BANDAI DX YF-19!!

[Shizuka the Cat]

2 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

I noticed a detail on the YF-19 that is missing from the DX Chogokin release...

No "YF-19" tampa print below the cockpit.

The gun pod is also missing the "Haward GU-15" tampa printing.

[no3Ljm]

2 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

I noticed a detail on the YF-19 that is missing from the DX Chogokin release...

No "YF-19" tampa print below the cockpit.

Atleast, they gave us a big N.E.T.F.C. and U.N.Spacy on the wings which are basically super absent in the anime. 

 

[M'Kyuun]

On ‎10‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 8:18 PM, onnasake said:

By the way....on my (replacement) toy, the Battroid mode comes together and holds together better than fighter.  I still have some annoying gaps around the neck of the plane that I just can't seem to get to close.

But I'm thrilled by how nice the Battroid looks.  In fact, I've left it in Battroid mode in my display for about a week now.

That definitely seems to be the less popular opinion on Macross in general though.  Seems almost all pics I see of displays are in fighter mode.  Does anyone leave their toys in Battroid mode for any extended amount of time?

Just curious.

I keep all my valks in battroid all the time for display. I favor battroid, with fighter a close second; I'm generally not too crazy about GERWALK, the SV-51 being the exception in my collection. The great thing about these toys is that they are transformable, so if I get the urge, I can pull it out of the case, put it in fighter for awhile, test its aerodynamic efficiency about the house, and then restore it back to battroid once more for display. I envy the folks with both the cash flow and, more importantly, space, to buy multiples for simultaneous display options. 

 

So, I got one of those itches to transform my VF-19 Advance today, and I ran into the same issue you had with your YF-19- the legs will not pull out to allow them to be swung down into fighter position. I pulled on them pretty hard, not hard enough to break anything, but certainly harder than it should take to extend them out from the body. I had your unfortunate incident in mind the whole time. I read something about loosening screws, but looking at my Advance, I didn't see any screws in the crotch area that would allow for loosening/disassembly to allow for better man-handling or even possible lubrication. Any clarification would be helpful. 

Incidentally, I only transformed my Advance once or twice when I first got it upon initial release, and it has remained in battroid ever since. I'm curious if there's some kind of corrosion that causes it to become 'sticky'. I don't recall having this issue when I first got it.

[treatment]

10 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

It should be thicker if it is, right? The chest cannon is thicker than the head turrets, IIRC.

 

The only thing I can think of is that barrels were just extended.

 

 

[Shizuka the Cat]

Is it just me, or are the Fast Pack shoulder pieces on the DX Chogokin and Yamato./Arcadia toys too small, compared to how they appear in Macross Plus?

Edited October 22, 2018 by Shizuka the Cat

[M'Kyuun]

On ‎10‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 9:55 PM, seti88 said:

My messer is in battroid since the day it got released and i transformed him into it.  
Fighter mode is lovely of course and easily relate-able, but i leave some of mine in fighter cos i always said i would transform them one day and that day never came. 

I love all valks and all modes, whether it be sleek with curves, or rough and modular. So if it comes to display, choose those that represent different elements of what a valk can do.

To me the VF-4 battroid looks good and am particularly fond of the back.  Something abt those nozzles and flaps that represents all that mecha and aircraft is about.

Guess i love weird valks!  

 

 

 

The VF-4 has one of my favorite battroid modes; it's unique.  I like it so much I built fully transformable version of it from LEGO, taking a few liberties with shoulder articulation and coloration. If you squint, you can see it in my avatar. I can't blame anyone for favoring its fighter mode, however, as it's a thing of beauty.

[HardlyNever]

22 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

So, I got one of those itches to transform my VF-19 Advance today, and I ran into the same issue you had with your YF-19- the legs will not pull out to allow them to be swung down into fighter position. I pulled on them pretty hard, not hard enough to break anything, but certainly harder than it should take to extend them out from the body. I had your unfortunate incident in mind the whole time. I read something about loosening screws, but looking at my Advance, I didn't see any screws in the crotch area that would allow for loosening/disassembly to allow for better man-handling or even possible lubrication. Any clarification would be helpful. 

If you're going from Battroid to Gerwalk/Fighter mode, don't pull the legs out to get them out of the higher battroid position.  The curved shape on either side of the crotch that is holding the legs in place is like a button that needs to be held down, then you can rotate the legs back down to gerwalk/fighter position.  You shouldn't need to pull the legs outward much, if at all.

 

14 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Is it just me, or are the Fast Pack shoulder pieces on the DX Chogokin and Yamato./Arcadia toys too small, compared to how they appear in Macross Plus?

I'd just say more anime magic.  The shoulder pieces look the right size for gerwalk/battroid mode, but then too small for fighter mode.  

Theoretically Bandai or Arcadia could give you different sizes for different modes, but that seems pretty superfluous, imo.  The could also vary in size depending on the scene, regardless of mode.

[Chronocidal]

56 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

And what are those 'stick' looking thing on the left and the right, besides the green missile and the gunpod? Head laser replacements?

 

Pretty sure those are the wing root lasers, since there are two of them.

[Shizuka the Cat]

1 hour ago, no3Ljm said:

And what are those 'stick' looking thing on the left and the right, besides the green missile and the gunpod? Head laser replacements?

 

I wonder if they could be examples of the ordinance that is contained in the green rocket pods, where each rocket pod has 8 pictured small launch tubes. 

I think those little 'sticks' would fit inside the rocket pod launch tubes.

Edited October 22, 2018 by Shizuka the Cat

[borgified]

Manda Nagoya has the Full Set DX YF-19 for 26K yen. 

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1098727057&ref=list

Fukuoka and Complex has it for 28k yen

[Bolt]

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

I like it so much I built fully transformable version of it from LEGO, taking a few liberties with shoulder articulation and coloration. If you squint, you can see it in my avatar.

That looks awesome man!

great job!

[borgified]

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

 I read something about loosening screws, but looking at my Advance, I didn't see any screws in the crotch area that would allow for loosening/disassembly to allow for better man-handling or even possible lubrication. Any clarification would be helpful. 

Incidentally, I only transformed my Advance once or twice when I first got it upon initial release, and it has remained in battroid ever since. I'm curious if there's some kind of corrosion that causes it to become 'sticky'. I don't recall having this issue when I first got it.

Based on jenius' review of the vf-19 advanced, the time frame of 18:09 -18:11 should be of help.

 

 

[jenius]

I think my newer guide talks about the hip joint and loosening it more.

[kajnrig]

47 minutes ago, jenius said:

I think my newer guide talks about the hip joint and loosening it more.

Did you ever get around to resolving the back rail issue and the black piece not snapping closed to hold the chest assembly together?

[jenius]

I did, transformed it again to battroid and worked the slider for a bit and got the extra mm that was necessary.

[Ailanthus]

3 hours ago, jenius said:

I did, transformed it again to battroid and worked the slider for a bit and got the extra mm that was necessary.

Which slider is this specifically? Is it Step. 9 on page 12 in the manual? Because I tried pulling it some more but got no give.

 

[kajnrig]

4 minutes ago, Ailanthus said:

Which slider is this specifically? Is it Step. 9 on page 12 in the manual? Because I tried pulling it some more but got no give.

 

Correct. Page 12, step 9-1. It might be you have to wiggle it around, work the slider for a bit as jenius says. For me, I didn't break it in very much, just pulled a bit harder than I thought necessary (and much more than I was comfortable doing).

[Krunc]

Okay gotcha, so far I've tried wiggling it back and forth but this is as far as I got and the black piece is still looking out. 

[M'Kyuun]

7 hours ago, Bolt said:

That looks awesome man!

great job!

Thanks Bolt!

6 hours ago, borgified said:

Based on jenius' review of the vf-19 advanced, the time frame of 18:09 -18:11 should be of help.

 

 

Ah, been so long I forgot that those parts push in to allow rotation of the hips. Now that I'm re-educated, I'll have to put my Advance through its paces tomorrow. It's been awhile since I had it in fighter mode, and I've been itching to transform it. In my failed attempt this morning, I was still appreciating some of the design and engineering touches Bandai incorporated into this toy; IMO, one of the coolest Macross toys I own.  I have high hopes there's a YF-21 in the works. I think some MP-36ish compressing leg mechanism would serve well to give it chunky legs and a thin profile in fighter.

Edit: Also wanted to thank HardlyNever for his helpful comments, as well. If I forgot anyone else, my sincerest apologies, and my thanks.

Edited October 23, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[M'Kyuun]

So, after a good hour or so of cussing, placating, pondering, trying, and retrying, I finally persuaded my VF-19 Advance back into fighter mode. She's a tricky little beast what with all the multiple detentes and such for its various modes, plus armor accommodation. The armor kept falling off throughout, and so I just left it off except for the grey intermeshing pads on the shoulders, which is fine, as the naked 19 is one of Kawamori's most beautiful fighter designs. Throughout, despite my growing frustrations with getting things to line up, I couldn't help but marvel at some of the beautiful engineering in this toy. All the folding bits in the chest to allow it all to compress and allow the inner thighs to maintain a semblance of solidarity (except from the rear) is brilliant, as are the folding panels on the legs. It's been so long since I handled it that I'd forgotten just how clever the various solutions are throughout. That said, although the transformation can be a bit trying at first, the feeling of fulfillment is worth all that blood and sweat, and she makes for one gorgeous fighter. I implore any new owners of the YF-19 to take the time to do the transformation and really gain an appreciation for how much thought and engineering prowess is showcased in this toy; as much as I love my Arcadia YF-19, Bandai has them beat leaps and bounds in the engineering dept.

More than ever, I hope they're developing a YF-21.

[no3Ljm]

I totally agree on how Bandai's engineering team handles those folding and stuff just to have the whole thing compress. I appreciate those things even though some parts of it kind of felt like overengineered. And still manages for messing up the gap between the legs and the arms in fighter mode. They should've atleast put some folding locking tabs in there. Plus the wing roots not tabbing or not aligned on the locking tabs when the Fast Packs are attached in the legs.

And I can't help wonder how they're going to do the same thing on a DX YF-21 if ever they're planning on doing it. However it is, I'm guaranteeing it that I will get 2 of it.  

 

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

as much as I love my Arcadia YF-19, Bandai has them beat leaps and bounds in the engineering dept.

I can't argue the level of sophistication Bandai pulls off (mostly) successfully, but they absolutely have an extreme fetish for over-engineering, and it can be extremely detrimental to the longevity of their products (plus, their production habits make getting replacement items or parts nearly impossible).  The higher precision, permanent assembly methods, ridiculous parts count, and number of critical components raises the risk of a catastrophic failure several orders of magnitude over the old Yamato/Arcadia valks.  When they break, they disintegrate, and nothing is going to fix them.  I generally try to order two of every Bandai valk, ever since the 171 snafu.. I figure I should at least be able to piece together one fully functional valk out of the pair, if something explodes.

Between the over-engineering and ridiculous amount of paint scratching, I've always felt like the Bandai valks were better left on a shelf, while the Yamatos and Arcadias are better to transform and mess with.  They're beautifully engineered, but that complexity means they just don't have the same dependability, and aren't as rugged as something made with less parts.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Chronocidal

[RealJayDee]

Indeed the vf 19A and the yf 19 from bandai stand apart from the rest when you take a minute to imagine the complexity and ordeal designers went through when they sketched, designed, tested and manufactured them.

Massive leg articulation, the ankle-lower leg mechanism, waist articulatuon, and all these moving pieces remain rock solid in fighter mode. Also bear in mind it keeps close fidelity to a line art that benefited from unexisting 3d animation and chetaed proportions in all 3 modes.

And above that, this mold was inspired by a 5 seconds scene in wings of good bye.

Its so complex that we should need a proper certification to be allowed to handle it xD (yes, the learning curve can be a fun killing factor).

Very very nice valk

 

[M'Kyuun]

2 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I can't argue the level of sophistication Bandai pulls off (mostly) successfully, but they absolutely have an extreme fetish for over-engineering, and it can be extremely detrimental to the longevity of their products (plus, their production habits make getting replacement items or parts nearly impossible).  The higher precision, permanent assembly methods, ridiculous parts count, and number of critical components raises the risk of a catastrophic failure several orders of magnitude over the old Yamato/Arcadia valks.  When they break, they disintegrate, and nothing is going to fix them.  I generally try to order two of every Bandai valk, ever since the 171 snafu.. I figure I should at least be able to piece together one fully functional valk out of the pair, if something explodes.

Between the over-engineering and ridiculous amount of paint scratching, I've always felt like the Bandai valks were better left on a shelf, while the Yamatos and Arcadias are better to transform and mess with.  They're beautifully engineered, but that complexity means they just don't have the same dependability, and aren't as rugged as something made with less parts.

My gushing over the Advance aside, I can't argue that it's a bit of a chore to manipulate, and that a simpler toy, like Arcadia's 19, or just a good ole VF-1, is plain fun to mess with and still yields fulfillment.

The engineer wannabe in me just loves solutions like those employed in any number of Bandai's valks, the Advance most notably, but what looks cool to the eye doesn't always translate as such in the hand. It's a tradeoff- a finickier toy with more inherent fragility yielding an arguably more accurate toy across modes, or a simpler, more robust toy that still does an admirable job conveying its modes with a higher fun-factor (and less anxiety).  I like both options, but mileage varies.

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

The engineer wannabe in me just loves solutions like those employed in any number of Bandai's valks, the Advance most notably, but what looks cool to the eye doesn't always translate as such in the hand. It's a tradeoff- a finickier toy with more inherent fragility yielding an arguably more accurate toy across modes, or a simpler, more robust toy that still does an admirable job conveying its modes with a higher fun-factor (and less anxiety).  I like both options, but mileage varies.

This is absolutely why LEGO is so satisfying though, in every way.  Not only do you get to design those insanely complex mechanisms yourself, but you can set the balance of complexity and enjoyment on your on terms, and revise the design at will.  My efforts to design a workable YF-19 though have all fallen through because certain elements don't exist that will fit inside a manageable package.  

Don't get me wrong, I love the YF-19/Advance mold (minus the feet.. those are ugly ).  It's astoundingly close in proportion and overall shape to the Hasegawa dedicated fighter kits, and that's quite an achievement all on its own.  I do wish that Bandai would give a little more consideration to structural limitations and stresses, and be a little less glue and screw cover happy with their designs, but in the end, it's a marvelous little hunk of plastic that I'm happy to have sitting on top of my desk.

 

[hardreturn]

[s_i_t_h_l_o_r_d]

Has anyone try to install the Yamato's fold booster onto the DX-YF-19? Just wondering. I have yet to get mine in the mail.

[spanner]

1 hour ago, hardreturn said:

Fantastic shot!! 

[no3Ljm]

21 minutes ago, s_i_t_h_l_o_r_d said:

Has anyone try to install the Yamato's fold booster onto the DX-YF-19? Just wondering. I have yet to get mine in the mail.

I don't think by using Yamato's Fold Booster's adaptors is not going to fit on the DX YF-19. Both have different sets. I think the safe best if you want to use Yamato's Fold Booster is to make your own adaptors.

 

[onnasake]

On 10/21/2018 at 7:16 AM, Nomake Wan said:

Would you happen to have a scan/photo of the insert? I'm curious as to what Bandai had to say officially about this particular issue. My YF-19 is still in the box for now, but I did check and the head laser is intact so at least I dodged that one. For anyone keeping score at home, I ordered from AmiAmi, shipped EMS, and live in California.

Sorry this is a little late.....double sorry I don't have a fancy camera.  This was taken on an old Samsung that I actually dropped in the bath the other night.  I wish that was a joke, but it's true.

 

Here's the insert that was right inside my replacement's packaging.  It was NOT in my initial shipment of the toy.

I hope that's legible enough!!

[Nomake Wan]

3 hours ago, onnasake said:

I hope that's legible enough!!

It is, thank you! Interesting, they don't admit to there being an actual issue with the fins, they instead point out that using excessive force or attempting to reattach the fins at any angle other than dead on will erode the tiny nubs that hold them in place, which will cause them to no longer seat properly. So essentially...covering their asses. Ah well.

[HardlyNever]

10 minutes ago, Nomake Wan said:

It is, thank you! Interesting, they don't admit to there being an actual issue with the fins, they instead point out that using excessive force or attempting to reattach the fins at any angle other than dead on will erode the tiny nubs that hold them in place, which will cause them to no longer seat properly. So essentially...covering their asses. Ah well.

Yeah, that is complete BS.  We have multiple people saying their leg fin attachment point is damaged right out of the box (myself included).  There is no way that kind of damage was caused by putting the leg fin back on dozens of times, much less once (which is the first time I noticed it).

If they are going to address it, at least be honest about it.  Otherwise, just pretend it isn't a real problem.  But as you said, they are probably just covering their asses, because they are getting complaints and returns.

[chyll2]

4 hours ago, onnasake said:

Sorry this is a little late.....double sorry I don't have a fancy camera.  This was taken on an old Samsung that I actually dropped in the bath the other night.  I wish that was a joke, but it's true.

 

Here's the insert that was right inside my replacement's packaging.  It was NOT in my initial shipment of the toy.

I hope that's legible enough!!

bandai: if you and many people are breaking it, then there is something wrong with all those people. here is a nifty guide to correct you

[Sildani]

Bandai HAS become the Apple of toy companies!

[ArchieNov]

Are the leg fins really damaged? Or was it just not assembled correctly? I didn’t have the issue on both my copies so I can’t picture what’s causing them to fall off easily for those with it.