David Hingtgen

The nozzles strike me as too long and tapering too slowly. Should be more conical, they're too tubular. Could all be an effect of being vectoring nozzles. Oh, and the pic of all the features/gimmicks--the lower left one. As far as I can tell, they're showing off a screw.

I'll be the first to admit it looks *better* in the new pics but that still doesn't mean I like it. It went from D- to D+. Also I note it has gun muzzles on BOTH sides. Hmmmn.

I personally hate the MP SS scheme. Basically--how will they do Thundercracker and Skywarp? Different fist colors? Because that's about all there is now to color, with their new "realistic" F-14 (not a typo) color scheme... (Nothing makes a plane-buff dislike something more than using something that is distinctly from another plane). Nothing says "authentic" like using another plane's color...

JBO--the conformal tanks are the sole reason for the rounded forearms. And as for intake kibble, it's highlighted in red on both molds. If it was simply moved on the new mold, it'd be smaller--but it's two or three times bigger now, because of the added bulk of the conformal tank being added (since the front of the conformal tank goes right underneath the root extension).

We never saw the first mold posed "dramatically" on a stand like the newest colored pic of the new mold. We have no idea of its articulation capabilities. Since the hip/thigh/knee joints look similar, I doubt there's much difference between the two molds. The new one just has big extra parts on the hip armor.

At least it doesn't have hip kibble that'd hit a wall he's standing 15 feet in front of... Nor intake kibble... And no TF looks good from behind, kind of like how none look good from beneath in vehicle mode. We're lucky to get TF's that look good from the side. First mold looks better at every angle in all modes, with the exception of fighter mode from below, which the second one is a BIT better. Second one has a kibbly robot mode from every angle. That pic shows the original location of the intake kibble well---at the "bottom" of the wings. It's quite hidden there, and blends in well since it's not kibble at that point since it's inherently a part of the wing. (As it was on the G1 toy) Personally, I'll take "big legs" (which people seemed to love on MP Prime) over "kibbles and bits all over the robot mode everywhere sticking out in every direction all in an effort to make sleeker legs with girly feet that completely changes the overall look of the character". Basically--kibble only exists when it's separated from its "parent" piece. Not separated=not kibble. Separating out the tailboom and wing root extension creates kibble that previously didn't exist.

There was a lot more "stuff" on the sides of the legs due to the fact that the G1 toy had it split up among 3 parts, with the majority on the h.stab piece---separating the h.stab from the tailboom led to there being a lot more of it "not with the stab". It has to go somewhere, and I think putting it on the sides of the legs (where it'd sort of be anyways) is a lot better than creating an entire new part/area attached to the hips. Also, I think the majority of fans (going by the places I visit) prefer the old one, for both the hip/leg kibble and certainly the intake kibble. I don't know of anyone who likes the root leading edge extensions (the intake kibble) in the new place. It was almost invisible where it was on the first mold (which is also where it is on the G1 mold), now it's visible from every angle, and sticks out straight back. Also, the conformal tanks makes the hip kibble nearly twice as big as it'd be otherwise, as the conformal tanks run along the underside of the wing root and under the tailbooms for the majority of their length. If you got rid of the conformal tanks, the intake kibble and hip kibble would be a LOT less obvious. There's NO reason for it, in ONLY screws up the robot mode intakes, forearms, and hip kibble. ::edit:: Actually, now that I look closer, I think the root fairings had to be moved to the intake because there's no clearance for the conformal tank (and possible the fairings themselves) with the hip kibble. If it was moved back down, then the kibble can be moved back off the intakes. Or at least if you got rid of the conformal tanks, then there may be room for the fairings on the wings, with the hip kibble. Either way, moving the parts to the hips screwed up the intakes. It's never worth it to screw up multiple areas to make one part look better to some people. "Hey, let's screw up the forearms, elbows, biceps, intakes, and wings just to move the tailbooms to the hips" PS---I keep wondering if the h.stabs couldn't be folded up one more step--due to the hinge design it looks like they could pivot realistically (like the ailerons) and that would allow them to be able to rotate (like the G1 toy) and then fold up--so they'd be folded up alongside the leg, rather than folded up behind it. They wouldn't stick out behind the leg anymore. Also I think something similar could be done for the v.stabs (as they are taller and stick out more), but it doesn't look designed that way---something akin to how the Yamato VF-11 fins fold, only fold forward instead of rearward, and stay outside instead of retracting inside. Say, rotate 45 degrees foward until they're partly alongside the legs, then they wouldn't stick out nearly as far, and they'd be covered up by the rotated/folded h.stabs. PPS--my recolor of a recolor of the above pic (which isn't mine) for what I'd hoped Thundercracker would look like--deep sapphire metallic blue (it's really hard to do metallic when you're a newb to recoloring, best I could do):

Umm, it was 100% how I wanted/expected with the first version of the mold. The mold was DONE at that point IMHO, and should have been painted and boxed and sold the next week. Then they F'd up the mold. Then later F'd up the colors. Overall, the first one flat out looked far more like both the toy and cartoon appearance than the current one. Adding conformal tanks "just because" certainly doesn't help make it look like people expect/want. People are fine with tailfins on the feet because that's how the toy was. But having the entire tailboom hang off the hip? Unlike any previous incarnation of Starscream, and not how people expect/want. There's a big difference between "trying to hide pieces that mysteriously disappeared on TV" and "completely moving large chunks of the airplane". Moving the tailbooms to the hips is like moving Prime's rear wheels onto his shoulders. Yes, they disappeared on TV. But we accept/expect them to be on the legs on the toy because that's just how it has to be to have a working toy--not moved to some totally different and highly visible place on the robot that changes the entire look of the robot mode. It's no different than if they'd put the nosecone on his crotch. Yes it "disappeared" on TV, but we expect it to remain fairly hidden or out of the way, not moved to some different location and prominently displayed. The tailbooms never stood out at all on the first mold because they were an integral part of the leg---but now that they're an entirely separate piece mounted at an angle, they're really obvious. Also, the tailfins folded up nicely and remained close to the bottom of the leg on the first mold---now they just hang out there in space, with nothing to fold up next to--they're just there in the way. THIS is a Masterpiece G1 Starscream, looking pretty darn near identical to how he did in the movie:

Actually they shouldn't be "silver"---that's titanium on the real thing, and it turns color from heat QUICKLY. Basically the color ranges from steel-brown to almost black. It gets so hot it can't be painted.

The BIG difference is the addition of conformal fuel tanks (FAST packs) and moving the tailbooms (with tailfins) to the hips, just like the YF-19. Lately they've been posing it so they're not so visible---but the legs look skinnier because it's all been moved to hang off the hips like the YF-19's wings. That is NOT Starscream's transformation nor robot mode. Also note that due to the conformal tanks and change in the tailboom configuration, the wingroot leading edge fairing is now mounted on the sides of his intakes, rather than being the "bottom points of the wings" in robot mode. See the big pieces moutned on the sides of the intakes? Shouldn't be there, should be down on the wings. The conformal tanks also add bits and pieces to his wrists/forearms, and the redesign also makes his feet smooth and curved and silver, instead of triangular/blocky/blue like they should be. They can rotate the hip kibble backwards and out of the camera's view all they want, but they're still there.

The more I see it, the more I plan not to buy it, mainly because of the mold. The first version had such a wonderful robot mode, I thought it was better than MP Prime. And jet mode rocked. Now---it may be a cool transforming jet, but it's not Starscream. It merely has his headsculpt.

Still, REAL F-15 grey would be closer to SS's own colors. Why not use it? You can't possibly say "fake greenish grey" is a more "realistic" color than the actual light grey used on F-15's...

Now he almost perfectly matches (colorwise) the upper half of an F-14. Yes, that's "realistic colors" for an F-15 all right---the unique and distinctive F-14-exclusive greenish-blue-grey of FS35237. (Well, you'll find it elsewhere if you really look, but no plane has it as much as the F-14 low-vis scheme). PS--they molded the gun on the wrong side. F-15's have it on the RIGHT side, F-14's have it on the left.

Agreeing with Shin. I want G1 *toy* colors on my seekers. THOSE are the definitive colors IMHO. Thundercracker is only baby blue in the anime because "metallic sapphire" can't be done in animation. At least, not on that budget... BM Jetstorm was a similar metallic blue, and that's simply an awesome color. And I was very happy to see perfect G1 TC colors used on Armada TC. I want dark metallic blue for my Thundercracker, period. Of course, I also want the earlier, non-YF-19-ish robot mode mold, too.

Nied got to it first. And even without any other commentary, the "did not transition well to precision bombing" tells you all you need to know about the accuracy of that article. Hey, I bet other large interceptors like the F-15 also can't be made to do precision bombing well...

Depends on how long it was shut down. (We are now in deep, deep, in-joke territory)

Sigh, the one day I don't check MW until 9PM, "my" thread goes to hell and another mod has to step in. Yeesh people. Anyways: The Senate has *passed* amendment 4211 to Senate bill 2766 "The 2007 Defense Appropriation Act" to name the CVN78 the Gerald Ford. It's very likely it will be. A few weeks ago it was merely "introduced" but now it's one step away from being so. I wasn't using Ford's name as a random example... USS America.org still trying to stop it. http://www.ussamerica.org/

New class. It won't be Nimitz class, it'll be Gerald Ford or Enterprise class. (Let's hope the latter). Stats change all the time of course, but I think generally the big things are a "stealth" island and electromagnetic catapults. Though I would be against Enterprise (despite the coolness) simply because that'd make 2 of the 3 CVN classes "Enterprise class". It's bad enough we have the new nuclear Virginia class ships just a few years after the last nuclear Virginia class ships were retired, we don't need another confusing repeats. Sure they're a different type, but whenever people mention "Virginia class" you have to ask--which one? The 80's/90's or the current? Dear Navy: there's tons of names, and feel free to re-use them all, and immediately after the old one's decommissioned--but at least change the CLASS LEADER names once in a while! Yeesh, at this rate the next destroyer will be called Spruance class... (again) PS--we're talking about AIRCRAFT carriers. Plenty close enough to the thread title. And since I made it, I'm not changing it. Also, we've had carrier discussions here before---often regarding the JSF/Rafale with regards to future European carriers.

Except nowadays Congress has figured out how easy it is to make bills to name ships whatever they want, so we get a lot of "who the heck was/where is THAT?" names lately, and "less than stellar" presidents. Like the next line of super-carriers will be Gerald Ford class. Yeah, THAT's the image you want to project from the flagship of the US Navy. Quick and easy votes: get a ship named for a city in your state, or after someone from there.

Only really good picture was of the Super Hornet after their demo---Rocky and Sicko waving to the crowd:

"Spirit of California" according to the pics at Fencecheck.

That was quick, have to start a new one already. No name/subtitle for the thread on purpose--I'm not that fond of them. Anyways---I visited my brother last weekend and went to the airshow in Duluth. Best show I've seen. Never knew a B-2 could bank hard enough to make vapor.

Another car care question, but a simple one: What's the best tire cleaner out there? I want to get a layer of grime off them. (I swear it's been there since I bought them--I'm quite disappointed, and plan to smoke my tires often and never rotate them, so I can get new ones as soon as possible--but in the meantime I want them clean) Willing to scrub like crazy if need be. (Scrubbing like crazy with just car wash helped a bit, but not nearly enough) PS---which (if any) tire places take in used tires for credit? And how much? I've only got 8,000 miles on them.

Watched some of M+ again, here's good examples of the upper part of the intake (red) separating from the hips (blue). Upon further scrutiny, it seems the animators have it attached to the "spine", not really like an armor skirt as I thought. (And the red part is one piece---not two separate pieces from each hip) Part 2 (OVA, not movie version): Soon after the YF-19's first appearance and the dino-bird smoke-trail Isamu makes, you see the first YF-21/YF-19 simultaneous testing. There will be a side-shot showing both of them in the mock town, and Isamu is in GERWALK, then jumps over a bridge and lands in battroid---that's a decent look at what I'm talking about. Great shot: When Isamu tests the arm-mounted extra weapons pack---the shot starts with a rear view, then he turns around and fires. Another good one: When Guld and Isamu fight in the mock city---very early in the fight, Guld will throw his first PPB punch---Isamu will retaliate with a knee--that's a good look.

Do they have a lot of museum pieces etc? Half that stuff is out of service! I've never seen an A-6, and they're long gone now.