David Hingtgen

Ever see the 2nd-to-last F-15 design proposal? Matches the F-22 almost exactly. The YF-22 looked more next-gen than the F-22. They "F-15'd it up" for the production version.

Or even better, start the rumored "military" line of Alternators. F-22 Starscream... Though we still don't know if SS is a YF-22 or F-22. The early design art was clearly a YF-22---you know, the cyber-monkey that they said wasn't anything like the final version. Sorry, never really like Megatron's design. Character yes, robot no. I only complain about stuff I care about. (note I haven't said a word about Classics Bumblebee for example--I simply don't care about him)

It has a MiG-29's VERY DISTINCTIVE overwing strakes (actually a super-long fillet extension of the v.stab used for countermeasures), a MiG-29's nosecone and canopy, and a MiG-29's tailfins. Compare: http://aeroweb.lucia.it/~junap95/fighters/images/mig29-2.jpg

Except that the Flanker and Fulcrum are two entirely different planes. That's like saying "Well this Corvette looks like a modified Ferrari Testarossa".

Continuing the "overweight planes" thread: Apparently the 787 is overweight. Haven't heard any specifics though. Leafed through Air&Space's F-35 article at the magazine stand. One of the ways they reduced weight was very interesting: More complex gear doors. The original design was a simple one-piece style and hung open when the gear was down. The new design is more airliner-esque with multiple doors that close up as much as possible after the gear is done moving. How does this save weight? (since more complex gear doors add weight)--- With the gear doors up, there's no interaction between the big gear doors and local airflow/exhaust when hovering---so the v.stabs can be made smaller. It's all a stability/control issue when hovering.

Actually, Takara already did do better. All they had to do was NOT let Kawamori mess with MP SS once they had already designed it. It would have been out much sooner, and made many people much more happy. And it wouldn't have been green.

Exactly. YF-23 is the most modern, sleekest-looking plane ever. 20 years from now we still won't have planes that look like that. (Look at the F-35---a decade newer and is nothing more than a warmed-over YF-22/F-16 hybrid) Anyways--AFAIK there is still no term for the YF-23's tail fins. They are not ruddervators, as that would be a separate control surface from the main stabilizer. Bonanzas have ruddervators (I ALWAYS watch Bonanzas when I see them overhead). The YF-23's flight manual simply calls them "all-moving tail surfaces". I think "slab ruddervator" is a technically correct description, but you never actually describe it as such--that's like saying "slab elevator" instead of stabilator. Stabiruddervator?

Becuase HFH thought it'd look cool on-screen, that's why.

Detachable legs really screws up the D'stance fighter mode. Most pics are very carefully posed to hide it, but: The D'stance has the feet hang out the back of the plane. Purely due to having them removable. The Yamato/SHE does it far better. While the D'stance has overall amazing proportions, I'd want the legs to store the way the Yamato does. Technically it's not the removable legs so much, as having an actual detailed "interior" to the plane (mainly the GERWALK mode cascades), when the belly and legs are ripped away--that detailing takes up ALL the room the legs normally have, so they can't tuck themselves into the engine nacelles like on the Yamato--they're squeezed in BETWEEN them, making the back end of the plane open up, with the feet hanging out. Look carefully at the D'stance pics--the feet are out in the open, with the belly plates hanging well below the engines at the rear. Purely for the "limbless mode" to be possible. Having just the legs removable would be fine, but it'd look ugly as heck---the D'stance devotes a lot to having a smooth, "functional" interior when the limbs are off. Eliminate that, and you could easily have an even sleeker, better-fitting fighter mode than the D'stance. Cost? Well, the YF-21 has a simpler transformation than the -19, with fewer parts. It's just ALL about shapes/proportions, to make fighter mode look good. But since it's Yamato, and it's new, it'll cost more than any other I'm sure. VF-0A is more than the S, just 'cause it's newer. I'm sure whatever VF-0 is next (Shin? Stealth?) will cost even more.

Oh man, I never ordered my sets to replace my 1/60 stickers with decals. What are we going to do for the YF-19?!?!?! I am a huge decal fan (it's only thing in modeling I do well)--I have more decal sets than kits!

According to the Hase kits, the Ghost and inner missile pods shoud be RLM66 grey (no way that's the "real life" color) and the outer misiles pods should be RLM79 yellow. The RLM color system is WW2 Luftwaffe, and nothing else. Hase also uses purely British colors for the VF-0A though. So do they plan a "low vis" one first to match the new low-vis VF-0, then dark grey ones for Roy etc? You'd think they'd do Roy/Shin colors first.

I doubt a rotating seat--no room. The whole nose splits apart for transformation, as well as the fact that the seat rotates forward, not back.

Where is there a reference to OT in the F-14's? If they had OT, it sure wasn't in the cockpit...

My money's on "The Yamato YF-19 lacks the green "thing" on the seat because the Hasegawa doesn't have it either". It's clear Yamato is using the Hase kit as THE reference whenever possible. I know hologram/HUD emitter is the best guess--what was the final concensus from the big discussion we had about what that green thing was?

Is the pic anime52k8 posted of the Asuka specifically, or just a ship in the fleet? Because those are huge IMHO---far too large for any engine in a Burke class (even with OT) and I think too large even for a OT-enhanced Nimitz-sized reactor. (Assuing OT doesn't make stuff like twice as big) And I do think they bear resemblance to the Macross' anti-grav units, so I kinda like the anti-grav generator theroy. That, or the animators just have no clue what a naval nuclear reactor nor turbine looks like, and just made "Macross-ish" engines.

Look carefully--they added the grey stripes on top of the intakes. (best seen in rear shots of battroid, especially the one with the stand attached)

There are two ways to fire missiles: drop, and rail-launch. Most missiles are one or the other, the AMRAAM can do either. The Sidewinder is rail-launched--it goes straight off, like a model rocket off the launch rod. F-15's almost ALWAYS carry drop tanks under the wing pylons---that's why the pylon is so big--you wouldn't need such massive pylons to carry air-to-air missiles. It's usually pretty easy to tell what missiles do what--if there's no rail, they have to drop--Sparrow, Phoenix. If they're side-mounted (like Sidewinders) they have to be rail-launched. Part of the problem is that MP SS has the missiles mounted wrong, in an impossible way. Ever notice that there's only 3 fins on the back, instead of 4? You can mount most any combination of things to an F-15's wing pylons, the only exception I know of is: If a GBU-15 is carried, AMRAAMs can't be carried.

Finally found "Bye Bye Baby", had to drive to the B&N 30 miles away. Bought it more for the anecdotes than the pics.

Berkut has a lot of Su-27 parts, FYI.

I wondered about his PJ's too... Anyways---today I was thinking and also thought the best explanation is an "accessory" power like a force field, or simply "friction resistant skin" or something. If you think about it, a LOT of "comic powers" require multiple ones linked together, to actually be useful/practical. And I'm pretty sure it was dirt on his face from landing. He wouldn't HAVE a face if he had scorch marks from atmospheric friction.

Just makes you wonder why Takara didn't do some of these mods during the prototype stage. Surely it's not because they "couldn't figure out" how to make their own design have a better range of movement? Drifand---actually F-15's do have an additional hardpoint about where you put it. It's just never, ever, ever used, and I think it was finally removed on the F-15E. Sigh---if MP SS was 1/48, he'd be as big as people want, and there'd be tons of 1/48 model kit parts to use on him for customizing. First thing I'd do is add droptanks under the Sidewinders.

Somehow I missed all the "Leader" pics until now. I rarely get to see any front-line squadron, much less a "colorful" one.

I'd never considered the the "canard mounts" as functioning as swing-bars. That makes a lot of sense now, thanks. (still have to figure quite a bit more out, but I'm one step closer)

The aircraft nut in me had to figure out Nathan's speed and acceleration. My only conclusion is that "I think that in real life, he probably would have ripped his skin off" But yes, that is definitely the coolest flying effect I've ever seen. (And the aircraft nut in me has to also wonder if they based it on the "doughnuts on a rope" effect)

I might just be so used to the M+ version.