Knight26

Shin, yes I am a pilot, civilian only, and am not current. However, I do have an hour each in the following planes, helps to have been a former AF cadet that they wanted to keep bad and have military pilot friends: T-34C T-38A A-7E RF-4C F-16D F-15D F/A-18D Any other military planes were just transports. Unfortunately I never was able to get time in a cat, at least not in the air, but well, well that's a story for another time, let's just say you can fly in a tomcat and still be on the ground, lol. Also even in a flat spin, the shape of the canopy will get thrown so far from the aircraft that there is no chance of an ejection. Pretty much every plane since the F-14 has been fitted with a 0/0 ejection seat meaning that the pilot can safely eject and live at zero altitude and zero speed. Even some pre-tomcat aircraft were equipped with 0-0s. A friend of mine works on ejection seats for planes and they run numerous tests to make sure that such problems do not occur. I almost got a job with him, would have been awesome.

Interesting design, but where do the engines go post in battroid mode?

Doh, oh man, what was I thinking, I have a Puk'n Dogs patch right by my computer too, doh doh doh. DH you have permission to flog me for my mistake. Arrgh. I am sorry that I have disgraced my beloved Dogs so. Not that the Sluggers are bad mind you, but man how did I mess that up? WIll go back and fix my earlier post.

Goose should have lived, Maverick should have died. BTW the tech advisor on Top Gun hated how they killed goose, said that what they showed never could have happened, him hitting the canopy, many things wrong with that. Said that the better way for him to die would have been getting him trapped under his chute and drowning, which is a major problem and aircrews are trained how to escaped from that. We even used to do that with out trainees too.

Did a quick search on the Missileer that was mentioned a few posts back, and man when I found a picture it made me sick to my stomach. It looks be a development off the A-1 skyraider (the tail looks like a skyraider tail) and is numbered F-6D, basically it looks to be a slow, high loiter time, intereceptor based off a twin jet powered A-1, or maybe an A-6. Thing is, it's a Douglas design, and the A-6 is GRumman, so that leads me to think it was based off one of the A-1s twin seat models with twin jet propulsion and a high wing. But good lord is it ugly. Anyway here is the pic:

oops double post

1) The reason why most A model tomcats have one engine nozzle opened and one closed is because of an emergency override built into the engine controls. Because the F-14s engines are so powerful issues with assytemtric thrust were a prime concern in case of engine out problems. That is beside the point, sorry inhaled too much paint dust today cleaning up a launcher. Basicaly when the first engine shuts down it opens all the way, since at lowest thrust the engine vains are typically opened to the full extent, like in afterburner, it all about pressures people like DH said. ANyway when the second engine shuts down the override kicks in and automatically constricts it in order to maximize what little thrust it might still be able to produce just from the engine left spinning. It was hoped that this little feature would allow tomcats that lost engine power to remain flyable just a little longer and allow the crews to make it to safe waters before ditching. 2) The reason why Tomcat patches have two tails on the tomcat is because the change to the twin tail configuration came late in development. Some tomcat patches were already produced for the rollout of the single tail, ventral finned mock up, which featured a single tail on the cat. When the configuration was changed the second tail was added to the patch, initially as a joke, but it stayed all this time. 3) VF-143 has the coolest squadron name in history lets here it for Mother's Favorite "Puk'n Dogs." THe PC revolution of the late 80s early 90s saw the Puk'n Dogs become just the dogs, as did it see the loss of the bunny marking from Vandy-1. However in I believe 2001 or 2002 a female Admiral ordered the Bunny painted back onto Vandy-1 and the VF-143 Dogs became the Puk'n Dogs once again. The place I used to work at, Aviation Challenge, had all the high school age squadrons named after F-14 squadrons for years, and I had the Puk'n Dogs most often, man I love my Barfing Bassetts, my hurling hounds, my upchucking Chihuhaus, my El Doggos Pukeos, my Mother's Favorite Puk'n Dogs. (fixed, the squadron number, thanks DH, oh man how did I mess that up?) 4) During the filming of and after the filming of Top Gun, TOm Cruise was offered a ride in a tomcat's back seat so that he could actually get flight time and a 1 hour patch. He turned it down because he wouldn't get stick time. Years later when Interview with a Vampire was released in SOuth Korea he accepted a ride in a RSKAF F-16. Hmm, Tomcat king of the skies, or Viper pretender to the throne, hmm, which would you all have picked? 5) Back at Aviation Challenge when flying aggressor one thing would get a trainee shot down by an agressor faster then anything. That thing was ever quoting the Top Gun line, "I'll hit the brakes and he'll fly right by." I personally shot down six trainees for that infraction, quoting any top gun line ususally resulted in points off for the mission too, lol.

Of course you can clearly see that that bluge aft and to either side of the cockpit are twin machine guns. Movies in general tend to hate assymetry, so if a gun is one side there must another on the other side right? Class what was the last plane, anywhere that had two guns installed? Last I remember it was, the Mirage 2000, I don't think that even the EF-2000 or Rafale have twin cannons anymore. Mind you I am all about using guns air to air, but twin guns on what is suppossed to be a modern, or near future plane makes no sense, especially on a US plane where we seem to be forever chained to the vulcan.

Man I hate to bring more attention to this but a guy from work just sent me the following link. http://www.fencecheck.com/forums/index.php?topic=804.0 It shows that fugly, stupidly designed POS being craned off the deck of the Lincoln during a stop over at North Island in San Diego, CA. There is one shot that shows the landing gear pretty well, the mains appear to be stolen right off an F/A-18 from what I can see. The front gear, I don't know it looks way too complex and therefore heavy, it looks somewhat familiar but I can't figure out why. This was posted on an airshow ethusiasts webiste, and some of these guys actually think the plane looks good, thank goodness the last two guys point out that is it crap, otherwise DH and I might have to register and set them straight.

BDI, or VR set up would be best for controlling the arms any mode true, and would especially useful in Battroid mode. I've long contended that at least in DYRL and later, until Mac-7 anyway, that the flight suits were also an integral part of the control system. The forearms and lower legs of which may have held sensors in order to control fine motor movement and possibly to initiate combat manuevers. Most Valkyire movement was likely preprogrammed though to act a certain way according to the control movements, like staying balanced and automatically moving the arms to hold the gunpod when aiming and firing. Macross 0 shows eyetracking lasers in the helmet, if we are to believe that those were also in the VF-1, just not shown due to budget then that is another control method as well. I once had an idea of macross sidestory following a VF-1D squadron where the WSOs were marines trained in controlling the Valkyrie via VR interface, where they were also wearing interface suits that reacted to their movements. However I am against writing fan fiction so I just leave it as another story idea for another day.

Maybe that's because of the fallout following SST, but I wish they would ephmasize in the trailers that point as well, that is it not the book, merely named after and inspired by it. If they specify that I would not be so upset, or if they instead named it after one of the characters instead. A great example of a movie that is inspired by a classic sci-fi novel, yet makes itself its own entity is Equilibrium, which is clearly Farhenheit 451 taken to the extreme.

Still no SAaB or Pretender, arrgh. ANd what on god's green earth is "Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince" and why does it deserve DVD immortailization?

I haven't had any problems with my apache, thouhg I don't fly and crash it around, mostly it just sits on display.

Those things rock I am seriously tempted to get one of those f-18 and f-16s. If they ever produce an A-10 or a MiG-29 I would be all over those. I am getting my G-Pa the TBA Avenger for his upcoming birhtday, if it is out in time, check it out at Small Blue Planet Avenger

Nice looking rifle, but for that kind of money I want a shooting model that I can take down the range and show off to the other guys.

Thanks Js I know that the LT mentioned that, but that was years ago and I couldn't remember. The LTs was sweet to be sure, and was custom built for him. At the time he had a chance to buy one of the original screen used ones instead for cheaper, but it was one of the more beat up ones and he said it was all beat to hell.

Ok, garbage like the old ALF TV show gets a DVD set, but great shows like Space Above and Beyond and the Pretender get nothing. I swear there is no justice in this world. "Hey let's release another show that's still on the air or some 20 year old piece of garbage that still gives adults nightmares instead of a good show that was cut down in its prime."

I Agree, and as for the rifle I would rather just get the airsoft version instead of shelling out that kind of money, unless it is a firing version. I handled a firing replica of the Pulse rifle back in college, this Marine LT had one and was showing to all us Air Force types. I was one of the few people who recognized it as a convert thompson and who could actually hold it right, cock it, etc... The grenade launcher even worked, oh and for those who don't know the grenade launcher was a sawed off pump action shotgun, don't remember what kind. About two weeks late the LT invited me to go shoot it, so I went to the range with him and squeezed off a couple mags, it was awesome, he even let my somewhat shakey handed G-Pa fire it, once a marine always a marine right?

Great work Joseph, the new version looks even better, the flower patterns more believeable as being on a swim suit. Whatever happened to that great VF-0D you were working on before?

Well one day late we aren't too bad. Besides the b-day party is this weekend anyway.

So that's whay Dizzy was laughing at, poor Banpresto Hikaru.

Another shot of the whole flight line, hey isn't that Johnny Rico down there, what is he doing?

A nice close up of my improvised stand for the VE-1.

Here's my 1:60 two seaters at work on the Maisto flight line, hmm Dizzy Flores over there is laughing about something:

Actually that Mai chick is pretty cute