Bandai DX YF-30 Chronos

[Newtype78]

Hmm...now that I can see the YF-30's head more clearly, its elongated proportions makes me think of the SV-51's head design. The chest also reminds me of the SV-51.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Newtype78

[SaitouSad]

I must be one of the few peeps who actually doesn't mind the missle pod. Remember when the Zentraedi's Regult had a missle pod sitting on its head?

I like to see interesting designs like that. Would have been great if the missle pod could be swapped out for other armament, or if it weren't sitting on such a think piece of metal on the plane (wondering how fragile it will be)

[xrentonx]

Hate to break this to you, but the back of the VF-25F's head is basically the same.

Yeah...that still doesn't change my opinion any

Don't get me wrong. It ain't a deal breaker at all. Just takes it a little further from perfect (not that there's such a thing as a perfect Valk toy).

[warrhead]

I must be one of the few peeps who actually doesn't mind the missle pod. Remember when the Zentraedi's Regult had a missle pod sitting on its head?

I like to see interesting designs like that. Would have been great if the missle pod could be swapped out for other armament, or if it weren't sitting on such a think piece of metal on the plane (wondering how fragile it will be)

Yeah, I dig the missile pod. This thing looks f'in sweet!

[Chronocidal]

That kind of thing looks fine on a robot that looks about as aerodynamic as a brick to begin with.

Something that looks like it should actually be agile, and not plodding around like a star wars chicken walker? Not so much. I mean, how would you like to go into combat with a giant boxy thing hovering over your head? As a deployable thing, sure, maybe... but it can't be folded down and hidden, and looks like it would get in the way of any close quarters situation (since that's pretty much entirely what battroid is for to begin with), and would probably just wind up restricting what sort of moves you could perform, since it looks like it would just snap off.

I mean... even practicality aside.. it's not even real, so you're trying to design an attractive product so it will sell. That box is the exact opposite of attractive. It looks like they could just paint it red and blue, add lights, and voila, you have a galactic police robot.

[VF5SS]

looks p. cool in the game

and like most of the Valkyrie it uses a lot of spin kicks and straight punches in melee Edited April 8, 2014 by VF5SS

[Mommar]

That kind of thing looks fine on a robot that looks about as aerodynamic as a brick to begin with.

Something that looks like it should actually be agile, and not plodding around like a star wars chicken walker? Not so much. I mean, how would you like to go into combat with a giant boxy thing hovering over your head? As a deployable thing, sure, maybe... but it can't be folded down and hidden, and looks like it would get in the way of any close quarters situation (since that's pretty much entirely what battroid is for to begin with), and would probably just wind up restricting what sort of moves you could perform, since it looks like it would just snap off.

I mean... even practicality aside.. it's not even real, so you're trying to design an attractive product so it will sell. That box is the exact opposite of attractive. It looks like they could just paint it red and blue, add lights, and voila, you have a galactic police robot.

Looks cool to me.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I think if they introduced a giant cannon like the Glaug it would be cooler than the missile thing.

Variable Glaug has something like that.

Edited April 9, 2014 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Reïvaj]

That kind of thing looks fine on a robot that looks about as aerodynamic as a brick to begin with.

Something that looks like it should actually be agile, and not plodding around like a star wars chicken walker? Not so much. I mean, how would you like to go into combat with a giant boxy thing hovering over your head? As a deployable thing, sure, maybe... but it can't be folded down and hidden, and looks like it would get in the way of any close quarters situation (since that's pretty much entirely what battroid is for to begin with), and would probably just wind up restricting what sort of moves you could perform, since it looks like it would just snap off.

I mean... even practicality aside.. it's not even real, so you're trying to design an attractive product so it will sell. That box is the exact opposite of attractive. It looks like they could just paint it red and blue, add lights, and voila, you have a galactic police robot.

I'm afraid I agree.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

In space it would be fine. I guess it is like FAST packs on VF-1 which were only for space fights.

What I would like to see in macross is full barrier system as defense against micrmissile spam. Full barrier wsas what global used in the sdfm tv series to shield the sdf-1 against attacks all over its body. It got overloaded ad kakizaki dies in that ep lol.

Like the fold booster it could only be used very sparingly and then afterwards you eject it.

Edited April 9, 2014 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Mommar]

In space it would be fine. I guess it is like FAST packs on VF-1 which were only for space fights.

What I would like to see in macross is full barrier system as defense against micrmissile spam. Full barrier wsas what global used in the sdfm tv series to shield the sdf-1 against attacks all over its body. It got overloaded ad kakizaki dies in that ep lol.

Like the fold booster it could only be used very sparingly and then afterwards you eject it.

Except the 99.9% of Macross 30 took place planet-side.

[Scream Man]

It only pops in Gerwalk right? Drag would be a less of an issue there anyway. And Battroids aren't aerodynamic anyway, so that's not an issue.

[Kanedas Bike]

It's just one of those polarizing designs. It's not as extreme as you either love it or you hate it, but it's close enough. Just add the folks like me that are like "wow, that's (the missile pack/siren/barrier thingy ) kind of odd - not sure if I like it or not".

I think if this DX release were priced a little less then I'd be more inclined to jump on the bandwagon, but that price tag is a huge turnoff for a Valk that at most I'm ambivalent about.

-b.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

That kind of thing looks fine on a robot that looks about as aerodynamic as a brick to begin with.

Something that looks like it should actually be agile, and not plodding around like a star wars chicken walker? Not so much. I mean, how would you like to go into combat with a giant boxy thing hovering over your head? As a deployable thing, sure, maybe... but it can't be folded down and hidden, and looks like it would get in the way of any close quarters situation (since that's pretty much entirely what battroid is for to begin with), and would probably just wind up restricting what sort of moves you could perform, since it looks like it would just snap off.

I mean... even practicality aside.. it's not even real, so you're trying to design an attractive product so it will sell. That box is the exact opposite of attractive. It looks like they could just paint it red and blue, add lights, and voila, you have a galactic police robot.

+2, that's exactly what i was thinking but couldn't find the right words as i didn't want to come off as thread crapping. everything looks cool except the stadium lights.

[Seto Kaiba]

It looks like they could just paint it red and blue, add lights, and voila, you have a galactic police robot.

Well... crap, now I've noticed that the paintjob isn't that far off the AV-98 Ingram's either. My mind's eye and ear are going to a bad place where some hapless soul has let Ohta into the cockpit.

Ah well, it ain't gonna stop me from buying one... IMO it's a fine-looking fighter. It'll be my fourth-ever Macross toy purchase.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Except the 99.9% of Macross 30 took place planet-side.

Are videogames and merch considered canon to the story though? According to the old DYRL top down shoot em up GERWALK mode of vf-1 can fire miniture sdf-1 main cannon at the enemy in the form of a beam of death.

What about the armour pack in mac f? Flying tank much? In battroid mode you are not really meant to fly fast anyway. It's more like you get to skate on the ground on cushion of air and shoot with more accuracy standing still. Although heroes get to do fancy stuff like dodgerolls and other stuff. The average guy seeks cover. See ep1 of plus for an example there. If the QRau can fight with its giant backpack on the ground in corridor in DYRL then I don't see how this can't with shoulder kibble.

Edited April 9, 2014 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[SaitouSad]

I think if they introduced a giant cannon like the Glaug it would be cooler than the missile thing.

Variable Glaug has something like that.

Thinking about it, the Tornado and YF-29s already have a similar cannon though.

Also, didn't Kawamori mentioned that the missle bay could technically be replaced with other weaponaries, such as lasers? Would have been interesting to see that being applied.

Except the 99.9% of Macross 30 took place planet-side.

On a planet with floating rocks and islands no less

Also, weren't you allowed to fly around with the Fast / Super Packs (which were technically not usable in an atmospheric environment)?

All these could be simply chalked up to the planet having lower gravity (VB-6 Koenig Monsters being thrown off their feet so easily in the tutorial mode?)

Anyway, going OT aside, I think we can suspend our disbelief a little when we have a series with planes that could transform on some times very questionably fragile looking joints

[Seto Kaiba]

Are videogames and merch considered canon to the story though?

Sometimes? The first time it happened was with Macross 2036 and Macross: Eternal Love Song for the PC Engine, which were made to bridge the gap between DYRL?/FB2012 and Macross II: Lovers Again. The official Macross II-verse chronology which the staff published placed them on the timeline, and they were also featured in the Macross II Entertainment Bible.

The Macross main chronology also places a few games on the timeline... including Macross M3, Macross Digital Mission VF-X, and Macross VF-X2. In light of what's been put on Macross Chronicle's Mechanic Sheet ALL 01C, it's looking like Macross 30: Voices Across the Galaxy might be joining that select fraternity now that the YF-30 is showing up on the VF "family tree".

Sometimes, continuity material in art books like the The Lost Two Years thing in Macross Perfect Memory or Variable Fighter's Aero Report in This is Animation Special: Macross Plus sometimes makes it to official status as well.

Also, weren't you allowed to fly around with the Fast / Super Packs (which were technically not usable in an atmospheric environment)?

Yep... Macross 30 let ya do that, though it's not exactly unprecedented. There's occasional images in stuff like the old MAT: Sky Angels VF-1 tech manual or Variable Fighter Master File that seem to indicate a VF-1 COULD fly in atmosphere with the Super Pack on... though I imagine it'd handle pretty badly. Macross 7's PLUS segment "Top Gamlin" showed that the VF-11 could fly within an atmosphere with its FAST packs on, Macross Plus showed us the YF-19 and YF-21 could do it, Ozma operated that VF-25S of his with an Armored Pack inside the dome in Macross Frontier (both ver.), and Brera likewise operated his VF-27 with its Super Pack (actually a Ghost Booster of sorts) in the second movie.

So... there's a fair amount of precedent to suggest that you actually CAN do it, and that it's probably just inadvisable.

EDIT: Macross II's canon video game prequel Macross 2036 also depicted, both in cutscenes and in the regular gameplay, the VF-1AR/JR/SR operating in atmosphere with its Super Pack II system (AKA Attack Pack)... though that's a cut-down successor to the Strike Pack that foregoes the leg and forearm packs, and balances the boosters with a beam cannon and two missile launchers on each side.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Seto Kaiba

[Mommar]

Sometimes? The first time it happened was with Macross 2036 and Macross: Eternal Love Song for the PC Engine, which were made to bridge the gap between DYRL?/FB2012 and Macross II: Lovers Again. The official Macross II-verse chronology which the staff published placed them on the timeline, and they were also featured in the Macross II Entertainment Bible.

The Macross main chronology also places a few games on the timeline... including Macross M3, Macross Digital Mission VF-X, and Macross VF-X2. In light of what's been put on Macross Chronicle's Mechanic Sheet ALL 01C, it's looking like Macross 30: Voices Across the Galaxy might be joining that select fraternity now that the YF-30 is showing up on the VF "family tree".

Sometimes, continuity material in art books like the The Lost Two Years thing in Macross Perfect Memory or Variable Fighter's Aero Report in This is Animation Special: Macross Plus sometimes makes it to official status as well.

Yep... Macross 30 let ya do that, though it's not exactly unprecedented. There's occasional images in stuff like the old MAT: Sky Angels VF-1 tech manual or Variable Fighter Master File that seem to indicate a VF-1 COULD fly in atmosphere with the Super Pack on... though I imagine it'd handle pretty badly. Macross 7's PLUS segment "Top Gamlin" showed that the VF-11 could fly within an atmosphere with its FAST packs on, Macross Plus showed us the YF-19 and YF-21 could do it, Ozma operated that VF-25S of his with an Armored Pack inside the dome in Macross Frontier (both ver.), and Brera likewise operated his VF-27 with its Super Pack (actually a Ghost Booster of sorts) in the second movie.

So... there's a fair amount of precedent to suggest that you actually CAN do it, and that it's probably just inadvisable.

EDIT: Macross II's canon video game prequel Macross 2036 also depicted, both in cutscenes and in the regular gameplay, the VF-1AR/JR/SR operating in atmosphere with its Super Pack II system (AKA Attack Pack)... though that's a cut-down successor to the Strike Pack that foregoes the leg and forearm packs, and balances the boosters with a beam cannon and two missile launchers on each side.

Actually, in Macross 7 Plus that's not quite accurate. The VF-11's are shown with the leg packs on and a grey sort of cover over the regular VF-11 intakes that resemble something closer to the YF-19 Fast Pack.

[Falconkpd]

Actually, in Macross 7 Plus that's not quite accurate. The VF-11's are shown with the leg packs on and a grey sort of cover over the regular VF-11 intakes that resemble something closer to the YF-19 Fast Pack.

What about the packs used in Operation: "Stargazer"?

http://www.macross2.net/m3/macross7/vf-11c-superatmosphere/vf-11c-superatmosphere-fighter.gif

Edited April 10, 2014 by Falconkpd

[Seto Kaiba]

Actually, in Macross 7 Plus that's not quite accurate. The VF-11's are shown with the leg packs on and a grey sort of cover over the regular VF-11 intakes that resemble something closer to the YF-19 Fast Pack.

Hrm... you're right. There is some kind of pack over the VF-11's BLCS intakes...

[Mommar]

Hrm... you're right. There is some kind of pack over the VF-11's BLCS intakes...

That could also just be animation error on their part.

What about the packs used in Operation: "Stargazer"?

http://www.macross2.net/m3/macross7/vf-11c-superatmosphere/vf-11c-superatmosphere-fighter.gif

Those are atmospheric packs, the name implies the intended use.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Have you guys played a videogame on playstation 1 called einhander? That what I think should be put into macross universe where you have mechanical hand that can take various weapons and use it against whatever enemy you kill that drops the weapon using the arm to grapple the dead guy's gun.

All kinds of things like rockets, miniguns, beam weapons, long range cannons etc can then be used according to whatever is needed. Just let the arm gimmick attach itself to the weapon identify how it is supposed to operate it and then it becomes part of your attacks.

I think the idea of a hacking robot that steals weapons takes over the systems of the enemy and uses it against them is cool. Sort of like a mech that yang newman would invent so he could hijack the controls of things heh

Edited April 10, 2014 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Mommar]

Have you guys played a videogame on playstation 1 called einhander? That what I think should be put into macross universe where you have mechanical hand that can take various weapons and use it against whatever enemy you kill that drops the weapon using the arm to grapple the dead guy's gun.

All kinds of things like rockets, miniguns, beam weapons, long range cannons etc can then be used according to whatever is needed. Just let the arm gimmick attach itself to the weapon identify how it is supposed to operate it and then it becomes part of your attacks.

Einhander was awesome. They don't make them like that anymore.

[platypus]

Except the 99.9% of Macross 30 took place planet-side.

Does the Macross 30 game show how the rear landing gear bar doors of the yf-30 open up? Bandai's DX model seems to open up one of the 2 rear landing gear bay-doors to the front rather than to the side.

So apart from the missile launcher not being aerodynamic at all, wouldn't the rear landing gear bay doors already create plenty of drag during take off and landing in an atmosphere?

I was hoping Bandai would make the rear bay doors of the yf-30 open up the same way as those on the VF-0. The yf-30 and vf-0 rear bay doors are similar, other than the fact that all the rear bay doors on the vf-0 open up to the side very much like real world aircraft.

[Mommar]

Does the Macross 30 game show how the rear landing gear bar doors of the yf-30 open up? Bandai's DX model seems to open up one of the 2 rear landing gear bay-doors to the front rather than to the side.

So apart from the missile launcher not being aerodynamic at all, wouldn't the rear landing gear bay doors already create plenty of drag during take off and landing in an atmosphere?

I was hoping Bandai would make the rear bay doors of the yf-30 open up the same way as those on the VF-0. The yf-30 and vf-0 rear bay doors are similar, other than the fact that all the rear bay doors on the vf-0 open up to the side very much like real world aircraft.

I can't find any pictures of the toy with the gears down to know what you're referring to.

Squinting at Antibiotictab's video it appears the rear bay doors are a combination of the VF-25 and VF-1. The VF-1 has small flaps that hang down in front of the rear gears as well. it wouldn't add enough drag to matter really. And both sides of the plane open up the same way, it wouldn't make sense for the both of them to open in different ways.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Mommar

[Scyla]

The way I understand it is that the landing gear bay doors of the YF-30 have two panels to close the bay: one in the front and one in the back.

I assume he wants to express that the front bay door seems to open perpendicular to the roll-axis of the plane much like the landing gear panels of the VF-1 (front and back) and the first panel of the front landing gear bay of the VF-17/VF-19/VF-22 (basically all bays that are concealed by three panels)

He seems to indicate that on the VF-0 (which has also two panels for the back landing gear bays) both bay doors open alongside the roll axis of the plane.

So that's what I got from it. However I have no idea how the bay doors of the VF-0 work.

[anime52k8]

I'm seriously confused, what does all this have to do with the DX VF-30 toy?

[Scyla]

It has rear landing gear bay doors.

[Kyp Durron]

All I want to know is when is the preorder open. I love the fighter mode, and that's how it's going to be displayed, so I don't care about any aesthetic design issues with the Battroid mode.

[Shukenzero]

I know someone has been posted the pics before, but can anyone repost the remaining two yf-30 colours please?

Edited April 10, 2014 by Shukenzero

[Chronocidal]

So that's what I got from it. However I have no idea how the bay doors of the VF-0 work.

VF-0 is mostly like the VF-1, two doors that open towards alternate sides of the leg, minus the front doors with the lights

[platypus]

The way I understand it is that the landing gear bay doors of the YF-30 have two panels to close the bay: one in the front and one in the back.

I assume he wants to express that the front bay door seems to open perpendicular to the roll-axis of the plane much like the landing gear panels of the VF-1 (front and back) and the first panel of the front landing gear bay of the VF-17/VF-19/VF-22 (basically all bays that are concealed by three panels)

He seems to indicate that on the VF-0 (which has also two panels for the back landing gear bays) both bay doors open alongside the roll axis of the plane.

So that's what I got from it. However I have no idea how the bay doors of the VF-0 work.

Thanks Scyla for explaining it more clearly.

A comparison of how the bay doors open up for the VF-0 and YF-30 respectively:

IMHO, the yf-30 rear bay door that opens up perpendicular to the roll axis hangs much lower than what we see on the vf-1, which would produce more resistance during take off and landing, and is aesthetically displeasing.

Thanks Scyla for explaining it more clearly.

A comparison of how the bay doors open up for the VF-0 and YF-30 respectively:

IMHO, the yf-30 rear bay door that opens up perpendicular to the roll axis hangs much lower than what we see on the vf-1, which would produce more resistance during take off and landing, and is aesthetically displeasing.

Sorry, didn't add the comparison picture. Here it is:

[anime52k8]

you know what else produces a lot of air resistance during take off and landing? landing gear. And yet all planes have them.

[David Hingtgen]

Some planes have very low-drag doors and re-close all the ones they can after extension. Some have huge ones and leave them all hanging out.

Wanna see a bad example? Check out the F-111's main gear bay door during gear extension/retraction.

No, that's not the airbrake. Don't expect much acceleration during gear retraction after takeoff. And expect to slow down a lot when extending them for landing...