SDF-ONE

EDIT: * This is pure speculation. These are NOT actual release dates! *

Just having some fun speculating on the upcoming releases. I guess it is safe to say there will be more kits after the success of the first one.

2008

Sep - VF-25F (Alto)

Nov - VF-25S (Ozma)

2009

Jan - VF-25G Super - (Michael) *is the super version wishful thinking?*

Mar - RVF-25 Super - (Luca)

May - VF-171 + Super Pack for VF-25 (Ozma/Alto stickers)

Aug - RVF-171 EX - (Luca)

Oct - VF-25S Full Armor - (Ozma)

Dec - VF-27 - (Brera)

2010...

VF-171 EX Super - (Alto)

VF-27 Green Variant

Still missing from the list:

Vajra - Will probably be released as figures

Queadluun-Rea

AIF-7S Ghost Fighter - Perhaps a three-pack expansion pack to go with Luca?

Koenig Monster (Start saving money if they do release it!)

Quarter - Not as 1/72...

Anyone else?

After building the kit and watching the scenes, I seriously doubt that super packs can just snap onto it (the kit)...at least in fighter mode, it will just collapse, in gerwalk...

That's funny, I was wondering exactly the same thing. The packs are placed at the very end of the wing 'roots' (any name suggestions?). For the kit they will probably have to move them a little bit inwards or merge them with the 'roots'... That's more part swapping! And then there is the additional weight. I am not even contemplating of scratch building these parts because of this. I guess I'll just have to wait (a few months?) for the Bandai version.

Dalong has finally reviewed the kit as well.

http://www.dalong.net/review/etc/mf01/mf01_p.htm

the VF-25 has pale grey landing gear, based on the anime. They also don't have launch bars.

Made some screen shots after reading that post. There is indeed no launch bar. That's an easy improvement to make to the kit. The color varies per fighter (or per shot?).

Yep, sorry that wasn't very clearly written. Here's attempt no. 2:

• The instructions are correct (don't worry)

• The photo model in the instructions has the left and right shoulder armor swapped

I was reassembling the shoulders and I noticed that the model that was used in the manual has its shoulder caps the wrong way around. Initially I thought I had built it wrong, but the instructions are correct.

The long pegs that attach parts is how they stick together. There is a way to fix this. Sand or shave the pegs down to a point before you snap the pieces together. This will allow you to ease them apart should you need to.

, you notice that the builder shaves the pegs and does a test fit with the pieces of Calamity Gundam. You should do this as well. It makes things easier when you need to pull non-moving sections apart.

Thanks Azrael. Yes, I know about this trick. If there are too many pegs or if they are too long, then you cut them off diagonally. This reduces the 'stickyness' and makes it easier to disassemble the kit. For the VF-25 I did not find any parts that really needed this. What I was talking about was the connection between a joint axle & joint hole (~ peg + polycap). The axle has nubs on it to make the joint stiffer, but I think they overdid it.

The 20-minute thing was on some website, the link is somewhere buried in this very thread....

You can find the video here... although I would not recommend greasing up your model by licking the tissue.

http://www.promodeller.com/promodellers-weathering-wash/

He has more tutorials here

http://uk.youtube.com/user/florymodels

I finished the snap build!

It is pretty complex with lots of small parts. Took quite some time with sanding. Hard work, but it looks good. Next up are paint and decals. I am a bit worried about the paint as the parts push into each other to keep the shape fixed. Especially in fighter mode. I might just leave it in battroid or gerwalk mode.

I stumbled upon one problem:

The shoulder joints that swivels the arms backwards into fighter mode are extremely stiff. It puts a lot of stress on the other parts while transforming. From what I can remember there was a little nub on them to make them stiffer. It tried separating the parts to sand the nubs off, but they are pretty much stuck together now. I eventually managed to loosen up the joints by repeatedly rotating them (with the arms and body detached and with a pin in the joint to act as a lever).

What flavoured glue?

Pineapple of course!

Give the DX team a break!

I got the kit today and it made me think. The DX team has a much harder task than the kit team. Both teams of course try to make their product as good looking as possible, but the DX team has two serious limitations.

1) It has to be durable: A good looking toy won't sell if people know it breaks. The kit uses loads of joints to get the parts into place. It looks good, but it also makes it is very breakable. For a kit this is acceptable as you are not supposed to play with it (very much). For a toy this is unacceptable. The DX team probably uses a simplified system to make it more sturdy. But this simplified system also gives it less desirable proportions in the other modes. It is a simple trade-off.

2) It has to be easy to assemble: I've just spent a good few hours assembling the kit. And I am still not done yet. For a kit this is no problem, but for a toy this would be unthinkable. The production costs would be too high. Again this leads to a more simplified design for the toy.

So, give the DX team a break. No, I am not affiliated with them. Just don't compare a toy to a kit simply by its looks. I know everyone wants the toy to look as good as possible, but if it is not durable or if it is too expensive then not even you would want it.

-just my two cents-

-or perhaps I left the glue jar open for too long-

Yay!

I got it today. Right on schedule with SAL. It usually takes 10 working days (incl Sat) to the UK. This was my first experience with Rainbowten and it was a good one. Their site might be a bit spartan, but their emails are always friendly and they seem very eager to please. Good packing. No plastic bubble wrap, but regular newspaper (gives me something to read - I always wanted to know the price of a three seat sofa ). The box was covered in big friendly handwritten letters FRAGILE. Pretty much flawless service. Will definitely shop there again. It's up there with hwjapan and HLJ.

As for the content. A big but very thin box. As usual the model is smaller than it appears on photos. That's just me I guess. For once Bandai did not have to cramp all the runners in there. Usually if you take the content out it is very hard to put it back in. Yes, there was space left for the fast packs (if only). A very luxurious looking manual. Can't wait to snap it together!

whats the overall height of this model? I would really like to see it side by side with other 1/60s valkyries.

Here is a size comparison found in a magazine a while ago. It should be about 20cm tall.

Officially that should have been 21 cm according to the MAHQ (12.7 meters / 60).

Type97 has posted pictures of it:

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/type97/20080930#p1

It is now up for a re-release in November on Hobby Search...

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075554

So if Bandai actually decides to keep the short landing gear, how on earth are they going to make Michael's and Luca's unit???

(these are 1/72 kit pictures - not 1/60 DX)

Head on over to superrobotwar for more scans of Hobby Japan 0811 (torrent).

Could it be that Bandai is limiting the kit so that people might buy the DX instead?

Here's my translation, from left to right, top to bottom.

Update: Should be 24 colors you'll need to have to make 20 mixes of colors for the VF-25.

Thank you very much for that translation!

So, who's next, Luca or Mikhail?

1/72 Transformable VF-25S Ozma Lee "Skull Leader" Unit coming in November at 4,725 Yen!

source: http://ngeekhiong.blogspot.com/

Here is another review.

http://www.geocities.jp/hobby_no_toriko/ma...f-25f-alto.html

The transparent action base looks good. I ordered the white one because the transparent one was sold out. I might get one later.

Yay! I just got my shipping confirmation.

GA Graphic has posted close-ups of the runners: http://ga.sbcr.jp/mplamo/011120/

I hope the merged hands (bottom left picture) are not necessary to keep the model properly in fighter mode.

Does anyone have a good guess for the kit's weight and box size?

I just discovered that hwjapan did give me an EMS quote after all: ¥3700