Graham

From what I understand, Bandai's Macross 7 license has lapsed and they have not renewed it. So if Yamato wanted to pick up a Macross 7 license they could. However, as Yamato already have a license for VF-X2 mecha, there is not much point for them to also spend money on a Macross 7 toy license. With the VF-X2 license they can make VF-17, VF-22, Full Armored VF-1B if they wanted to. The only thing they cannot make is the VF-19 Fire Valk and VF-19F/S/P. However, I get the impresion that Yamato thinks there is not that much of a market for the Macross 7 style VF-19 series. Graham

Could somebody please explain to me what is the difference between instananeous turn and sustained turn rates. I thought a turn is a turn? Graham

Guppy, Devin made those already. Graham

Nerver understood why a lot of people seem to have a problem with the ending of Blue Gender? It seems pretty clear and unambiguous to me. Graham

I don't remember him being religious at all in the early to mid-80's comics, but I may just be remembering wrongly, as that was a long, long time ago and a lot of beer has passed under the bridge since then. Graham

Just rewatched X2 on TV over the weekend. I'd forgotten that in the movie, Nightcrawler was portrayed as being very religious. From my memory of the comics though, I don't recall him being religious at all. Was this something that was added for the movie? Please bear in mind that I stopped reading X-Men comics (and superhero comics in general) in the mid-1980s, so I've no idea about what's been happening with any of the characters in the last 20 years.......LOL! Graham

There's several shops here in Hong Kong that offer this service. Price for building a Hasegawa 1/72 Macross kit ranges from about HK$800 (US$102) up to HK$2,500 (US$320), depending on which shop you go to. Obviously, the lower the price, the lower the quality. Graham

I wonder what's going to be the situation regarding development of new games for the PS2, after the PS3 is released at the end of this year? I'm hoping that development of new PS2 games won't dry up too quickly, given that so many people own PS2s and the PS3 is so damn expensive. What does everybody think? Are new PS2 games going to be extinct soon after the release of the PS3, or will they continue to be released for a long while yet? Personally, I'm still happy with my PS2 and have no desire to buy a PS3, especially at the proposed retail price. I'd continue to buy good PS2 games if they continue releasing them though. Also, I have no interest in Blu-ray or the ability to watch Blu-Ray movies on a PS3. Heck, I 've also never even used the DVD player on my PS2 either . I've too many stand-alone DVD players to ever have to mess around with the PS2 one. Graham

When comparing them under an indoor light, the tan color of the CF & LV2 look the same to me. Graham

Have yet to get the Falken in either AC5 or AC0, but I just don't like the look of it. Very ugly plane IMO. Graham

The Garland hardly had any screen time in Part 2 Graham

Best mecha fight, the opening fight in Mac Plus ep # 1 with Isamu's VF-11B vs the powered suits. Graham

It's been my belief for a while now, that the next generation of Variable Fighters after the VF-19 & VF-22 will have internal multi-use Fold Boosters. Graham

Everybody has different tastes/standards, so one persons 10 is another's 3.5. Graham

For the 1/60 VF-0S, I saw it selling at the following prices: - HK$850 (Ant Shop, 1/F, CTMA Center, Mong Kok). HK$890 (a small shop on 16/F, CTMA Center, Mong Kok). HK$980 (Animate in basement of Sino Center, Mong Kok). I picked up mine in a small toy shop in Tai Po for HK$880. I think the VF-0S is sold out everywhere now. For the 1/48 Super stealth, I paid HK$1,050. I've seen the 1/48 VF-1A Cannon Fodder sell for between HK$750 to HK$850 IIRC. Graham

A friend lent us a bootleg DVD of the movie. My wife who has not read the book had no idea what was going on and fell alseep after 30 minutes. I also found the movie coud not sustain my interest and switched off about the time my wife fell asleep Graham

Yes, that VF-17 is the Bandai 1/144 plastic model kit, with Wave decals. I actually, like Katoki's Gundam Sentinel desgins and had all the FIX Sentinel toys on display, but they are all being packed away for storage or sale (haven't decided which yet). Graham

Richard Cranium, Alpha Hotel, Bastich! Graham

Here's a couple of quick pics of my woodland camo VF-1A, that I snapped this morning before heading off to work. That's my son's head in the bottom pic. Click to enlarge. Gotta finish rearranging my display cabinet and get rid of the last of the Gundam crap, so that it is 100% Macross. Graham

I shot down the Morgan on my 4th or 5th attempt on Normal. I'm now working my way through the game on Hard. Presently up to mission # 8. I find the underground base in AC0 mission # 17 to be really easy. I just use any plane with FAEB as a special weapon (such as A-10). I fly at maximum spead along the ravine to avoid SAMS, taking out the occasional target along the way. Once I get to the base, I slow way down, enter the base and then just drop 2 x FAEB on each of the 3 clusters of targets inside the tunnel, exit the base and then it's mission accomplished in one run of the tunnel, no need to repeat. I never bother with destroying the gun towers on the surface. Of course, as you have to use the same plane in mission # 18 as you used in # 17, I usually end up running out of time to destroy the Morgan as it's quite difficult to do so in an A-10. I just exit, then continue and switch to my favorite the Typhoon to beat the Morgan. Graham

Heh David, you are slipping. Where's you characteristic "bring back the YF-23"? I agree, kill the F35, so the US can buy more F-22. I'd also say no export sales of the F-22, so the US can keep it's edge. UK should develop a navalised Typhoon for it's carriers and buy more regular Typhoons as well and provide more funding for the Tranch 2 & 3 improvements. As for all the other JSF partner nations, they can choose between the Gripen, Rafale, Typhoon, Shornet or modenised F-16 or F-15 variants. All very capable planes. Graham

More JSF troubles? Just read the following article on one of the aviation forums I browse: - Growing Tension Between U.S. and Israel Over F-35 Jet Fighter (May 23, 2006) The U.S. has indicated that it will not allow Israel to install its own advanced equipment on next generation fighter planes, the F-35, limiting Israel’s technological edge over its enemies. The F-35, a next generation jet fighter, costing $276.5 billion in development and purchasing costs, is being built in the United States with input from a number of U.S. allies. Though Israel is playing only a small role thus far in developing the plane, it expects to ultimately purchase the jet for the IDF. According to a report in Ma’ariv, the U.S. is refusing to allow Israel to develop its own guidance, firing, and missile systems for the new aircraft. That policy will come as a heavy blow to Israel Aircraft Industries which has traditionally has put its ultra-advanced high-tech equipment in fighter jets purchased from the United States. Many military strategists claim that Israel’s technological superiority over its enemies is derived mainly from the advantage it attains by grafting its own top secret equipment onto the American planes. This is especially true in cases where the U.S. sells some of its most sensitive and sophisticated equipment to erstwhile allies, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which are potential military adversaries of the Jewish State. Israeli aeronautic military technology has gained worldwide renown for making U.S. fighter jets much more effective in combat. Souped up Israeli versions of American jets have a clear military advantage over their generic counterparts. U.S. refusal to allow Israel to use its unique technologies on the F-35 may put Israel’s strategic military advantage at risk. An Israeli air force delegation that recently visited the U.S. and toured the Lockheed Martin plant where the plane is being developed failed to convince American officials of the importance of fitting Israeli weapons systems into the F-35. As a result, Israel is considering withdrawing from the project altogether. Other countries involved in developing the plane, Britain, Turkey, and Norway, are also reconsidering their involvement due to widespread cost overruns that are running into tens of billions of dollars, and production delays. A Lockheed spokesman said the company expects to test a prototype by 2008 and deliver the aircraft by 2011. The Pentagon is planning on manufacturing 2500 jets, primarily for the U.S. and British air force." Heh, seems like the US is going out of it's way, to purposely piss-off every JSF partner nation. Ya' know I can well see a situation developing, where every other country cancels their orders and the US is the only one that ends up buying the plane, probably at double or triple it's original cost. JSF or Joint Strife Fiasco, as I've seen it called. Graham

Taken them down for the moment until the toy is actually confirmed as released. Graham

Heh, my display cabinet only has a small portion of my Macross toy collection. A lot of it, such as the Takatoku 1/55 & 1/144, Bandai 1/55 (original & reissue), various Banpresto and most of my Yamato 1/60 VF-1 toys and some 1/48 VF-1 toys are packed away in boxes. Anyway, on the shelf above the low vis 2 is where the completed model kits and Doyusha toys hang out. Above that is the Yamato 1/72 shelf and above that, 2 more shelves jam packed with Yamato 1/48, Q-Rau & Konig Monster. Graham

And the first person to suggest a group hug gets banned! This is Macrossworld, not fricken Barney! Graham