Yamato Launch Arms

 

Observations & Critique: Steam Catapults in Space Don’t Make Sense

I thought it would take hell freezing for Yamato to produce an efficiently packaged item (24 x 15.5 x 10.5 cm). There were two sets of releases of the Launch Arm. The original release contained three variants (standard gray, silver/chrome/plated, and black) all packaged in the same box differentiated by a sticker on the box. The original boxes open either left or right. The second set of releases had an updated box (same dimensions) that opened top or bottom and again featured stickers to differentiate the types (standard gray, deep blue, and black). Contents included:
1) The display stand consisting of an arm and a base (the base is in the second lower tray)
A baggy containing the following adaptors:
2) 1/72 scale YF-21 adapter
3) 1/72 scale YF-21 with fast packs adapter
4) 1/72 VF-11B (with or without fast packs)
5) 1/72 YF-19 (all versions)
6) 1/60 v1 VE-1 fighter adapter
7) 1/60 v1 VE-1 super/strike fighter
8) 1/48 VF-1
9) 1/60 scale Queadluun Rau
A small baggy behind the adapters contains:
10) A pair of screws
and behind all the trays, you’ll find:

11) Instructions

The later releases also include a flyer that indicates the display stand is compatible with all the releases up to that point indicating that the stand does not work with YF-21 of VF-22 toys in battroid mode (the launch arm is too short to accommodate the rather tall YF-21 so Yamato never made adapters for battroid). After the first release of these display stands, Yamato began including adapters with each new toy.
The Silver Launch Arm comes with white connectors for the toy… but the connectors tuck in so close to the toys it doesn’t matter.

The initial release of these display stands didn’t sell well. At the time, router style display stands were much cheaper while this display stand was nearly as expensive as one of the early 2000 toys it could elevate. These display stands are also more obtrusive than many competitors, limiting the types of displays they’re best fit for. Despite the poor sales, Yamato reissued the stands in 2010, undoubtedly thinking that the sales of many toys that were compatible with the display stand since the original 2004 release would lead to greater sales this time around. I don’t have sales figures but it seems they were right since Arcadia redesigned and resurrected the display stand after Yamato’s demise. Though the Macross asethetic was appreciated, this display stand lacks the universal applicability of generic router stands. The Silver/Chrome/Plated and Deep Blue display stands should be the rarest versions since both were only released once while black and standard were released twice.

If you’re not familiar with the launch arm, it’s a very thin arm with a claw on it that grabs the FAST Packs of a VF-1. In Do You Remember Love?, the VF-1 is released into space by the big arm, then kicks on its boosters and flies off into battle. This launch arm inspired display stand only has a mild resemblance of the launch arm depicted in the movie. It can be used with various scales and vehicles but the claws often need to be removed or left completely open. The arm in the show was thin (as an acknowledgment to the fact it exists because there is no need for runways or catapults in a weightless environment) but this arm needs to support the weight of some hefty toys so it’s thick. Mechanical details, the release pistons, and cables from the line art all omitted. The arms would have lights in some places but there are no clear plastic accents. There are obvious screws protruding in some places. While the likeness to the line art is remote, the concept is still attractive. The base has paneling meant to look like a hangar bay. The back of the arm has some large screw holes but those aren’t visible from any of the normal angles you’ll be viewing your toy from. The black display stand has a lovely matte finish.

While it won’t appeal to everyone, I found the silver plated display stand very nice. I particularly enjoyed pairing the silver launch arm with darker toys like Yamato’s 25th Anniversary of Macross schemes or the 1/48 scale Stealth VF-1.

The dark blue and standard versions are rendered in a high sheen plastic which I found incongrous with Yamato’s typical matte finished toys. The dark blue version was my least favorite and I felt it would have looked better with the yellow warning hexagons instead of the low-vis gray.

The matte black display stand feels more suited to Yamatos matte finished toys looks more premium next to the dark blue or standard versions. The variety of color options gives you the opportunity to mix and match which stands you feel best compliment a particular paint scheme.

A dream scenario for a display stand based on a launch arm would be an arm that could wrap over the top of the toy with adjustable claws that could grab different positions of different vehicles. I imagine, for a display stand like that, you’d need an acrylic rod that would hold the vehicle up. That is NOT what this display stand is. This is a traditional display stand inspired by a launch arm. It feels like the claw mechanism should split in two and attach to either side of the arm. Instead, the claw attaches to the back of the display stand arm which puts the claw at the thickest part of any valkyrie but obscures the claw and its warning hexagon behind the big arm.

The base of the stand features a peg that can hold the claw of the stand when not in use. If you’re going to be holding a toy in GERWALK mode, it’s probably best to put the claw back in the box as not to interfere with the toy’s feet. The main arm of the display stand pegs into the base allowing it to rotate 360 degrees. Just above this peg is a ratcheted left/right pivot. There’s another ratcheted pivot point (front/back) that also rotates mid-way up the arm. The instructions indicate that the screws at the lower and center pivots should be tightened to secure the ratchets and prevent the toy from drooping. In an ideal world, I would love to see an integrated locking mechanism for the ratcheting joints rather than a note that I should go grab a screwdriver.

The base of the stand is rectangular but not a perfect rectangle and I would have preferred if there was some way to link multiple bases together. Even within Yamato’s product catalog, the stand often can only support one or two of the three modes while router-style stands don’t require an adapter and potentially handle any mode. The other downside of the adapters is that some interfere with the fighter’s ability to stow its gun. For a display stand that clearly prioritizes fighter mode, this is unacceptable. The strength of this stand, other than its appearance as a launch arm, is how well it secures the toy. While other display stands offer more options, this display stand will grab your toy tighter making it more secure against errant bumps or natural disasters.

The silver display stand has a special reflective coating that adds to the thickness of the individual parts. This extra thickness makes inserting the arm-peg into the base much more difficult and strips some of the finish off in the process. This stripping of the finish is exascerbated when the arm is then rotated. The coating also prevents you from attaching the unused claw to the rectangular peg on the base of the display stand (it might be possible with a lot of force and some damage to the finish on the peg). The upside to this superficial damage is that the silver display stand is very tight. Don’t expect to be able to put together a silver launch arm, then take it apart, then expect someone to confuse it with a brand new product.

These display stands were mediocre and have been supplanted by Arcadia’s version. I prefer router display stands for their functionality and universal use that doesn’t require a display stand adapter and I’m willing to accept the risk of the toy being bumped off the display for that convenience. Later display stands from YetiStand and the GokinPlus proved far more adaptable while relying on the adapters manufacturers included with their toys.