Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Seals

1. Battroid mode

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Detail shots (1/5)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Detail shots (2/5)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Detail shots (3/5)

Detail shots

Viewed from above, the wing angles are really unique.

It's a clever idea how the nose section transforms into the head.

Two sets of hands are included.

For a Macross kit, the ground contact on the feet is remarkably solid.

A variety of additional joint parts are included.

The stand joint parts attach firmly to the underside of the backpack.

As you'd expect from a transforming kit, the limb articulation is excellent~

The waist can rotate as well.

Action poses using Action Base 1

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Firing pose (1/3)

Firing pose

2. Gerwalk mode

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - First, remove just the barrels from the two mini gun pods attached to the right

First, remove just the barrels from the two mini gun pods attached to the right forearm.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Rotate the head 90 degrees upward, then push the four hatches on either side inw

Rotate the head 90 degrees upward, then push the four hatches on either side inward to form the nose.

Open the chest panels to both sides and detach the locking parts in the center.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Move the cover parts from the chest area upward to fully cover the underside of

Move the cover parts from the chest area upward to fully cover the underside of the nose.

Fold the upper chest panel back.

Spread the shoulder sections open to release the locking pins.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Once the locking pins are released, you can rotate the upper chest panel 180 deg

Once the locking pins are released, you can rotate the upper chest panel 180 degrees and position it toward the back.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Lift the cover at the crotch area upward to neatly conceal the lower body sectio

Lift the cover at the crotch area upward to neatly conceal the lower body section.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Move the duct from the chest position toward the back, then reinsert the shoulde

Move the duct from the chest position toward the back,
then reinsert the shoulder locking pins into their sockets.

Fold the gun pod completely.

Attach the separately included locking parts, then plug them into the back.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Position the wings at the appropriate angle and extend the legs downward — GERWA

Position the wings at the appropriate angle and extend the legs downward — GERWALK mode transformation complete.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Views from various angles. The GERWALK mode stability is just incredible.. it lo

Various angles.
The GERWALK mode stability is just incredible.. it locks into position so solidly T_T)b

You can attach the stand joint parts in the same location as in Battroid mode.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - GERWALK mode action poses (1/4)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - GERWALK mode action poses (2/4)

GERWALK mode action poses

3. Gerwalk mode (folding arm type)

Rotate the wings 180 degrees and spread them out fully.

Remove the hands, then fold the left arm's shield in half.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Raise the T-shaped shoulder lock upward, then fold the shoulder section 90 degre

Raise the T-shaped shoulder lock upward, then fold the shoulder section 90 degrees inward.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Rotate the T-shaped shoulder lock 180 degrees to extend it rearward, then rotate

Rotate the T-shaped shoulder lock 180 degrees to extend it rearward, then rotate the lock itself 90 degrees to the side.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Bend the middle of the left arm 180 degrees and position it downward, then cover

Bend the middle of the left arm 180 degrees and position it downward, then cover both shoulder armors.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Extend the hip armor panels hidden in the center of the fuselage to create more

Extend the hip armor panels hidden in the center of the fuselage to create more internal space.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Using the space created, align both arms in a single row along the center of the

Using the space created, align both arms in a single row along the center of the fuselage.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Combine the separate joint parts with the locking parts that were mounted inside

Combine the separate joint parts with the locking parts that were mounted inside the chest in Battroid mode,
then tuck them inside the center of the fuselage.
These internal joint parts serve both as pins to secure the legs later and as attachment points for the stand joint parts.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Press the arm sections in the center of the fuselage together to align everythin

Press the arm sections in the center of the fuselage together to align everything snugly.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - At this point, insert the folded shield — now acting as a vertical stabilizer —

At this point, insert the folded shield — now acting as a vertical stabilizer — into the locking pin area where the two shoulder armors meet, to align the overall shape.

Insert the gun pod in its folded state into the center of the fuselage underside.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - GERWALK mode with arms stowed (1/3)

GERWALK mode with arms stowed

4. Fighter mode

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Compress the knee and ankle sections to bring them close together, then rotate t

Compress the knee and ankle sections to bring them close together, then rotate the legs 90 degrees out to the sides of the fuselage.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Fit the holes on the inner side of the legs onto the locking pins at the center

Fit the holes on the inner side of the legs onto the locking pins at the center of the fuselage.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Align the pegs on the lower cover parts with the holes on the leg parts and pres

Align the pegs on the lower cover parts with the holes on the leg parts and press them in.

Join both feet so that the locking pins engage properly.

Lower the wings and position them neatly alongside the legs.

Open the landing gear covers on the underside of the fuselage.

With the landing gear attached.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Fighter mode. (1/3)

Fighter mode.

Fighter mode detail shots

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - The vertical stabilizer — formed by folding the shield in half — does keep wanti

The vertical stabilizer — formed by folding the shield in half — does keep wanting to spring open at the tip.. T_T

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Maybe because the interior isn't visible, but the cockpit has almost no detail t

Maybe because the interior isn't visible, but the cockpit has almost no detail to speak of.

That said, you can swap in a clear canopy as shown above.

Underside view

Underside detail shots

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - The stand parts attach to the joint parts tucked inside the center of the fusela

The stand parts attach to the joint parts tucked inside the center of the fuselage.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Fighter mode on the stand, viewed from various angles. (1/6)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Fighter mode on the stand, viewed from various angles. (2/6)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Fighter mode on the stand, viewed from various angles. (3/6)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Fighter mode on the stand, viewed from various angles. (4/6)

Fighter mode on the stand, viewed from various angles.

Comparison with the VF-31S Siegfried (Arad's unit) in Battroid mode

GERWALK mode comparison

Fighter mode comparison

Together with the Mecha Collection Draken III.

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Straight builds by mode (1/6)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Straight builds by mode (2/6)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Straight builds by mode (3/6)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] - Straight builds by mode (4/6)

Straight builds by mode

The Sv-262Hs Draken III [Keith] has been released as the third kit in the 1/72 Macross Delta lineup. Macross kits usually tend to be dominated by variations that only differ in head design, color, and weapons — but with Macross Delta, we've already gotten a completely new-mold transforming unit by the third release.

What makes the Draken III even more impressive is that it's not just a new mold design — the transformation itself has been completely reworked. It introduces a brand-new transformation structure that breaks away from the Valkyrie transformation system that's been around for decades. Even the VF-31 Siegfried showed a fairly fresh transformation by having the arms tuck under the wings rather than into the center of the fuselage like traditional Valkyries. But the Draken III takes it a step further — the arms line up in a single column through the center of the fuselage in what's almost an acrobatic transformation gimmick, and on top of that, there's no separate head at all; instead, the nose itself transforms into the head, which is a brilliantly original idea.

On top of that, locking pins and locking sections are thoroughly implemented for every transformation mode, making the stability in each mode even better than the VF-31 Siegfried. In particular, compared to the Siegfried where getting the feet to sit flat was always a struggle, the heel angle locks into place here, giving it dramatically better ground contact — and the overall joint strength is noticeably more solid too. As a result, you can get a nearly perfect pose not just in Battroid mode, but even in GERWALK mode where the center of gravity tends to be tricky, and Fighter mode fits together with an almost supernatural precision.

So while the VF-31 Siegfried was already considered the most advanced Macross transformation structure around, the Draken III feels like it's a cut above in terms of overall quality. The stability after transformation is nothing short of "perfect," and the stand joint parts connect so securely that you can display it on a stand without any worries.

On the downside, there are a lot of transformation gimmicks and the process is unfamiliar, so it can feel a bit tricky at first — and with so many locking pins, you'll find yourself fiddling with it for a while to get everything to fit perfectly. The process is complex, but the precision is impressive and the end result looks great, so it's easy to forgive. Also, while the joint strength throughout the body is very solid, the mini gun pod parts that attach to the forearms have notably weak grip and tend to fall off easily. Since these are optional weapons anyway, you might as well just leave them off -.-

Anyway, with 1/72 Macross kits, the real question is always how fun and well-executed the transformation gimmick is — more so than articulation or looks — and on that front, this is a kit I genuinely want to give a big thumbs up to. The Siegfried was already amazing, but the Draken feels like it's topped it once again. If you're a plastic model fan who enjoys a precise and intricate transformation process, this is an absolute must-build masterpiece of a transforming kit. :-)

1/72 Sv-262Hs Draken III [ Keith] | 2016.8 | ¥5,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.