David Hingtgen

That's not "movie" Prime---that's the same truck they used at the San Diego Comic Con (or whatever) for special appearances etc. They just added a new tarp promoting the movie. (or maybe it's the same tarp, who knows) And it's a really really bad choice to use as their "promo" Prime--even people very unfamiliar with trucks can tell it's not at all what Prime was. Even with the tarp. It's not even the same CATEGORY of truck. Yes, it's a truck. And it's red. But it's only slightly closer to prime than a large pickup is. It'd be like making Starscream a Lear jet. Yes, it's a jet, but it's not even a fighter. Though with a movie budget, they should certainly be able to pick up a Peterbilt 362. Out of production, but only recently--plenty of used ones to buy, modify to all look identical, and paint red. Here you go, the closest modern truck to Prime:

Title: "Gripen The first fourth generation fighter" ISBN: 91-972803-8-0 Be sure to get the English version. (unless you know Swedish)

http://www.saab.se/node4466.asp But it doesn't seem to work any more---keeps kicking me to the US SAAB page.

Should have gone with the F120 engine. A decade ago. Far more growth potential, and likely more easily adapted to the JSF's lift-fan, due to having so many sections of it already split up and independent. SAAB book: SAAB was offering free books about the Gripen on their website. And it's a BOOK, not a pamphlet. I filled out the form and got one, then passed on the link here. However, no one from here has gotten one yet, even though it's been longer than I had to wait for mine.

The final, actual cost/value is irrelevant. The JSF was designed to deliver most of the performance of the Raptor at half the cost. Therefore, congress will fund a zillion of them, even if it delivers 1/2 the performance at 90% to 120% of the cost. Congress tends to listen to and base all future decisions on the initial spiel.

But my problem is an imported one can't be exchanged. Even if there's 416 dead pixels, Nintendo of America won't do anything because it's a Japanese one. Every single import store (both US and Asia based) has a "no returns for dead pixels" disclaimer. Nintendo has awesome customer service in my experience (they replaced my GBC due to one pixel stuck on blue), but won't work on non-US systems here, no matter how identical they may be. Current thinking: just wait. Waited this long to get a DS, might as well keep waiting for a US-release non-white one. I don't really care what color, just so long as it's not white. Or pink. Current guess: Next batch of US DS Lites, in time for Xmas, will be in colors to match the Wii. Thus, you can get an Xmas Wii and an Xmas DS Lite, as a matching set.

Like anything else LCD, there's stuck pixels, dead pixels, and entire columns or rows of pixels being stuck. Google "DS lite dead pixels" and you'll find plenty of problems. Though I think DS's have fewer instances than most things, it's still possible. (And with my luck for game systems lately...)

Just had a thought: Dead pixels. If you import one, you're basically screwed if there's any problems. I would hate dead pixels far more than having white plastic. Hmmmn. Maybe I can get a white US one, and sell it when the new colors come out.

It's technically on sale in the US now. Maybe 24hour Wal-Marts? Anyways, I'm 99% decided on importing a Navy one. The more I look at it, the more I dislike the white one. And I'm not waiting until X-mas for Nintendo's second "holiday" wave of colors to come to the US---I can only put off playing a new 2D Mario game for so long... PS---any thoughts on the usefullness of getting a backlit GBA SP? My only GBA is a launch white Asian one (as in HK, not JP), so I actually play 99% of my GBA games nowadays via my GC/GBplayer just to see the screen! Plus I have many treasured GB games that a DS won't play.

Just some quick news: First F-15K lost on Wednesday. CFIT (controlled flight into terrain). Both crewmembers killed. 2007 Thunderbird team already selected, adds another female pilot (also another female F-15 pilot), #6 slot. Indian Prime Minister got a ride in an Su-30MKI. And it was carrying a LITENING pod. I would never have imagined to see the US's newest designator pod (well, maybe the Sniper's newer) on a Flanker...

Took me so long I TOTALLY forgot about it. Still, I don't think it took THIS long.

Another way is to compare it to pitching up (which is basically the same, since a bank is just rolling THEN pitching "up"): Watch an F-18 or something transition from level flight to vertical at an airshow---it can RAPIDLY pitch up to 80 degrees----but it cannot do a full 360 loop at the same rate. It can instantaneously pitch up to 80 degrees in well under a second, but cannot maintain that rate of change. But turning involves G's, bank angle, etc, so it's more complex, but it's the same basic idea: A plane can quickly move a little bit, but cannot keep it up. Instantaneous turn is generally the "missile avoidance" capability---wait until the last second, and turn as hard as you can, dumping all your energy in one desperate, severe, quick move. (or, your ability to snap-shoot) Move 50 yards over as quick as you can. Sustained turn is your dogfighting ability--how quickly can you come around in a circle.

Some of the best PSX games arrived well after the PS2 came out, and I know several developers said they abandoned the PSX too quickly. MS on the other hand seems to want the original XB dead as soon as possible.

They do that NOW with a DVD player because they have "HDTV" component cables (Monster brand, of course) hooked up to a converter to run it through their RF connection...

Yup. XFA-27 is still the coolest-looking (and it's half F-14), followed by the X-02 (which is 3/4 YF-23).

I think that was the non-military version. It's one thing for a lone guy to do something like that as an extreme sport or something, and another to make it standard-issue equipment.

We all knew from watching GI Joe, that someday, this would actually exist for the troops: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

The demo DS at my local Wal-Mart was replaced by a DS Lite. Anyways---love the D-pad, shoulder buttons are nice. A/B/X/Y are small and close, but shouldn't cause any problems (especially once you can actually HOLD it, vs trying to wrap your fingers around the demo-bracket) Screen--reminded me of a backlit GBA SP, but shall I say "finer dot pitch"? The demo is set up for 7-year-olds, so I couldn't really "play" at all--I'm simply too tall. Color--it's obvious that the entire system is matte plastic, with a thick, clear, gloss layer of plastic sheeting over the exterior. The case isn't gloss white plastic as is often reported, it's flat white plastic with a shiny clear cover. So I'm thinking the Navy blue would have no more fingerprint problems than the white, it's purely how they'd show up. It just looks shinier than the white because it's a dark color--same as a white car vs a black car--black cars simply look "deeper" and "wetter" due to the COLOR, not their clear coat. So now I'm leaning towards Navy blue again... (hopefully import prices will go down a bit once the US version comes out)

I was looking at that, and I think it's basically impossible with the transformation scheme they have--they'd have to mounted in his forearms, and they've already got the fists stored inside. Or, they'd have to be a spot where there's not really anything there. Note that the drawings clearly showed accurate, 90-degree-folding gear. Hmmn...

Well I'm very surprised/impressed/happy. Keeping 2 J79's in working order must take a lot of work! Plus the hydraulics... PS--have them come to the Quad Cities! We need more jets! (Since it's not at a military base, EVERY plane has to be brought in--some years we're lucky to get a single A-10) I'd really like to see the Starfighters some day, but they seem to pick the weirdest places to go too... An F-4 is just as good though, if not better.

My question was why was he still wearing his anti-Xavier-mind-zap helmet. Xavier was gone, and Magento knew it. (And he should also know it'd offer NO protection against Jean if she wanted to fry his mind) As for metal: with the "ever expanding" clause of most super-hero powers, Magneto can affect pretty much any metal, since his power is technically control of a decent chunk of the electro-magnetic spectrum, not just SHEER magnetism. This allows lots of new variations in powers, etc. So he could probably affect lead, just not as easily as iron-based stuff. Probably couldn't morph it like he does iron, but certainly enough control to stop it and move it around. Most any metal is conductive, and with relationship between magnetism, conductive metals, and electricity he should be able to affect most anything he (or the writers) felt like.

Is that Collings F-4 flyable? My main criteria is FLYABLE. You can get a non-flying almost anything. A condition of that is also licensing. I know the FAA has very few people qualified to check other people out on most military jets, and even if you could get one, I doubt you could get an F-15 civillian type rating. (Again, we get into other country rules---why that guy in South Africa is there with his jets in the first place)

F-4? Not that I know of. There are privately owned (as in flyable) F-21/Kfir's. That's about the most advanced jet I know of in civillian hands. (Arguably that guy in South Africa who has a Buccaneer is even better) You see reports of people buying anything from F-18's to MiG-29's, but you never hear of them again nor see them fly. The place with the F-21 is available for hire for movies, ads, etc. Anyone know any actual rules/time limits for owning ex-military US planes? There's civillian F-104's and F-86's---I figure if it was feasible to acquire/maintain, the F-8 would be "ok" to have. THAT would rock. Though I think the F-104's are foreign ones, not US ones--that could have an effect. Otherwise the F-101/102/105 etc should be available as well.

The YF-22 had a more mature prototype, but it was no closer to a production F-22 than the YF-23 was to a production F-23. High alpha--not very relevant IMHO--what would the YF-22's high-alpha performance prove about the F-22's? Redesigned wings, tail, and intakes. Sure, they'd be similar, but look what happened to the F-18C vs F-18E wing---lots of little issues crept up, and all they did was scale up the wing and add the original F-17 dogtooth back in. F-22 changed a lot more. Weapons bay---forgot about that. I have yet to find a good diagram of the YF-23's trapeze launcher. But note how complicated and difficult it is to load the F-22's bays. Wonder if the -23 would have been better or worse.

Airshow day! F-15C East Coast team was a last minute addition, as was the IA ANG KC-135. Best pics I got of the day: (hey, I have a 2 megapixel camera with like a 2x zoom---these are amazing by my camera's standards---the Quad City airshow lets you get closer to the planes than almost anywhere else)