David Hingtgen

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.

I've always been fond of spit on a t-shirt to remove ink and paint. As for actual Gundam markers---I've found they tend to be pretty fast-drying and color-fast, much more so than the "what most Americans use and call Gundam markers but aren't really" Sakura Micron Pigma pens. I know the spit and t-shirt method works, but it's more difficult with an actual Gundam marker than my much more commonly used Micron Pigma pens. You've got about 5 secs drying time before it starts getting more difficult to remove. That said, Gundam markers can be found in dark grey, which looks that much better on white than pure black.

Question--did I completely miss/forget something? Why does

Fins are molded black, the red and silver/grey bits are stickers or decals. Morpheus posted his build like 6 posts ago. http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?s=&a...st&p=661536 That's EXACTLY what it looks like when built "raw". Morpheus applied no stickers, added no paint. What you see is what you get. If you apply all the stickers, and paint nothing but the canopy for some reason, you get this: http://gamu-toys.info/gangu/pura/r3/mf01/mf01.html (he also inked in the panel lines, not sure by what method) ::edit:: And he painted the knife blade. A totally unpainted, unwashed/uninked build, but using decals instead of stickers: http://hima-toy.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/200...f-25f-802a.html ::edit:: Whoops, viewing the pics full-size makes me think they're the stickers too. Or the decals suck. I don't think we've seen a decaled-but-unpainted built yet. (which I plan to do) Graham---looking closely at the builds, I think the stickers are clear/Yamato style, not foil style. Disappointing, as I think foil would have worked and looked much better.

I think people are expecting WAY too much from the "tweaking". It's a 3D transforming sculpture. Changing anything more than .5mm affects every other piece it touches. They can't change ANYTHING noticeably without changing EVERYTHING. And that's not going to happen. They can bring the shield 1mm in closer to the forearm, or give the hips 4 degrees more articulation. But they're not going to make the legs 20% thinner, or the torso 30% longer. The final version will be nigh-identical to what we've seen since the beginning.

Geez, ep 2 wasn't even OVER in the US when you posted that. As for ep 2---heck, I like any scene with ma Petrelli.

Ando's beats all.

Ok, now that I fiddle with the helmet to get a good look and put them right in the light, the WW's do have different necks. Man, that's subtle. My Rattler WW had "head pointed down" as packaged and you couldn't even see the neck.

It's on (in the US) in 55 mins. Just a warning/notice.

...and get rid of the gigantic launch bars on the nosegear. I have yet to see one in the anime.

Found a Rattler! Wild Weasel is identical to the comic pack one, but his file card's a bit different, and he doesn't come with a footpeg stand. I'll sell/trade off the old one. Anyone interested? I'm still trying to get a GOOD Copperhead---I've found that pack twice now, but both times Copperhead had notable paint flaws--some of the worst I've seen in the line. Also, some older waves are being produced again it seems---I've found "new" IG Destros and carded CG's lately. (I really want to find some new hooded CC's) PS--anyone ordered from Cobrastickers.com? Are they shiny/glossy, or dull like the new Hasbro ones? Shin's right, the dull stickers suck. I'm thinking about buying their Rattler stickers, if they're better than Hasbro's.

Wow, they got the various shades of grey in all the right places. I'm surprised they engineered the kit to be able to do that. (there's no way the sprue arrangement would have worked like that by chance). Hmmn, I might have to just sell my Alto unbuilt and get Ozma's instead. (since it looks less and less likely I'll be getting Ozma's DX 1/60)

Being unpainted would mean you could use whatever wash you'd like without worrying about "interaction". The point of having the base paint and wash being 2 different types of paint are so that when you use the thinner to remove excess wash, the wash's thinner won't affect/remove the base paint. And/or so the wash doesn't stick to the base paint TOO well. Being bare slick plastic, the wash may actually come off too easy. wm cheng uses oil-paint wash over acrylic base coats. He's talked about his technique a few times: http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?act=...&pid=499682 and http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?show...mp;#entry344257 It's been discussed a few times in the main 1/72 VF-25 thread, but miriya and I plan to try/use this stuff: http://www.promodeller.com/promodellers-weathering-wash/

Due to being "Bandai white" from what I can tell (an almost purplish-white as opposed to their Gundam greenish-white) I plan to give it a lot of wash/weathering. Originally I was going to just faintly panel line it, but it's too "pure" white to look good like that. I think I'll be trying for "end of ep 14".

Hey, no VF-25 purchase means I can buy another v2 VF-1, or maybe more 1/100...

Having just transformed my 1/48 Milia for probably the last time (to take pics before selling it), I've decided that Yamato really should have done the "tailfins, head hatch and backpack lock" on the new 1/60 just like the 1/48. The 1/48 has a much closer-fitting backpack, and the "clasp" is hidden away in fighter mode. The 1/60's backpack sticks further out, and must be FORCED close to the backplate, bending and under stress by its hook---and it still doesn't stay as close as the 1/48 does. And it scrapes its tailfin paint off in the process. Now, even if the 1/48 didn't have a retractable antenna, it still wouldn't scrape paint off the fins for 2 reasons: 1. Its tailfins fold much flatter, and thus don't "protrude" from the backpack as far. (best tailfin folding of all). I'm still surprised why the new 1/60 has such "not flat" tailfin folding. They really only seem to get 90% of the way there, and I've fiddled with them a lot to make sure I'm doing it right---but that's how it is in the instructions. I can't believe Yamato "forgot" how the make the tailfins fold nice and flat on top of each other. The right one's pretty flat, but the left---not even close. 2. The forward antenna is proportionally a bit further forward--it can't touch the fins no matter what. If the 1/60's forward antenna was just 1 or 2mm further forward, it wouldn't scrape the trailing edge of the tailfin. Really, the 1/60's only real design flaw (or at least, not as good as the 1/48) IMHO is the backpack---the tailfins don't fold flat, it doesn't sit as close to the backplate as the 1/48, it has a highly visible hook, and the tailfins get their paint scraped off. It's also missing the neat cross-hatch pattern on the backpack's "exhaust flap".