David Hingtgen

Nowhere near 2 feet tall. He's 2 feet tall the same way Unicron is... Anyways--I don't like Breakaway. Face in cockpit is fine--but he's got half a jet sticking out above it! Kind of like Blackout, but 10x worse. It's like they forgot to transform the other half of the plane downwards, making it back kibble--but it pretty much looks like that's how it is. And he's not an F-35. I don't think he's anything. They clearly have the Lockheed license due to the F-22, but he's pretty much an F-2 with an F-35's nosecone, engine and v.stabs. As for Devastator--I'd be fine with "no robot mods" IF it was the most amazing combiner ever, with much transformation required to assemble, to the point that you think "there's no way to make a robot too, as the individual vehicles use every single part they have to make limbs". But look at the head, torso, arms---they don't even transform. Their combiner mode is vehicle mode with one panel flipped out. You could make a perfect clone of Hasbro's toy by buying some small construction toys, adding a joint or two for articulation, and gluing them together. The legs "straighten out" but that's about all the transformation there is. It's like Hasbro's designers just lost all their talent in making that. For not having robot modes, Devastator should be WAY more complex/accurate. The cement truck could at least have ONE transformation joint in it, to fold the cab down or something.

It's there. Which means there's a big boxy part of the plane molded in for it to retract into. Also means it's big and boxy overall because it's full of electronic bits and automated firing mechanisms. Hasbro is like the opposite of a cell phone company---they need a 3x3in box of electronic gizmos to make 2 tiny lights and beep...

Yeah, Animated Arcee is impressive. Best female TF ever I think. (and Animated BA used to be #1). And the Soundwave repaint is VERY cool. Here's hoping for cool Cyclonus and Rodimus toys...

Or a cement truck that transforms---into a cement truck. (seriously, get a sideview of Devastator--I think there's 1 single moving piece on that component, to reveal the face) PS---biggest dissapointment? It seems there are prominent movie characters who I've never heard of, or are MINOR G1 etc characters. Mudflap (WTF?) and Skids? Where's Tracks/Sunstreaker/Hound/Wheeljack/Bluestreak/Prowl/Gears/Cliffjumper?

Ooh, there's hope for a kick-ass new toy: "DELUXE includes 24 characters, VOYAGER will offer 11 characters, and LEADER will feature three, including OPTIMUS PRIME and JETFIRE." Leader Jetfire. Problem is--the Blackbird is super-skinny in cross-section. I don't see any way they could do it. A Leader Starscream could be amazing, but to do Jetfire with an accurate jet mode would be nigh-impossible, even for Yamato IMHO. (and I don't even know what Jetfire's robot mode looks like--I'm just assuming based on how thin the plane is) Dare we hope the 3rd leader is Starscream? (Probably Megs or Galvatron--that's not a spoiler as I do not know if either or both are going to be in the movie at all--I just assume they won't let Starscream be THE head Decepticon, because that'd be too awesome and too much character motivation and development) (man, we're going to have to re-think and clarify the definition of a spoiler once Toyfair's over---there's no way this thread can remain movie-info-free) I try to avoid as much as possible, but things like Devastator---he's probably going to be on the front page of USA Today come June. Unless we make a third thread: "Movie toy info that only talks about the stuff EVERYONE knows, unlike the super-spoiler-filled main movie thread".

I was kinda hoping Devastator would be at least 1/2 green. If they're only going to make 1 vehicle green---couldn't they have picked NOT THE SMALLEST ONE? Is his torso split left/right or top/bottom? One of those being green would help a lot. As it is, he's mostly orange and yellow.

New Night Raven sucks. Has "gigantic handle" syndrome. http://i.toynewsi.com/g/index.php?dispsize...amp;pic=052.jpg On a more positive note---armored Scarlett fig: http://i.toynewsi.com/g/index.php?mode=vie...600&start=0 (actually I'm thinking Mara Jade custom---or maybe Commander Shepard)

I was worried from the start---"assist" mode and "normal" mode seemed to have camera views "keyed" to their modes---and they were the opposite of what I wanted (and the opposite of Ace Combat). And every time people asked the developers refused to answer if the camera views were locked like that. Seems they are. That is an absolute utter deal-killer.

Seems the new figs are in 7-packs: http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=9&itemid=14092 Yeah, I'll definitely take the Night Creeper/Strato/Alley Viper/Lamprey/BAT/Mindbender pack. THAT is a pack. (I'd be interested in trading Mindbender for another Strato Viper--or Copperhead! Still looking for a decently-painted Copperhead) Now if we could only get a female Strato Viper... (hey, they rock--show up several times, and you NEED 2 at a time anyways, so might as well make them look different--you sure can't use different face sculpts) Hmmmn. Maybe Pilot Scarlett+Strato Viper lower legs+harness+helmet....

Hey, another neat repaint possibility--- http://www.joetoonarchive.com/albums/World...nd%202/0042.gif Worlds Without End, part 2. It's the Baroness outfit, but in blue, worn by one of her personal lackeys/guards. (she has some in that ep) Of course, we'd need a toon-accurate Baroness mold first. (which we've NEVER gotten, annoyingly) (interesting that the toon seems to make a lot more female "repaint characters" than male---of course that's probably because there's already a zillion established male characters/model sheets, so they just literally "repaint" the few existing female ones as needed)

Ah, The Onion. Awesome for just about everyone here I imagine, but quite NSFW (F-word, a LOT) http://www.theonion.com/content/video/sony...stupid_piece_of

I love reissues/encore, I just hate the cost! 3-4x the original price for some, yet Hasbro seems able to reissue Joe and SW figures for only a bit more than the original... Seriously, there's been times that I could find minty-minty loose G1 originals, for the same price as a TRU re-issue. (never mind the safety-changed parts) It's sheer gouging---re-issue Hot Rod at TRU was way cheaper than Jazz/Tracks/Bluestreak. I doubt he cost a lot less to make. They just continually raised the prices, until it was cheaper to import them from Japan. Then you know you're being gouged----when you can import Japanese stuff cheaper (including shipping) than buying it locally. I still want a nice new Sideswipe and Thundercracker, just not at the prices I'd have to pay. (I'm still willing to split a TC/SW 2-pack with someone, though they're not on sale any more)

I just assume the YF-19 is the same. Darkreaper---that view is obviously exaggerated forced-perspective. The individual close-ups should be "correct" though.

In addition to "that's a crap-load of processes and that PC will never boot or run quickly period with all that stuff running"--- "Stuff I just plain don't like" from that scan: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\KodakCCS.exe Every "program that comes with a camera" is an INCREDIBLE resource hog, and they like to run themselves at boot. And hard to get rid of. I know of PCs that have been running/booting slow for years, and a lot of the time "right after we got our new camera"... C:\Program Files\Kodak\Kodak EasyShare software\bin\EasyShare.exe C:\Program Files\Kodak\KODAK Software Updater\7288971\Program\backWeb-7288971.exe See above. C:\Program Files\Lexmark 1200 Series\lxczbmon.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Lexmark 1200 Series] "C:\Program Files\Lexmark 1200 Series\lxczbmgr.exe" All lexmark things are evil, they are forever banned from my PC based on the last 2 things plugged into it. No Lexmark product shall ever be hooked up to my PC, not even simple USB things. If this is a NECESSARY file---make him buy a different printer or whatever. I also see that AOL has formed its typical viral-symbiotic integration into that PC...

Good pics of the new 1/60 VF-11's gimmicks/details: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...st&p=714969

Well, really it's only done to make skinnier fighter modes. The new YF-21 especially would be a lot fatter or just plain wrong without the folding gear. (the YF-19 doesn't need it at all, so no toy will likely ever do it, even though the line-art says it should)

Every valk ever has been designed that way---it just took until recently for a toy company to engineer them to match the line-art. (and quite few real fighters do it too) As for VG wings---it's part of the transformation, it kind of HAS to have them.

Just FYI, the VF-11 does have short rear landing gear, as valks go. As for bay/gear size---I'd assume it's the same reason as the last toy--the tailfin gets in the way in battroid mode. The bay is twice as long as the gear---but note that the half of the bay where the gear isn't, is half as deep--presumably to allow the tailfin to fold in closer there or something. The front half of the bay only exists to have an anime-accurate forward door there, not to allow for larger gear. The bay would have to be deepened there to fit a longer gear strut, and then the tailfins wouldn't fit inside. (they don't fit as it is---they only fold like 95% away, leaving a bit hanging outside--but it's obviously worth it as it lets them be like 2mm bigger)

I haven't see the new movie one. If the actual movie prop/render/whatever has those same proportions/shape---then whoever designed it is obviously not an aviation enthusiast.

Pointless update IMHO---so similar to the original, yet worse in every way. If you're going to go through the time/expense of an all-new mold that close to the original---just re-make the original! It was perfect. Now it just looks "toy-istic". The original was far more realistic, and that's what made it cool. Plus the original was HUGE. This looks Rattler/Conquest sized. GI Joe vehicles (IMHO) all about "plausible realism"---like, 'what we could have in 10-20 years'--or even what we could have now, had things gone differently. It's half-way to being a chibi/SD Night Raven.

Best (IMHO) Frontier music tribute so far: ::edited for better link:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAmXWljWTU&fmt=18

F-22 intake separation line---never easy to see, but look here: http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/L...-22A/1423535/L/ http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/L...-22A/1384596/L/ http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/L...-22A/1313059/L/ Look at the bottom corner, easier to see. It's pretty deep in. Also, I think the separation line is angled to match the intake lip. ::edit:: Ooh, this is probably the best shot: http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/L...-22A/1327080/L/

F-22 intakes are like the F-15, in that they're grey for the first couple of feet, then go to white. Walk-around (useful for everything but the intake interiors) http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/michae...k/f-22a_04-066/ More 747 stuff to celebrate its birthday-----something never before photographed, and rarely even seen----a 747's bow-wave: http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6472254 PS--787 and A380 are nothing compared to the A400M. THAT is a screwed-up program. It will set the record for longest gap between initial construction/roll-out/first flight/service entry.

Today's the 40th anniversary of the 747's first flight.

The F-14 is notable for having its first kill be itself: "The day I shot myself down": http://www.ejectionsite.com/F-14%20SHOOTDOWN.pdf