Arcadia 1/60 VF-4A ‘Flashback 2012’ Premium Finish & Regular Release

[spacemanoeuvres]

Oops wrong thread

Edited April 21, 2021 by spacemanoeuvres

[Chronocidal]

Finally got my standard 2012 version in from AE, I waited to ship until they got my last set of TV DX fast packs.  So glad to finally have the scheme everyone was wanting since 2012.

Missiles do feel a lot more solid on this release, though they still pop off occasionally.  Two next to the nose gear still love to just fall off, but not sure what to do with them, other than maybe just glue them in.  Everything else feels tight, took a bit of work to transform it because the main body joints were so stiff, which isn't a bad thing.

Really though, this one is staying in fighter forever.  I'll just transform the old Yamato releases, or even the HMRs if I want that experience.

[treatment]

3 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Finally got my standard 2012 version in from AE, I waited to ship until they got my last set of TV DX fast packs.  So glad to finally have the scheme everyone was wanting since 2012.

Missiles do feel a lot more solid on this release, though they still pop off occasionally.  Two next to the nose gear still love to just fall off, but not sure what to do with them, other than maybe just glue them in.  Everything else feels tight, took a bit of work to transform it because the main body joints were so stiff, which isn't a bad thing.

Really though, this one is staying in fighter forever.  I'll just transform the old Yamato releases, or even the HMRs if I want that experience.

 

All of my VF-4s stay in forever-fighter mode.

Arcadia, Yammie, HMR.

I just can't make myself transform and keep any of them into non-fighter modes for more than a minute.

It's such a strong mental block,,,

 

 

 

 

[DYRL VF-1S]

2 hours ago, treatment said:

 

All of my VF-4s stay in forever-fighter mode.

Arcadia, Yammie, HMR.

I just can't make myself transform and keep any of them into non-fighter modes for more than a minute.

It's such a strong mental block,,,

 

 

 

 

YES! Always forever. It's such a kick-ass fighter mode anyway.

[Chronocidal]

I've said it before somewhere, but it bears repeating.  My favorite part of the VF-4 is the surprise people exhibit when they discover that it actually transforms.

In this world of "jet with a robot stuck underneath" transformers, something as utterly clean as the VF-4 is a rarity indeed.

[Slave IV]

10 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I've said it before somewhere, but it bears repeating.  My favorite part of the VF-4 is the surprise people exhibit when they discover that it actually transforms.

In this world of "jet with a robot stuck underneath" transformers, something as utterly clean as the VF-4 is a rarity indeed.

Yep, happens all the time even with toy collectors and Macross fans who see it for the first time. They always ask, "does that actually transform?"

[seti88]

On 5/6/2021 at 2:14 PM, Chronocidal said:

I've said it before somewhere, but it bears repeating.  My favorite part of the VF-4 is the surprise people exhibit when they discover that it actually transforms.

In this world of "jet with a robot stuck underneath" transformers, something as utterly clean as the VF-4 is a rarity indeed.

Yup the VF-4 is a mind boggler where the arms/feet go...just like the SV262...

To me, that's the magic of macross. Despite its transformation abilities, fighter mode still looks like a beautiful jet fighter...

Part of kawamori's genius..

[no3Ljm]

@jenius review on both VF-4A releases. Regular and Premium Finish.  

 

 

As always, great review sir!

 

[Shawn]

Sweet! I guess the surface shipping box with that PF Vf-4 was finally delivered to @jenius house!

 

[HayateAltoHunter]

That was my same thought! Albeit for a selfish reason….mine should be on the boat that followed! 

19 hours ago, Shawn said:

Sweet! I guess the surface shipping box with that PF Vf-4 was finally delivered to @jenius house!

 

 

[ValkAddict]

The Arcadia 1/60 VF-4A ‘Flashback 2012’ Premium Finish is a beautiful toy. Expensive as heck, but I love it.

[spacemanoeuvres]

9 minutes ago, ValkAddict said:

The Arcadia 1/60 VF-4A ‘Flashback 2012’ Premium Finish is a beautiful toy. Expensive as heck, but I love it.

Same here. I enjoy the VF-4. Absolute stunner in fighter mode. 

[no3Ljm]

I just stumbled to this Arcadia's blog regarding coating. Not sure if this has been posted or discussed in other threads.

https://ameblo.jp/arcadiaac/entry-12672915321.html

Since I'm not 100% fluent with Nihonggo, I used Google Translate.

Quote

Blog Post:

お世話になっております。
アルカディアの趣味モデラーです。  

前回の記事のコメント欄に墨入れについてご質問があったので、
今回はコートと墨入れについて取り上げたいと思います。  

サックリ回答から。  

Ｑ：タンポ印刷・墨入れ後につや消しクリア等でコーティングはなされてますか？
Ａ：基本的にコーティングはしておりません。  

Ｑ：コートされていない場合、自分でクリアを塗布しても問題ありませんか？
Ａ：水性塗料なら問題無いですが、コート後はサポートの対象外となります。  

では、掘り下げていきます。  

まず、墨入れについて。
前回の記事に書きましたが、VF-4Aは仕様上、墨が落ちやすいです。  

現在、弊社の墨入れ済み商品は、「マクロス艦 PF」「VF-0D PF」「VF-4A PF」の３商品ですが、 マクロス艦は墨入れ後に艶消しコートの為、墨は落ちにくく、 VF-0Dはグラデ塗装後に墨入れの為、墨は落ちにくいのです。（グラデ時の塗料により足付けと似た効果があります）

しかし、VF-4Aは成形プラスチックに直に墨入れをしていますので、手の汗や油分で墨が落ちてしまうのです。  

その場合、バンダイさんの「ガンダムマーカー墨入れペン」等で簡単にリタッチ可能です。 （墨入れは、これとタミヤさんの流し込みのヤツがあれば大体何とかなると思っている趣味モデラー。）  

通常版を買って自分の好みに合わせて墨を入れている、という方も少なからずおられるのではないでしょうか。

次にコーティングについて。 弊社商品には基本的にコートの類は吹かれていません。  

これには沢山の理由が御座いますが、 一番には、変形という特性上「コートが落ちやすい為」というのが挙げられます。  

また、工数が増えるという事は、コストが上がり、生産時のミスも増え、チェック項目も増え… 要するに不良品が増えるのです。  

先に挙げたような、様々な要素を比較、検討した上で「コートしない」という判断をしております。

 例外として、「1/3000 マクロス艦 PF版」は艶消し仕上げになっております。

この商品で「コートした場合、どれだけのタスクやコスト、負担が増えるか」にチャレンジした。と、いった具合です。

Google Translate:

We become indebted to. I'm an Arcadia hobby modeler.

I had a question about inking in the comment section of the previous article, so this time I would like to talk about coats and inking.  

From a quick answer.  

Q: Is the coating done with matte clear after tampo printing and inking?
A: Basically, it is not coated.  

Q: If it is not coated, is it okay to apply the clear by myself?
A: There is no problem with water-based paint, but after coating, it will not be supported.  

Let's dig into it.  

First, about inking.
As I wrote in the previous article, the VF-4A is easy to remove ink due to its specifications.  

Currently, our inked products are "Macross Ship PF", "VF-0D PF", and "VF-4A PF". Since the Macross ship has a matte coat after inking, it is difficult for the ink to come off. Since VF-0D is inked after gradation painting, it is difficult for the ink to come off. (The paint used during gradation has an effect similar to that of footing.)  

However, since the VF-4A is directly inked on the molded plastic, the sweat and oil on the hands will remove the ink.  

In that case, you can easily retouch it with Bandai's "Gundam Marker Inking Pen". (Inking is a hobby modeler who thinks that if there is this and Tamiya-san's pouring guy, it will be almost manageable.)  

I think there are quite a few people who buy the regular version and add ink to their liking.

Next, about coating. Basically, no coats are blown on our products.  

There are many reasons for this, The first is that "because the coat is easy to fall off" due to the characteristic of deformation.  

In addition, increasing man-hours means higher costs, more mistakes during production, and more check items ... In short, the number of defective products will increase.  

After comparing and examining various factors as mentioned above, we decide not to coat.  

As an exception, the "1/3000 Macross Ship PF Edition" has a matte finish.

With this product, I challenged "how much task, cost, and burden will increase if I coat it". And so on.

 

So the only releases that's basically 'coated' is the SDF-1 since it mentioned that the ink on the VF-4A can be smudged or removed by sweat and oil from hands.

What do you guys think?

 

[F360]

4 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

I just stumbled to this Arcadia's blog regarding coating. Not sure if this has been posted or discussed in other threads.

https://ameblo.jp/arcadiaac/entry-12672915321.html

Since I'm not 100% fluent with Nihonggo, I used Google Translate.

 

So the only releases that's basically 'coated' is the SDF-1 since it mentioned that the ink on the VF-4A can be smudged or removed by sweat and oil from hands.

What do you guys think?

 

That's what it sounds like too.   and it seems like that clear coat on the sdf-1 is not cheap either.  

[Anasazi37]

Both the reissue and original release of the regular finish VF-4A are on sale at HLJ. You'll save about $3. You read that right: $3. That's 1% off the normal price.

[Slave IV]

6 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

Both the reissue and original release of the regular finish VF-4A are on sale at HLJ. You'll save about $3. You read that right: $3. That's 1% off the normal price.

So if I buy around 150 of them I can save enough to buy one PF version?

[treatment]

1 hour ago, Anasazi37 said:

Both the reissue and original release of the regular finish VF-4A are on sale at HLJ. You'll save about $3. You read that right: $3. That's 1% off the normal price.

 

Not sure if you or anybody else had ever noticed, but HLJ had stopped giving generous (or even relevant) discounts some number of yeasr ago already.  Sometime around '08 or thereabout.

That's why most of us dont really prefer buying there anymore if stocks are good in other import shops.

You can only get the rare good discounts on their semi-annual inventory cleaning or something like that.

I mean, ffs, they are still trying to move/sell the stupid ET VF2FSS at its stupid pricing from when it first came out...

 

 

 

[Grey728]

2 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

Both the reissue and original release of the regular finish VF-4A are on sale at HLJ. You'll save about $3. You read that right: $3. That's 1% off the normal price.

 

[Grey728]

59 minutes ago, treatment said:

 

Not sure if you or anybody else had ever noticed, but HLJ had stopped giving generous (or even relevant) discounts some number of yeasr ago already.  Sometime around '08 or thereabout.

That's why most of us dont really prefer buying there anymore if stocks are good in other import shops.

You can only get the rare good discounts on their semi-annual inventory cleaning or something like that.

I mean, ffs, they are still trying to move/sell the stupid ET VF2FSS at its stupid pricing from when it first came out...

 

 

 

That 20% off discount coupon good for the entire 2021 and no purchase limits was pretty good in my opinion. I bought a Premium Finish as well as other big ticket items with it and all I had to do to get it was buy a $12 pen and ship it. Worth it.

[Wolvierml]

Where would be a good place to buy a Premium Finish nowadays?

[Seto Kaiba]

I completely forgot I'd ordered the Premium finish back around the start of the pandemic...

HLJ sent me a... gentle but stern... note asking me to please ship the bloody thing earlier today.

[Sandman]

2 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

I completely forgot I'd ordered the Premium finish back around the start of the pandemic...

HLJ sent me a... gentle but stern... note asking me to please ship the bloody thing earlier today.

They held it for 2 years?

[Seto Kaiba]

Just now, Sandman said:

They held it for 2 years?

Looks like, yeah.

I guess they must have changed their Private Warehouse hold policy at some point not long after the pandemic really got going, since the original limit was not more than 60 days.  I wonder if it had something to do with the Japan Post and other normal carriers not handling international mail at the time?

I had legitimately forgotten that I'd ordered it, and apparently the Private Warehouse status emails about it have just been going to my spam folder this entire time.

[F360]

2 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

I completely forgot I'd ordered the Premium finish back around the start of the pandemic...

HLJ sent me a... gentle but stern... note asking me to please ship the bloody thing earlier today.

you might have shelter in place a bit too long.  the pandemic started at the end of 2019 /beginning of 2020.  It was release 1 year after the pandemic stated 

 

34 minutes ago, Sandman said:

They held it for 2 years?

The VF-4 didn't came out until the beginning of 2021..  so maybe around 1 year. 

[Seto Kaiba]

2 minutes ago, F360 said:

you might have shelter in place a bit too long.

... more than a bit, if we're being honest.

I tend to think of the start as when my job went fully remote in April '20.

 

2 minutes ago, F360 said:

the pandemic started at the end of 2019 /beginning of 2020.  It was release 1 year after the pandemic stated 

 

The VF-4 didn't came out until the beginning of 2021..  so maybe around 1 year. 

Looking back, preorders started August-ish 2020?  So about a year and a half since I filed the original order?

I hope the quality was good.

[Lolicon]

Man, you remove all the screws from a toy and it just falls apart. How cheap!

(Ready to apply @Anasazi37's excellent decals)

[Anasazi37]

25 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

Man, you remove all the screws from a toy and it just falls apart. How cheap!

(Ready to apply @Anasazi37's excellent decals)

Good luck and can't wait to see the finished product

[seti88]

2 hours ago, Lolicon said:

Man, you remove all the screws from a toy and it just falls apart. How cheap!

(Ready to apply @Anasazi37's excellent decals)

Are you sure you want to put it back? Arrange it nicely and it looks cool as a disassembled display set..😅

Hmm...there is a wave model kit eh...hmmm....ok i take it back...getting a model kit would be cheaper for that...😅

 

[no3Ljm]

2 hours ago, Lolicon said:

Man, you remove all the screws from a toy and it just falls apart. How cheap!

(Ready to apply @Anasazi37's excellent decals)

Looking forward to it, @Lolicon.  

 

[Chronocidal]

You know what I miss the most from the old Yamato valks?

Being able to even do that.  It's been years since we got anything from either Bandai or Arcadia that you can disassemble that completely without utterly destroying it.

[Anasazi37]

5 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

You know what I miss the most from the old Yamato valks?

Being able to even do that.  It's been years since we got anything from either Bandai or Arcadia that you can disassemble that completely without utterly destroying it.

I had exactly the same thought. It's refreshing to see this level of disassembly.

[Lolicon]

I haven't tried taking apart the Sv-51 yet (I can't even find where I stowed away the replacement legs I got from HLJ) but the VF-0 line can be taken apart as well without the need to break anything.

It's really Bandai that makes it impossible to take their valks apart without breaking things, and it's Bandai's valks that I feel need the most work to get up to snuff.

(super old pic)

[Chronocidal]

True, Arcadia's are still a step above Bandai, but even they went the screw cover/glue route with the VF-19 series, and it's made modifying or maintaining them really difficult.  I had the misfortune of getting a pretty borked shoulder in my Arcadia Ivanov, and that was just impossible to fix.  Spring-pins, screw covers, and glue all the way.  

I think VF-1-derived designs are more friendly in general though, since I remember seeing disassembled Bandai ones as well.  Maybe it's just something about the nature of their design that makes them depend more on reasonably accessible screws.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Chronocidal

[no3Ljm]

Hey @Lolicon. Care to share what tool did you use to pry open those screw covers? Thanks! 

[Lolicon]

The covers can be pulled out with tape or blue tack. They're just held in place with a little friction. 

Later Bandai DX releases are harder to take apart than earlier ones as Bandai has continually upped the amount of glue applied to each release. I know because I've disassembled (or tried to) all of them.