids reviews was it even shown? 

Edited January 1, 2019 by seti88

[CF18]

Can the head drop down and acts as a turret in F and G mode?

[seti88]

Bingo...does it work in fighter mode?

Edited January 1, 2019 by seti88

[canklebreaker]

On 12/30/2018 at 10:14 AM, sh9000 said:

Looks good tekering.    Was there a TV style left closed fist included?

Hey bbrain I would have given you my preorder from HLJ if I knew you were looking for it.  I’ll be sure to check with people on here before cancelling any future preorders.  Hope you get one for a good price.

Please keep me in mind also!

[neuromancer]

So I received mine today... I must say... I'm not happy with it... In fighter mode, it seems pretty good at least..

Here are my personal thoughts on it:

1. The nose folds down... and it does so rather easily. It will stay in if you touch it, so it's not floppy, but it's not particularly tight either. It technically tabs in, but there doesn't seem to be any tension from the tab. I feel like this a minor issue, but is an issue (at least for me). See my picture to see what I mean though:

2. There's a door just behind the cockpit area (you can see it in the picture just above the heat shield)... The door opens up to show some detail, but I'm not really sure what purpose is served by it, I feel like it could break off kinda easily, but fortunately, it seems to stay closed decently, though it doesn't tab in. Fairly minor.

3. With the default articulate hands, the gunpod is held quite poorly. I struggle to get it in, and it doesn't stay in very well at all. I felt this was a problem on the v2's, but it's much worse here. This is a less minor issue... but I will say that  at least without the gun, the hands themselves are otherwise definitely way better than on the Yamato/Arcadia v2's FWIW.

4. The fins on the legs don't really lock into any position, so they to end up being moved out of place very easily (see my picture).

5. And finally the legs... As soon as I started moving from gerwalk to battroid mode, both of the legs popped off... And they're clearly designed to come off. After being very careful, I was able to transform into battroid mode without popping off the legs, and it was easy to get them plugged into the nose correctly (other than the effort to keep the legs attached). So I'm not sure why they went with this design choice. It's pretty clear that this was a deliberate design choice and not a QC issue. The legs have a little plastic door mechanism so you can attach/detach the legs pretty easily... And although there's some decent tension on this door, it's not enough due to the weight of the legs. To me at least, this is a pretty big deal... How long has the v2 been out now? Since 2008? I know I got my first one in 2010... Yamato got this right 8-10 years ago on a 1/60 scale toy. I feel like they probably did this so people could just detach the legs to make the transformation easier, but as I said, it wasn't hard at all for me to get them into position while keeping the legs attached.

What's really disappointing to me is that, other than the issues, this would be a fantastic toy. The limbs otherwise feel REALLY good. The plastic is great. The tampo is awesome. I really like the look of the gunpod (I haven't tried attaching the strap to it).

There's a new arm delivery mechanism that's pretty cool, though I don't know that I think it's ultimately better than the Yamato/Arcadia approach, but it's definitely well designed.

I'm going to think about it for a few days, but I think I may just end up selling it. Different things bug different people, but the detaching leg issue is a going to be a deal  breaker for me. Makes it feel a bit partsformer-esque.

Definitely looking forward to what other people have to say about this toy. There is a lot here that's really good and therefore others may end up loving it.

 

 

[neuromancer]

Quick follow up... A moment after my previous post, I somehow managed to get the valkyrie to hold its gun pretty securely. I guess it takes a little practice, or at least it did for me.

[davidwhangchoi]

16 minutes ago, neuromancer said:

So I received mine today... I must say... I'm not happy with it... In fighter mode, it seems pretty good at least..

Here are my personal thoughts on it:

1. The nose folds down... and it does so rather easily. It will stay in if you touch it, so it's not floppy, but it's not particularly tight either. It technically tabs in, but there doesn't seem to be any tension from the tab. I feel like this a minor issue, but is an issue (at least for me). See my picture to see what I mean though:

2. There's a door just behind the cockpit area (you can see it in the picture just above the heat shield)... The door opens up to show some detail, but I'm not really sure what purpose is served by it, I feel like it could break off kinda easily, but fortunately, it seems to stay closed decently, though it doesn't tab in. Fairly minor.

3. With the default articulate hands, the gunpod is held quite poorly. I struggle to get it in, and it doesn't stay in very well at all. I felt this was a problem on the v2's, but it's much worse here. This is a less minor issue... but I will say that  at least without the gun, the hands themselves are otherwise definitely way better than on the Yamato/Arcadia v2's FWIW.

4. The fins on the legs don't really lock into any position, so they to end up being moved out of place very easily (see my picture).

5. And finally the legs... As soon as I started moving from gerwalk to battroid mode, both of the legs popped off... And they're clearly designed to come off. After being very careful, I was able to transform into battroid mode without popping off the legs, and it was easy to get them plugged into the nose correctly (other than the effort to keep the legs attached). So I'm not sure why they went with this design choice. It's pretty clear that this was a deliberate design choice and not a QC issue. The legs have a little plastic door mechanism so you can attach/detach the legs pretty easily... And although there's some decent tension on this door, it's not enough due to the weight of the legs. To me at least, this is a pretty big deal... How long has the v2 been out now? Since 2008? I know I got my first one in 2010... Yamato got this right 8-10 years ago on a 1/60 scale toy. I feel like they probably did this so people could just detach the legs to make the transformation easier, but as I said, it wasn't hard at all for me to get them into position while keeping the legs attached.

What's really disappointing to me is that, other than the issues, this would be a fantastic toy. The limbs otherwise feel REALLY good. The plastic is great. The tampo is awesome. I really like the look of the gunpod (I haven't tried attaching the strap to it).

There's a new arm delivery mechanism that's pretty cool, though I don't know that I think it's ultimately better than the Yamato/Arcadia approach, but it's definitely well designed.

I'm going to think about it for a few days, but I think I may just end up selling it. Different things bug different people, but the detaching leg issue is a going to be a deal  breaker for me. Makes it feel a bit partsformer-esque.

Definitely looking forward to what other people have to say about this toy. There is a lot here that's really good and therefore others may end up loving it.

nice mini review. 

57 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

Probably he's on Keto diet?

 

lolol

36 minutes ago, seti88 said:

Happy new year MWF!

so many awesome new valk pics!

DHL came thru over the new year ...

Anyone gonna attempt cockpit decaling?

 

And boy for something the DX 1J does that no other(?) valk does, no one (on the net) is putting up pics of it? Hint * gerwalk laser cutters*

even in all vids reviews was it even shown? 

Happy New Year Seti!

[Corrinald]

Mine showed up today. I haven't tried to transform it yet; it's displayed in fighter mode on the stand so I can admire it. The thing that surprised me most is the heft of this figure!

[sumyumgoy]

9 hours ago, Lolicon said:

Did someone say the box would be the same size as the DX 31?

I love how Bandai's boxes are the same height lol

[The Smirker]

Please frakking pm me or this wont be a nice new year. Grrrrrrrrrr..........., just kidding, love y'all valkyrie people and have a nice year.

[Saviant]

Mine hasn’t even shipped from HLJ, got the tracking on the 29th around lunch time but the item is still sitting there, not very happy with them atm

Edited January 1, 2019 by Saviant

[aaajin]

1 hour ago, neuromancer said:

So I received mine today... I must say... I'm not happy with it... In fighter mode, it seems pretty good at least..

Here are my personal thoughts on it:

1. The nose folds down... and it does so rather easily. It will stay in if you touch it, so it's not floppy, but it's not particularly tight either. It technically tabs in, but there doesn't seem to be any tension from the tab. I feel like this a minor issue, but is an issue (at least for me). See my picture to see what I mean though:

2. There's a door just behind the cockpit area (you can see it in the picture just above the heat shield)... The door opens up to show some detail, but I'm not really sure what purpose is served by it, I feel like it could break off kinda easily, but fortunately, it seems to stay closed decently, though it doesn't tab in. Fairly minor.

3. With the default articulate hands, the gunpod is held quite poorly. I struggle to get it in, and it doesn't stay in very well at all. I felt this was a problem on the v2's, but it's much worse here. This is a less minor issue... but I will say that  at least without the gun, the hands themselves are otherwise definitely way better than on the Yamato/Arcadia v2's FWIW.

4. The fins on the legs don't really lock into any position, so they to end up being moved out of place very easily (see my picture).

5. And finally the legs... As soon as I started moving from gerwalk to battroid mode, both of the legs popped off... And they're clearly designed to come off. After being very careful, I was able to transform into battroid mode without popping off the legs, and it was easy to get them plugged into the nose correctly (other than the effort to keep the legs attached). So I'm not sure why they went with this design choice. It's pretty clear that this was a deliberate design choice and not a QC issue. The legs have a little plastic door mechanism so you can attach/detach the legs pretty easily... And although there's some decent tension on this door, it's not enough due to the weight of the legs. To me at least, this is a pretty big deal... How long has the v2 been out now? Since 2008? I know I got my first one in 2010... Yamato got this right 8-10 years ago on a 1/60 scale toy. I feel like they probably did this so people could just detach the legs to make the transformation easier, but as I said, it wasn't hard at all for me to get them into position while keeping the legs attached.

What's really disappointing to me is that, other than the issues, this would be a fantastic toy. The limbs otherwise feel REALLY good. The plastic is great. The tampo is awesome. I really like the look of the gunpod (I haven't tried attaching the strap to it).

There's a new arm delivery mechanism that's pretty cool, though I don't know that I think it's ultimately better than the Yamato/Arcadia approach, but it's definitely well designed.

I'm going to think about it for a few days, but I think I may just end up selling it. Different things bug different people, but the detaching leg issue is a going to be a deal  breaker for me. Makes it feel a bit partsformer-esque.

Definitely looking forward to what other people have to say about this toy. There is a lot here that's really good and therefore others may end up loving it.

 

 

Thanks for the mini review. As suspected from some video transformations I watched, seems like the legs are deliberately designed to not hold together well & are pretty loose. Personally I will be bothered. Over the years of collecting Macross, I realized playability played a big role in determining whether I keep the toys or sell them. The ones that survived my now small collection are the v2 VF-1's, v2 YF-19 & Yamato's SDF-1. Well, I wouldnt say SDF is playable, but honestly I haven't transformed that big guy because I prefer ship mode.

Will read more reviews like yours and decide if I'll jump on Bandai's next VF-1 releases. Thanks!