David Hingtgen

Yup--it's all about merchandise (and DVD) sales. The more people that buy Frontier kits, the more Macross kits they'll make, and the more Macross seasons/OVAs/movies Bandai will thus sponsor.

Comcast doesn't like MW, that's a well-known issue.

I'm mainly basing my decal vs sticker opinions on pics like these: http://gamu-toys.info/gangu/pura/r3/mf01/DSC_4056.JPG (ventral fin) and http://gamu-toys.info/gangu/pura/r3/mf01/DSC_4150.JPG (tailfin) A water-slide decal over gloss black plastic shouldn't look like that. But a sticker would look just like that. Foil stickers are printed on thin silver mylar (foil) instead of a clear sheet. G1 Transformers almost universally have foil stickers as do most SD and HG Gundams. The VF-25 includes a small sheet of foil stickers as well, which must be used in conjunction with one of the other sheets. (unless you want to paint those areas). Now, could someone translate the painting guide? It's much more complex than I expected:

I'd just like to point out that most current Yamato toys are "unpainted plastic with many snap-fit parts". Their seams aren't puttied in, they have no paint except for a few stripes, and they're mostly not glued together--either snap/pressed together parts or screws. (and many larger Bandai kits use screws too) Just something to think about. Now off to add even MORE info to the first post. (though many of the questions asked in the last 20 posts are already answered there)

Camaro's getting a HUD? Hmmmmmn. That could be a huge Challenger vs Camaro decider for me. (assuming I have the money and can afford the insurance when my current car's paid off)

Real-world current example: US Navy carriers. They get their hull numbers by order built, regardless of class/type. CV-63, Kitty Hawk, Kitty Hawk class. CV-64, Constellation, Kitty Hawk class. CVN-65, Enterprise, Enterprise class. CV-66, America, Kitty Hawk class. CV-67, JFK, Kitty Hawk class (modified, sometimes considered JFK class) CVN-68, Nimitz, Nimitz class. Now, there was serious consideration to building more JFK-type ships, as the Nimitz class cost so much. So we very well could have had say CV-69 JFK class, CVN-70 Nimitz class, CV-71 JFK, etc and have a very "jumbled" order of "class number vs hull number" nowadays. The hull numbers go in order, regardless of how many of that CLASS exist. We've got the 1 and only Enterprise class right in the middle of all the Kitty Hawks. And even with different TYPES of carriers, the numbers go in order--CV, CVA, CVAN, and CVN. All use the same "group" of numbers. So SDF-4 could easily mean the 4th "SDF type of ship" regardless of exact class. If there was a long period of building Megaroads, then they decided on a whim to build another copy of the Macross itself and call it Global, it may very well have been only the 4th Macross-class ship built, but have a number like SDF-15, if there were a bunch of Megaroads in a row built prior to making the Global (SDF-2 through 10, etc)

Well, that shot is of the "official" shirt they're making, so I figure they got the specs from the production team etc.

Egads, a Mechamaniac post! "Mechamaniac, the ghost mod..."

I'm going to unpin this for now, I'll re-pin it when/if Ryuji starts up again.

I found out something accidently that I don't know if it's common knowledge (never came across it in the threads, just lots of arguing about loose vs tight torsos): The torso WILL lock together pretty firmly. There is a "barely just barely slightly holds" stage that many people seem to achieve, then there's a "can almost pick it up by the nosecone" stage that few people seem to find. Basically--the whole forward fuselage can slide downwards about 1/8 inch at the very end of transforming to battroid. Not the "torso shortening" thing, where just the canopy area slides down towards the nose. Bring the nosecone itself down. That makes a slightly wider part of the forward fuselage go between the intakes, and instead of just barely touching the little intake tabs, the fuselage will fairly firmly wedge itself between the intakes. I'll try to get it back to fighter mode and experiment with FAST packs and gunpods tomorrow. My first attempt at getting the gunpods on the belly plates (not the FAST pack plates) didn't work at all--wouldn't even go on half-way with the force I was using.

ISP problems with MW usually mean you can't access it at all using that ISP, using a proxy on your end wouldn't help AFAIK. But it does in your case, so this is new to me.

I checked all your past and current IP's, none are on the ban list.

I've gotta say, the legs really do hang low and seem "disconnected" from the fuselage in fighter mode. The first pics, we all thought it just wasn't quite "up and locked and transformed right". But every subsequent pic has been like that.

Well, for no reason at all they all of a sudden seem to hold together. Not seamless, but they at least "touch each other" now. Will see if it's any better after transforming. (I've been reading all the tips and tricks this afternoon before an attempt transforming it)

Best pic of the patch I've found: http://www.shopncsx.com/images/products/de..._ss_shirt_w.jpg

I've had a bit of a theory lately: If the SWAG/energy converting armor gets its energy from the engines, then that would mean that the far more powerful engines could be primarily used for additional armor/shielding power. We saw Ozma has PPB shielding or thereabouts, in addition to the normal valk energized armor. Real aircraft (especially airliners) work the same way---everything's run off the engines. The more features/gimmicks active, the less of the engine's power is actually available for thrust. On a 747, if everyone opens their air vent at once, there's that much less thrust for propulsion. The 787's #1 design feature IMHO (and #1 reason it's so much more fuel efficient) is a complete redesign of that concept---they want the engines to be used for thrust, and thrust alone. Hydraulics, electricity, pressurization, air conditioning, etc---as little as possible of that will depend on the engines. IIRC as much as 20% of an airliner's engine power can be devoted to "passenger comfort", the 787 attempts to reclaim that. This is also why airliners often turn off the air conditioning for a few minutes during takeoff---they want every bit of thrust possible. (since air/pressurization has the most direct effect, since it's being sucked directly out of the later compressor stages and thus can't contribute to thrust) So----while a VF-25 engine etc may be tremendously powerful---the thrust number is only good for "soley providing thrust" mode. Which'd rarely be used. More likely, it could use its tremendous amount of power to beef up the armor/shields, and still have "normal VF-19 levels of thrust" remaining. Its speed would be equal to the VF-19, but with far greater defense. So in "typical" use, the numbers would be more like "1200Kn+many megawatts of electricity for armor".

Because we've seen what Bandai can do, in the 1/72 model. It's better in every way, yet smaller and cheaper. Why is the far more expensive, bigger one less accurate in every mode?

For me at least, I criticize the battroid mode of this one (despite me being a fighter-mode-fan overall of valks) because that's what defines the VF-25. I mean c'mon---in fighter mode, it's pretty darn generic as valks go. It looks like a VF-1. And a VF-0. And a VF-5000. And the Sv-51. But battroid mode---it's really skinny. That's pretty much what defines this valk. "What's the VF-25? The anorexic one in battroid mode". So when battroid mode is FAT---well, then it's lost the defining characteristic of the VF-25 IMHO.

Just got mine today, opened it up---and the belly plates do not want to go together. I haven't transformed it yet, just been fiddling with it in fighter mode. But the belly plates aren't going together. Is it "not quite right from the factory" or something and it'll fit better once I transform it right and get everything together? I've fiddled with the plates enough to get to step 2 or so of the transformation just to see how they work compared to the old ones---and they'll stay together with themselves if they're not at all "hooked up to the rest of the plane". But if you lower/click them into place with the shoulders/sides/feet---they refuse to click together. I kinda suspect the legs are pushing them out, but I also suspect that the factory "has it right" regarding leg positioning etc.

We (the mods) figure this topic is inevitable and will take up a large enough part of the "Entire series discussion" thread that it deserves its own topic and poll. Things to keep in mind before voting: Please take into account more than just how it ended. (maybe people shouldn't vote until at least a day or two after they watch the last ep to eliminate "heat of the moment" opinion-swaying) The music! Always an integral part of Macross. Every series has things you don't like and moments of greatness, try to recall it all equally. Not every second of Plus was awesome mecha action nor did every moment of 7 involve Basara yelling "Ore no uta wo kike!" though many people tend to remember things that way... Presence or lack of CG doesn't automatically make certain things better or worse. Poll/thread will open after Frontier Episode 25 airs.

FAST packs are still missing the 'groin plating'.

My WW seems to fit fine in the Rattler---noticeable headroom. Took him in and out twice. As opposed to a HISS, where the guy's helmet is at best .01mm from touching the roof no matter how hard you smoosh him down in.

Gundam marker paint as in the big chisel tip markers? Does it work well for the panel-lining pens?

Gundam marker eraser pen? That's a new one to me. Does it live up to its name and it works awesomely, or is just like alcohol in a pen?

I plan to do roughly the same (clearcoat all white parts after decaling), but I aim for a flatter finish. I've seen widely varying ratios of how "flat" Tamiya flat makes Future. I'm going to start with 10:1 future/flat, and may have to go as far as 3:1 future/flat. Personally, I think applying a glossy coat over bare plastic will make it look VERY toyistic/plasticy, more than it already does.