mechaninac

I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of those who wish to get recasts of 1/48 pilots (the gummy sculpts, not the original). I'd be in for a couple of TV pilots recast off the 1J sculpt, a couple DYRL? from the Hikaru 1S, and 2 or more M0 style pilots cast from the Low Vis (I plan on assembling a 1/48 F-14 and make it into a Macross version, and the pilots would help). The material used should preferably be a hard, but flexible, rubber-like resin (I know the suff is available; it's just hard to work with). However, hard resin versions would be helpful to anyone who intends on modifying the recasts to achieve different poses...it would be cool to try to create a standing figure, or one climbing a boarding ladder. Come on recasters, lets hop to it. I'm sure you'll have plenty on interested members.

Last thing I read, I forget where, the first Alpha is supposed to come out late May or early to mid June. However, given Toynami's track record, I would bet on late June to early July.

Just got the fighter lenght from Starship Modelers' review of the FV-0S. ........Lenght: 27 cm (@ 1/72) = 270 mm = .27 m. That makes the plane 19.44 m long @ 1/1. Therefore, at 1/60 the plane would be 324 mm long = 32.4 cm = 12.76 inches. And at 1/48 it would be 405 mm = 40.5 cm =15.94". Not that outrageous in my book. And, just for kicks, the SV-51: ........Lenght: 31.7 cm (@1/72) = 317 mm = .317 m. At 1/1 the plane is 22.824 m (the compendium quotes 22.77m, but I'll base my numbers off Hasegawa's kit). Thus, at 1/60 you have a length of 380.4 mm = 38.04 cm = 14.98". A 1/48 version would be 475.5 mm long = 47.55 cm = 18.72". Pretty big bird. PS: to the naysayers...insane speculation, and wishful thinking, are very common traits in these forums.

Here's a novel idea to put this debate to rest: Get the physical dimensions of the VF-0 in fighter and battroid modes (length, height, width at shoulders, depth, max wingspan, etc.) and divide them by the scale factor denominator (1/60, 1/48), then convert the results to centimeters or inches if desired. Of course, this will require the plane's actual dimensions to be known; have the stats been posted anywhere? I, for one, will wait for larger scale versions of the M0 fighters before I start buying anything (1/48 would be my prefference, but 1/60 would do in a pinch). Even though, at 1/100, the upcoming release will be in scale with existing VF-1 kits and with Bandai's VF-2SS model, the only way I can see myself spending any money on the 1/100 Zero Valkyries is if I find them at a pretty good discount (40% off retail, minimum) a few months after they come out; I got caught with my pants down on the first few 1/60 VF-1s and I'm not going to let that happen again.

You can try the method spelled out HERE. Good luck.

I thought that environment looked familiar.

I've been following the Low Vis' prices on eBay out of curiosity. The last 5 sales averaged $277.00 each, plus shipping...boy am I glad I got mine early on.

The only thing I noticed on my 1J was a slightly looser air brake than on my previous 1/48s; it tends to flop open in battroid mode. Other than that...a real beauty. You will be very pleased with it. And don't forget, the pilot sculpt is on par with the Low Vis (gummy PVC, I think, with a sculpt superior to the original DYRL ones), and the TV style hands rock!

Great looking stuff, your Rau is coming along nicely. By the way, what are you using to model this thing, Rhino?

Okay then, not ugly..........how about eccentric looking? However, ugly isn't necessarily bad. A-10 pilots and crews consider their birds ugly, but it's a cool ugly. And I'm sure they're even uglier to any joker on the receiving end of that massive gatling cannon.

This is getting good...

You boorish, narcissistic, contemptible, reprobate! How can you not like the SV-51?... Just kidding. You're right, it is ugly, fugly even, but I think that's part of its charm, and it definately looks like nothing else in the Macross pantheon of variable fighters. Cheers Serge

This thing looks great, and I like that center VTOL engine...cool. If I'm not mistaken I believe that's a first for VFs in the Macross Universe.

Most Macross, and dare I say Robotech , fans will agree that the center piece of any VF-1 collection is Roy's ride. Second to that would be Hikaru's VF-1J, the second hero mecha of the series. Whichever one you chose, however, will not disappoint you...they're gorgeous pieces for display and play. Just beware not to overstress the backpack hinge once you get one; they're the one Achilles' heel of the 1/48 design.

$11,800.00 for a 2000 Mazda Miata. Not a hobby, but I've been wanting one for years, and you could consider it a toy. $182.00 for a VF-1J w/FP, shipped. Love the thing but I've promissed myself I'll never spend that much for a hunk of plastic again.

Major...

Man, I hope that your positive experience with the final pre-production sample translates into the mass release version. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. I think most people around here, who are not Macross purists with an ax to grind about HG's "butchery" of original source animes, soured on Toynami/HG not so much because of the inferior quality of the MPC VFs, but because they blocked the mass importation of all Macross related items, thereby causing US and World wide fans (Asia rim excluded) to have to pay huge premiums to specialty importers in order to aquire coveted items. I remember when the M+ toys were going to be available domesticaly through Toycom for around $40.00 retail and HG killed those hopes. That's where I believe most of the animosity comes from...their hubris in claiming, and winning, ownership to a property that they had no hand in creating.

I stand corrected on the Macross Plus movie...Cheers

Semantics. Perhaps the word monopoly was misused, but the point is still a valid one: when it comes to Mospeada related toy items, Toynami is the ONLY game in town; if you want a new Legioss/Alpha transformable toy, the MPCs are the only choice other than outrageously priced MIB Gakkens with less then half the features (only things going for those are their size and nostalgia factor). HG/Toynami will charge whatever they think they can to maximize their profit margin. I don't begrudge them for doing it, it's a free market and they are entitled to it. I agree that this MPC series will most likely do well, or at least much better than the Veritech series, and will hold their value much more than those; though I do believe that if the Stick/Scott's Alpha has anywhere near the same QC/design/engineering/assembly problem and bad reviews as Rick's FV-1J than the bottom will drop...fast. That being said, I have pre-ordered the first Alpha on the assumption that it will be a hit and sell out, and, if not reasonably priced, at least reasonably engineered and finished, and nobody will know that until they hit the shelves. I will, however, wait on the subsequent releases to drop in price if the first one proves to be a disappointment. I know Toynami's track record is not the best thus far, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this time around; besides, I want the Alpha MPCs to do well so that they will have reason to produce the hinted-at linkable Tread/Beta bomber.

The only ones I know for sure are available in English dubbed versions are Macross Plus and Macross II OVAs and movies. DYRL? is available in English as the horrendously butchered "Clash of the Bionoids", but that doens't really count.

Other than the too dark overall color (could be the camera, the lighting, my monitor, or just my own preferrences), words simply fail to give adequate praise and admiration for this beautiful custom. A thousand bravos.

Wrong, the whole MPC line are targeted at people who were fans of the show way back in 1985 and beyond; that would make the average buyer somewhere between 27 and 35 years old, and would make any sales to kids a plus, but not the make-it-or-break-it proposition on a 15K p/unit run. Hell, the first MPC started to sell out untill the unfavorable reviews started popping up all over the internet, and the consumer voted with their money as they always do. The reason that the MPC VF series are languishing is simply due to competition...there's that strange concept of capitalism again...there are Bandais, Banprestos, transformable kits, Hasegawas, and, of course, two lines of Yamatos. The market is currently saturated with Valkyries, and the consumer will invariably gravitate to the better product regardless of price. Agreed. Frankly, I think that some people just react to anything Robotech/HG/Toynami the way a vampire reacts to a cross or garlic. It is completely emotion driven.

The real reason HG/Toynami will charge $80.0 US for their Alpha MPC is simply that they can. When you have a monopoly on a product, as HG has on any toy related to Mospeada, you can set the price you want to charge; limited production, eager fan base, and no competition give them the leeway to do so. That's just simple Business 101. HG/Toynami are banking on their product being good enough to sell well so that their investment will pay off, hence the high price...amortize the tooling fast and reap the profits afterwards; however, should the toy bomb on the market place, either because not enough people think it's worth what they think the market will bear, or because they just plain suck, then the price will drop as retailers try to dump their inventory of an unpopular item. In the end, this is just plain old Capitalism at work...the buyer will eventually decide what the product is worth and everything will shift accordingly.

The only 1/48 VF-1 that has the TV pilot is Hikaru's VF-J and VF-1J FP. The upcoming M&M VF-1Js will also include TV sculps. Everything else has the original release DYRL? pilots, excludding the Low Vis with it's M0-esque pilot and the new VF-1S Hikaru with its resculpted DYRL? figure (huge improvement over the original). On a somewhat related note, is anyone recasting the VF-1J's, VF-1A LV's, and new VF-1S Hikaru's pilots? Like GianS I'd love to get a hold of the new pilots without having to buy a whole VF-1 toy.

That 1/100 X-02A on page 2 looks ubber cool...