Bandai VF-31AX Kairos Plus - Hayate Type

[last_raven]

1 hour ago, MacrossJunkie said:

I used an Xacto knife to shave down the pegs in the wings some. No left over scratches and looks pretty clean that way. 

Now it fits in snugly.

Fixing that I think also helped other fitment issues or maybe it's because I transformed it to battroid and back again. 

I don't have to extend the tip of the gunpod anymore to get the peg at the tip to slot into the hole at the underside.

Also the arm/bicep covers now no longer really have a gap on either side or at least it's to a degree I find acceptable. It's mostly in how you position the arms.

Instead of having the arms pushed up against the underside of the wings, I pulled it down at the elbows as much as I could.

I've been working on shaving and sanding and it's still too thick for me. Don't suppose you have some digital calipers you could measure the pegs with?

[MacrossJunkie]

1 hour ago, last_raven said:

I've been working on shaving and sanding and it's still too thick for me. Don't suppose you have some digital calipers you could measure the pegs with?

I do, but I found that the battery has drained after I took it out and tried to turn it on... I'll have to get new batteries.

[last_raven]

21 minutes ago, MacrossJunkie said:

I do, but I found that the battery has drained after I took it out and tried to turn it on... I'll have to get new batteries.

No worries, I appreciate you checking. 

[nightmareB4macross]

Well it looks like my pegs on the wings are a little tight but work well. Just had to angle them and and issue resolved.

On the other hand, the arms seem to be as if they were designed on another file. The fit is far from good. Gaps between the upper wing cowl and the bicep area have a rather unsightly gap. The guns will not align due to the way they are designed and makes them seem to arch down. The only remedy I could find for this is to not peg the forearm the wing glove and let it float, although it does align the gun better it leaves a puffy protrusion at the area where the forearm rests.

When I opened it I thought it was a whole other YF-19 Full Set release where it arrived mis-transformed and all it took was a little massaging and it aligned right up. Unfortunately, that is not the case with this one as after two hours of working things I to place I gave up and concluded…

Yup this is not a good one, but still looks good enough.

Hopefully, All will be corrected when the next AX is released.

[aurance]

That doesn't look too bad there @MacrossJunkie. Thanks a lot for the tips.

[derex3592]

16 hours ago, sqidd said:

The design of something is only half the job. Production is a whole different deal.

There is a big problem worldwide right now with quality because of COVID. I suspect it's a lot of factors from the quality of raw materials (something I'm having problems with) to lots of new employees to a general ability for the individual to use COVID as an excuse for screwing off. IDK what the situation is in Asia but in the US finding and retaining good employees right now is really hard.

This. Totally agree with @sqidd on this. I am veeeery leery at this point of buying anything mechanical, electric or high end toy wise for a good long while. That was my first thought when they announced the 31AX's.  "Ohh dear..A Bandai Valk made during the global pandemic"...uhhhh no thanks. Hard Pass! Looks like @MacrossJunkie's is looking pretty good now with a little knife whittling on the tabs. 

Edited January 14, 2022 by derex3592

[jenius]

While COVID certainly hasn't helped anything, toy companies have been screwing up things like this since the beginning of time. With as much going on, very small tolerance changes cause very large issues. Hopefully Bandai is getting the feedback and making fixes to the mold. 

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, jenius said:

While COVID certainly hasn't helped anything, toy companies have been screwing up things like this since the beginning of time. With as much going on, very small tolerance changes cause very large issues. Hopefully Bandai is getting the feedback and making fixes to the mold. 

No kidding. As a whole the toy industry puts out a pretty crappy product. Bandai being no exception despite their size. If the car industry had the same average quality there would be broken down cars all over the place.

[aurance]

6 minutes ago, sqidd said:

No kidding. As a whole the toy industry puts out a pretty crappy product. Bandai being no exception despite their size. If the car industry had the same average quality there would be broken down cars all over the place.

Apples and oranges for standards though 

[last_raven]

Just now, sqidd said:

No kidding. As a whole the toy industry puts out a pretty crappy product. Bandai being no exception despite their size. If the car industry had the same average quality there would be broken down cars all over the place.

Working on the corporate end of the car industry I can confirm that I would not buy my own company's cars made in the past 2+ years. Maybe even the past 10 years. In general I prefer my cars to be made in the 90s or earlier and just maintain them myself. Every single industry is in the same boat right now. Rush work in house, bad work from third parties/vendors, low morale, staffing shortages, etc etc. Little surprise that a re-design would get botched. It's not Daban levels of bad but it's not exactly what we're paying for either. Even for Japanese street prices it's a stretch knowing what I know now.

I managed to fix my wing pegs but we'll see if that doesn't present new issues when the super pack comes out, it looks like we only get 1 of 2 peg holes to use and I sloped the passive pegs for that connection (maybe just more clear nail polish? I haven't had to use that trick in awhile). I'm not gonna fuss it with for a bit but I suspect with the wings pegged all the way and the valk having been transformed some I can get both guns aligned now if I really pay attention to how the elbow joint and gun joint gets folded up and put in place. The gap between the wing and cover panels has been fixed but the issue has become the panels themselves  shifting with the slightest touch. Just a weird design overall when there is nothing to keep it in the position it wants to be in for fighter mode. It seems like one 0.25mm nub on each joint and a slight recess to index with is all it would take but with the QC we have that would probably create new issues. 

This is my first DX VF-31 period so I am a little sore about it to the point I bought the 31J w/ Speaker Pod from the movies just to have in fighter mode on the walkure stand. Being that this is also a newer release I am worried that it may have similar QC issues but everything I hear about the 31J/Walkure variants is pretty good so let's hope Bandai can't frakk up a wet dream. I'm happy with the 31AX in all other departments though. It does well in battroid mode and is great in gerwalk also. I love the big cannon for it despite it being a bear for it to hold onto without using the fixed pose hands. I enjoy the thicker proportions in the arms and the single red piece for the visor vs ketchup, mustard and relish on the 31J. The oversized guns start out feeling awkward but they do have a certain presence. Compared to the original Kairos this is definitely like a tuner/kitted version but that does have some charm to it. I'll be keeping my super pack PO but any future 31AX releases I am gonna suffer the scalper market after seeing initial reviews to find out if its worth it. The only other big Bandai Spirits thing I have coming my way is the MB Crossbone X-0 but it's not that different from the X-1 or Full Cloth so hopefully it doesn't suffer the same fate as the 31AX. I suspect this will be an interesting few years of releases. 

[Angesdad]

Staying away from the AX for now, I'm picking up a 31J with sound booster this afternoon locally at a reasonable secondary market price...a go or no go? Only asking 'cause I do not own a single Valk from Delta!

Edited January 14, 2022 by Angesdad

[no3Ljm]

34 minutes ago, Angesdad said:

Staying away from the AX for now, I'm picking up a 31J with sound booster this afternoon locally at a reasonable secondary market price...a go or no go? Only asking 'cause I do not own a single Valk from Delta!

If you're going for it, go for it!  

As long that it's not double the price, go go go!  

[aurance]

The regular 31’s have great tolerances. The only thing that bugs me is that they can’t hold their weapons for crap with the articulated hands. You can sort of make it work but any nudge or movement and it’ll fall.

[Master Dex]

Got mine in hand finally.

And yeah, the arms are gapped bad out of box and the wings barely peg. Also so many sharp points.. one of the canards stabbed my hand, lol. Haven't transformed yet but soon.

I'll play with it a bit in every sense of that, probably try to file the wing pegs a bit, see if I can get the arms more agreeable. Admittedly I was more interested in Battroid for this so these issues may not affect me too much. Ultimately, it'll go on stand and look pretty. It does look great though, issues aside.

Yes my 31F and 31A are much better on construction. Yes Bandai should and have done better. Ultimately, I'll live. Hopefully Mirage AX is better, but likely same story.

[ValkyrieBeggar]

Hey guys, it's been awhile and I can't even remember my old acct name but just wanted to drop this info regarding Luna Park.

Past couple orders I've received I've noticed something interesting. They've sometimes mistakenly "left" their amazon receipt for the items in my shipment.

For example, today my VF-31AX Kairos Plus order just came in and the attached amazon.co.jp receipt of the same items to their office address was inside. So i'm guessing they're buying off amazon resellers to fill orders...?  As the price paid was not SRP and even on the condition it reads in Japanese "New item, there may be small scratches on the packaging and minor box defects."

No knock against them as I buy from them or anyone else if Tokyo wholesalers are maxed out but just something to keep in mind for future if you're adamant about items fresh straight from the case. Otherwise, service and packaging via DHL etc no complaints there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenius]

58 minutes ago, ValkyrieBeggar said:

Hey guys, it's been awhile and I can't even remember my old acct name but just wanted to drop this info regarding Luna Park.

Past couple orders I've received I've noticed something interesting. They've sometimes mistakenly "left" their amazon receipt for the items in my shipment.

For example, today my VF-31AX Kairos Plus order just came in and the attached amazon.co.jp receipt of the same items to their office address was inside. So i'm guessing they're buying off amazon resellers to fill orders...?  As the price paid was not SRP and even on the condition it reads in Japanese "New item, there may be small scratches on the packaging and minor box defects."

No knock against them as I buy from them or anyone else if Tokyo wholesalers are maxed out but just something to keep in mind for future if you're adamant about items fresh straight from the case. Otherwise, service and packaging via DHL etc no complaints there.

 

I don't understand how anyone would run a business this way for NEW items. It's like none of these companies took a managerial accounting class... it CAN'T be profitable. Having a bot that scans Japanese sites and marking them up for older items? Sure... but even that business probably wouldn't turn a real profit. 

I still haven't received a shipping notification for my VF-31AX from LP. I'm not in a rush to get it but it's hard not to construe problems getting stuff shipped as a company that doesn't have their act together. 

[Slave IV]

5 hours ago, last_raven said:

Working on the corporate end of the car industry I can confirm that I would not buy my own company's cars made in the past 2+ years. Maybe even the past 10 years. In general I prefer my cars to be made in the 90s or earlier and just maintain them myself. Every single industry is in the same boat right now. Rush work in house, bad work from third parties/vendors, low morale, staffing shortages, etc etc. Little surprise that a re-design would get botched. It's not Daban levels of bad but it's not exactly what we're paying for either. Even for Japanese street prices it's a stretch knowing what I know now.

I managed to fix my wing pegs but we'll see if that doesn't present new issues when the super pack comes out, it looks like we only get 1 of 2 peg holes to use and I sloped the passive pegs for that connection (maybe just more clear nail polish? I haven't had to use that trick in awhile). I'm not gonna fuss it with for a bit but I suspect with the wings pegged all the way and the valk having been transformed some I can get both guns aligned now if I really pay attention to how the elbow joint and gun joint gets folded up and put in place. The gap between the wing and cover panels has been fixed but the issue has become the panels themselves  shifting with the slightest touch. Just a weird design overall when there is nothing to keep it in the position it wants to be in for fighter mode. It seems like one 0.25mm nub on each joint and a slight recess to index with is all it would take but with the QC we have that would probably create new issues. 

This is my first DX VF-31 period so I am a little sore about it to the point I bought the 31J w/ Speaker Pod from the movies just to have in fighter mode on the walkure stand. Being that this is also a newer release I am worried that it may have similar QC issues but everything I hear about the 31J/Walkure variants is pretty good so let's hope Bandai can't frakk up a wet dream. I'm happy with the 31AX in all other departments though. It does well in battroid mode and is great in gerwalk also. I love the big cannon for it despite it being a bear for it to hold onto without using the fixed pose hands. I enjoy the thicker proportions in the arms and the single red piece for the visor vs ketchup, mustard and relish on the 31J. The oversized guns start out feeling awkward but they do have a certain presence. Compared to the original Kairos this is definitely like a tuner/kitted version but that does have some charm to it. I'll be keeping my super pack PO but any future 31AX releases I am gonna suffer the scalper market after seeing initial reviews to find out if its worth it. The only other big Bandai Spirits thing I have coming my way is the MB Crossbone X-0 but it's not that different from the X-1 or Full Cloth so hopefully it doesn't suffer the same fate as the 31AX. I suspect this will be an interesting few years of releases. 

Haha, totally agree. My cars are all over 10 years old (most over 20 years old) and they are better made than anything comparable or even most higher end cars made since. It's such a simple matter of the unsustainable system of ever increasing profits we created for ourselves. The easiest way for corporations to maintain the model is to keep cutting costs where ever they can and quality is one of the main cuts. Definitely for the car industry where it also serves to make their products more disposable so they can sell you another car after you realize your "new" car is a pile of junk after a few years while cars made back in the day are still running strong after 20-30 years and more. Some car manufacturers are trying to force people like us to buy their crappy new cars now by eliminating supply of parts for older cars so yeah, more junk for everyone!💩

[aurance]

3 hours ago, Slave IV said:

Haha, totally agree. My cars are all over 10 years old (most over 20 years old) and they are better made than anything comparable or even most higher end cars made since. It's such a simple matter of the unsustainable system of ever increasing profits we created for ourselves. The easiest way for corporations to maintain the model is to keep cutting costs where ever they can and quality is one of the main cuts. Definitely for the car industry where it also serves to make their products more disposable so they can sell you another car after you realize your "new" car is a pile of junk after a few years while cars made back in the day are still running strong after 20-30 years and more. Some car manufacturers are trying to force people like us to buy their crappy new cars now by eliminating supply of parts for older cars so yeah, more junk for everyone!💩

I don’t doubt that’s your experience, but as an aggregate data shows cars are getting more reliable. There’s a lot of perception bias for some people thinking old stuff is inherently better.

Edited January 15, 2022 by aurance

[jenius]

My 80s Corvette was junk compared to the new ones.

[davidwhangchoi]

my 80's Lamborghini was die cast with rubber wheels and better than the recent plastics ones.

[Slave IV]

36 minutes ago, aurance said:

I don’t doubt that’s your experience, but as an aggregate data shows cars are getting more reliable. There’s a lot of perception bias for some people thinking old stuff is inherently better.

I’d have to see this data you speak of and I don’t doubt it’s true in cases. Reliability depends on a lot of things and a big part of it could come down to how the owner takes care of their car. Time will also tell because there hasn’t been enough time to really say how long a new car will last since that much time hasn’t even passed yet. I have good friends that are mechanics that show me exactly where newer cars are skimping on quality and I can see and feel it in many cases. @last_raven mentioned he works in the industry and seems to be saying the same. I can see that technology has improved many aspects of cars and can give a perceived amount of quality in certain aspects. I think the difference might be more apparent in higher end cars from before compared to today as technology is replacing material quality and workmanship and many cars are becoming more similar since they are mostly being made all over the world by shared factories. Cars that used robust mechanical solutions made of metal have new solutions made with electronics and plastic. Cars are glued together instead of welded. I had cheap cars back in the day that were “reliable” but they also felt like cheap tin cans that literally fell apart over short periods of time. 

11 minutes ago, jenius said:

My 80s Corvette was junk compared to the new ones.

Yeah, from my experience, American cars have gained the most perceived value and quality compared from around the 80s-90s to today. Meanwhile, a Mercedes Benz of today seems barely better or even in some cases worse than a Toyota. But I have a Benz from the 80s that I still drive almost everyday and it still works mechanically as well as it did in the 80s. It required nearly zero maintenance other than regular oil changes and has never left me stranded once in over 30 years. 

[Guyffon]

Hi Guy s, thanks for all the info on shaving/filing the wing pegs. I have one question before I do the same for mine, which side of the pegs are you guys shaving/filing? (In fighter mode, the side facing up or down?)

We will need to fix those wing pegs when the super parts come out for these toys, I read how they were attaching to the wings and can confirm there is a hard point holes where the wing folds. If the wings are not secured at the pegs it will cause all sort of problems with the added weight at the extremities of those wings.

On a better note, I do love the new cockpit, I didnt realised that they changed the design of it and the pilot now sits not so close to the front of the cockpit. Also the design has changed to a one piece ‘glass’ instead of a 2 piece one.

Did they also removed the 2nd seat on it or maybe I missed something and can’t access it.

Edited January 15, 2022 by Guyffon

[sqidd]

21 hours ago, aurance said:

Apples and oranges for standards though 

Thanks for pointing out my own point.....to me.

[no3Ljm]

12 hours ago, Guyffon said:

Hi Guy s, thanks for all the info on shaving/filing the wing pegs. I have one question before I do the same for mine, which side of the pegs are you guys shaving/filing? (In fighter mode, the side facing up or down?)

We will need to fix those wing pegs when the super parts come out for these toys, I read how they were attaching to the wings and can confirm there is a hard point holes where the wing folds. If the wings are not secured at the pegs it will cause all sort of problems with the added weight at the extremities of those wings.

On a better note, I do love the new cockpit, I didnt realised that they changed the design of it and the pilot now sits not so close to the front of the cockpit. Also the design has changed to a one piece ‘glass’ instead of a 2 piece one.

Did they also removed the 2nd seat on it or maybe I missed something and can’t access it.

I haven't check my copy again but what I'm thinking is if one side has a protrude plastic that works like a tab, then shave on the other side. If there's none, I guess just shave a little on both sides or one side, until you try and fit it. Just make sure you don't over-shave and be sorry later.

Also I think they did remove the 2nd seat since the pilot seat was moved further away from the console than it was used to be from the previous model. And even if it did, I don't think the previous Freyja figure would fit in the tight space.

As for the canopy, yes I love the one-piece glass thing. But we have to be extra careful due to the pointy end of it.

 

Edited January 15, 2022 by no3Ljm

[Macrossfan92]

Man sucks to hear about the issues with the AX.  It looks really good to me but I guess you guys aren’t liking it?
 

this is going to be my first dx chogokin ever and i thought it would be good since the 31s were all good. I ordered the Mirage ver. And I am hoping these things will be resolved but kinda doubt it since that ine already has promo pics etc. 
 

on another note, what are the chances of them reissuing the VF-1S roy focker ver.? Its my fav valk and I not sure if I should go ahead and pay after market price or try to wait for a reissue or a dyrl ver? 

[Master Dex]

1 hour ago, Macrossfan92 said:

Man sucks to hear about the issues with the AX.  It looks really good to me but I guess you guys aren’t liking it?
 

this is going to be my first dx chogokin ever and i thought it would be good since the 31s were all good. I ordered the Mirage ver. And I am hoping these things will be resolved but kinda doubt it since that ine already has promo pics etc.

Well, I still like it. The issues are real and they are annoying and shouldn't be there at all. It still looks amazing though. I also have Mirage on order and hope it's better but even so, it'll look good. I display these most of the time, so while I will have to deal with some modification or frustration during reposing or transformation... it's not gonna bother me when they are on the shelf most of the year. This is my story of course, others have valid reasons why this is a bigger deal.

Edited January 16, 2022 by Master Dex

[sqidd]

3 hours ago, Macrossfan92 said:

on another note, what are the chances of them reissuing the VF-1S roy focker ver.?

Zero

[MacrossJunkie]

On 1/13/2022 at 9:29 PM, last_raven said:

No worries, I appreciate you checking. 

I got batteries and my digital caliper read 10.63 mm.

[Sanity is Optional]

2 hours ago, sqidd said:

Zero

Yup, though we may get a DYRL version, rather than a TV.

Chances are fairly low though, and won't be any time soon.

[Chronocidal]

Just now, Sanity is Optional said:

Yup, though we may get a DYRL version, rather than a TV.

Chances are fairly low though, and won't be any time soon.

At this point, I'm fairly well content to use a spare DYRL pilot, and just use the TV edition as the DYRL variant.  The cockpit panels are easy to swap, and the benefit of using the TV version is that they actually printed the numbers the right direction.  

[Macrossfan92]

1 minute ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Yup, though we may get a DYRL version, rather than a TV.

Chances are fairly low though, and won't be any time soon.

Ah figured as much, well guess I will have to bite the bullet. Thanks though guys for the insight. I decided  to start getting into this line a little late it seems 😅

[davidwhangchoi]

6 hours ago, Macrossfan92 said:

Man sucks to hear about the issues with the AX.  It looks really good to me but I guess you guys aren’t liking it?
 

this is going to be my first dx chogokin ever and i thought it would be good since the 31s were all good. I ordered the Mirage ver. And I am hoping these things will be resolved but kinda doubt it since that ine already has promo pics etc. 
 

on another note, what are the chances of them reissuing the VF-1S roy focker ver.? Its my fav valk and I not sure if I should go ahead and pay after market price or try to wait for a reissue or a dyrl ver? 

They may reissue roy down the line but going by Bandai's history it may take up to 3 years or can be earlier if they come out with a special package like the armor vf-1j combo which is a reissue of their first valk packaged with the armor parts.

But it's only speculation in terms of how long it may take  but bandai has reprinted Macross valks in the past.  Macross frontier had several reprints of their popular valks.  (took 3 years though to reprint em) 

Roy is going for very decent price in the secondary market so it may be good to look into grabbing him from a 2nd hand import shop. 

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by davidwhangchoi

[Chronocidal]

Not to derail things too much further.. 

I'm actually slightly considering a kitbash of the various 31s to see how it would look.  I've already got my AX carrying a spare charger pod and gunpod.. I wonder how hard it would be to get the old 31 nose section to fit as well...  

[sqidd]

9 hours ago, Macrossfan92 said:

Ah figured as much, well guess I will have to bite the bullet. Thanks though guys for the insight. I decided  to start getting into this line a little late it seems 😅

If you didn't get a Roy on PO (which is nowhere guaranteed) you would have paid about $300 shipped on release day for one. They don't go for much more now. I've even seen them for less. 

Roy's have not been hard to get for reasonable money.

[DYRL VF-1S]

1 hour ago, sqidd said:

If you didn't get a Roy on PO (which is nowhere guaranteed) you would have paid about $300 shipped on release day for one. They don't go for much more now. I've even seen them for less. 

Roy's have not been hard to get for reasonable money.