{"id":239,"date":"2012-01-04T00:01:55","date_gmt":"2012-01-04T00:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/2006\/07\/09\/yamato-172-vf-11b-thunderbolt-fastpack-edition\/"},"modified":"2014-07-11T06:22:24","modified_gmt":"2014-07-11T06:22:24","slug":"yamato-172-vf-11b-thunderbolt-fastpack-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anymoon.com\/blog\/?p=239","title":{"rendered":"Yamato 1\/72 VF-11B Thunderbolt Toys"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mega Review: Includes first edition and second edition with fast packs
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Packaging & Extras<\/strong>: first edition (2.5\/5), second edition (3.5\/5)
\nThe Mac Plus packaging is the precursor to Yamato\u2019s version 1 1\/60 line of toys and it shows.\u00a0 The boxes are large and flimsy with giant windows showing the product within.\u00a0 The VF-11B comes with two vacuum-formed heat-shields to cover the cockpit in Battroid mode.\u00a0 Oddly enough, the heat-shields are still on the plastic they were vacuum-formed on and must be cut to be freed.\u00a0 This is more odd on the first edition in that those toys were shipped in Battroid mode so you would think it would come attached.\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019ll noticed I haven\u2019t used the heatshield in any of my pictures\u2026 that\u2019s how much I care for Yamato\u2019s approach here.\u00a0 The second edition toy does come packaged in fighter mode and the heat shields on that release appear to be partially cut but they’re still attached on their vacuum-formed plastic and must be pried off by the owner.\u00a0 They did make up for it in some degree through the gun that is included.\u00a0 The gun has an expanding stock and a bayonet that swings forward which are both very nice touches and an extra hand is provided so that the gun can actually be held.\u00a0 The gun that comes with the fast pack version of the toy features a silver bayonet, the first edition toy comes with a black bayonet.\u00a0 Finally the toy comes with some lackluster decals and instructions detailing how to complete the transformation and an advertisement of some sort.\u00a0 A pilot figure was included with the second edition of the toy as well as super parts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Charm & Collectability<\/strong>: first edition (2\/5), second edition (2.5\/5)
\nHere’s the original release schedule of Yamato’s 1\/72 Macross Plus toys:
\n1) YF-19 First Edition – July 2000 – 6800 YEN
\n2) YF-19 Second Edition – December 2000(?) – 6,800 YEN
\n3) YF-21 First Editon – December 2000 – 6,800 YEN
\n4) VF-11B First Edition – May 2001 – 6,800 YEN
\n5) VF-19A\u00a0 – August 2001 – 6,800 YEN
\n6) YF-21 Second Edition with Fast Packs – April 2003 – 7,800 YEN
\n7) VF-11B Second Edition with Fast Packs – June 2003 – 7,800 YEN
\nAs you can see, the VF-11B was the last first edition toy released and it’s evident that Yamato had started doing some forward thinking by this point and had included the attachment points for Fast Packs to be released later.\u00a0 Too bad Yamato didn’t carry this forward thinking on to their 1\/60 VF-1 toys but that’s a different issue altogether.\u00a0 The golden era of this toy’s collectability has long passed, starting to rapidly disintegrate around December 2006 when Yamato released their 1\/60 YF-19 toys and led many to speculate that 1\/60 incarnations of the YF-21 and VF-11B would follow.\u00a0 In April 2009 Yamato unleashed their 1\/60 VF-11B toy which represented a tremendous improvement (as it should since the MSRP ballooned to a whopping 18,800 YEN).\u00a0 First editions of this toy score worse than the second edition in that the first edition was marred by terrible build quality issues that led to many first-time buyers finding their toys already broken in the box.\u00a0 There’s a fair shot though that all the first edition with broken hips have landed themselves in rubbish bins by this point but you should still look long and hard at the hips if buying a first edition toy in the secondary market.\u00a0 Sticklers for scale may find that this toy doesn’t truly represent a 1\/72 version of the craft.\u00a0 According to the Macross Mecha Manual the VF-11B should be 15.5M long in fighter and 12.9M tall in battroid.\u00a0 Dimensions for the toy are approximately 24.5CM long in fighter and 19CM tall in battroid.\u00a0 This math works out to an overall scale of between 1:63 and 1:68.<\/p>\n

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Sculpt, Detail, & Paint:<\/strong> (7\/10)
\nThere are a few issues but overall this toy looks fair to good.\u00a0 I\u2019ll start with the most obvious issues.\u00a0 First, fighter mode has a large hinge at the base of the wing that is necessary for transformation but looks pretty bad outside of Battroid mode.\u00a0 Second, the tail fins aren\u2019t nearly large enough- I don\u2019t really know how this could have been overcome since they collapse into the leg but they\u2019re definitely too short.\u00a0 In fact, the fighter mode looks very nice but almost appears to have been pancaked a bit.\u00a0 Third,\u00a0 the rear landing gears are a bit weak and could definitely have used some improvement.\u00a0 Fourth, battroid mode suffers from two large extensions atop the shoulders which are necessary for transformation.\u00a0 Fifth, there is a screw cover right in the nose of the fighter… like Cindy Crawford’s mole but not nearly as alluring.\u00a0 None of the Mac+ Valks look particularly good in GERWALK mode but I think the VF-11 pulls it off the best, as does this toy.\u00a0 For a toy of this scale there\u2019s plenty of detail and the paint is well applied and looks great. The fast pack edition makes some color changes (very minor) and adds the UN-Spacy kite to one of the wings.\u00a0 The fast packs themselves leave a bit to be desired as they’re not highly detailed and they didn’t get the proportion entirely correct.<\/p>\n

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Design:<\/strong> (6.5\/10)
\nYou know what I find pretty sad?\u00a0 This toy seems to have a transformation even more complicated than the VF-1 but Yamato managed to create a perfectly variable transformer for the VF-11 and couldn\u2019t do the same for the 1\/60 VF-1 that followed (although they\u2019ve rectified that and some in their 1\/60 VF-1 2.0).\u00a0 There are some neat tricks employed here to get the arms to swing out from the center of the toy.\u00a0 The transformation doesn\u2019t seem overly complicated but it\u2019s certainly not simple either.\u00a0 As mentioned in the sculpt section, the landing gears are pretty funky.\u00a0 The gun has some fun gimmicks like a rear brace that extends and a bayonet that flips out.\u00a0 This is the only first edition toy which shows evidence that Yamato was thinking ahead to future accessory sales as the fast packs that come with the second edition toy fit on the first edition.\u00a0 Some people would probably give me a hard time, and rightfully so, for calling this toy a perfect transformation toy since the heat shield is not integrated.\u00a0 Yamato’s 1\/60 toy manages this transformation much better with an integrated heat shield, removable intakes, no big hinges at the wings or shoulders, no screw hole on the nose, and much improved landing gears.<\/p>\n

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Durability & Build<\/strong>: first edition(3\/10), second edition (7\/10)
\nUnfortunately this first release had a very big issue.\u00a0 Yamato used thin plastic rods to connect the hips to the vehicle\u2019s waist.\u00a0 It\u2019s believed that the problem goes further than just the rods used being plastic.\u00a0 Apparently there may have been a bit of sloppiness when it came to the manufacture causing the plastic rods to also be glued on one side.\u00a0 The result being, that as soon as pressure was applied to the rod, the hip wouldn\u2019t move or rotate at all like it was supposed to and snap the rod.\u00a0 Whatever the exact cause, the fact remains that the hips are fragile and MANY reached their destination already broken within the toy\u2019s packaging.\u00a0 As you can imagine, this irked many of the early converts and it\u2019s highly recommended by most collectors that a first edition VF-11B be avoided unless you can be certain the hips are fine through your own inspection.\u00a0 Yamato also had problems with primering their Mac+ line so if you do decide to take it out you should be very cautious with the painted parts and trying to keep them from chipping although the 11B toys have proven to be less problematic that the 19 toys.\u00a0 There are a few other bits and pieces throughout the toy that look like potential danger areas so it\u2019s highly recommended that this toy always be handled with care.\u00a0 The second edition toys did not have the hip issues but my sample has fists that refuse to stay on unless rotated to very specific points.\u00a0 The shields on both editions can be too easily removed.
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