David Hingtgen

I was going to start a thread yesterday after I realized there's been zilch about it here--you beat me to it. REALLY good movie. Dreamworks's best I think. It hasn't gotten NEAR the hype/advertising it deserves. It and Iron Man 2 will probably be the big movies of the year that should be seen IMHO. PS---you forgot to mention the soundtrack. (yeah, it's more Celtic than Scandinavian, but it still rocks) PPS--to everyone--it's probably the most mature, not-kiddy movie Dreamworks has ever made. It's rated PG. (but that won't stop people from bringing screaming 3-year-olds though)

Oh, you're *that* Ginrai? (it's a decently common name among the whole robot-TF-mecha community) (that, or you post at a LOT of places)

That I don't know.

That's where the first stage turbine is. Basically "don't stand next to the red line". (if an engine has problems, that's the most likely place to toss a blade through the nacelle--and through you) Many airliners (especially 737s) have a similar line, indicating the "zone of how far back an engine can still suck you in, even if you're BEHIND the intake lip". PS---F-14s never lost the stripe, it just changed color. (and it's in a different spot for the B/D versions as they have different engines)

Just making sure everyone's aware of this site: http://reocities.com/futuristgroup/vauto.html#jetfire Detailed analysis of some Jetfire variations.

The Ent-E was designed for saucer separation (at least, John Eaves drew it up and planned it out and everything, and the physical model had the seams and everything--and the saucer was a separate molding--dunno if they actually made the big physical model able to separate after it was finished though). However, the infamous "CGI tweaks" for Nemesis eliminated that possibility---the saucer got some flares/fairings that "blended" the neck into the saucer, and thus ret-conned-out the separation feature. Or---the physical Ent-E can, the CG one can't. ::edit:: Here it is: http://www.starshipdatalink.net/art/images/dee-7.jpg (cut-n-paste, no hotlinking)

Not just commercial flights. Multiple Finnish Hornets have glass in their engines now from a morning training flight, while Mildenhall, Lakenheath, Spangdahlem, and Rammstein are closed. (I still don't get why ANYONE even THINKS about flying near an ash cloud in this day and age when the exact location of the cloud is reported--everyone who tries regrets it later---it could cost millions to repair those Hornets if it's bad, and replacing 747 windshields aren't cheap--STAY AWAY FROM VOLCANOES)

I got into Macross because of Jetfire. I'd never seen Robotech until Cartoon Network aired it.

Yup. And they'll never learn some of the higher-end things. It's really only worth it if you've utterly maxed out their "main" roles and simply want some more stats. Really not worth it at all for abilities.

The neck flap is extremely hard to pull out of the head in all releases.

Dang it, my opinions on FansProject Explorer have been proven wrong, more or less. It's ultra-realistic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Sciences_X-34 (and seriously, I should have known, as I am a shuttle fan and try to keep up with most projects of that nature) I am both humbled and embarrassed. (doesn't make it any less ugly though!) ::edit:: Ok, now I'm just flat-out ashamed. The Orbital L-1011 captive-carried the thing. I *really* should have known about it.

Actually, it's an F-14 in everything but the nosecone, and probably the tips of the stabilators.

Yes, it needs "102" to be correct for Grace's as seen on-screen, as well as to match Bandai's own 1/72 kit version. (The kit has 102 for Grace's, and 302 for one with the finless head) I fear it may be numberless though since every pic so far hasn't had any numbers on it, to allow for "customizing" of a "CF" version (even though that'd be wrong for the head it has). As for why this and not a CF VF-25? I'd say: A. There's already a TON of VF-25 paint variants. They need to change the mold, not the paint. People are already VF-25'd-out, money-wise and collection-wise. B. Recognition factor--we don't know any character who flew a CF -25, but Grace is pretty well-known. C. It's the only possible repaint for the -27. Gotta amortize the mold somehow---and a lot of people don't like the pinkish one. "Military green" is much more acceptable to a lot of people.

Yeah, that's one of the 4 or so pieces of Grace fan-art ever. I do like it quite a bit though.

Diorama? What exactly are you painting, and how? IMHO Tamiya primer is amazing stuff, but it may be a waste for a diorama. (When I think diorama, I think 3D, model railroads, scenery, etc)

Stuff like that generally has no special skills, merely the highest raw stats. If they had the highest stats by a good margin and no cons, there'd be no point to using any other weapon.

You kind of summed it up already. We never saw it because Bandai wasn't going to make a new CGI model for something only seen for 10 secs in the background, and/or because they didn't even design the other head until AFTER it was animated. But "as of now, regardless of what was seen on-screen", the official canon is that a green one with a finned head, is Grace's, and it's one-of-a-kind. (AFAIK, based on the model kit and the description of the upcoming green DX.) We did see Grace's close up with a hand-painted(?) image that was specifically painted just for that scene---and close enough to even get the modex number. That was clearly intended to specifically be hers, and to be a "correct" depiction. But the other(s?) were only ever seen from very far away or a silhouette, and for like 0.5 secs at a time---any "discrepancy" with their appearance is frankly easily ignored. (plus, the one that ALMOST kills Alto I assume is hers personally, being remotely controlled--it's the 2nd-best-look we get at a green one and it's clearly finned) ::edit:: Hey, I think that one IS hers---frame-by-framing it reveals (I think) a "102" on the leg. Very hard to tell, even on the 1080 version. If Grace's HAD taken down Alto right then, I'd have liked Frontier's ending better.

Yeah, I am SO waiting for a repaint--hopefully a 2nd version will both match the earlier Energon version, AND not look like they took two different shuttles and welded them together. (this is why I never pre-order from uncolored samples)

"Paint" isn't really a milestone, especially when it's the same as the all the others. I was expecting kind of an F-16 scheme or something. Not "gunship grey allover". (well, maybe not gunship--looks a bit light, but that IS one brightly lit area---maybe 36176?)

Saw color pics---FansProject neo-BlastOff looks awful in "not a shuttle" mode IMHO. Front half tan, back half gunmetal. WTF kind of scheme is that? (it does explain the silvery tail/sword though)

Rather VFA-27-ish.

For a long time, I thought I was the only one who "got it" that that WAS his family--they were just with a different man. It seemed to me like every other review I've read over the years (even here) said something along the lines of "Gamlin just imagines it's Physica's family/is mistaken"---I was always like "no, it's simpler and much more tragic--it IS Physica's family---just not with him---and it's been that way for a while without his knowing--they're still the most important thing in the world to him, but they don't care about him at all any more". And Gamlin decides to keep quiet and do nothing. A far better/sadder ending than it simply all being some dream sequence or case of mistaken identity.

Adding clear polish to that tab will only increase the "locking ability" of the torso by like 2%. It will only hold it together against "breathing nearby", whereas a MISB version will come apart if you "look at it funny". Still worth doing IMHO, as anything's better than the UTTER floppiness that they have stock.

No no no, according to Bandai the right side should be "SWS".

Foldo boosteru. PS--it's not a "regular" green one, it's specifically Grace's special command-type green one. (since there's been an apparent retcon to the design, and now there's two different types of green VF-27B's) Dunno if they'll ever make a "truly generic" green VF-27B, as it'd require a new head mold, which Bandai may not splurge on.