David Hingtgen

Ironically, of all the low-vis valk schemes, I've yet to see the F-14's, which is the most appropriate of all IMHO. Also----why not do like modern CAG and CO planes? Keep the low-vis grey overall, but go with the brightly colored tailfins and nose stripes, etc. The above-linked SVF-111 VF-19 is like that. It's basically the F-18's low-vis camo, with VF-111 full-color markings.

There are no other scales. 1/60 is pretty darn near exclusive to Yamato and Takara's MP Starscream. It's a "compromise" scale between 1/48 and 1/72---but no model kits are built to it, and likely never will be. I would go with 1/72, because the VF-1 isn't that big of a fighter---it'll look bigger with the 1/72 stuff around it. If you went with 1/48, a small plane will look even smaller.

...because the kibble makes it so you can actually tell what they transform into. Instead of decompiling into 15,000 metal shards, and rearranging.

Nothing lately about the GOL crash AFAIK. Best/most recent theory for the actual breakup is that the ERJ's winglet sliced through the lower skin of the 737's wing, which was stressed enough to almost instantly go into flutter and break off, then the 737's wingtip flew back and over and sheared off its own v.stab. Still not sure if engines came off prior to impact. AdamAir--Singapore Nav sending ships to search last I heard.

Spin-chute attachment.

You could easily have a paint scheme that fits the movie's requirements, G1 colors, and "modern semi" paint trends: Red overall, blue fenders, blue chassis. While I have never seen that, it is absolutely possible. Having the fenders a different color than the rest of the cab is a HUGE trend for trucks now. And nowadays you can get the chassis in a different color than black---I have personally see a red semi with a teal chassis and fenders, so red with blue chassis and fenders probably does exist out there somewhere. (I have also seen orange with purple---fugly, but sure catches your eye) Also, you can color the fuel tanks too now, with vinyl. But for Prime we'd probably just want them left bare and polished up.

Interesting, but I'd especially like to hear what Knight26 has to say about the feasability of this: _______________________________________________________________ F-15s could carry Patriots for missile defence missions By Graham Warwick Air force to also test Raytheon's NCADE candidate against ballistic weapons threat Launching the Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missile from a Boeing F-15C fighter to intercept a tactical ballistic or cruise missile could be demonstrated within two years, believes Lockheed Martin, which has received a $3 million follow-on contract from the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to continue refining the concept. The Air-Launched Hit-To-Kill design is one of several concepts being studied by the MDA for boost-phase intercept and homeland defence. Work completed by Lockheed under an initial $2 million contract concluded that launching the PAC-3 from dual-missile canisters under the wing of a tactical fighter was feasible, says Mike Trotsky, vice-president air and missile defence systems. There are two possible mission scenarios, says Trotsky. In one, a forward-deployed F-15 on combat air patrol (CAP) would launch the PAC-3 to intercept a ballistic missile in its boost phase. The homeland defence mission envisages tactical ballistic or cruise missiles being launched from barges. "The aircraft could be on CAP or be scrambled and intercept both types of target," he says. The F-15's radar would detect and track the target. The aimpoint would be uploaded to the PAC-3 before launch and updated during flight using the fighter's radar as a datalink, with terminal guidance to be provided by the missile's active seeker. "We would not have to do much to the PAC-3. Once it leaves the aircraft, its mission is pretty much the same," says Trotsky. Raytheon is working on a competing air-launched boost-phase intercept concept under the MDA's Network Centric Airborne Defense Element (NCADE) programme. The company's interceptor combines an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile's first stage with an AIM-9X Sidewinder's infrared seeker with a new second stage using hydroxyl ammonium nitrate propellant. An F-15 test flight is planned for mid-year under a 12-month, $7 million risk-reduction contract awarded last year. Raytheon says NCADE will be the same size as AMRAAM and rail launched, and that F-15 flight tests will involve an interim design using the AIM-9X as its first stage. Trotsky believes that Lockheed's approach offers lower risk, although the combat-proven PAC-3 has never been integrated with an aircraft. "Although NCADE is based on AMRAAM, and therefore low risk in integration with the aircraft, it is a new missile with no pedigree," he argues. Lockheed has also looked at arming the F-15 with its new THAAD missile-defence interceptor, which is three times the weight of the 320kg (700lb) PAC-3 and 1m (3.3ft) longer at 6m. __________________ Actually, I'm even more interested in (and think is more likely to be in service) that boosted IR-seeking AMRAAM. Image attached is from the article, F-15 with twin Patriots in a box launcher. Size-wise it'd be huge, along with anything else listed in the article, but weight-wise almost nothing would be a problem, due to the basic pylon being rated for a 600gallon.

Oh, one more thing: XS 3 has a long summary of each previous ep, chapter by chapter. It could take quite a while to read. It's basically a collection of stills from all the cutscenes, and lots of text explaining what's going on. It's available immediately, you don't have to win the game first on anything. If you played 1, you're plenty familiar enough with the characters to follow the summary of 2, in 3.

wolfx--not at all! Forget 2, play 3. As I said, 2 was a waste, there is NOTHING about Gnosis, Shion, KOS-MOS. Here's the spoiler free version of XS 2: Shion meets her brother, they talk. Flashbacks to the incident on Miltia 14 years ago (all of which will be re-flash-backed and expanded on in XS 3). Lots of stuff about Gaignun, Jr, MOMO, and Albedo. That last sentence is 90% of the game. And bigger mecha are introduced. Basically, it's all character backstory, mostly Gaignun/Jr/Albedo. There is little to no actual plot about the whole Gnosis thing. Even though "KOS-MOS and the Gnosis" is supposed to be the main overall plot of the series.

The undersides of the wings are entirely blue or orange on the Super Nova schemes, along with the bottoms of the nacelles and intakes. Just FYI. They are actually more colorful underneath than above. Also, since they are the test planes, they have extra test equipment on them. They are HIGHLY influenced by the F-15 test planes---both in configuration, paint schemes, and paint colors.

There's no valk I prefer in battroid mode---but for "anti-UN variable fighters"---I prefer the SV-51 in battroid. It just looks evil. "Black angel" is the best description, with the wings and all. Or possibly, "fuschia angel".

I'd get the S Hikaru and A Max from that group of options. But I'd personally recommend getting a valk that is more than just a differently colored stripe, than getting practically a whole set of DYRL's. I mean, if you have a DYRL Roy, any other DYRL valk is going to be 95% identical. Get a TV J-model or something. Just IMHO.

I'm sure Kawamori will tell us what color Ivanov's "really" was. I say a CF SV-51 is golden, possibly orange. Or maybe "rusty tan".

Anyone compiled a list of the "bigger" movie toys? Say $50 and up that could have decently "screen-accurate" transformations? (While I hate the designs, the sheer engineering that would go into the toy appeals to me)

Don't forget the golden/tan CF SV-51's.

Asking if XS is any good, is like asking if Star Wars is good. Each one varies quite a bit. I think XS1 was the best (story-wise, play-wise it was average), followed by XS3 (best play, second for story). XS2 was a waste---the entire game was spent on exploring a minor side-story of secondary characters and the battle system was torture.

Didn't Nora stand to deliver a kick when Shin borrowed the crashed VF-0 in ep 1? It was one of the few non-CG animations of the Sv-51. Heh heh---this is one of the few times where I can easily pass on the first release, and wait for the improved second one! I want a magenta Sv-51, not black. Though the price probably will be insane. Bigger than a YF-19, more complex transformation (or at least, more and smaller parts), and includes a new display stand. What is up with Yamato and display stands? Am I the only one who doesn't use any? First it seems the YF-19's gunpod problem is due to Yamato wanting it to be attached while the stand is affixed, and now we have to buy a stand along with the -51? It seems we're getting both design problems and now even higher costs, for stuff I really don't want anyways. Where's my stand-less discount Sv-51? Maybe they'll offer that for Nora's version. Hmmn. Wonder how they'll do the boosters/missiles---like they did for the VF-0? But there's no "independent drone" mode for the Sv-51 boosters, they are purely boosters. PS---where's my VF-0D? I'll need it to fight (and lose to) Nora.

Sorta OT, but not deserving of its own thread, posted here because many will see it: 1:1 masking! F-16 Thunderbirds: http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5898152

If a newer, quieter 360 does come out, I'm selling my current one and buying it. Though there'd better be a way to transfer files.

$90 Bumblebee rumor/info: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=119987 Comments? IMHO, it's a waste. If there's a $90 toy, it should be Prime or SS. While SS's robot mode may suck, a huge, MP-like transforming F-22 alone would rock---it could have like NO kibble if they did it right with that much size and price-point to work with.

Pirahna skull? That would be the newest line of Bionicles---they're like underwater ones now.

And they look like valks. Macross/Robotech fans who have never seen Plus, will recognize them as valks. I have showed pics of Megs to everybody I know that knows TF's but not enough to have seen the new designs--and NONE suspect that is Megs, much less that he's a TF. They simply see "a robot". if that.

And if you want the illustrated version of that tip from Yamato: http://www.yamato-toys.com/dev/cont_002/index.html It's the second one, just click through the 7 pics. Basically, close the canopy, then raise the nose, then raise the glareshield. That exact order is important. PS--BBTS sent me an email that my YF-19 order is processing.

You're either typing very poorly, or are confusing things. VF-1S Blazer? YF-22 Sturmvogel from Yamato? None of that exists, nor are even the right numbers/terms.

What we need to do, is advertise it for like a month to all the main mecha/toy boards, so everyone knows about it long in advance, and are just waiting to click in their answers when it actually opens. THEN open it up and let everyone (who already knew about it) come in and fill it out. And frankly we need more participation. It seems that even people who post here pretty often didn't participate, much less the lurkers. 100 people? We have 100 people participate on individual threads. C'mon people, you don't have to sign your name and it takes all of 30 secs. You come here, read, lurk, and find out how to fix your -19's gunpod, but can't answer a poll that (in the future) could lead directly to Yamato reissuing certain valks or something?