Bandai VF-17

[MSW]

Anyone have scans that they can post of the transformation instructions for the Bandai VF-17 (either version)?

[Anubis]

No offence, but can you honestly not figure out it's transformation just from looking at it? It's very easy.

Put the legs into gerwalk stance, move the arms, slide the legs forward, rotate legs, open the chest, rotate head, fold backpack and wings.

[MSW]

No, I can figure out most of it, the arms, legs, chest, backpack, head..no problem...it's what happens to the cockpit that I'm curious about....it seems it just folds up sorta like on the Zeta Gundam...but given the lineart of the VF-17 in bot mode it seems the pilot would be (nearly) upside-down in that mode...just wondering if that is right.

I put this together from some line art...purple is the nose, green the upper legs, blue the chest...and orange the cockpit (it would seem)...just wondering if it folds over about 180 degrees (as it seems to given the depiction in the line art...meening the pilot is possably upside-down) rather then the 90 degree fold of something like the Zeta Gundam?

[Anubis]

After you rotate the chest plate up. you pull the cockpit up and there's a little slot on the end of the cockpit that the tab in the chestplate slides into as you lower it.

[Anubis]

I'm at lunch right now, so I can get you a pic.

Here it is:

[MSW]

Now it all makes perfect sense...thanks

Question though...how good is the Bandai VF-17S toy? ... I've got the Bandai VF-18 Fire Valk, which isn't terrible, much more toy-ish looking then I would like...how does the VF-17S compare?

[Anubis]

The -17 looks a lot less toyish the the -19 fire valk does, but it still has some toy syndrome on it. It's a thicker in fighter mode than it should be and in battroid the knees don't bend like they should (only the direction they bend in gerwalk). I still like my Bandai VF-17, and considering it's the only of it's kind, I love it.

for sale cheap at Gundam Store and More.com.

[Graham]

I love the Bandai VF-17S/D toys. They are nearly indestructable, despite having zero diecast metal content and they are very quick and easy to transform.

Bandai did a really good job with the level of detail, except for the landing gear which is very poorly sculpted. If you look closely, you can see Bandai put every single panel line that should be there on the toy.

My only complaints with the toy are those already mentioned, the limited knee articulation and the slight chunkiness in fighter mode.

Graham

[MSW]

for sale cheap at Gundam Store and More.com.

Thanks so much for that ... Order sent

When I first saw the VF-17 I wasn't very thrilled with it, it just looked too average...but over time it has grown on me, so much so that it is now one of my favorites

Speaking of which....have there been any toys or models of the FBz-99 ZAUBERGERAN? Or even the VAB-2?

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

*Bump*

Interested in some macross 7 toys.

Wanted to know: how do these Bandai 1/65 mac 7 toys compare with their 1/100 transforming models? The models look pretty good in pictures. Are these perfect transformables and what is the poseabilty and detail like in comparison to the toys?

[Ido]

The 1/100 bandai vf-19 models are very good in battroid mode but they suck as trasforming models because

1- massive part swapping

2- orrible fighter and gerwalk mode

3- IMO Is very easy to break.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Thanks, I ended up getting a bandai 1/65 vf17s in the end.

Edited February 6, 2005 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Radd]

I have one of the 1/100 VF-19, very floppy in fighter mode, like MPC floppy. Like Ido said, massive part swapping. It looks decent in battroid, looks much better than any of the 1/65 V-19 toys, but it's still fragile and kinda floppy. Not bad if all you're going to do is put it in one mode and leave it on a shelf for all eternity.

It is kinda nice to set it next to the 1/100 Konig Monster, though.

I love my 1/65th VF-17. It's unfortunately less than sleek in fighter mode, but battroid looks great. Really, if they'd just made the parts sharper, sleeker, and more in shape with the line art, but left the transformation the same, it would have been pretty much perfect. As is, it's not a bad toy at all, basically a modern version of the old 1/55ths but with a little more posability.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Yes I love my valks skinny and sleek in robot mode to match what they would look like in fighter. Even if the robot in toy form doesn't look beefy to match what the lineart says it should in bot mode pics.

From the side on view in fighter mode it looks almost like a super deformed toy.

It would be cool if there were small banpresto versions of these. The banpresto cheapies are great to have in various poses on top of a PC monitor.

Edited February 6, 2005 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[UN Spacy]

The -17 looks a lot less toyish the the -19 fire valk does, but it still has some toy syndrome on it. It's a thicker in fighter mode than it should be and in battroid the knees don't bend like they should (only the direction they bend in gerwalk). I still like my Bandai VF-17, and considering it's the only of it's kind, I love it.

for sale cheap at Gundam Store and More.com.

Whoa. Thanks for the link. I might pick up a VF-17S. :cool:

[Radd]

Even if the robot in toy form doesn't look beefy to match what the lineart says it should in bot mode pics.

I don't think the VF-17 battroid would suffer any if the 1/65th parts that need to be sleeker, were made so. The parts in question are mainly the nose and the intakes of the fighter.

[VF-18S Hornet]

I think Yamato should take a crack at it. But then again there is the licensing issue at hand when it comes to Bandai being stingy but who says it has to be related to M7. They (Yamato) could make a VF-17 fom the Macross Digital Misson 2 game like the did with the VB-6 Konig Monster which appeared in that game.

I like to have a Yamato made VF-17 Nightmare 1/48 scale.