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Bandai 1/72 Scale Transformable Macross Δ Kits


IXTL

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I agree with you on the Accurate Leg transformation, that was AMAZING to even see on any Macross kit ever. In fact if they decided to go all old school with more kits, they should really add the die cast parts they had with the old 1/72 VF-1 kits. then I could see them being more durable and they could last longer with multiple transformations. But then I could SEE them crossing the realm of being DX Chogokin, and old MG CCA Gundam kits. Still i think it would be a good idea to incorporate Die Cast in certain areas.

By the way I worked on my VF-1 a little yesterday (seeing the gorgeous VF-31 and Sv-262 standing proudly together made me feel like having their elder brother standing next to them), and it seems that I found a good solution to the popping hip issue - the hip socket not holding in place well in the nose cone, making the battroid unable to just stand securely on a shelf. My solution consists in drilling a very small hole with a manual hobby drill - I haven't measured the diameter precisely, but it must be below 1mm - and a matching small screw - a servo screw from my RC airplane hobby. You know, there's a "door" that keeps the two hard plastic hip bars in place. Just behind the nose cone, in front of the front landing gear doors. This "door" likes to open on its own and release the hip bars. I figured out that you can make it remain in closed position, and securely, with a very small screw. Now, the battroid can stand, finally! And without compromising any articulation. And the screw is barely visible! :-D ...

One problem solved... Several others remain, such as the flimsiness of the gunpod hands (trigger finger hands), and the fact that the back of the battroid does not attach anywhere, but I think I found some simple solutions, using a little bit of CA, a drill once again, some hobby magnets, and old credit cards!

(Sorry mods, I will copy-paste this post in the Bandai 1/72 VF-1 thread if it is out of place... but I also plan to post a detailed report of this "field mod" with pictures, once I'm totally done, in the VF-1 thread...)

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Edited by Skypoet
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Got around to transforming mine. Had to handle it like a newborn. Stressed a few parts and snapped that damned head antenna again. Transformation involves some parts to be removed and then reattached, like the forearm gatling guns. Didn't bother painting the inside of the opening sensor unit on the weapons rack (it's a swapping part) since this thing's going straight back to fighter mode permanently after this.

Joints are not particularly strong, and it's pretty back-heavy, so I had to use a stand.

It looks nice but I'm really looking forward to the DX release instead.

VF-31J%20gerwalk%2001_zpsp1dqgta3.jpg

VF-31J%20gerwalk%2002_zpsxoiccg2v.jpg

VF-31J%20battroid%2001_zpsidmd1mze.jpg

VF-31J%20battroid%2002_zpsirefiu79.jpg

VF-31J%20battroid%2003_zps3y0ajykh.jpg

This is awesome. Great job.

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The head alone is worth a lot of masking hell. Looks really good

Thanks! Haha yea the head was bad but i think the chest piece takes the cake.

Anubis great work so far. How did you tint the canopy? I have several Delta kits I'd like to paint and want to color the canopies.

I sprayed the inside of the canopy, the mix i used for the canopy is 50% clear, 40% clear yellow, and 10% clear orange.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's been a while since I've posted in this thread, so here's some late thoughts.

1/72 Sv-262Hs:

Fighter mode has a powerful bearing to it. Kinda stubby looking and really thick, but has a profile like that of an arrowhead. While the -31 is sleek and elegant, the -262 is powerful and forceful.

Something I wasn't expecting were the sliding hinges on the landing gear bays (no experience with the VF-25 kits, and the -31 has it's own style of landing gear).

Bits and pieces all lock together well in all modes, for the most part.

Minor issues with the transformation mechanisms: The hips are mounted on a ball joint, mounted on a two separate swivels, which can make getting them where they need to be troublesome, mostly when getting into and out of fighter mode.

The chest assembly for Battroid mode is made up of several layers of rotating bits and hinges, can be a bit bothersome getting them to all work together properly, but nothing too major.

Stickers aren't quite as egregious as the -31's large swathes of color, but have their own issues. Lots of bits of gold trim, made with thin, slightly stretchy stickers. They warp way to easily. Tolerances on the shield/stabilizer is tight enough that the stickers will interfere with the folding up.

Slightly more partsformy than the -31, since they couldn't get the hands to fit in fighter mode and the inclusion of a chest filler piece, though there's a spot to stow the filler bit in fighter mode.

Overall, I'm a fan and currently have the Lil' Drakken set in my PW, waiting to ship with the DX VF-31J

I will probably be picking up a copy of the eventual release of the standard version.

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  • 3 weeks later...
3 hours ago, UN Spacy said:

Is that container pod layout cannon for the 31A's?

 

Kinda makes sense as they're not escort for Walkure. 

 

Much better, when it comes to the pod, than the "drone-reenergizing-device" :-)

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Oh yeah, that head laser fin requires a lot of patience/care. What I did was try to angle the laser such that when snapping it down into the swivel area on the head, the only area I was applying pressure to was the middle of the semicircle. Trying to get it in by applying pressure anywhere along the length of the fin is just asking for trouble. Best of luck fixing it; hopefully you have some modeling cement on you.

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A tiny drop of superglue will do it.  The plastic is brittle as can be... using superglue to reconnect it won't make it any more brittle than it already is I guess.

I'll probably mostly display this in jet form anyway so it is what it is I guess.

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